I have in this paper considered rehabilitating the lakes degradation while analysing the issues.

The framework includes three themes:

Theme 1: Lake development implications, magnitude of present issues, the sustainability challenge.

Theme 2: Action plan: to restore and conserve eco-friendly policies with institutional responsibilities

Theme 3: The eco-tourism benefits, maintenance, compilation of information.

Back to the nature – Need for a paradigm shift

Quote   “There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,

There is rapture on the lonely shore,

There is society where none intrudes,

By the deep sea, and music in its roar,

I love not Man the less, but Nature more,

From these our interviews”

- Lord Byron

One of the greatest tragedies of the modern life is that the human beings have distanced themselves from nature. The human endeavor for exploring nature has been, no doubt, a significant exercise of his brain to take advantages of her goodness to make tools of utilitarian value or not to make use of the nature's gift in a right order.   One after the other, he exploited her riches to comfort himself and to seek pleasures of different kinds and at an unimaginable speed. In this pursuit of material enrichment, he assimilated a lot of anxiety, stress, restlessness and unhealthy attitudes of maintaining his immediate ‘friend' Nature.

The rate and level of competition to gain monarchy over the wealth has lead one, to lead a life, where one is always in conflict with the immediate nature. It is too lake, but now, he has started realising the need for his proximity to Nature both internal as well as external, but by paying a heavy price.   He has crushed the forests, parks, greenlands and fresh water lakes.   He has encroached upon such of the beautiful surroundings he lives in.

One such beautiful surrounding which is the nature's gift to us – our own lakes.   Water being of utmost necessity for life on earth, the absence of which will definitely produce an unwanted dramatic landscape.   Probably the striking feature would be a belt of desert.

Fresh water being a basic requirement to every one of us, nature has supplied the lake aquatic bodies, which has harboured a fascinating world of myriad of living organisms, both microscopic and non-microscopic in their ecosystem.   Lakes being referred to as the “Eyes of the earth” are visually pleasing features of the landscape.   They are bowl shaped depressions in the land surface filled with land water.   There are lakes which may be 10,000 years old or more like ‘Manasa Sarovar'.

Due to the growth in human population a large-scale human interference has taken place, to disturb the lake aquatic ecosystem, leading to degradation of the lakes.   This stress has caused an ecological imbalance in the lake ecosystem.   There is water depletion today.   Water is not enough to meet the present and future needs of mankind.   We see everyday people fighting over water related issues and the ground water availability is becoming lesser day by day.   Lakes are put in jeopardy due to improper maintenance and unscrupulous human activities.

Well, this generation as we see has ushered in, a new concept of life which apparently seems unhealthy and unnatural. Can this situation be remedied? Possible ‘Yes', if we youth take some measures to protect the God given gifts of Nature to us. What is really needed is, educating the coming generation on the issue raised, namely, saving of our lakes, the “little pearls of the earth” allowing them to critically examine what is good for them.

It is in this context, that I feel schools should revise their priorities while giving opportunities to nature study and here I present my paper on the present, day issue, namely, ‘Save the Lakes' in my own way that I have comprehended.

It is the human resource which I feel has to be developed towards this issue and I am sure that all the schools will make a sincere effort to achieve total awareness about their surroundings through nature development to meet the challenges and become quality conscious pertaining to such water bodies if any, existing in their towns.

So let us get back to Nature and while affording an opportunity to my friends to discover the joy and beauty of natural things around.   Hence environment awareness is not, like knowledge acquisition, all about gathering facts and figures, it is also about the exhilarating experience to exploring, enriching and enjoying Nature.

I have sincerely made an attempt here, in my own way, whatever I have perceived, to synthesize, analyze, the collected data by published information and connections that contribute to an understanding of a water body which is housed in my own school campus namely, the Kukkarahalli Lake, while sharing my thought as a student in a comprehensive plan for restoration, rejuvenation and conservation, of Kukkarahalli lake as a case study.

Here I go about presenting the details of Kukkarahalli lake's ecology and the effect of various disturbances the lake has had, leading it to its gradual death.

The paper includes 3 main aspects:

Theme 1:   A brief indication historic background of the lake and some of the sediment present problems pertaining to the lake, factors governing the lake.

Theme 2:   Self-purification nature.   Action proposed for quality improvement.

Theme 3:   The involvement of the younger generation in the conservation of the lake and compiled data.

3.1        Theme 1

3.1.1  Lake history

Housed amidst the Mysore University campus, is Kukkarahalli lake with 1.20 acres water spread having 4.5 sq. km catchment area.   This lake is found at the western edge of Mysore.   The lake was built by Deewan Poornaiah in 1864.   Water was being supplied around this time, to the neighbouring areas through iron mains which were installed then.   This facility continued till such time.   Cauvery water supply was made available to people. This lake was taken charge by Mysore University in the year 1960 to protect its ecosystem.

3.1.2  Development over the years

Kukkarahalli lake has an indigenously devised 22 km long canal.   This canal gathers and diverts the flood water from upstream along with the immediate runoff water from the land surface.

Urbanisation improved.   Inhuman activities also increased.   The sewage and industrial waste water due to the mismanagement of humans, from the surrounding areas was drained into this lake through the feeder canal.   Because of this, gradually the quality of the water came down.   Within last 20 years the lake got chocked by weeds.   There was a growth of water hyacinth in the lake.   In order to check the surface erosion a bund was built.   The sewage water brought in along with it toxic pollutants through the feeder canal.   People in the surrounding area knowingly or unknowingly destroyed the feeder canal more or so at the catchment area.   When the Mysore University decided to divert the inflow of sewage at a cost of 50 lakhs the last 5 km stretch was declared as ‘green belt' to stop unwanted activities of the humans and the construction work also stopped.   The lake has been maintaining water level until recently, because of sewage inflow.   The overflow vent is located at the point of the entry of the feeder canal.

An academic staff college in 1980 was built, at the farther end of the lake at a lower level than the overflow vents of the lake.   The water level of the lake is maintained; by an iron main meant for water withdrawal which if opened can fill up the water in the pump house.   When the water in the pump house fills it overflows along the toe of the bund towards a culvert, on the road where it flows below the road towards the marshes.   If the rains are heavy the water overflow can cause considerable damage to the people and to the lake.   Presently the 2 sets of vents are covered by building debris making the lake become virtually ineffective.

3.1.3  Sustainability challenge

Healthy Lakes

•  Lakes in general are called healthy when they provide healthiest environment for both aquatic and people.   They should be cold and contain clean and clear water.

•  Lake water is primarily used for drinking, provided, it is not altered by additional effluents.  

•  In the natural state lakes support and protect many kinds of flora and fauna

•  It acts as a reservoir for biodiversity

•  It provides recreation and water for irrigation

•  It helps fish culture.

•  It may help hydro-power generation.

•  It is useful in navigation.

•  Protect shore line from damage control.

•  Reduces flooding.

To sustain the above qualities a lake has to be healthy.   A healthy lake should make a safe comfortable home for aquatic life.   A cold water can hold more oxygen as gases dissolve more easily in cold water.   So, oxygen dissolved in water is essential as aquatic plants and animals need dissolved oxygen to live.

How is the oxygen made available?

•  From the atmosphere directly.

•  It mixes readily when it enters the water surface.

•  Algae and plants produce oxygen during daylight, during photosynthesis. Algae are microscopic one celled, multicelled plants, which live in water without stems, leaves or roots.   These consume oxygen at night, taking it away from the fish insects and crustaceans, harming the lake ecosystem.

•  Algae are slippery and slimy, because of it you cannot swim in water.

•  Trout is a kind of fish which can change the water quality.   If the water is warm or there is no dissolved oxygen they will die.   So if the lake has many trout it means to say that the lake if healthy.

•  Carp and cat-fish can flourish in warmer temperature and tolerate low dissolved oxygen.

•  Many insects live on the bottom of the lake, which acts as food source for other aquatic forms like, fish, insects crustaceans etc.   They are also sensitive to temperature and oxygen level. So if the lake contains plenty of beetles and insect larvae it means that your lake is healthy.

Unhealthy lake

•  Lakes are the most convenient places for storing refuse and industrial wastes.   As the population increases the quality of waste, also increases.

•  Lakes collect everything during rain washes, from the domestic activities, filth and human faeces, due to urbanisation and industrialisation from the surroundings, including bio-degradable and non-degradable wastes.   Because of this lakes become turbid they emanate odour.   They look green in colour, and brackish, leading to eutrophication.   Eutrophication brings in excessive inputs of Phosphates and Nitrates, through domestic sewage in the form of human excreta.   Agricultural runoff also leads to eutrophication, when lake productivity becomes lesser.   The lake collects:

•  Asphalt.

•  Automobile emissions.

•  Sewage.

•  Fertilizers

•  Household cleaners

•  Pollutants

•  Industrial waste

•  Inflow of silt.

Negative effects:

•  Increased plant growth.

•  Toxic bloom forming species.

•  Inedible plant growth.

•  Oxygen depletion.

•  Fish kills.

A nutrient poor lake is preferable to a fertile one from the stand point of water use that is for recreation and fishing.

3.1.4  Sustainable solutions:

Sustainable Agriculture

Chemical and Nutrient pollution preventing

Water diversions/management

Sustainable forestry

Eco-mapping

Water diversion/management

Water quality/pollution prevention

Sustainable products

Protection of water supply

Growth Management

Open space/lake issues

Fisheries conservation

Non-native species eradication

Migratory/nesting bird conservation

Sustainable resource extractions

Habitat conservation

Habitat restoration

Tourism/recreation management

International recognition

Endemic/endangered species

Community involvement/collaborative strategies

3.1.5  Present issues, salient problems identified – about Kukkarahalli lake

•  Sewage pollution: Sewage was being drained into the lake from the neighbouring areas like Vinayaknagar, Paduvarahalli, Manasagangothri, CFTRI, Ontikoppal etc. This has choked the water catchment area.

The sewage water brought in filth, garbage, pesticides, insecticides, domestic cleaners, automobile lubricants, human filth, cattle refuse, medical wastes like syringes etc, plastics rotting food items and Nitrogenous wastes and organo phosphates got accumulated in the feeder canal.   Due to this fresh water inflow from the catchment area has decreased.   This imbalance has brought about a change in the aquatic ecosystem.

•  Feeder and restoration: Quite recently in order to stop the sewage due to unplanned, unscrupulous, undesirable activities, the sewage was diverted.   Encroachment activities took place and much of the feeder canal was lost.   There is a need to rebuild the feeder canal and the restoration has to be planned well.

•  Endangered wildlife habitat: Wildlife habitat is not present in the area. Many trees were planted, no doubt, no protect the birds and their breeding activity. Birds are unable to breed because there is no right habitat.   Migratory birds and aquatic species are undergoing stress, due to ungoverned traffic. Encourage and protect bats, bees, wild flowers, deer, orchids, water creatures, insects and small mammals.

•  Toxicity studies are necessary: Presently, Lake opacity is due to the algal bloom. Aquatic forms are put to stress during night times, as algal photosynthesis reduces during nights.   Rampant growth of noxious weeds, water hyacinth and algae has reduced the oxygen supply to aquatic forms.

•  Persistent use of pesticides: Insecticides like DDT, BHC are seen in the catchment area.   The cause being CFTRI, Manasagangothri and Horticultural departments.

•  Department of Environmental Studies, SJCE are of the opinion that toxic metals like cadmium, chromium, nickel, vanadium are present in the lake which has impaired the aquatic ecosystems.

•  Intolerable stench and death of fish were reported due to toxicity and pollution in the lake, the metallic pollutants like mercury, lead, zinc, cadmium and copper are the most harmful heavy metals.   Mercury is known to be toxic to fish.

•  Digging the fertile earth for human use, allowing the cattle to graze and allowing offshore cooking are also factors contributing to the problem.

3.2  Theme

3.2.1  Proposed actions:

•  Lake has a meagre catchment area. It depends on the feeder canal for its freshwater input.   Insensitive urban planning like dumping of building debris, which has destroyed most parts of the canal. The contaminated water runoff which has brought down the quality of water. Quite recently to avoid this diversion of sewage was made possible.

•  Many activities need to be regulated in the feeder canal, namely encroachment, the green belt area, the last 5 km stretch area, should be well protected.   Rehabilitation to be made effective which may result in 16 to 20% increase in fresh water.

•  Protection of the lake's environment:

•  Not making use of the lake for dumping of Ganesha Idols or ritualistic social beliefs

•  To ban the disposal of unwanted materials like plastics, papers, flowers, pots, plantain leaves, such other items.

•  Unregulated tourism practices to be strictly prohibited.

•  Lake area to be declared as protected area.

•  Organic cattle   load pollution to be stopped.

•  Pesticides and Insecticides to be banned, which come from CFTRI, Manasagangothri Campus.

•  Desilting should be done regularly and the removed sediment to be dislocated from the area.

•  Greening the area is must, trees and shrubs to be planted exotic plant varieties can be grown.

•  Making sure that sewage diversion is effective and there is no leakage anywhere.

•  Physical, chemical, biological parameters to be determined and constantly monitored. Toxicity studies should be carried out regularly.

•  Aqua culture to be encouraged.

•  Treating waste water at the University before it reaches the lake.

•  Boating to be avoided or if used for recreational purposes use only row boats or pedal boats.

•  Nest boxes to be provided on the tree top for the birds to perch on.

•  Finding means to filter, the incoming flow of water.

•  A wild life habitat for bats, bees, wild flower, deer, orchids, water creatures, insects may be provided.

•  Digging of fertile earth for human use, off shore cooking, allowing cattle to graze should be stopped.

“Help me, I shall render help

Give me your love, I shall return it manifold

Save me and let me save your stress”.

School should have a philosophy – a mind scape – in the form of ideology and aesthetics.

School can form Eco-clubs, working its framework, brining in activities which will be recognised by the older generation and well appreciated.

3.3  Theme 3

3.3.1    Student's role: What can be done?

•  Building aesthetic sense in the younger generation, to study nature

•  Conducting ‘Nature Day' camp building their own school team.

•  Encouraging project work like model making of the lake in which importance is given to the dynamics of the lake.

•  Slide projections/presentations through LCD projections related to the models prepared by students of the institutions with the help of their teachers.

•  Requesting the universities and colleges to have a wing on bio-diversity where the younger lot can register as members to preserve such nature's gifts.

•  Visits of student delegates to be arranged from India on exchange programmes at international level.

•  Roping in many students, building up revenue from the city dwellers to maintain their lakes in the city.

•  Housing a bio-diversity department at Mysore University campus in the area of lake study, where student researchers can enroll for a certificate programme and extensive study.

•  Enriching knowledge about watershed culture through workshops, forums and competitions in city/school level annually.

•  Inducing people in the area to upkeep their lakes offering them inducement prizes.

•  Organising nature campus on water bodies and all related issues in the region, at state level and national levels.

•  Infusing bio-diversity as a subject in the school curriculum to bring in an awareness in the younger lot.

•  Forming nature clubs, arranging talks on issues by experts in the field.

•  Arranging cultural programmes, street plays, music and dance competitions depicting themes, pertaining to water.

•  Student level workshop, re-orientation programmes for teachers to be conducted.

•  Selected teacher members to lead their schools in campaigning activities in their surrounding areas, educating the youth and the elders, organising meetings, inviting the community to take part in the activities concerning the conservation and restoration of the lakes.

•  School to accept the responsibility of adopting one lake in their area building up the youth's aesthetic sense by regularly arranging painting competitions and slogan writing competitions.

•  Exhibiting placards in the lake zone area having quotes pertaining to environmental issues, building eco-sensitivity in them. The quotes could be:

1.  Protected area – don't trespass.

2.  Do not pollute – she is your's

3.  Greener the better – you will love it.

4.  Lakes need rest.

5.  Don't disturb your lake – she has life

6.  Live and let live

7.  Love your neighbour

8.  Take care of me – beautify me.

9.  I need your help.

10.  I'm God's gift to you.

11.  Do good, be good.

12.  Protect me from my enemies.

•  At the end of every road in the city a sign-board with catchy captions on nature to bring in an awareness.

•  Distributing pamphlets through local news carriers often

•  School who have adopted the lake to send some elected representatives on turn duty to monitor the upkeep of the lake regularly.

•  Teaching children, to become eco-friendly and to set up a pollution board.

•  Children also can be taken in the rehabilitation programme turn-wise.

•  An open session for children to be given to form their own committees to go about discussing conservation strategies to establish and monitor aquatic habitat.

•  Network chatting facility, in all schools to help like-minded people to discuss about conservation of lakes.

•  Promoting nature tourism/eco-tourism to help people to enjoy the lake.

•  A student level charter to be organised to bring in awareness amongst students about their environmental rights.

•  Educating people on water and sanitation issues.

•  Making children draft their policies, encouraging ecological literacy.

Thus by doing all these things we can capitalise on the diversity and beauty of the city's rich and varied natural heritage. ‘Eco-tourism' and ‘Nature tourism” alone is the answer which can have a significant impact on the efforts to protect sensitive environment and indigenous culture.

“Health of the lakes are health of the city”.

Hence humans, have to maintain the ecological balance and bio-diversity.

1.  Description

•  Name of the lake (ownership status)

Kukkarahalli lake. (It is completely under the ownership of the University of Mysore)

•  Location

•  Latitude: 12 18'

•  Longitude: 76 38'

•  Altitude: 760 m.

•  Name of the district/state: Mysore District and Taluk, Karnataka state.

•  Distance from nearest city: The lake is located well within the Mysore city.

•  Name of river/sub river/basin: Kapila river, Ennehole stream in Cauvery basin.

•  Source of water intake: mostly surface and domestic.

2.  Morphometry

•  Length: 0.75 kms x 0.60 kms.

•  Breadth: 0.50 kms x 0.25 kms

•  Area of the lake: Max: 58 ha Min: 30 ha

•  Maximum depth: 8 mts

•  Volume: 230 ha m.

•  Shoreline: 4 kms.

3.  Watershed characteristics

•  Morphometry of watershed consists of mildly sloping land with a maximum altitude of 777 mts reducing to 752 mts.   This lake belongs to the uppermost part of a watershed catchment. The watershed as a series of such tanks, and all of them slope towards the Kabini river. This is an upland catchment with a few first order streams draining water towards the lake. Most of these first order streams drain the municipal sewage into the lake.

•  Catchment area: 450 ha

•  Human population: 55,000

•  Land use patterns: Partly built and partly open consisting of marsh, wooded area and grassland:

a) Forest cover: nil

b) Woody vegetation: 40 ha

c) Agricultural land: 10 ha

d) Pasture land: 140 ha

e) Habitation: 250 ha

Total          ------------
                        450 ha

•  Land use problems/change

The lake has a very limited catchment of 4.5 sq. kms. Survey maps of the region and observations reveal that the main storm water canal to the lake, now damaged, traverses 23 kms passing through many smaller watershed with 6 smaller tanks. Over passes 15 years the quantity of untreated sewage reaching the lake has increased gradually and has offset the loss of fresh water from the canal. Presently it is the sewage input that is maintaining the water level.

Due to concerted environmental action, the last 5 kms stretch of the canal has been declared a protected area. This with proper repair constitutes about 20% of the present catchment area.

At the same time, the administration is diverting the sewage away from the lake, for treatment further downstream.

Hence, lack of sewage and fresh water resources is going to further stress the already loaded system.   Proper water balance has to be struck with the option to treat part of the sewage and release it to the lake.

4.  Industry:   Types of Industries

No major industrial activity exists in its catchment. Few minor industries like hospitals, hotels, garages exist.   The CFTRI and University of Mysore are the main non-domestic contributors.

•  Animal husbandry: About 300 heads of cattle exist in the catchment, in the immediate vicinity of the lake.

•  Tourism: Presently moderate but increasing about 300 people visit everyday for jogging or walking. If the lake is rescued and cleaned, it has good potential for eco-tourism.

•  Status of pollution: About 4.4 MLD of untreated domestic sewage used to reach the lake. Presently this has been diverted out of the system. Storm water carries washed pollutants from the catchment. Presence of pesticides is observed.   Accumulated organic matter and toxic metals in the sediment continue to undermine the health of the lake.

5.  Climatic and Hydrological Features:

•  Ambient temperature characteristics

•  Rainfall pattern 750 mm per annum occurs in three distinct

•  Number of rainy days: 60 days

•  Stream flow pattern: Ephemeral, lasting 1-2 days after the rains.

•  Estimation of sheet erosion and channel erosion: as the open areas which have a mild slope constituting 40% of the catchment are mostly covered grass, shrub and woody vegetation, and as the discharge is less, sheet and channel erosion are minimal.

•  Evaporation: Average – 1400 mm/annum

•  Estimation of inflow and outflow relationships

Presently there is no outflow from the lake. Earlier when the canal was active a surplus of about 0.07 MCM annually has been observed.

1.  PHYSICAL

•  Surface water temperature Average 24°C

•  Thermal stratification and turnover : It is observed that a sudden fall in temperature occurs at about 6' depth. This temperature gradient shows the formation of thermo cline in impoundments. Since the lake is a shallow water body having an average depth of 2m, the observed stratification is likely to be of very short span during day time.   Due to persistent wind currents, the stratification is broken resulting in water body getting mixed up completely.

•  Sacchi Depth : Average 16 cms

2.  CHEMICAL  

Despite its urban location the lake harbours quite a diverse species of plants and Macrophytes.

•  Benthos : Hydrilla verticilla, Vallisneria Spiralis. Nymphaea nouchali, Ottelia alismoids, Marselia quadrifida, Potainageton pertinatus, Chara Sps, niteela Sps, Aponogeton natans, Monochoria Vaginalis, Isoetes Coramandeliana.

•  Pleuston : Cerato phyllum demersum, Utriudaria inflexa

•  Neuston : Lemna pancicosta, Wolffia arrhiza, Wolffia microscopica, Eichhornia Crassipes, Pistia Stratiotes, Savlinia nutans Azolla pinnata.

•  Micro phyto plankton : Consists mostly of blue greens   and greens like micro cystis Sps, Chroo cocus, Nostoc, Nosto chopsis, Oscillatoria, Lymphya, Rivularia, Gleotrichia and Volvox.

•  Semi aquatic vegetation : Pandanus fascicularis, Crinumdefixum, Cryptocoryne Spiralis, Pancium repens, Colocasia esculeuta, are found in the margins.

•  Marsh or swamp vegetation : Rostata leptopetala, Lindernia parviflora, Bergia ammonioides, Hygophila auriculata, Ceratopterin thalictrioides, Marselia minuta, Sphaeranthus indicusm, Spilanther acunella, Eriocaulon quinguan gulare, E.Civevcum, Dopatrium Junceum, Najas graminea, Ludwigia perennis, L. adscendeus, Limnephila Indica-aeciolepis interrupta Typha angustata.

•  Wetland vegetation : Botrydium tuberosa, Nitella terrestrin, Riccia gangetica, Cyanotis fasciculata, Drosera burmani, Alternauthera polygonoides, Nolthoserva brachiata, Glinus lotoides, Glinus oppositifolia, Centella asiatica, Macardonia dianthera, ammonia baccifera, Lobelia aslinoides. Apart from increased organic matter, Nutrients and minerals the death and decay of Spirulina nordestedii have a profound effect in regulating the bloom of Microcystis aeraginosa. This species exists as a permanent bloom in Kukkarahalli lake. Its high buoyancy makes it float even after death.   They accumulate in the shallows and giving rise to a nauseating stench.

•  Fish species : Following fish species are known to exist in the lake.

•  Ompok bimaculatus

•  Wallago attu

•  Notopterus

•  Labeo ohita

•  Cyprinus carpio

•  Catla catla

•  Cirrhina Mrigal

•  Channa striatus

•  Tilapia Mossambica

Fish deaths have been observed on several occasions over the past decade

•  Water Fowl : About 165 birds species have been recorded in the lake and it's environs.

About 30 birds are known to breed half of which are aquatic. Large no. of migratory birds visit the environs during winter.   About 25,000 to 30,000 birds of different species are known to roost here regularly.

In the island large and little cormorants and the endangered Indian darter breed. Among the land dwellers the exclusive stone culew is known to breed.

The rich diversity of this ecosystem has to be maintained.   It is an unique conservation opportunity.

•  Other animals : Among mammals, mongoose and hare are seen.

Among reptiles several species of snakes and lizards are found. Two crocodiles exist in the lake (These had escaped from a reptile enclosure during high water level when young).