Revive Gottigere Lake Says Mr S B Majage, Upa Lokayukta.

Continuing from where I left my last blog, It again showed the determination of people, nature enthusiast and health conscious people to brave the hot sun, sacrificing a working day for a noble cause.

Noble cause to revive the 5 century old lake, that is also a feeder lake to Hulimavu and Madivala lake. I Am talking about Gottigere Lake, situated along the side of Banerghatta Road right next to the NICE Road.

VSAVE group is growing everyday with youngsters and elderly people joining hands towards.

The lake was flourishing as late as 2006 after which it started drying up. Some local people for their vested interest started releasing the sewage water in the lake. Some builders started dumping debries of their building waste into the lake. The fencing was cut open and a road was made to help in doing this illegal job.

After 10 month of effort, meeting with Upa Lokayukta, we started seeing some work happening around the lake. Fencing was redone, cleaning around the lake was carried out by BBMP. This was just a start when Mr Majage decided to visit the lake that we have been showing him on paper and Google map for 10 months. His motive was also to take an account of the work that has been carried out so far.

Visit was expected to be a short one with him talking to the locals, reviewing  the situation and passing some stern orders to the BBMP and BDA officials. Well all that happened, except that he not only stayed for over 1.5 hours but also took a long walk along the lake.

Issues Identified
1) Encroachment has happened along the lake
2) Sewage released in the lake
3) Garbage dumping at one end of the lake
4) Some houses inside lake are there. Titles of the occupants are in question
5) Illegal borewells are present
6) Movement of water tanker is noted

Timelines Set by Upa Lokayukta
1) Clearing of Debries and garbage to start immediately and finish by 15 April 2015
2) BWSSB to assess the sewage issue and comeup with a blue print of how to improve that
3) Based on BWSSB report, sewage line will be completely stopped from entering the lake by 15 May 2015

Last but not the least, there was a great participants in students of adjoining government school, MSB Educational institute and Radcliff school. Teachers and students were present holding the placards..."We wont let it pollute... We wont let it dry"

News Coverage
Deccan Herald:                 http://bit.ly/1wYNe8X
The New Indian Express: http://bit.ly/1wYN3dG
The Hindu:                       http://bit.ly/1ByvdwG

Gottigere Lake -- Common goals bring people from different walks of life together

Saturday 21st Feb 2015, just another day in most of the people life, but not for few volunteers. For them it wasn't a rest day but a test day. They had braved the laziness and "why should I do it" attitude and gathered near Gottigere Lake. Mission, to support the "Save Gottigere Lake" movement.

People from different walks of life, religion, colour, language took the task of cleaning the lake surrounding and eventually restore the lake to its beauty once it had.

The efforts of group of people over a period 9months meeting and following up with Upalokayukta and BBMP officials conceded the first joint effort of residents and BBMP official to clean the surrounding of the lake.

BBMP provided about equipment and about 30 workers who worked whole day to clean up the stretch from main road to about 300 mins along the lake. The big JCB cleaned up the drainage that has become the dumping ground for all the near by shopkeepers and BBMP garbage collection contractors.

The volunteers on other hand formed small teams of 6-7 people. They took up the job of cleaning the area around the lake, de-weeding and picking up the garbage thrown around. Two set of teams went door to door, bringing awareness. Explained the shopkeepers on the benefits of keeping the surrounding clean and restoring the lake. Urging them to join the campaign.

There were volunteers of age 6-70+ years. Doing their bit for the current and future generation.

One observation that I took back at the end of the day is that once there is a clearly defined common goal, with intention of selfless act people drop their baggages of caste/creed/colour/age and join hands as if they are one, which is the ultimate truth.

Check out Pictures HERE
For more details regarding the campaign, visit 
Provide us with your support by becoming a Member

Give Someone The Gift Of Life: DONATE BLOOD

WHO CAN DONATE BLOOD?

S  Without any discrimination between a man or woman, any person within the age group of 18-60 years can donate blood

S  Male and female can donate blood once in 3 months

S  Weight of the donor should be more than 50 kgs.

S  The donor’s systolic blood pressure should be 100 to 160mm/Hg and diastolic blood pressure should be 70 to 90mm/Hg.

S  Haemoglobin in blood should be more than 12.5 gm.

WHO CANNOT DONATE BLOOD?

S  Person who have consumed alcohol, antibiotics and within 72 hours cannot donate blood

S  If the donor is suffering from some contagious disease

S  Female donors during menstrual period, pregnancy, breast feeding and until one year after delivery cannot donate blood

S  Persons suffering from HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted disease, cancer, heart ailment, unnatural bleeding, reduction in weight without any reasons, diabetes, hepatitis B and C, ailment connected to kidney and liver, bronchitis, epilepsy, mental sickness should not donate blood

S  If vaccinated against any diseases, such persons should not donate blood till 2 weeks from the date of vaccination.

S  If treated for malaria, then should not donate blood till 6 months from the date of treatment.

S  If the person has taken aspirin tablets, then should not donate blood for 3 days.

S  Person who has received any blood within previous one year should not donate blood

S  Any person who has undergone a major surgery cannot donate blood for one year and minor surgery cannot donate blood for 3 months.

Blood Donation Camp coming up 

Venue: Amakine-Burhaniyah, Gottigere, Bangalore-83

Date:    22nd September 2013

Day:      Sunday

Time:    8am to 1pm
Registeration here: http://tinyurl.com/fakhrimedical

*Courtesy: Huzaifa Attarwala

Blood Donation Part4: Myth Busters

Myth: I should not donate blood frequently; it will make my body weak.
Fact: False. A healthy person can donate blood four times a year with a minimum a 3 months’ gap between each blood donation.

Myth: Can donating blood make me feel stressed with episodes of severe headache and vomiting?
Fact: False. Blood donation cannot cause episodes of headache and vomiting if the blood pressure of the donor is within normal limits prior to donation.

Myth: I should not donate blood frequently; it will lower my body’s immunity level.
Fact: False. Your body’s immunity level is not affected by blood donation.

Myth: Donating blood frequently can fluctuate my blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Fact: False. Blood pressure and blood sugar levels do not fluctuate provided the pre-donation values are within normal limits.  A diabetic patient on insulin cannot donate blood.

Myth: Can donating blood at frequent intervals make my body iron deficient?
Fact: False. A healthy individual with good eating habits can donate blood four times a year with a gap of three months.  It doesn’t make anybody iron deficient

Myth: I am a retired person; I think I am too old to donate blood.
Fact: Yes. A person above 60 years and below 18 years cannot donate blood.

Myth: I can not donate blood when I am fasting.
Fact: Yes. One should have had a good meal at least four hours before donation.

Myth: Can frequent visits to the hospital for donating blood cause some infection?
Fact: False. No, there is no fear of infection due to blood donation.

Blood Donation Camp coming up 

Venue: Amakine-Burhaniyah, Gottigere, Bangalore-83

Date:    22nd September 2013

Day:      Sunday

Time:    8am to 1pm
Registeration here: http://tinyurl.com/fakhrimedical

*Courtesy: Huzaifa Attarwal

Blood Donation Part3: Myth Buster

Thought of as a selfless act, donating blood is a noble cause indeed. And yet very few of us take the time out to donate blood at blood donation drives or attend blood donor awareness campaigns. From ‘blood donation causes weakness’ to the threat of catching diseases, several myths about blood donations abound. Today, Dr. Rani Prem Kumar, Consultant, Blood Bank at Moolchand Medcity, helps clear the air and tells us which myths and facts about donating blood are true, and which false:

Myth: Donating blood makes me feel low.
Fact: False. However, many people feel that donating blood makes them feel weak. Again, this isn’t true. The thread of truth here arises from the fact that it takes a day or two to replenish the fluid volume in the body and three months for the regeneration of red cells to donate more blood

Myth: One is advised to take complete rest for a day after donating blood.
Fact: False. One can easily resume his or her normal day-to-day routine after donating blood, but should take care of the following:

• Drink at least 10-12 glasses of water including juices within 24 hours following blood donation. 
• Avoid sun exposure 
• Avoid driving for the next 2-3 hours
• Avoid smoking for next 4 hours 
• Avoid alcohol for next 24 hours

Smoking and Drinking is injurious to health and MUST be stopped irrespective of you are donating blood or not.

Myth: Blood donation is a painful procedure.
Fact: False. Donating blood is not painful at all. One only feels a slight pinching sensation when the needle pricks the arms

Blood Donation Camp coming up 

Venue: Amakine-Burhaniyah, Gottigere, Bangalore-83

Date:    22nd September 2013

Day:      Sunday

Time:    8am to 1pm
Registeration here: http://tinyurl.com/fakhrimedical

*Courtesy: Huzaifa Attarwala

Blood Donation Part-2: How rare is your blood type?

There are four main blood types: A, B, AB and O.

In 1901, Karl Landsteiner, an Austrian physician, discovers the first three human blood groups. On his birthday i.e June 14th "World Blood Donors Day" celebrates. On October 1st ‘National Blood Donation Day’ celebrates in India.

FREQUENCY OF BLOOD TYPES
O+ 1 person in 3	O- 1 person in 15
A+ 1 person in 3	A- 1 person in 16
B+ 1 person in 12	B- 1 person in 67
AB+ 1 person in 29	AB- 1 person in 167

Facts about donors

• The number one reason donors say they give blood is because they "want to help others."
• Two most common reasons cited by people who don't give blood are: "Never thought about it" and "I don't like needles."
• One donation can help save the lives of up to three people.
  
• If you began donating blood at age 18 and donated every 90 days until you reached 60, you would have donated 30 gallons of blood, potentially helping save more than 500 lives!
• Only 7 percent of people in India have O-negative blood type. O-negative blood type donors are universal donors as their blood can be given to people of all blood types.
• Type O-negative blood is needed in emergencies before the patient's blood type is known and with newborns who need blood.
• Thirty-five percent of people have Type O (positive or negative) blood.
• 0.4 percent of people have AB-blood type. AB-type blood donors are universal donors of plasma, which is often used in emergencies, for newborns and for patients requiring massive transfusions.
• 
  
  Blood Donation Camp coming up 
  
  
  Venue: Amakine-Burhaniyah, Gottigere, Bangalore-83
  Date:    22nd September 2013
  Day:      Sunday
  Time:    8am to 1pm
  *Courtesy: Huzaifa Attarwala

Blood Donation Part-1: Who Needs it?

Who Needs Blood?

Every year our nation requires about 4 Crore units of blood, out of which only a meager 40 Lakh units of blood are available.

• The gift of blood is the gift of life. There is no substitute for human blood.
• Every two seconds someone needs blood.
• More than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day.
• A total of 30 million blood components are transfused each year.
• The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.
• The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.
• Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives.
• More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
• A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood

Facts about the blood supply

Blood cannot be manufactured – it can only come from generous donors.

Type O-negative blood (red cells) can be transfused to patients of all blood types. It is always in great demand and often in short supply.

Type AB-positive plasma can be transfused to patients of all other blood types. AB plasma is also usually in short supply.

Blood Donation Camp coming up 

Venue: Amakine-Burhaniyah, Gottigere, Bangalore-83

Date:    22nd September 2013

Day:      Sunday

Time:    8am to 1pm

*Courtesy: Huzaifa Attarwala