Residents rejoice as neglected lakes surge back to life after one day of rain: 'An incredible feeling'

A day's burst of rainfall in late March over Bengaluru, India, collected 2 million liters of water in two lakes on the outskirts of the city, rejuvenating the direly low water levels.

"The lake was rejuvenated through the relentless efforts of residents, [nongovernmental organizations] and [corporate social responsibility] funding," explained K Ramanath Rao, the executive director of Kasturingar Welfare Association that worked on the restoration, to The New Indian Express. "Seeing rainwater enter the lake from the inlet for the first time since I moved here 14 years ago is an incredible feeling."

According to the Deccan Herald, the past year was busy for local and international NGOs working to restore the lakes by "clearing the inlets and outlets, destilting, fixing the bund and fencing the lakes to deter garbage and construction debris dumping."

The NGOs were able to monitor the unbelievable rainfall levels through solar-powered radar-based sensors installed within the lakes. The project began in 2023 when the area faced a severe crisis in groundwater levels. The lakes were once thriving before urbanization and environmental degradation overtook them.

Restoring these lakes means positive advancements in the groundwater crisis within Bengaluru. The city has no river running through and faces a daily water deficit of 500 million liters. It also means a rebuilt ecosystem within and around the lakes that will support the food chain.

Now, residents are hoping the lakes can remain protected under the Forest Department of India's jurisdiction, which would mean they are protected from further encroachment.

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A CEO of one of the NGOs that helped with monitoring the restoration, Deokant Payasi of SayTrees told the Deccan Herald: "A single day's rainfall filling these two lakes up by 2.1 million liters of water goes to show that if we catch the rainfall properly, we will have more than enough water to recharge our borewells."

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