Ulsoor: A bed of roses for urchins

BANGALORE: Daggers used in murder cases of yore and knives which probably slit throats or stabbed someone in fury Ulsoor Lake’s murky waters hid many dark human secrets. Now they are surfacing, rusted and stuck in its dried bed.

There are other interesting finds too: hundreds of discarded idols in metal and stone. Many ancient sculptures covered in thick algae and fungal build-up. Some have probably lain there for decades. Engraved copper and silver plates (like Sri Chakra) used for worship have been collected by scavengers and sold to ‘raddi’ shops at Rs 80 per kg. Making up the loot are small icons of chariots, a ‘lingam’ with a five-headed snake and Ganesha and Aiyappa idols.

Street urchins and ragpickers are striking it rich, recycling these finds.They collect the idols, give them a good scrub and sell them. Until recently, they were selling on the banks of the Lake near the Gurudwara, and several have found their way back into homes. Sai Murali, a manager with Orion Air, said, I was surprised to find these urchins selling all these wonderful things.’’ It has been a lucky spell for these enterprising urchins: Roaming the dry bed, they have also found coins. Some have struck it rich with a few thousand coins, and some rare ones too. These have found a pride of place at the Sunday Bazaar here for the last six weeks. The urchins, who fear the police, stop short of selling daggers and knives openly.

Said Police Commissioner M.D. Singh: We will tell our local policemen to keep a watch on these persons.’’ Residents wonder whether this clean-up will ensure that the brand new lake will be free of all this human debris and sewage. To which BWSSB’s chairman M.N. Vidyashankar had this to say: The water will be refilled during rains with flow from the catchment area and major storm water drains, which will carry only water.’’ BWSSB officials said upstream of Ulsoor Lake, they have started desilting storm water drains. All the four entry points into the lake are being cleaned up, and this once pristine pride of Bangalore could be expected to be full by July.