Anand Malligavad, The Karnataka Man Who Has Rejuvenated 23 Lakes So Far Tells How It Is Done

In 2018, a bombshell report by the NITI Aayog had said that by 2020 Bengaluru will run out of groundwater, becoming the first Indian city to face the crisis.

Thankfully it did not happen, and even in 2022, the dreaded 'day zero' is not here yet.

That doesn't mean that the Karnataka capital is out of the woods because the water crisis in Bengaluru is real and is only predicted to worsen in the years to come.

A few decades ago, it was unimaginable that Bengaluru, which had scores of lakes will ever run out of groundwater.

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But the years of exploitation and slow-killing of Bengaluru's lakes in the name of development resulted in the breakdown of the chain of water harvest in the city, which also made floods more frequent and devastating.

The long-term solution to Bengaluru's groundwater crisis is to revive its lakes to their past glory.

Meet Anand Malligavad

Anand Malligavad, a techie-turned lake conservationist has been working towards rejuvenating Bengaluru's lakes one by one since 2017.

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Malligavad who left his well-paying tech job to revive waterbodies has so far rejuvenated 23 lakes in Bengaluru.

"We started working on the Margondanhalli lake in October 2021. It is a lake that is spread over 19 acres and was filled with sewage silt and full of hyacinths. A lot of its area was also lost due to encroachment. It took us around 75 days to dewater the entire lake, and remove the silt, sewage and hyacinths, set up earthen bunds and natural filters. By February we completed the work and now with the current rains it is filling up with crystal clear water," Malligavad told Indiatimes.

Our 14th Lake rejuvenated just now¡­last few years no one entered into this lake due to filled with Sewage and Sludge¡­Now Kids are swimming¡­last few rains brought some FRESH WATER ? pic.twitter.com/RIF67HXjB8

¡ª Anand Malligavad (@AMalligavad) July 17, 2022

Along with Margondanhalli, Malligavad also rejuvenated Shikaripalya lake which was in an equally bad condition.

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According to him, for the first time in over 20 years, residents are now able to use Shikaripalya lake and kids even swim there.

Currently, Malligavad is working on rejuvenating two more lakes in Bengaluru, which is nearing completion.

Along with this, he is also working on rejuvenating lakes and other waterbodies in states like Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Meghalaya.

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In 2017, when he started, Malligavad wanted to rejuvenate just one lake which would act as a model and inspire others.

Now he is on a mission to rejuvenate as many lakes as possible in his lifetime.

He also hopes that others can follow in his footsteps to save more lakes across India.

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Here is how he works

Malligavad said that it is important to follow a step-by-step process to rejuvenate the lake or any water body.

1, Gather information

It is important to gather the maximum information about the lake before starting to work on it. The information can be gained from government records and locals.

2, Visit the lake

Visiting the lake gives a better idea about the inlets and outlets, and the condition of the water there. It also gives an idea about the neighbourhood.

3, DPR and approval

After assessing the ground situation a detailed project report is drafted and outlines the costs and timelines involved. After this, the necessary approvals from the local bodies are taken.

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4, Community involvement and awareness

It is important to win the confidence of the local residents. This is done by holding several rounds of awareness meetings. Some people from the community are also chosen as leaders and are given specific responsibilities.

5, Bhoomi pooja and dewatering

The first day starts with a Bhoomi pooja which is followed by de-watering, which can at times last for days depending on the amount of water that is already collected there and the surroundings to which it is let out.

6, Deweeding and removal of debris

It is important to remove all the weeds and plastic and other waste materials that have been collected in the river over the years.

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7, Desilting

Silt which is a sludge of sand, soil, and other organic materials that get accumulated in the lakebed needs to be removed. The silt which is removed is then used as a landfill or as manure, depending on if it is contaminated by industrial waste.

8, Creating a walking track

The silt which is removed from the lake can be used to create an elevated walking track. These tracks can be used by locals for their morning and evening walks, which will also ensure that there are always people around the lake, which will dissuade potential encroachers.

9, Open all inlets

The next step is to identify and open up all the natural inlets into the lake, including those which were encroached upon to ensure that water once again starts to flow from the catchment areas.

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10, Planting aquatic and other plants

Plants, both aquatic and others that grow on the banks play a crucial role in keeping the lake healthy. They help prevent soil erosion and also act as a nesting place for birds.

11, Forestation

A small forest, consisting of local species including trees and medicinal plants is built around the lake, with the support of locals. It will also help in transforming the entire ecosystem into a self-sustaining one.

12, Awareness meeting and handing over to locals

To make sure that a rejuvenated lake doesn't once again become a dumping ground, local residents are encouraged to become its protectors. Residents are also encouraged to use the track for their morning and evening walks and to walk their pets.

13, Role of community leaders

The community leaders who were chosen earlier are given various tasks for the continued maintenance of the lake and its surroundings and also to report any encroachment or waste dumping.

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14, Growing fish and fishing

Once the lake is rejuvenated, native fish breeds which were already present in the lake before the cleanup drive are reintroduced and they are allowed to grow naturally. To ensure that marine life is not exploited beyond a point, fishing is only allowed with hooks and not with nets.

15, Follow-up

Even after completing the rejuvenation process, it is important to keep going back to locations on regular basis to assess the progress and do basic clean-ups if needed.

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