MADIWALA IS SPORTING ITS B’DAY SUIT

MADIWALA IS SPORTING ITS B’DAY SUIT
Stripped of the water hyacinths and aquatic weeds, the smelly lake which had turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes is now a sylvan sight
SHASHWATHI BHANUKUMAR


Imran, Haseeb and Salman, ninth standard students at a city school, have been visiting the Madiwala lake since quite a few years. However, off-late, they have been witness to a lot of changes in and around the lake. But they have no complaints to make.
The Madiwala lake which was once covered with stinking water-hyacinths and aquatic weeds is now brimming with crystal clear water. What’s more, the forest department has started boating services as well. An elated Imran quips, “We used to frequent the lake to play at the park but now, we come only for boating.”
HARD WORK PAYS
The crystal clear refreshing look of the lake which has brought a smile on the faces of regular visitors is the result of four months of hard work by the personnel of the Karnataka State Forest Department. They made a decision in Aug 2008 to clean up the lake and restore it to its original beauty. “When I came here in late August, the lake was filled with weeds. In the last three-four months, we have done what we could to clear the lake of weeds and other pollutants. Around 90 per cent of the work has been completed and only 10 per cent work involving the removal of weeds is pending,” said S S Chandrashekar, the Range Forest Officer (RFO) of the area.
BYE, BYE MOSQUITOES
Y Yarappa, a retired government official and resident of Madiwala, speaking to Bangalore Mirror said, “The officials have made it look so beautiful now. Previously, there were a lot of mosquitoes in this area thanks to the stinking and filthy lake water. Children in the area used to fall sick especially in the rainy and summer seasons. Now that the lake has been cleaned, the problem has been solved to a great extent.” Rajkumar Sharma, a timber merchant and resident who visits the lake for morning walks said, “It’s first class now! The foul smell of the water was unbearable till a few months ago but now, the air is clear.”
The Madiwala lake spread over 276.8 acres with an island sporting bamboo bushes at the centre attracts rare birds during the post-monsoon season. “We have already spent Rs 6,00,000 on rejuvenating the lake. A lot more work needs to be done at the earliest and the Lake Development Authority has also agreed to contribute and help us in this regard,” the officer said.
ROW, ROW AND ROW
Currently, with an intention of attracting more and more visitors, the department has identified a part of the lake to be used solely for boating purposes. “As of now, we have been operating two peddling boats and more than a 100 people have enjoyed the boating facility. The department has been getting a revenue of around Rs 1,000 per day with Rs 20 being charged for a two-seater boat ride and Rs 40 for a four-seater ride,” said Chandrashekar.
Even though the lake has six pedal boats, only two have been in running condition. Officials said that the remaining boats will also be pressed into service in a few days. The department does not want to use speed boats as the sound of the boats will disturb birds nesting on the island. Utkarsh, a student at a nearby college who visited the lake along with his friends appeared to have completely enjoyed the boat ride. “It was a fantastic and thrilling experience. I did all the pedalling. Though it was tiresome, it wasfun,” said Vasu Singh, a friend of Utkarsh.
The officials said that the boating facility will be officially inaugurated by the end of this month.