Mysuru: A massive cleaning drive was organised by over 300 people including morning walkers and members of over 16 supporting organisations at Kukkarahalli Lake on Sunday morning. The three-hour drive commenced at 6 am at the main entrance of the Lake, near the Railway Crossing, Saraswathipuram.
The drive was organised by Wild Mysuru, Let’s Do It! Mysore, Young Indians (Yi), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Humane Touch, Clean Mysuru Foundation, MGP, YHAI Gangothri Unit, Mysuru, GSS Yoga – Yogic Research Foundation, DRC Cinemas, masthmysore, Koti Vruksha Pratishtana, Mysuru Memes, Samarpana Foundation, Gandada Gudi NGO and People Tree. It yielded more than six tonnes of garbage which included plastic bottles, paper cups, plates, liquor bottles and other littered refuse. By cleaning the Lake, green activists spread the message of maintaining cleanliness and conservation and protection of flora and fauna in the Lake.
Surprisingly, the area adjoining Hunsur Road yielded a huge collection of liquor bottles and bone pieces indicating that people sneak into the Lake through the fenced border at night and indulge in partying.
According to volunteers, the cleaning drive was organised before the arrival of monsoon as if not cleaned now, rains would wash away the waste into the Lake which will be further polluted. They said that more than 150 bags of garbage were collected.
Kukkarahalli Lake houses a large number of plants, trees, birds, animals and insects which included 189 species of birds, 12 species of animals, more than 400 varieties of plants and trees, variety of butterflies and 35 types of spiders. Commenting on the cleaning drive, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Health Officer Dr. D. G. Nagaraju appreciated the efforts of public and volunteers in cleaning up the Lake. “Hundreds of walkers come to Kukkarahalli Lake for morning and evening walks and at the same time, there are people who come to the Lake just to dump garbage and there are vandals who come in the night to consume liquor and discard bottles,” he said.
“Kukkarahalli Lake is the city’s property and everyone must strive to protect it. People must come out of the mindset that only the MCC must clean the Lake and its surroundings,” he added.
Later, the garbage was shifted to the MCC’s Excel Solid Waste Treatment Plant at Vidyaranyapuram and MCC trucks carried the waste.
Kudos to the many organizations and the people of Mysore to keep their environment clean. It is true that every one should chip in to keep the city and the environment clean. Well done Mysoreans!!!!
An anodyne comment. Kukkarahalli was polluted beyond redemption even in 1950s,and nothing short of a massive cleansing operation which involves proper government funding and a serious task force will do.
i lived in Mysore some 35 years ago and Kukkarahalli Lake was the go to place for evening walk. I really appreciate the efforts of Mysoreans in keeping the lake clean. Than you all….
Conveniently located near the University offices,this lake took away many aspiring young lives in my days in Mysuru. In those days, there was an organised voluntary watch of the lake by well wishers, at the time of university results announcement. Yet, we lost many young lives. There was a serious proposal in the late 1950s to fill the lake and get rid off the water, and convert the whole area as a friendly walking expanse. The then Mysuru government was serious about it,until a few with vested interests stopped this plan even getting off the ground. The lake then was used as a waste disposable repository by unscrupulous businesses and others who stopped the above proposal gaining traction. Other plans were shunned too.
When the holiest river Ganges is polluted beyond imagination with the Varanasi sewage also flowing into that river, and the central government is dragging its feet from doing much,what chance is there for massive proper cleansing of this lake? Varanasi,by the way, is Modi’s constituency. Pilgrims taking a dip in this holy river,are surrounded by floating sewage effluents! Before Modi starts preaching others, he should look after this river in is constituency.
Mysoreans and indeed Indians need serious lessons in keeping their environment clean, which should involve serious serious changing of teir undesirable habits like throwing litters and dumping wastes.
I am a native of Varanasi and for 7 generations we have lived there! Currently working in an IT company and visit my hometown 3 times a year! Ganga is very clean for the past 3 years and under the leadership of Nitin Gadkari the progress in very good! So, please don’t spread nonsense rumors like there is no improvement in Cleaning Ganges river! If anybody is interested they can look at the monthly project report as well as use RTI to get the details! Also, if the progress was not there, Modi would not have dared to contest from there! I have talked to hundreds of local residents I know and they are all very happy about progress!
I heard, Priyanka too rook a boat ride in Ganga! Do you think she would not have shown the pictures if it was dirty?
I too went to Varanasi and the river is quite clean compared to my trip 5 years ago! Must be some trickster must have been tricked and shown a sewer as river Ganges and they must have taken a dip! Benares has lots of tricky agents who swindle money promising moksha to your ancistors
since my childhood every couple of years we read same news of pollution and cleaning of Kukkarahalli here unless you stop the pollution and find a better system to divert the sewage this problem does not go away, it’s shame we have not solved this problem for over 50 years, every mysoreans should be ashamed of themselves for not solving this problem once for all
Maybe Mysore don’t deserve lakes, because they are not seeing the value of urban water bodies like in European countries. Kukkarahalli lake can be best used as dumping ground for garbage, demolished concrete, meat waste and many things. I pity the foreign lady who came from distant land, was cleaning Kukkarahalli lake (SOM report) and feeling sad, begging to save the lake.
Handover Mysore lakes to Veolia waste management (MNC), they will show us progress and how to protect lakes from pollution, encroachment and how to develop urban water bodies.
PPP model can workout, they will maintain and they will earn from revenue. Nothing is free !! Do not protest if they charge entry fee and monthly pass for walkers. Only such options will work out.
Syed Matheen, it is true and another way of looking at the problem.