Improving biodiversity of Doddakallasandra Lake in Bengaluru – ActionAid India
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Improving biodiversity of Doddakallasandra Lake in Bengaluru

Published on: Thursday, 29th August 2019

Author: Priyanka Khullar

To commemorate World Nature Conservation Day, on July 28, NTT Data Services and ActionAid Association organized a Lake Walk at Doddakallasandra Lake in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The objective was to sensitize local residents about the various forms of life thriving in and around water bodies. More than 50 people participated, learning about birds, butterflies, trees and plants at the lake. Environmentalist Bhargavi S. Rao interacted with the participants and shared about the history of Vrushabhavati and Arkavathi river valleys that existed in Bengaluru and how rapid development led to the disappearance of these rivers. She also urged the residents to come forward to conserve the lake’s biodiversity.

A day earlier, we had conducted a plantation drive at the lake. Local youth volunteered and learnt about the different tree species and how those could be a habitat for birds in the lake environment. Several students from Silicon City College, Konanakunte, participated in the plantation drive and planted saplings in order to contribute to improving the biodiversity of Doddakallasandra Lake. A fortnight previous to this, a Butterfly Walk was organised at Doddakallasandra Lake on the morning of July 13. Children and local residents learnt about butterflies, their life cycle and their contribution to ecology. Facilitated by butterfly enthusiast Ulhas Anand, the walk saw active participation of several children, senior citizens and nature lovers.

ActionAid Association, with support from NTT Data Services, has been working towards conserving and improving the biodiversity of Doddakallasandra Lake for the past 18 months. Besides planting 200 tree saplings of 28 species and nurturing them, we are spreading awareness among the general public on water conservation, the importance of water bodies and various species of birds, butterflies, trees etc. Surveys conducted in this period have recorded 59 bird species, 354 trees of 41 species and 37 butterfly species along the lake so far. We will be submitting our biodiversity survey report to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner soon.