Madras Sappers dive in, clean up Ulsoor lake, in 2 days

It’s a lesson the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike ought to learn. Left with no sign of activity from the Palike, a 1,000-strong group of fresh recruits into the Madras Engineering Group took up the cleaning of Ulsoor Lake. The task was completed in a matter of just two days.

Nearly 1,000 young MEG sappers took part in the cleaning and de-weeding process, cutting the water hyacinth and giving the lake a fresh lease of life. The water hyacinth, which had engulfed portions of the lake, was cut, and boats were used to transfer the vegetation to the shore, and later transported into trucks for disposal elsewhere.

Over the years, with increasing population pressure in the neighborhood, sewage was drained into the lake. This had transformed the lake, a scenic spot in the city that attracts regular walkers even now, into a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

The rampant growth of water hyacinth too had choked off the oxygen in the water, thus killing many forms of aquatic life.
The MEG, which conducts several training sessions on the lake, has been unable to use the water body to its full potential on account of the water hyacinth and pollution.

Ever since the Madras Sappers moved to Bangalore in 1865, its centre has been located on the banks of Ulsoor Lake. The lake has been an integral part of the training programme for the sappers, and many bridging and water sports activities are undertaken here.