Mangaluru: While the entire district remained bundh on Thursday, a different kind of an effort was on to save a water body in the city.

It is said that long ago, the city had several lakes, with abundant water, which are now lost in dune of development. But then, left over of the lost glory now lurks at certain spots of the city in the form of small water bodies, waiting to die a silent, unnoticed death.

One such lakes was Byradi lake near Alape-Padil. But, fortunately, the drought of 2016 pinched the residents and woke them up from their slumber. The result was that the people of Alape-Padil organised a unique programme of cleaning Byradi lake, as an attempt to draw the attention of the district administration to a problem, which has often skipped the attention of the authorities.

As the district is still reeling under acute water crisis and the district administration has already made announcements on claiming control over all the individual and private owned wells and bores, the people of Alape-Padil are of the opinion that if the district administration takes steps to revive the existing lakes in the city, never in future will the city face water woes.

In a bid to save Byradi lake here, Byradi Kere Samrakshana Samiti spearheaded the movement of cleaning the lake and breathing new life into it.

Speaking to Newskarnataka Samiti Convener Taranath Suvarna said that during its glorious days, the brimming lake was in a sprawling 2.62 acres, but today the lake has shrunk to mere 1.2 acres, thanks to encroachment of lake by builders and other private individuals.

The lake, which once fed water to locals living in the region, has now been smothered in squalor.

It was precisely with the aim of saving the lake that the locals joined hands and formed the Samiti about a year ago.

Suvarna says that the lake is usually full throughout the year, but today, the water of the lake has been polluted and it is evidently unfit for consumption.
“The locals have been dumping waste into the lake and even drainage lines have been linked to the lake. This has become a major cause of concern for us,” says Suvarna adding that till some years ago Department of Fisheries used to use the lake for cultivating fingerlings, but off late even they have stopped doing the exercise here.

Suvarna says that if the district administration comes forward to restore the lake in its original glory, then water supply for Alape-Padil can be covered from the lake conveniently.

As a next plan of action, the Samiti wants to form a Union of all the Lake Development Committees in the city, which are fighting for the same cause.
The plan is to strength the Union so that their voice can be heard.

He says there are several lakes in the city, which if restored can feed enough water to the city.

If the plans of the Samiti materialises and if the Samiti sincerely treads the path to reach its goals then at least the existing little pockets of lakes can be saved for posterity.