Gottigere Lake -- Need urgent attention (Part 1)

Air and Water, the two basic necessity to sustain life are actually given free by God. Absolutely free with no taxes or maintenance to be paid. Anything if needs to be done is to take care of it. With modernization came along a baggage of issues. Air pollution, water pollution, deforestation.

Lets talk about Water pollution. Can be divided into two major categories. One is to where chemicals from factories, deadly by products are dumped into lakes and rivers, thus making it poisonous. Killing the under-water world habitat and also impacting the life that depends on it. Second is drying up the water resources like lakes.

Lakes, that usually acts as natural rain-water harvesting mechanism are very important part of our lives. They not only help in keeping the water table high, thus avoid bore-wells drying up. They can very well be developed as recreational area.

Below are images from Google earth of Gottigere Lake. Pictures taken in Year 2000, 2008, 2011, 2012. One can see the shrinking of the lake.

Year 2000

Year 2008

a

Year 2010

 The picture taken in the year 2000. Just have a look at the size of the lake. I have seen this lake overflowing over the road in the monsoon.

Well, its no more the case. Infact there is no water left in the lake at all.

I will leave you here. Will be back with more on this topic soon.

Year 2011

Gottigere Village : Is it worth living here anymore?

I moved into Bangalore in 2003 and since then I have been visiting this area as Masjid was under construction then. Finally moved to this area in 2007. Earlier Gottigere village was outskirts of Bangalore, quite place with lush green meadows. Cattle grazing, beautiful lake and few houses.

Today, there is no open space left. All thanks to builders who in greed of making as much money as possible started building apartments. Initially taking the clearance from panchayat and that too for 4 floors. Then, fooling the authorities, they constructed 5 floors by naming 1st floor as "Ground" floor.

This greed grew more and then they started flouting the setback rules also.Every inch they owned was converted into concrete and items such as Transformer was placed outside the building, on the road. BESCOM authorities happily closed their eyes and gave the connections.

Well, as the greed never ends, now apartments started coming up on a 30X40 sites. Yes, a small, 2 flat on each floor kind of apartments, 4 storey stands right in front of my apartment.The buildings are so close to each other that you cannot open a window properly.

Drainage, liquor shops, water mafia, Corporator with "Go to hell" attitude. Actually its funny here. The corporator is a woman but the show is run by her husband's brother. What is the point in reserving the seats for Women, if they are going to be just a figure head and rest will be taken care by their relatives. Isn't it a slap on the face of Indians and all those who talk so much about giving women equal power and what not.

Anyway, I am searching for an answer to my question. Is it worth staying in this area? Or these problems are their everywhere?

For little money, authorities are sanctioning any and every plan that comes on their table. Closing the eyes on violations and wrong doings. Actually bigger question is "How much money is enough money"

Anybody....any idea...

My vote is my trust. Win my trust to win my vote

******************** This post is master work of Mustansir bhai Jeeruwala *********************************************

Its election time and the atmosphere is ripe with questions like "who are the candidates?", "which candidate to vote for?", "which party to vote for?" and cynical statements like "all are equally bad", "nothing is going to change" etc.etc. Added to all these, traffic jams due to political rallies, haphazardly pasted posters and banners throughout the city and chaotic law and order situation.

Political parties will do their electoral maths and field candidates based on caste, creed, religion and ethnicity irrespective of their leadership quality and ability to bring about any change that will make life easier for the people. All that the candidates do is "promise" the moon.

Ironically, all political parties share one common vision. Win the election and make money.

This kind of thinking does not inspire me to vote. Its like appointing a person to run my company based on his/her promises to grow my business 10 folds. So, I would like to alter my thinking and see what difference can it make. To start with, I want to ask myself a question - What change do I want?

Here are a few of my small basic desires as an urban citizen of Karnataka :

- Clean and Safe Drinking Water
- Restore lakes
- Stop illegal constructions
- Clean and mosquito free environment
- Uninterrupted Power supply 24 x 7
- Pothole free roads
- Safe roads and efficient traffic management
- Crime and corruption free environment
- Quality education
- Quality healthcare at an affordable cost (especially for our elderly citizens)
- Decrease in tax rates, efficient enforcement of tax laws to deter tax evasion without any harassment.

I would like the candidates/parties to put forward their "plan" to fulfill these desires. Whose ever plan I find most convincing, my vote will go to him/her.

Candidates, you need to convince me with your PLANS not with your promises. After all, my vote is my trust and you can't win my trust on empty promises. Get that?

So, go ahead. Convince me. I am listening.

Election Time

Every Dog has a day. Election time is one such for common Man. They start seeing people visiting them with hands folded and big ear-to-ear smile on their face. The very same people who otherwise will not give them a mere glance unless they had an appointment.

The chamcha's and chela's of the so called politicians first secure the confidence and then time of the common man. The big guy than visits and gives a fantastic, convincing speech  Listens to all the people around, returns a smile for every question asked and every demand put forth.

I usually wonder, what people think about these politicians's as. GOD? May be. Because once they come, common man starts talking to him about water table going down, no rains, etc etc. Why cant they just stick to basics, and talk about the things that practically can be achieved by a human being.

Well, cutting it short, this is what I think I would ask a politician coming for securing my vote. I live in Gottigere and these are the basic things that I really need to lead a peaceful life.


1) Initiate and complete the road laying work asap, maintaining the quality
2) Get the Cauvery water connection in our area (Gottigere)
3)  Stop and take action on the illegal constructions
4) Stop illegal digging of borewells
5) Today there is no proper drainage system existing. Make a network such that drain water can be carried out properly
6) The biggest of all is RESTORE Gottiere Lake. Once the lake is rejuvenated, the water problem of the area will just vanish.


I believe that once we give a good quality of life to people, getting their support is piece of cake.

Anybody listening?