Bengaluru: In a bid to encourage the revival of the neglected Chellakere Lake in HRBR Layout, Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) in association with Citizen Welfare Association organized the fourth edition of Kere Habba at Chellakere Lake. The Chief Guests for the event were Vamanacharya, Chairman, KSPCB, M C Ramesh, Environment Engineer, KSPCB and Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO, Namma Bengaluru Foundation.
Kere Habba was envisaged as a series of lake festival with events bringing people together for fun, entertainment, environmental concern, community participation and awareness of local lake issues. The objective of this celebration is to encourage people to connect with their surroundings, explore and participate in preserving it and become a stakeholder in keeping it alive. The event included painting competition, cooking competition, bird photography, nature walk, Origami, games, etc. As part of the series, NBF will conduct Kere Habba for a period of five years from 2015-2019, covering 12 lakes every year and reaching to a total of 60 lakes at the end of 2019.
Appreciating the efforts of the community to preserve Bengaluru lakes, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament said, “The Kere Habba is a perfect example of citizen action and community initiative, coming together to reclaim and protect city’s dying natural heritage. Working on these lakes is also a way of recapturing the history and tradition of Bengaluru. The Habba gives people a chance to take responsibility and protect lakes and is encouraging to see community and neighbourhood collaborating to restore, rejuvenate and protect lakes of Bengaluru. Rising pollution in Bengaluru’s lakes, as was evinced recently in Varthur Lake, is a strong motivator for us citizens to clean up our lakes on a war footing. The initiatives and activities of the Habba will be important efforts that will raise awareness among citizens, to ensure each one of us take small steps towards a greener, cleaner future for our children”.
“The lake was home to the many migratory birds in the past. However, the lake has lost its charm and now lies in shambles. The rich flora and fauna which once surrounded the lake is slowly disintegrating as the lake and its surroundings are perishing. Today, the lake lies between overgrown weed and heaps of garbage. We need to draw the government’s attention to the dying lake and work together towards restoring the natural body. We hope that the Kere Habba takes us one step closer to achieving the change we wish the lake to see”, said Jude Ferrao, President, Citizen Welfare Association.
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