Stewardship of the Kere*

Keres and traditional water management

Similar to most of Bangalore’s lakes, Jakkur lake is man-made. Historical inscriptions reveal that it might be about 700 years old. Part of the Yellemallappa Chetty lake series in the Hebbal valley, it was created to take advantage of the existing topography- enabling earlier settlements to capture and distribute rainwater through a complementary system of canals and open wells. This helped to recharge groundwater and maintain a steady supply of water for agricultural uses and consumption.

For centuries this kere, like many others, would have been managed as a shared resource by the local community- in this case shared between the villages of Jakkuru and Sampigehalli. Village leaders and community members would have played a role in deciding how the water was used, and also come together to participate in the maintenance of the kere as a water supply system. Within the social hierarchy of these village communities, there existed a water manager/irrigation officer. Known as the Neeruganti (eventually becoming a caste-based sub- group), this individual was responsible for maintaining the availability of water for irrigation, and the general repair and upkeep of the local water infrastructure. Traditionally a member of a Scheduled Caste community, the Neeruganti was an officer of the village- ensuring a measure of representation in the politics of resource management*. Thus, the traditional system of ownership and management of a kere involved coordination between the village community, the Neeruganti, farmers, fisherpeople and others who relied directly on water for their livelihood, with patronage from the local landed class as well as the regional rulers.

Systemic disruptions

The mid-1800s were marked by the establishment of British rule in Bangalore- with colonial immigrants placing a strain on available water resources, leading to the disruption of the existing urban water management system. By the end of the century, the British claimed ownership of the lakes and transferred management responsibilities to appointed officers. The lived understanding of water needs and specialized local knowledge regarding kere maintenance remained systematically disconnected from the newly vested stakeholders.

This trend of community divestiture was exacerbated by the centralization of water supply from larger, farther-away resources such as regional reservoirs and eventually the Cauvery River. Post- Independence, all lakes were declared the property of the state. A patchwork of state and local authorities were deemed official stakeholders and entrusted with the management of urban lakes. With the formal pumping in of Cauvery water in the late 60s, keres lost their centrality in the everyday lives of most Bangaloreans. New government agencies adopted a technocratic, engineering-oriented approach (values likely inherited from the British) to maintaining lakes and largely focused on physical strategies such as desilting, creating embankments and fencing away the lake. Attempts at non- recreational community use were likely to have been deemed “encroachment”.

Growing pains and community reactions

Since the 80s, Bangalore has experienced a steady influx of people- with the new millennium bringing with it an explosion in the growth of the city. North Bangalore in particular, experienced a development boom in the 2000s fueled by a proposal to set up the international airport 30km north of the city as well as suburbanization thanks to job growth. At the same time, larger trends in municipal disinvestment and a general lack of political motivation saw most of the city’s lakes gradually fall into disrepair. Jakkur lake and others were thus neglected, since the administrative bodies no longer saw much incentive in their maintenance.

These rapid changes  provoked a response from the educated and environmentally-conscious segment of the new urban community in the form of citizen advocacy and organized activism. Mounting pressure from citizen groups led to the “rejuvenation” of Jakkur lake by local municipal agencies between 2003-2012. These measures primarily encompassed physical restoration with some ecological input, largely missing any meaningful long-term maintenance solutions or connection with the local community. Typically, the continued management responsibilities regarding various uses of the lake such as fishing and recreation are divided between multiple government agencies at different levels. Different departments therefore are only responsible for scenarios within their highly specialized purview. This top-down yet divided approach left Jakkur lake vulnerable and within a few months of inauguration, the lake began experiencing pollution and maintenance issues.

Members of a local NGO- Satya Foundation- organized a volunteer effort to keep the lake clean, but eventually recognized the continued maintenance issues as a symptom of systemic failure. As an alternative to the current system, community members decided to attempt a stewardship model. The under-funded BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Bangalore’s primary municipal authority), which had recently inherited responsibility of the lake from the equally cash-strapped BDA (Bangalore Development Authority, the city’s principal planning body) welcomed this citizen initiative, acknowledging the value of an engaged citizenry. A new public-civic relationship was formalized through an MoU between BBMP and the resident lake group.

New relationships

Known as Jalaposhan (nurturing of the Jakkur Lake), this newly formed citizen group is now the guardian of Jakkur lake, essentially “adopting” it. This group is founded on the belief that the conservation of lakes is the responsibility of every citizen. The group has adopted a mix of formal and informal engagement strategies, and acts as a community watchdog supervising the quality of the kere. Jalaposhan’s most vital role however, is as the facilitator of real change to the lake. It is a mediator/negotiator entity that acts as an effective communicator between the alphabet soup of institutional stakeholders (BBMP, BDA, BWSSB, KLCDA, LDA, KSPCB, BESCOM, State Police, Dept. of Fisheries, et al) while ensuring that the needs of different segments of the local community (residents, agriculturists, cattle grazers, fisherpeople, grass-cutters and others) as well as ecological concerns are addressed.

The altered sense of community in Bangalore and the complex patchwork of new stakeholders has necessitated what Jalaposhan terms as an inclusive and integrated model of lake management. This hybridized community-based model has managed to derive lessons from the older traditional system and add to it the technical expertise of local NGOs and institutions, while securing new forms of patronage such as CSR (corporate social responsibility) to deal with the ineffective central administration. Jalaposhan for instance, is supported by local organizations such as Biome Environmental and Srishti Institute for program and research input. It has also secured non-government funding through CSR and employee engagement at local corporates in aviation and luxury housing development.

Such citizen groups can also build social capital through local outreach and support. For instance, Jalaposhan works with local SHGs for the daily upkeep of Jakkur lake. They also successfully form local political connections, providing an incentive to legislators and elected representatives to in the continued maintenance of the lake.

The presence of local citizen groups that adopt, rather than relinquish responsibility of natural heritage reflects in the spatial programming of the lake area. Centralized authorities tend to focus on a single functional use of the lake in terms of water management and when it comes to spatial strategies, either fence it off from the public or only design for recreational use. Jakkur lake looks different. Engagement efforts by Jalaposhan have led to the demarcation of more democratized areas around the lake- a community zone that serves residents and a conservation zone with an urban wetland that serves the flora and fauna. Activities at Jakkur lake span across multiple spheres- environmental, economic, spiritual, cultural and social.

Challenges and Successes

The success story of Jakkur lake showcases the potential of a new kind of civic partnership, but the long-term scope of this still remains to be seen. Similar efforts at other lakes in Bangalore such as Puttenahalli, Uttarahalli and Kaikondrahalli (local organizations/corporate entities partnered with municipal bodies) as well as broader initiatives such as Friends of Lakes (which focuses on lakes in multiple neighborhoods) and United Way Bengaluru (which advocates for all lakes in the city) paint a hopeful picture.

Bangalore is no stranger to civic activism, which started promisingly in the early 2000s thanks in part to greater political representation of the city at the state level (the Chief Minister at the time was from Bangalore). However, most civic activism is largely reactionary- fatigue tends to set in and there is difficulty in mobilizing communities. The non-profit Janaagraha, which aims to democratize city development and promote good governance initiatives through a participatory approach has had limited success in getting people to be part of the decision-making process at the local level. 

The formation of new urban fraternities like citizen action groups in Bangalore has mostly been led by an educated elite. Elite activism is often centered on individual actors who can afford to engage in it- usually charismatic, and with voice and influence in the spheres of planning and public policy. Although there is some scope of community benefits, the activists are responsible for building relationships with technical experts and ensuring social inclusion through extensive outreach. Many of Bangalore’s lakes have circles of such elite residents who claim to be “saving” the lakes. While it must be noted that if not for their efforts, many lakes would have been lost to ravenous real estate development- barring a few cases, these groups have failed to engage with the larger local communities to create a shared sense of ownership for these lakes.

Organized civic engagement such as the efforts of the Satya Foundation at Jakkur lake, while originating in a reactive role have managed to pivot into a more proactive one (being reactionary only when needed). With a larger guiding vision and specificity of scope, Jalaposhan has managed to be proactive in terms of community engagement within the neighborhoods and across varied stakeholders around Jakkur lake. The continued success of this urban lake management model is primarily due to the critical interlinking of social interests (which span across classes and communities) and ecological conservation efforts (often spotlighted by the educated elite) at a hyper-local level.

Way forward

In her book “Nature in the City: Bengaluru in the past, present, and future”, author Harini Nagendra argues that civic and local action maybe essential, but cannot replace organized planning in a city like Bangalore. In the case of the lakes, the state not only continues to hold ownership (through BBMP/BDA), but also possesses the infrastructural capabilities and granted-rights to undertake development and maintenance activities. However, it is important to note that the BBMP, which is now the custodian of most of the city’s lakes is chronically underfunded and understaffed- effectively lacking the bandwidth to really take care of its charges. The civic body has been increasingly considering corporate funding and CSR to undertake basic development projects for these lakes.

Jalaposhan believes that collaboration is key to success. At Jakkur lake, the core rejuvenation was done by the BBMP and BDA, with a sewage treatment plant installed by BWSSB. Jalaposhan has realized some projects through crowd-funding and other, more eco-friendly activities through CSR funding. All the while, the citizen group acted as an overseer and facilitator. A consensus among lake activists, municipal officials and a growing number of citizens is that a collaborative approach in the form of civic partnership between stakeholders is the best way forward.

Setting Standards: an exploration

The advocacy group United Way espouses a tested system to bring together corporate entities, government bodies and the citizenry to take collaborative action towards environmental sustainability. This group presents a standardized model for what an ideal lake in Bangalore should be. With a comprehensive study of the condition of 200 lakes in Bangalore, it categorizes how each lake measures up to this ideal- from best to “staring at death”. With its 2011 campaign “Wake the Lake”, United Way has impacted multiple lakes in the city by mobilizing communities and resources with the help of volunteers, all while acting as a central facilitator in the process. Crucially, organizations such as United Way, Jalaposhan, and Biome have been documenting and disseminating their learnings from this process, giving other communities the tools to start similar initiatives for their own neighborhood lakes.

It might be of greater benefit to further codify this successful recipe for governing urban lakes. Maybe envisioned as a broadly prescriptive ordinance in the form of a living document, this would outline the parameters of community stewardship. The roles could be specified, but the actors/stakeholders in the case of each lake would be different. With input from all the existing civic partnerships, this could lead to a more sustainable, deeply responsive, meaningful, and impactful development of Bangalore’s lakes- once again intertwined with its communities.