Housing birds & butterflies, Madiwala Lake is a visitors’ paradise

BENGALURU: Fluttering butterflies, varieties of migratory and native water birds that swoop down in droves, a herb garden and two greenhouses dot the surroundings of Madiwala Lake in southeast Bengaluru.
Rejuvenated approximately 15 years ago, the 272-acre lake received a Rs 25 crore grant in 2016 from the Lake Development Authority (LDA) for its development as a biodiversity park, under a central government scheme.With the state government dissolving LDA earlier this year, the forest department is now the lake’s custodian.
The department held its first meeting with members of Madiwala Tank Lake Foundation on Thursday to discuss future plans and what else needs to be done for the lake to become a biodiversity park. With no encroachments, the lake and its immediate surroundings are in a much better condition than many other waterbodies. The lake welcomes visitors through the day, unlike others which are mostly closed for maintenance.
A Vidyashankar, a senior member of the foundation and certified lake warden, said some of the recent additions include a butterfly garden and parking facilities. “The peak season is from November to April when the sky is full of butterflies. Over 20 varieties of butterflies can be seen in the small park housing 200 varieties of saplings, planted specifically to attract them. The number is so huge that some can even be spotted in houses 2km away. We have also built a small pond within the park to make visitors feel close to nature,” he elaborated.
Two greenhouses, one with various types of cacti and another with tropical plants from across the country, have been constructed to generate awareness among visitors. A waste management plant turns dried leaves into powder, which is mixed with manure and sold.
“We generate about Rs 10 lakh revenue from the lake every year. The fisheries department also rears fish here, for which it pays us. We earn money from the sale of manure, parking tickets and boating, and plan to plant tamarind trees around the premises, which can be sold later,” said Vidyashankar.
The forest department has cleared some space to build another sewage treatment plant (STP) in the premises to accommodate the sewage flowing in from nearby areas. Narayan Hegde, another member of the foundation, said the focus is on planting fruit trees and not jungle wood to attract birds and create a healthy ecosystem. Addition of eight floating islands to the existing two and installation of floating fountains are among the other plans.
“Despite the STP, there is leakage in some places which is causing sewage to enter the lake and reduce the oxygen content. The floating fountains will propel water into the air to a height of 50ft, where it will absorb oxygen and fall back. We are being assisted by the World Wildlife Fund,” said Hegde.