Mangaluru: Ask a native of Pakshikere and he will tell you how the place was named after its many natural lakes. Sadly, if one were to visit Pakshikere today, he sure wouldn’t agree that the place should have this name. 

The place, which once stood for its name, was home to six major lakes, all of which have now disappeared, leave alone a 77 acre land that holds the last one, which is by now, also on the verge of extinction. 

As the founder of the Paper Seed Co. in Pakshikere, Nitin Vas has now come forward with a project to bring the place to what it once was, when it was known as the glorious village of lakes. 

He recalls how the lake of Kolkude, was once known as Pakshikere, as it was known to feed birds. And it was not just the birds. Elephants too would come to quench their thirst in a lake that is sadly now history, with all that one can come to see is a pit of debris. 

With that, Founder Vas, now plans to begin the work of rejuvenation with what was once known as the Katipalla lake, located at Hoskadu, after which he plans to rename it with the very name of the village. 

Of all the lakes that the government has recorded in the village, Hoskadu seems to have no documents, even after being spread across 77 acres of land. The company is now in the process of obtaining these documents from the Panchayat and has commenced the work with funds from the Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers ltd. 

While the water is ten feet deep, the initiative is to widen the horizons of the lake and surround it with the Miyawaki forest that sits around it. 

Natives also have something more exciting to look forward to as there are plans for a walking track leading to an amphitheater. The cost of the entire project is said to come up to a sum of Rs 15 lakhs, as it will include inlet points, filtration chambers and other traditional methods of restoration, which are equally important for the best results. 

For at the end of the day. Pakshikere was more beautiful when it had its lakes, wasn’t it?

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