Water Body Restoration Program - United Way India

Water Body Restoration Program

Water Body Restoration Program

Overview

The program aims to conserve water bodies with community effort to achieve positive water use. The focus is to revive the water bodies and improve aquatic as well as conserve biodiversity of the region. Water Bodies have for the longest time functioned as a crucible for churning the development of cities and towns. However, as cities have grown, the pollution load on water bodies has increased manifold, maxing out their self-cleansing capacity – completely putting it off balance.

Treating sewage before it enters a waterbody has thus become a necessity – if we want a clean and healthy environment. While a permanent solution to this would be to curb pollution at the source, there are intermediary measures that can be taken to restore a waterbody to its wholesome original self, conserve and enhance its biological diversity, preserve its ecosystem, and manage it while meeting current and future demand – without compromising on its ecological health and character.

The growing scale and urgency of the problem prompted us to enter the waterbody rejuvenation space.

The Need

With major water pollutants like invasive seaweed, non-biodegradable waste, garbage, lack of care and strengthening measures, most of the water bodies in the urban and rural settings have become lifeless.

Anthropogenic factors are to blame, such as solid waste disposal, industrial and domestic sewage disposal, encroachments and commercial fish farming. Weed infestation, reduction of storage volume, drying, decrease of biodiversity and loss of interconnectivity are some of the direct consequences that one can witness in the water bodies today.

The Benefits

  • Sustainable ecosystem and beautification of the surrounding
  • Promotion of aquatic life
  • Enhanced groundwater levels
  • Improved water quality

Our Intervention

The program is an effort to improve and enhance the biodiversity of the waterbody. Rejuvenation and conservation of water bodies and open areas, emphasizes on implementation of an interconnected system of urban/rural environment comprising green spaces, recreational places, biodiversity and natural conservation areas. The project aims to protect, conserve and manage biodiversity, ecosystem services and enables them to take informed actions by the municipal authorities for combating challenges.

Water Body Restoration Project at Devanahalli Kere Lake in Bengaluru
United Way India recently restored the Devanahalli Kere Lake in Bengaluru which is a historic lake located in a densely populated region that has native trees that improve its green cover and provide an aesthetic look to the lake. The lake with all its new features is set to become a biodiversity hotspot for local flora and fauna to thrive.

The restoration intervention was carried out from May to July 2022, helping in bringing back the shine of Devanhalli Lake. Some of the activities which were undertaken were de-weeding, garbage removal, bund strengthening & dual embankment, construction of Islands, protective fencing.

The project aligns with the Jalshakthi Abhiyan of Central Govt, Forest Conservation and Water Security policies of Karnataka, India

Beneficiaries

Villages and communities neighboring the lake

Impact Till Date

Water Body Restoration Project at Devanahalli Kere Lake in Bengaluru

  • Water storage capacity increased to 47,66,17,382 liters ~17 acres
  • Conservation of 82,15,331 kilo liters of water
  • 786 tons of invasive weed and 96+ tonnes of solid waste removed
  • Creating green cover through construction of 11 tree islands
  • 5000+ beneficiaries residing in neighboring communities

To know more, write to us at info@uwindia.org

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