A steady drizzle on Sunday morning did little to discourage a group of volunteers from doing their bit to save Alahalli lake near JP Nagar in the City.
Determined to keep the lake clean despite official apathy, residents of Alahalli, Anjanapura and Gollahalli set out to remove weeds and plastic from the lake area. Accompanied by students, the group of volunteers swelled to about 100 people.
A decade ago, the lake had added to the pristine scenery of the area. Now, it is choked with water hyacinths. Saravana Krishnan, a volunteer told Deccan Herald that the beauty of the lake had first drawn him to buy a home in the area ten years ago. “It was a source of scenic beauty.
Over the years, however, we have seen it deteriorating due to pollution,” he said.
With no response from officials, he added that several residents decided to come together and take action to preserve the water body. “To years ago we had contacted the BBMP, BDA and the Lake Development Authority and everywhere the officials claimed it was not their jurisdiction,” Krishnan said.
According to Anand Yadwad, Managing Trustee, Alahalli Lake and Neighbourhood Development Trust, the volunteers plan to continue clean-up efforts every Sunday until the task is complete.
“We will pursue appropriate measures to save the lake,” he said. The group will meet again next week and undertake more cleaning work in the area.”