Restoration of Hennagara Lake -Developing a Detailed Project Report

Hennagara lake is man-made tank in Anekal Taluk in the Bangalore South Urban district of Karnataka. Spread over an area of around 133 ha. The lake is surrounded by the villages of Jigani, Rajapura, Masthenahalli, Seethanayakanahalli and Hennagara. The catchment area of the lake includes the Jigani Industrial area, a hub for major pharmaceutical and electronic industries. Hennagara lake falls under Class D based on Water Quality Criteria with high total Coliform count and high BOD and COD (KSPCB,2019). In the absence of quantitative criteria for beneficial use, the state auditing authority considers the attainment of Class B (outdoor bathing) as a benchmark for evaluating the impact of interventions on lake water quality (CAG, 2015). This requires huge investments and is economically not feasible, especially in the context of Urban lakes that largely receive treated/partially treated effluents. It is crucial from the start to set realistic restoration goals with respect to biodiversity, flora and fauna, stakeholder perceptions, livelihoods and water chemistry based on stakeholder consultation and baseline monitoring data. Conventional DPR focuses just on the water quality and ecologically un-informed landscaping. What we are proposing is a comprehensive approach that considers the lake as a socio-ecological system with multiple stakeholders and a restoration goal that encompasses water quality, biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services.

Project outcomes 

Improved water quality, enhanced biodiversity and ecosystem services, and behavioral

change among stakeholders leading to sustainable management of the lake.