People power saves Elephant Lake in Karkala

Even as the state government’s plan to revive 1,000 tanks is tottering because of fund crunch, people of a small town Karkala showed the way by using their funds and efforts to save a local lake and tank.

Today, the 40-acre Aanekere (Elephant Lake) and its sibling Sigdikere (Prawn Lake) are brimming thanks to a campaign launched by some dedicated citizens six years ago.

In 2005, Aanekere had totally dried up due to reckless urbanisation. The people of Karkala were alarmed over this.

But lawmakers were hardly concerned by the threat posed by effluents flowing into the water body. When their repeated appeals failed to wake up these leaders, people took it upon themselves the task of saving the lake.

While the task was big, the group which initiated this movement was quite small, comprising students, teachers and social workers. Dr Prabhakar Achar was one among them.

“We had only a few shovels, spades, ropes, baskets and buckets and a group of energetic students who were concerned over the lake. When we started the work in 2005, we found this was not a job that could be accomplished in one season. We had only 60 days to remove the silt and rid the lake of its weeds that was chocking the water body,” Achar said.

So the campaigners kept on revisiting the spot for six summers. Meanwhile, many students went afar to pursue their careers. But wherever they were, they sent their contribution to keep the Aanekere campaign going.

The drive drew world attention when SA Hussain, one of the pupils of late Salim Ali, the bird watcher, joined it from his base in Malaysia where he was serving as the chairman of Asian Wetland Bureau. The Malaysian government too promised funds for the rejuvenation of Aanekere in 2006. But the state government did not take it forward. So the campaign remained a people’s effort throughout.

Union minister for corporate affairs M Veerappa Moily, who won from Karkala assembly seat four times, recognised their efforts.

“As long as I was the chief minister and MLA of Karkala, I had supported their movement with my personal contribution. It was a monumental struggle,” he said.