Bengaluru, April 19: According to a recent report by the India Cares Foundation, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has finished restoring two of the city’s major lakes, increasing their water-holding capacity and incorporating public amenities into a third lake. All of this work has been done as part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru Go Green Initiative, which also aims to improve the surrounding biodiversity.
With an emphasis on enhancing and desilting Ittgalpura and Sadenahalli lakes, Royal Challengers Bengaluru initiated the Lake Improvement Works Project in October 2023 as part of its ESG commitment. These lakes were chosen because their borewell depths ranged from 1000 to 1500 feet, making them extremely water-stressed regions. Additionally, the regions are entirely reliant on surface and groundwater and do not have access to Kaveri River water.
52 farmers also took the soil to use as topsoil for their fields. The report states that over 1.20 lakh tons of silt and sand were removed from Ittgalpura Lake and Sadenahalli Lake and utilized to build paths and bunds across the lakes.
Nine acres of lake land were reclaimed, leading to the development of wetlands and stabilization ponds. The animals and birds that live in the lakes will benefit from these qualities. Additionally, the lakes’ capacity to hold water has grown by up to 17 acres.
In addition to assisting with groundwater recharge, the lakes will support nearby agricultural operations and act as essential sources of drinking water. Since they can now harvest three times as much as they could previously, it will give the farmers and fishermen of the two lakes more options for a living. Farmers who were previously dependent on borewells for farming are now able to use these restored lakes for farming and other uses, which will increase sustainability and production.
Watch: Lake Restoration Initiative by Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Concurrently, the goal at Kannur Lake has been to enhance community ownership by establishing civic facilities as lake assets. The effort intends to enhance and maintain the lakes’ biodiversity while also acting as educational centers for kids to learn about ecology. At all three lakes, ethno-medical plant parks, bamboo parks, and butterfly parks are also being developed.
The Central Groundwater Board of India’s National Compilation on Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India 2022 study highlights that, according to estimations, over 12% of India’s groundwater blocks have reached the overexploitation stage, 12% are in the semi-critical stage, and 3% are in the critical stage.
“Our fans are the driving force behind everything we do at Royal Challengers Bengaluru. We are among the first franchises in the world to go carbon neutral, thanks to their steadfast support. Since 2013, our fans have taken an active part in our environmental activities, which have been essential in raising awareness of sustainability in our community. Building on this success, we logically broadened our remit to assist our neighborhood by leading the rehabilitation of important Bengaluru lakes.
In addition to providing vital groundwater supplies for nearby villages, these lakes are the foundation of the local economy. We have made progress toward our larger goal of regaining Bengaluru’s former glory as the lake city thanks to our cooperative efforts with local government and communities,” stated Rajesh Menon, vice president and head of Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
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The ground-level water status in and around Bengaluru would need to be made more widely known through such activities. The “Friends of Lakes” oversee the process of lake rejuvenation, which carefully abides by established protocols and guidelines derived from the fields of environmental engineering, civil engineering, and allied sciences.
Throughout the rejuvenation process, these standards—which are thoroughly described in textbooks—act as a guide. These lakes have successfully recovered, demonstrating a tried-and-true method for lake restoration and attesting to the value of engineering and environmental regulations.
RCB is presently the first carbon-neutral cricket team in the world and the premier cricket franchise supporting a people’s movement for a greener planet. The Green Game was established in 2011 and has since been implemented through several projects.
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