Bangalore diary - Despondent about Kaikondrahalli lake

 25th April 2023

It is quite an adventure trying to cross the main Sarjapur road - tellingly, there are no pedestrian crossings, so you make your way, with a prayer on your lips and nerves of steel.  And a little too late, I realised the stupidity of trying to do this with 80+ year old mother as well.  

All this urban adventure in order to see Kaikondrahalli lake, which we had enjoyed on our previous visits. Mother and daughter let out a collective gasp of consternation on entry, as we were hit by the smell of sewage, and foamy, green water covered with hyacinth at the entrance run-off area.  It did not get better as we went in and around the lake on the bund - the water level was understandably low, but there was no sign of life - where were the fishes we would see? And where were all the ducks and coots and cormorants?

The path wound round to the other side, and here I saw a whole lot of Little Grebes

Of course there were more apartment blocks all around - to be expected - but not the flow of untreated sewage in from the side!

At the far end, in the submerged skeleton of the eucalyptus grove, the Large Cormorants continue to roost, and there were several Black Kite nests, untidy and large.

A large, undisturbed ant hill - I wonder if it is still intact after the rain of the last few days.

I listed 19 species, as we left and headed back for our reverse adventure crossing.

My mother entered the apartment complex, and exclaimed that she was not going back to the lake - it had made her so upset and despondent.  She did not want to go back.