Reimagining the ring around the neigbourhood lakes

In the early 90’s, during the IT boom, Bengaluru witnessed a seismic shift from a garden city to the Silicon Valley of India. The rapid urbanisation resulted in the depletion of green spaces within and around the city. The natural scrubby vegetation, once scattered as small pockets within the city, was replaced by parks with manicured lawns and turfs. These parks are landscaped to mimic the natural vegetation of temperate countries. They necessitate high inputs of fertilisers and pesticides, which leave them devoid of any fauna, which could support biodiversity if managed in an environment-friendly manner.

According to the United Nations, 68 per cent of the global population is projected to live in urban areas by 2050. Now, more than ever, it is essential to co-create resilient socio-ecological systems with communities and stakeholders from the public sector for the wellbeing of humans and nature.

The discourse on green infrastructure in the city’s landscape is dominated by Cubbon Park, Lalbagh, and the neighbourhood parks. Often overlooked in the conversation are the ‘rings around lakes’; these pathways are often envisioned as jogging tracks and, in an attempt to improve aesthetic appeal, are manicured using ornamental plants that do not support native biodiversity, often with chemical impact. These rings, however, have the potential to be the solution to many concerns posed by our burgeoning city.

Bengaluru’s Lakes

Bengaluru was once a city of lakes, with thousands of lakes, many of which were interconnected through canals. The small neighbourhood lakes, which once pockmarked the city, have mostly disappeared and been diverted for development. The heritage lakes of the city, such as the Ulsoor Lake, continue to garner public attention and, in turn, attract resources for maintenance and betterment, leaving behind the smaller neighbourhood lakes.
One such small neighbourhood lake, the Venkateshpura lake, located in Jakkur, has a water spread area of approximately 8 acres and is lined by rocky outcrops on one side. The Great Trigonometrical Survey (GTS) tower, built in the early 1800s, sits atop the rocky outcrop. Despite being a picturesque lake with historic significance, it has witnessed a steady decline in water quality over the years. Apartment complexes and other buildings in the immediate vicinity discharged sewage into the lake; the decline in water quality led to the growth of invasive species such as Pistia sp., commonly known as water cabbage or water ferns, on the surface of the water.

Many apartment complexes have begun to use Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and are now working with BBMP to let the excess treated and harvested rain water into the lake. Along the main bund, invasive plants such as Lantana camara, Parthenium sp., and Chromolaena odorata had taken over the native vegetation due to a lack of maintenance.

Little Drops Make a Difference

The lake recharges the groundwater table, thereby enabling approximately 1,500 households in the immediate vicinity to rely substantially on borewells. This reduces reliance on the Cauvery grid, which has been in the midst of water sharing conflicts for over 100 years. Groundwater is also financially advantageous when compared to purchasing water from tankers.

The Venkateshpura lake and ‘the ring around the lake’ serve as a ‘biodiversity refugia’ that supports more than 103 species of birds, 38 species of butterflies, 14 species of reptiles, 5 species of amphibians, nine species of odonates, four species of bees, and many more life forms amidst the concrete jungle.

Most neighbourhood lakes, along with the biodiversity-supportive rings, can form pockets that act as stepping stones to larger green spaces within the city, especially for mobile taxa such as birds, butterflies, and dragonflies.

With urbanisation, our cities have expanded, and the everyday relationship we share with natural spaces has reduced drastically. The intrinsic value of nature, however, is beyond mere aesthetics. Waterscapes, be they rivers, oceans, or lakes, foster psychological and mental wellbeing.

Building ‘Biophilia’

We now have a large population of third-generation city dwellers who are so alienated from nature, often developing ‘biophobia’. All the more, there is an emerging disconnect with nature, as witnessed during one of our interactions in a popular school when asked, “Where do we get corn from?” a child replied, “Corn flakes come from Kellogg’s factory.” Even further nudging did not help the child connect to the corn fields.

The ‘hustle culture’ has brought us into a state of always being on the run, so much so that we even run the tracks around the lake, oblivious to nature and its exuberant outplays.

The conceptualization at the Venkateshpura Lake restoration diverges from the notion of establishing a mere jogging trail, as seen at most lakes. The aim is to create a sanctuary where individuals slow down and engage in leisurely strolls. Along the ring, visitors can enjoy the butterfly- and pollinator-friendly gardens. Eventually, we plan to build a platform where the users will be able to record their observations, both good and bad, which will serve as feedback for better management by the lake custodians. A slow walk and interaction with nature will help improve mental health, as it is being projected as a major emerging public health concern.

A Co-managed ‘Social Space’ 

It is planned for residents of the neighbourhood to learn about the diverse species that occupy the pockets of green space, this enables children and adults alike to understand their environment. A thriving ecosystem would also allow residents to gather and promote social interactions. The lake will be semi-gated, which will continue to allow the traditional users of the lake to fish and graze to make sure that livelihood dependency is not affected. Ensuring continued access to all stakeholders, enables sustained participation and maintenance of the lake’s water quality and the surrounding ‘ring’.

The Venkateshpura lake is being restored jointly by the municipality, BBMP, and their consultants, Vimos Technocrats, and with Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) as a knowledge partner. ATREE is also consciously taking input from the Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) in the neighbourhood.

ATREE envisions applying the Rosenzweig principles of ‘Reconciliation Ecology’ to the ‘ring around the lake,’ which emphasises developing these spaces for the co-existence of people with biodiversity.

The ring is designed to support a habitat for ‘ordinary’ biodiversity or common species. As we know, the most common species are disappearing, and this is a true alarm or a tipping point indicating that our immediate livingscapes are habitable only for Homo sapiens.

With time, multiple biodiversity-supportive rings created in the city will perhaps serve as stepping stones to extend the ‘biodiversity frontier’ from the semi-wilderness of the peri-urban areas into cities.

The lake was once surrounded by agricultural fields, which are long gone and are now replaced with apartment complexes and houses. The land use has changed over time, and it is now a human-dominated space. The restoration plan includes the removal of invasive species such as Lantana camara, Parthenium sp., and Chromolaena odorata and replacing them with native species.
The lake bund will be enriched with plants that support pollinators such as butterflies and bees, which will also be a beautiful sight for those who walk around the lake.

To quote the urban ecologist Savitha Swammy, “People’s attitudes and experiences are known to influence their actions towards conservation of green spaces.” There are very few models within the city where the community has forged partnerships with the municipality, which has led to better management of parks. The BBPM has now brought in nodal officers from the department to take care of 140 lakes.

The previously introduced system of the Kere Mithra, representing civil societies, could be re-established, and they could work with the nodal officers, which will be a big step towards co-management involving the public and private sectors. We are hoping the Venkateshpura Lake will serve as an exemplar for urban planning authorities to scale up and be integrated into city planning.

(The writers are with Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment)