Lakes, Ponds and Wetlands

Guest post by Manjunath Prasad

This Comprehensive Management Action Plan by the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) deals with the various conservation and management interventions that can be taken up for long-term sustainability of Ousteri lake, the largest lake in Puducherry.

Wetlands in urban areas have always been exploited for several purposes due to anthropogenic activities. However, such activities may lead to alteration of wetland characteristics and thus cause changes in species composition and density. The Ousteri Lake (Oussudu Eri in Tamil) is rich in flora and fauna and is known to provide several ecological services including recharging underground aquifers and providing several livelihood options for the local community.

Organizer: United Way Bengaluru

Venue: Kaikondanahalli Lake, Sarjapura Road, Bangalore

Description:

To spread awareness about lakes in Bangalore and to mobilize support for lake rejuvenation campaign from companies, residents living around the lakes, community leaders and general public a Lake-a-Thon are taking place.

Forwarded to the portal by: Graduates Welfare Association, Fazilka

In spite of its natural wealth, the Alappuzha district has a high proportion of population living in poverty. 

Recognizing that the process of preparation of a mitigation plan report is as important as the product, the MSSRF team held wide ranging consultations with all concerned with the economy, ecological security and livelihood security of Kuttanad wetlands. Information on the consultations held and visits made are given in the report. It contains a malady-remedy analysis of the problems and potential solutions.

The greatest challenge in dealing with multidimensional problems in our country is our inability to generate the necessary synergy and convergence among the numerous government, non-government, civil society and other agencies involved in the implementation of the programmes such as those outlined in this report. This is why the team has suggested both high-level policy guidance and monitoring committee as well as a task implementation mechanism.

Author: S. Vishwanath
Video courtesy: Zenrainman

When a city adds nearly 3 million people in a span of a decade ensuring water supply to its citizens seems a huge challenge. One critical thing to realize is that the mind-set of ‘providing’ water has to change and become one of ensuring that citizens can access water of requisite quality.

 This publication will serve to be useful reference material for policymakers, implementing agencies, environmentalists and those who enjoy the beauty and diversity of India’s water bodies.

Lakes are not only a source of water and livelihood for many of our populations, but they also support a large proportion of our biodiversity. The wetlands, shallower peripheral areas of large lakes, provide breeding and nesting grounds to huge population of birds, many of which migrate to India from as far north as Siberia.

Interdependence of glacial fluctuations to hydrometeorology and sediment transfer in the connected river basins is well recognized in the Himalayan region. Considering the increased rates of glacial recession during past few decades, possibility of creating new lake basins by glacial melt and damming of rivers followed by lake outbursts and related flash floods is likely to increase.

 Residents of L&T South City and Brigade Millenium in JP Nagar, Bangalore formed a citizen initiative to save the neighbouring Puttenahalli Lake from becoming a dumping ground for construction debris and waste. A team from India Water Portal visited the lake in June 2011 to see the progress and challenges faced by such citizen initiatives.