Interested in bird watching?

29 Oct 2011

By Ashwini M. Sripad

Express News Service

BANGALORE: Come November 13, children in and around Puttenahalli lake area will be watching birds by the lake side. Thanks to the Puttehanalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT) which is organising a ‘nature walk’ at Puttenahalli lake on the eve of children’s day.

Puttenahalli lake is said to be one among existing three lakes in Bangalore South. According to Usha Rajagopalan, Chairperson to the PNLIT has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to maintain Puttenahalli Lake. “This makes us the first residents group of Bangalore to take charge of maintaining a lake,” she said.

The BBMP has started the fencing work around Puttenahalli Lake. The Lake  was in a pathetic condition and part of it was encroached in 2009. However, later it was restored by the Palike this February 2011. The PNLIT has planted and is maintaining more than 250 plants in the vicinity of the lake. Now, the lake which is completely maintained by the PNLIT  has started attracting birds as well.

Explaining this Usha said that after restoration, they have found more than 30 different species of birds including 20 water species birds. “There might be more, but so far we have identified these many birds which were not seen here before,” she said.

Now, PNLIT is organising “nature walk for children above the age of seven years.  Since the birds are seen more in the morning hours, they have asked the  participants to be present at 6 am on November 13. Children in their nature walk will be led by Deepa Mohan of bird watchers field club, Usha said.

Usha further said that they have approached Brigade schools which is in JP Nagar near Puttenahalli lake. “The principal of the school has in turn written to the parents of those children studying in their school to send them for nature walk and bird watching,” she added.

Local corporator L Ramesh will also send his sons for the nature walk.

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