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.