For decades, dedicated resident collectives have revived and safeguarded Bengaluru’s lakes, turning wastelands like Puttenahalli Puttakere into thriving ecosystems. These groups, often operating pro bono, monitored encroachments, curbed sewage inflow, and nurtured biodiversity — from migratory butterflies to waterbirds.
However, since a March 2020 High Court directive halted Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with corporates pending legal review, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has also stopped renewing agreements with citizen trusts. Officials argue corporate funding could indirectly back these groups, while residents claim the ruling is being misinterpreted to sideline community bodies.
Organisations like the Mahadevapura Parisara Samrakshane Mattu Abhivrudhi Samiti (MAPSAS), once caretakers of over 200 acres across interconnected lakes, now function without formal backing. Volunteers insist their work is transparent, sustainable, and essential given BBMP’s limited manpower and resources.
The civic body’s new draft policy prioritises NGOs and corporates using CSR funds, potentially excluding smaller citizen trusts unable to meet formal NGO compliance. Critics say this dismantles a proven public–private–people model that empowered local stewardship and ensured funds were spent wisely.
Environmentalists warn that without community oversight, restored lakes risk renewed pollution, illegal dumping, and shrinking buffer zones. While BBMP maintains it is not anti-RWA or anti-NGO, residents fear the policy centralises control and erodes grassroots involvement.
As Bengaluru’s lakes face mounting threats from urbanisation, the absence of local custodians may leave the city’s water heritage vulnerable.