Bengaluru’s proposed Halanayakanahalli lake rejuvenation plan will prioritise ecological conservation and flood mitigation over recreation, with recreational infrastructure recommended to occupy no more than 20% of the waterbody’s area. The 42-acre, 72-gunta lake off Sarjapur Road is expected to be taken up under the Centre’s Amrit Sarovar 2.0 programme, with a project estimated at about Rs 9.1 crore.
The recommendations emerged from a lake vision document preparation exercise supported by Wipro Foundation, Socratus, WELL Labs and Friends of Lakes. Residents, lake experts and environmental groups participated in consultations on how the waterbody should be restored and managed. The final lake vision document is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
Participants ranked ecological conservation as the lake’s primary function, followed by flood mitigation, groundwater recharge and rainwater harvesting. Community use and recreation were placed after these functions. According to volunteers associated with the exercise, some participants initially gave greater priority to recreation and community facilities but revised their views after discussions on the ecological role of urban lakes.
Among the proposals is a 25-30ft-wide common track rather than separate walking and jogging tracks. The recommendation is intended to limit the amount of hard infrastructure and public-use space within the lake premises. Stakeholders have also proposed that any sewage treatment plant at the site be restricted to a capacity of 1 million litres per day and receive only existing inflows.
The plan proposes three entrance gates serving Halanayakanahalli, Chikkanayakanahalli and Chikkannahalli villages. A separate access gate has been suggested for fishermen and cattle grazers who depend on the lake area. To reduce disturbance to wildlife, participants recommended avoiding lighting inside the lake premises and restricting public access after evening hours.
The lake falls under the Minor Irrigation Department, which is expected to undertake the eventual development works. Manjunath, the panchayat development officer of Halanayakanahalli gram panchayat, said citizen and non-governmental organisation suggestions could be considered during the process. He also clarified that the lake vision document would not be equivalent to a detailed project report or an official development plan.
The distinction is significant because the document is being prepared before the project’s formal design and execution stages. Its recommendations will need to be considered while the detailed project report is prepared, and during subsequent construction, monitoring and maintenance decisions. The consultation has therefore focused not only on the lake’s appearance but also on access, sewage inflows, wildlife protection and the needs of local users.
Chetan of Friends of Lakes said involving affected stakeholders at every stage could help prepare the initial vision document, validate the detailed project report, review the work and monitor the lake after rejuvenation. The next formal milestone is the release of the final lake vision document, after which the Minor Irrigation Department is expected to take forward development planning under the proposed programme.
