Lingambudhi: A Dying Lake?

Mysore is known not only for its culture royale, but also for its sleepy little nooks and corners around the city which often allures those who wish to break away from the daily grind and relax. We have the Chamundi Hill which retains its enigma even when thousands of tourists step on it, parks, lakes and solitary roads paved with lush green trees. Karanji lake, well-known for its shaded ambience and Kukkarahalli lake, for its winged guests, are the only two out of the five major lakes in city that have seen development till now.
The oft-heard but elusive Lingambudhi lake has come under spotlight now with the announcement by the government that it will be restored and the 20-acre park around it developed on the lines of Lalbagh in Bangalore.
For those who wish to visit Lingambudhi Lake and have failed to locate it, the lake is situated in the midst of Ramakrishna Nagar and Srirampura. Spread over an area of 260 acres, it is the biggest and oldest lake in Mysore.
History
Said to be built in 1828 by Krishnaraja Wadiyar III for Sri Mahalingeshwara Temple nearby and named after his wife Lingajammanni, the lake served as a village tank on the outskirts of the then Mysore. Its water was used for irrigation, drinking, for washing clothes and also for religious worship by the people of Lingambudhi Palya.
Bird haven
The lake was once frequented by bird-watchers and nature enthusiasts for its wide species of birds and bio-diversity. The lake area had numerous breeding grounds for migratory birds which were undisturbed by human activity. It was recognized as one of the 446 important bird breeding areas in India by Birdlife International. Nearly 250 species of birds visited the lake earlier including a few endangered species such as the Spot-billed Pelican (Near Threatened), Indian Darter, Pin-tailed Duck, Shoveler, White-rumped Vulture (Critically Endangered), Greater Spotted Eagle (Vulnerable) and Eastern Imperial Eagle (Vulnerable) etc. along with 49 species of butterflies.
However, in recent years, the number of birds arriving here from many countries during winter and summer seasons has declined as water dries up in summer and the remaining water is contaminated with sewage from surrounding areas.  In the year 2000, a large number of birds died at the lake due to unchecked sewage flow.
It is an irony that after the death of birds, the district administration chalked out various programmes like turning the lake into a bird sanctuary, creating a green buffer zone around the lake, complete diversion of waste water and treatment before letting it into the lake etc., which have remained empty promises after a decade. It was discovered then that toxins causing Avian Botulism [which causes paralysis in birds and kills them] was present in the water of the lake. But even now, after 10 years, no proactive measure has been taken.  
According to Kukkarahalli Lake Protection Committee Convenor K.M. Jayaramaiah, the lake which was mainly used for providing drinking water to the citizens of the surrounding areas earlier, became redundant when electricity was obtained for the city in 1910 and Cauvery water and borewell water could be pumped to the homes.
He warned that the water level of the lake is receding due to leakage and if it is left unchecked, it would have a devastating effect on the marine life and aquatic birds that nest on the lake's banks. Also, experts fear that human activity through the development of the Botanical Garden may lead to birds shifting their habitats from the lake area.
Park
The lake has 20 acres of park area which is in a dilapidated state with no maintenance from the Forest Department under which it comes. A portion of the foreshore area of the lake has been developed into the park for recreational purposes with walking paths and two paragolas (shelters with circular seating arrangements), stone benches, watchmen shed, two watch towers etc.
Lingambudhi lake and its environs are reported to be host to more than 150 species of flora. The foreshore vegetation comprises of more than 75 species of medicinal plants along with trees such as eucalyptus, sandalwood, gooseberry, Singapore Cherry, Tamarind and Gobli.
There is a pillared and carved structure with steps going down upto the water margin, built as part of the lake bund in 1828 AD that was used by the women folk of the erstwhile royal family for bathing in the lake waters and as a place to rest and enjoy the serene beauty of the lake and its environs.
Now, as there is a proposal to develop a Lalbagh-type garden here, it is yet to be seen whether the park will be revitalized soon or the project will stagnate as it happened with the restoration of Kukkarahalli Lake, which is on death bed due to unbridled sewage water flow into the lake; putting to waste the crores of rupees grant provided by the government.
A slow death
Now the lake is facing a slow death with growing urbanization. The lake area too has shrunk in size owing to site allotment and housing schemes of HUDCO and MUDA. [The first layout initiated was Kuvempunagar Stage-I in 1983 at a distance of 3.5 km from the lake. By 1989, two more layouts -- Ramakrishnanagar and Vivekanandanagar had been formed within a one km radius of the lake in the erstwhile village of Dattagalli]. It has become a dumping yard of urban waste in the form of sewage water from the surrounding Ramakrishna Nagar, Dattagalli I Block and Srirampura etc. There are two tertiary storm water drains emptying into the lake along with smaller channels which were built to carry rain water. But they only carry sewage water into the lake now. According to a survey by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the pollution levels in Lingambudhi and Dalvoy lakes have reached alarming proportions; if Dalvoy lake is the most polluted in Mysore, Lingambudhi comes second. The pollution has been found to be four times more than the permissible limits.
The weed and blue-green algae which are covering the lake surface in alarming proportions [see picture] are suffocating the fish and other aquatic animals in the lake by creating BOD [Biological Oxygen Demand], says Jayaramaiah.
Preservation
The management techniques for lakes which are both capable of restoring urban water bodies and making them environment-friendly are quite challenging. The urgent priority of the Forest Department should be to protect the land around the lake through suitable fencing amd preventing contamination of water.
Only two lakes, Karanji and Kukkarahalli Lakes were restored under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) grants during the year 2003-2004. Out of Rs. 6 crore, over Rs. 3.5 crore had to be returned to ADB as the local authorities for lacked sustained efforts towards restoration. However, even after ‘restoration,’ the Kukkarahalli lake is still on a dying path with sewage water continuing to trickle into the lake from surrounding areas. Now the lake restoration should be planned as ecological security zones to improve urban eco-system.
The renovated park should have playground for children and facilities for exercise along with ticketing system to regulate the visitors ad curb illegal activities, said Jayaramaiah. He added that foreshore area management is crucial for lake development and that rain water should be let in instead of sewage to rejuvenate the lake through a natural process.
DCF Sukumar, when contacted, said the plans to restore Lingambudhi lake and upgrade the park are afoot and that it will take some months before finalizing the plans and starting the work.

Fighting corruption?

It is a sad day for our country when we will have to sit as mute spectators watching the news unfold on TV screen that a person who stood up to fight against crime and corruption is brutally burnt alive. Does not our blood boil? Why are we like this? How can we forget that Yashwant Sonawane, an Additional DC, was burnt alive by the oil mafia? How to forget the death of Shanmugam Manjunath, an Engineer in the Indian Oil Corporation, who was shot dead near Lucknow for investigating adulterated fuel. How did we manage to forget Satyendra Dubey who was killed for fighting corruption in highway project at Bihar. It is true that public memory is very short. We talk about it, discuss it, write about it and forget it. That is the extent of our public participation in fighting corruption. Because we know that once we raise our voices, we too may meet the same fate. Observing Anti-Corruption Day is meaningless and futile. It frustrates me that people talk 'high and dry' about corruption and call the public to wake up and fight corruption. After alighting from the stage, they go back to paying bribes to all and sundry to get their works done. It is frustrating to know we cannot do anything. I read today about the illegal money hoarding of the Gandhi family and Sonia Gandhi. And again I felt frustrated that we are helpless. Tell me what to do?

BEHIND THE LENS WITH SATHYU: "Theatre should be continuous

He is a celebrated name in the Indian cinema and theatre. A reference to Mysore Srinivas Sathyu or M.S. Sathyu, as he is famously called, brings to one's mind the flowing white beard, ever-vigilant eyes and a quick smile. Mysore's own filmmaker, Sathyu has indulged in almost all creative arenas of filmdom and theatre including direction, writing, acting and stage designing.
Now 80-years-old, Sathyu has been dabbling with black, white and 'silver' on and off for decades. Though he has directed many films and plays, he is easily recognised through Garam Hawa (1973), which won him the Padma Shri. His other ventures include films Bara (1980), Chithegu Chinthe, Haqeeqat (1964) and Train to Pakistan and the recent art film Ijjodu.
The theatre doyen was in city recently along with ace cinematographer G.S. Bhaskar for a four-day workshop on 'Visual Design in Theatre and Cinema' at Dhvanyaloka, Bogadi Road, organised under the joint auspices of Mysore Film Society and Bangalore's LACE Films. In a tete-a-tete with me, Sathyu dwells on the impact of theatre and films on the public.

M.S. Sathyu. Pic.by M.S. Apuurva

Shwetha: You are actively involved in theatre. There was a time when Bangalore was well-known for theatre activities. But theatre is not as dynamic now as it was earlier.
M.S. Sathyu: It is not true. Lots of theatre activities are happening at present in Karnataka and Maharashtra, but only some amount in Delhi. However, theatre activity in Kolkata is quite bad and it has become seasonal. In Delhi, the National School of Drama (NSD) and Sangeet Natak Academy organise theatre festivals. As they are government sponsored, there is no entry fee. Hence, the Delhi audience has lost the habit of buying tickets. I think theatre can survive only if the audience buy tickets.
However, what is happening in Rangashankara in Banga-lore is laudable. They are in their 6th year and stage plays everyday except on Mondays. The public do not bother about what play is being staged. They just come and watch them. The entry ticket cost some Rs. 49 earlier but has become Rs. 80 now. And Rs. 80 is not too much when we consider watching movies in multiplexes which cost us much more.
Theatre should be continuous. It should not be restricted to weekend or seasonal plays. If plays are staged everyday, people will start coming.
Shwetha: At Rangayana, they stage weekend plays, most of them old. Experimentation in theatre has become rare. Is it the same in Bangalore ?
Sathyu: There is a lot of experimentation in Bangalore, with many new groups coming up. Of course, there are problems in Rangayana. I think things will take a better turn now that Halemane [Lingadevaru Hale-mane] has come in as the Director. However, it was only during the time of Prasanna that lots of innovations and improvements happened. Starting weekend plays was Prasanna's idea. There is every facility in Rangayana — well-equipped theatre, funds etc. They can do any number of plays.
In Mysore, except Rangayana, there is no other good theatre. It is difficult for amateurs and small theatre groups to hire theatre and stage plays. Hence, instead of keeping it idle, they should hire it out to other theatre groups.
Shwetha: Any new plays coming up in Indian theatre? Either Indian or western?
Sathyu: Yes. There are a lot of new plays coming up, like in Marathi...
Shwetha: What about Kannada?
Sathyu: In Kannada, Suresh Heblikar and Girish Karnad are writing plays. There are some young writers also.
Shwetha: Cinemas influence people, their life and the way they think. The present day films lack any message. And art films with such messages are inaccessible to public…
Sathyu: This has been a problem for long time. Only a small section of the audience is interested in good movies. Most people do not come as they are not glitzy and glamorous. We don't need a large audience for art films because each film is targeted at a certain kind of audience.
Shwetha: Should more importance be given to mainstream films or art films?
Sathyu: Both kinds of films should be there, basically, to entertain the mass. It is a commercially viable venture. Running a theatre costs a lot of money. And the money has to come from the audience. It means the film should be popular and attract people. Along with such popular cinema, there should be some issue-based films too.
Shwetha: But art films are restricted to awards and they never come to mainstream.
Sathyu: It's true. I myself have not been able to show my films here because nobody in Mysore wanted to buy them. It has been two years since I made Ijjodu. There is no theatre to show it. We have to show it here [in the workshop]. I screened it for two weeks in Bangalore and also in Mangalore and Udupi. I held seminars in Mangalore colleges and even 50% concession was given to students. This is how we should create an avenue for the youth; by tapping young talents at the University level. Sporadic theatre does not create avenues.
Shwetha: You have worked with Chetan Anand. How was he as a Director ?
Sathyu: He was a sensitive film-maker; didn't make too intellectual or too commercial films.
Shwetha: Don't you think if you give publicity to art films before they are released, people would come to see them?
Sathyu: They never get released in the first place [laughs]. Publicity too costs money. I couldn't make a film for 12 years.
Shwetha: When you brand it as an art film, it is common that people will not come because they think it is boring.
Sathyu: Those who really want to see the film will come.
Shwetha: Tell us about Garam Hawa.
Sathyu: History is very important for us and Garam Hawa reminds us of that history which today's youth need to know about. I made the film 25 years after Independence. Ten years later, Tamas was made. Khamosh Pani and Khuda Ke Liye, two films by Pakistani Directors, are also very good.
Shwetha: Aren't modern films too loud; in terms of colour, costumes or story? They lack a silence.
Sathyu: Yes, they lack the beauty of silence.
Shwetha: What is the role of media in promoting theatre?
Sathyu: The media should present write-ups from time to time. For cinema or theatre to grow, previews are more important than reviews!