Puttenahalli Lake (Yelahanka)

Puttenahalli Lake Bird Sanctuary
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Puttenahalli Lake WS
Location	Yelahanka, India
Nearest city	Bangalore
Coordinates
Area	10 ha
Established	proposed, 2007
Governing body	Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Karnataka

Spot-billed pelican
Pelecanus philippensis

Puttenahalli WS Lake is a 10-hectare water body near Yelahanka, 14 km north of Bangalore. Biodiversity experts have discovered 49 species of birds breeding here. Among those birds are darters, painted storks, black-crowned night herons, purple herons, pond herons, egrets, Asian openbill storks, Eurasian spoonbills, spot-billed pelicans, little grebes, little cormorants, spot-billed ducks, purple moorhens and common sandpipers.

This lake is not to be confused with the more popular Puttenahalli lake, in J.P Nagar in South Bangalore.

Puttenahalli Yelahanka Lake is prominent because more than 7,000 birds can be sighted during the breedingseason. The 'avifauna' of this lake also includes some of the endangered and migratory birds from the Northern Himalayas and Siberia. "Many species which are listed under threatened category of (IUCN) find this lake as their favourite abode during breeding season.

The lake will have watch towers, trekking paths, guides to identify birds for tourists and other basic facilities. Steps are being taken to declare the 15-hectare water body as a protected area according to principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) Avani Kumar Varma. Earlier, the lake was under Lake Development Authority (LDA) and was listed for further development for commercial purposes under Public-Private Partnership Model. "We have written to the state government to withdraw the lake from the LDA list and hand over to us. The government has already given the green signal and the process of declaring it as a conservation reserve is underway,". The new tag of conservation reserve will help in preserving the rich bird population in an urban set-up," he added.

Eight residents from the neighbourhood have started a trust called "Yelahanka Puttenahalli Lake and Bird Conservation Trust" to protect the birds and work towards increasing bio-diversity in the lake with the help of the government. The government and trust are working towards making the lake a bio-diversity spot and to declare the lake to be a bird beserve.

Yelahanka Lake (which is near Puttenahalli Lake): The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in association with private firms organized a massive plantation drive at the Yelahanka Lake with volunteers planting of thousand saplings. The drive is part of 'Wake the Lake' campaign which focuses on rejuvenating dying lakes. Palike officials said the initiative aims at sensitizing the community living around the lake and mobilize their efforts to revive the lake.

BBMP has tied up with the United Way of Bengaluru, a network partner of the 126-year-old US based charity-United Way Worldwide, for the purpose. The BBMP has drawn up a mandate clearing encroachments by demolishing as many as 15 buildings on the lake bed and recovering 7 acres and 13 guntas of land worth Rs 3 crores to plant a thousand saplings in an attempt to address this pressing issue of the 'Garden City'. Eminent environmentalist Saalumarada Thimmakka was also a part of this initiative and encouraged the volunteers through her speech to participate in such causes. The eminent environmentalist recognized world over for her work in planting 284 banyan trees in the city and tending to them single handed was the guest of honor at the event. John Devaraj, a renowned art director, choreographed a puppet-o-thon with the students to put more enthusiasm for the drive.

See also

Lakes in Bangalore

Puttenahalli Lake is also the name of a small rejuvenated lake (area: 13 acres 25 guntas) in Puttenahalli, Bangalore South. This lake is presently being maintained by Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust.

Massive plantation drive to rejuvenate Yelahanka Lake (note: Yelahanka Lake is a large lake located close to Puttenahalli Lake Yelahanka

External links

• The New Indian Express, Bangalore, April 25, (2007) retrieved 5/1/2007, Puttenahalli lake to be bird reserve, Cached

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