Hesaraghatta Lake
Hesaraghatta Lake | |
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Bengaluru , KA-52 |
Hesaraghatta Lake is a humanmade reservoir located 18 km to the north-west of
Access
The lake is approachable by road from Bengaluru at a distance of 26.5 km to the north-west of the city.[3]
Topography
The total catchment area draining into the Lake at the dam built on the
Hydrology and water works
The
When the Hesaraghatta Lake started drying up in the year 1925, as an urgent remedial measure, another dam was built to create a reservoir called the Chamaraja Sagar at TG Halli, downstream of the Hesaraghatta Lake. This dam has been enlarged from time to time, over the years, to meet partially, the increasing water supply demand of Bengaluru.[8]
Deterioration of the lake
The reservoir is reported to have filled up last in the year 1994 and thereafter the lake's deterioration and drying up started, reducing its reliability as a water supply source.[9]
The reasons attributed to the lake's drying up are erosion in the catchment and consequent capacity shrinking due to continuous silting. As of January 2020, the lake is completely dry.[10]
In recent years, the Hesaraghatta Lake bed has seen an increased number of bird photographers who drive on the lake bed using their cars and SUVs as hides resulting in extensive damage to the grassland habitat. This has increased the vehicle tracks to 43 km in total, with the average track width coming to 1.62 meters. About 136 hectares of habitat was either lost or disturbed because of vehicular movement. Unhygienic practices by villagers such as open defecation are also common. [11][12][13][14][15][16]
Main factors affecting degradation include sand mining, movement of tractors, tree plantations, and grazing of cattle.
Avifauna
Even in the deteriorated condition of the lake, birds such as the
Call for restoration
Apart from the water supply, the lake, which was known for its birds and river rafting (wind surfing), has drawn the attention of public spirited organisations and individuals for undertaking restoration works to revive it.[10]
- The Madras Engineer Group (MEG) of the Indian Army in association with local community organizations such as the "Arkavathy Kere Ulisi Andolana Samithi (AKASH)", which literally means "Save Arkavati Lake Movement" of Hesaraghatta and ‘‘Friends of Hesaraghatta Lake’’ undertook ‘shramadana’ (voluntary manual labour), in May 2004, to clear the main inlet to the lake. It is reported that this activity enabled increase of water storage in the lake which was stated to be 1.22–1.83 m (4.0–6.0 ft) of water in an area of about 66.7 hectares (165 acres). AKASH has now sought help of more volunteers to increase the depth of the lake to 3 m (9.8 ft) to attract several species of birds.[10]
- The "OORU-NEERU" Water Walk was organised by the public spirited people of Bangalore to Hesaraghatta Lake to see and study the status of the Lake and evaluate the relationship of a city to its waters. The observation made by the study is that:
It is more correct to refer to the Hesaraghatta reservoir as a ‘once upon a time’ water lifeline for Bengaluru rather than a current lifeline.
The walk has also brought out facts such as, a) presence of the reservoir and old pumps, b) the building of 1896 A.D. vintage which has maps displayed in a building depicting how the water was received and pumped, c) the water level chart of the Hesaraghatta reservoir till 2000 A.D, d)a rain gauge to measure the rainfall, e) the remnants of the brick aqueduct to convey water by gravity at Turbanahalli and f) the Siphon at the Hesaraghatta Lake used to discharge the flood waters when the reservoir was full. The final verdict of the Water Walkers is that:[19]
The Hesaraghatta reservoir has the capacity to supplement Bengaluru water requirements at a far cheaper cost than any other. It makes ecological and economic sense to look at its revival.
- Another voluntary effort, the latest, is of the three member team of a villager, a photo journalist and an economist who found that the lake was being de-silted with bull dozers at the lake's eastern channel to connect it with the catchment area and which could bring water into the lake during the monsoon.[20]
Places of interest
The fertile area which encircles the Lake has a number of important institutions such as the Government
Gallery
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Bay-backed shrike (Lanius vittatus)
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Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
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Common myna (Acridotheres tristis)
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Cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis)
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Oriental Magpie-robin (Copsychus saularis)
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Indian pond heron (Ardeola grayii)
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Greater Coucal (Southern) (Centropus sinensis)
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Little egret (Egretta garzetta)
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Lilac Silverline (Aphnaeus lilacinus)
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A male Rain Quail
References
- ^ Water Supply and Source
- ^ "BWSSB.org". Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
- ^ a b http://www.geopassage.com/India/attraction/Bangalore/Hesarghatta.htm Archived 21 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine Hesarghatta
- ^ Board of Water supply Bangalore Archived 2007-08-18 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hesarghatta lake details
- ^ Envis Centre, Bangalore
- ^ Board of water supply bangalore
- ^ Water supply and source
- ^ from Lessons from a reservoir by S. Vishwanath
- ^ a b c Sights, sounds and smells from Bangalore: Army, AKASH revive Hesarghatta lake
- ^ "The Hesaraghatta Study". Archived from the original on 15 February 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ "Ruining the ecology of Hesaraghatta Lake - The role of bird photographers" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ Shutterbugs take over Hesaraghatta lake bed
- ^ Study reveals lensmen’s unethical practices
- ^ Nature paparazzi kill lake
- ^ Lensmen mess up bird habitat
- ^ My first birding trip – Hesarghatta
- ^ a b http://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy/lake2006/programme/programme/lake2006_Pdf/Harish%20Bhat_Tanks%20of%20North%20Bangalore.pdf Diversity at the Tanks of North BangaloreWater Bird Diversity at the Tanks of North Bangalore
- ^ Bangalore City project, Ooru Neeru : water walk
- ^ Saving Hesaraghatta, the saga of two rajas, one bhatta and a lake