“Shouldn’t World Environment Day be celebrated every day?” wonders environmentalist Harsha Tej in one of his social media posts. Bengaluru, once known as the city of lakes, has become a concrete jungle struggling with water shortages despite annual rains. Tej, also known as @muddyfingers, is dedicated to tackling this issue by rejuvenating lakes around the city. He was recently joined by veteran actor-director Raj B Shetty in efforts to make Bengaluru water-positive.
Tej, who left his corporate job five years ago to start his foundation, is currently working on 12-15 projects, including those in the Sarjapur area and Airport Road. One successful project is the rejuvenation of Hunsmaranahalli Lake. “There are maybe four or five people in Bengaluru who actually do what we’re doing, and we need more people,” shares Tej. With an agricultural background, Tej and co-director Gurunandan Rao have always been inclined towards the environment.
The team uses techniques like photogrammetry surveys, planting native trees, and desilting to increase water retention capabilities. They also design wetlands at lake inlets to ensure only clean water enters, addressing the issue of sewage contamination. “During the monsoon, water comes into the lake and evaporates in summer because there’s no water-holding capacity. We remove silt to the natural level to hold water through the summer,” says Tej.
Restoration efforts take anywhere from three months to a year, followed by three years of monitoring. Tej emphasizes the critical role of community involvement and advocates for rainwater harvesting. “The crisis keeps happening because there is no groundwater. We need rainwater harvesting pits in homes, which cost between ₹25,000 to a lakh depending on the size. If everybody in Bengaluru can do this, we will be water-positive within two to three years,” claims Tej.