Once hailed as the city of lakes, Bangalore’s wetlands are now in a dilapidated state. The day becomes important in the wake of recent deaths in the lakes, and civic agencies are doing all they can to rejuvenate them.
Bangalore today will celebrate the World Wetland Day. Once hailed as the city of lakes, Bangalore’s wetlands are now in a dilapidated state. The day becomes important in the wake of recent deaths in the lakes, and civic agencies are doing all they can to rejuvenate them.
On February 2, 1971, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance was signed. The agenda was to protect the wetlands as it is an important part of biodiversity.
However, these wetlands have been destroyed over the years and all that remains now are artificial water tanks. Many have dried up to pave way for urbanisation, while others made way for roads, apartment complexes, and commercial establishments.
According to biodiversity expert Harish R Bhat, most wetlands have gone beyond repair. Catchment areas have been encroached and buffer zones no longer exist. They have been converted into artificial water tanks, rather than being home to varied biodiversity, providing clean drinking water and water for agriculture.
Many tanks have a horrendous stench. While the urban bodies are striving to improve them, the suggestions made by conservationists and biodiversity experts have been ignored.
Many reports prepared by experts, including the Indian Institute of Science through the lake symposium, have been ignored. Only demarking boundaries and fencing them are being followed by civic agencies.
Recently, a meeting of experts and officials under the high court constituted a committee to look into the conservation and improvement of lakes. The committee sought opinions from officials of various fields before submitting the report to the high court.
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