Habba! Habba!

The festival at Kaikondrahalli Lake hit the right notes

By SHILPI SAHU

On February 18, 2018, Kaikondrahalli Lake hosted a bunch of events for the fourth time. More than 4000 people from the neighbourhood took part in Kere Habba 2018 that was aimed at raising awareness, increasing community participation and fostering an appreciation of lakes in Bengaluru.

This year, the team pushed for a green way to come to the Habba. They encouraged visitors to ‘Cycle to Kere Habba’, avoid parking blues and cut the carbon footprint of the Habba further. While many residents cycled to the venue, many more chose to rent the bicycles at the venue to go around the 2km lake trail.

Many local resident artists painted the amphitheatre walls and the main gate security room of the lake in preparation for the event. The day started with a Zumba session. Events included story sessions, participatory wall art, bird walk guided by Madhusudan Shukla, photography sessions and more. The young and the old were encouraged to keep aside their mobile phones and learn to play traditional games, weave, make flower rangolis, meet their neighbours and community volunteers. Author Roopa Pai engaged teens and challenged them to conquering the world. Younger kids were regaled by Vikram Sridhar, the story teller. Soulful music by local band Sufisticate ended the long day.

The Habba also witnessed stalls at the ‘Santhe’ as well as NGOs talking about their cause. Organic product owners and home run businesses promoted their services and goods.

Kere Habba is a green event and strives towards zero waste footprint. Water can refills with washable steel tumblers were used and visitors were requested to carry their water bottles and shopping bags and segregate waste at source.

Kaikondrahalli Lake that was rejuvenated in 2010, receives a footfall of 500 visitors on a weekday and more than a thousand on a weekend. It is the most bio-diverse lake in Bangalore, with local variety of trees, reptiles, butterflies, amphibians and a safe haven for residential and migratory birds. The lake is maintained by MAPSAS (Mahadevpura Parisara Samrakshane Mattu Abhivrudhi Samiti) in partnership with BBMP and corporate sponsors. MAPSAS keeps alive the traditional uses of the lake such as allowing fodder for cattle, fishing and foraging.

© Oorvani Foundation/Open Media Initiative. Also available online at citizenmatters.in