Visit to Tamarind Valley Collective

 

A Day Visit to Tamarind Valley Collective

8th July 2023, Saturday

The day started at 6am. A team of 20 people from Biome embarked on their journey to Thaggatti R.F., Tamil Nadu for a day visit to the Tamarind Valley Collective. The place was 2.5hrs away from the main city of Bangalore, situated in the green hills of Tamil Nadu.

We reached the TVC at exactly 9:30AM. After a small walk through the greens (guided by our four legged friend Coco) we finally arrived at the New Lunch Hut. Here we were greeted by our host Madhav who graciously welcomed us with fresh lemon juice and a delicious breakfast of Idli and Sambhar. While having breakfast, he introduced us to Tamarind Valley Collective where we had an interactive discussion of what it is and how it functions.

   
The TVC Lunch Hut

TVC is a community of individuals who share a common vision of embracing a sustainable way of life. Their main objective is to develop and refine a concept of sustainable living. Within this collective, they actively engage in practices that promote sustainability, particularly in the realm of agriculture. They grow crops and cultivate them using methods that prioritize ecological balance and minimal environmental impact. At present, the initiative boasts a membership of 52 families, all of whom are dedicated to this cause. Recognizing the alarming degradation of our planet's natural resources, the TVC community strives to combat this issue by experimenting with a lifestyle that emphasizes reduced consumption and the integration of naturally supported cyclical systems.

TVC's journey towards sustainability takes place on a 100-acre farm, which is collectively owned by the participating families. However, upon their initial acquisition, the farmland was severely degraded due to exploitative farming practices. Undeterred by this setback, the community rallied together and decided to employ permaculture principles as their guiding philosophy. Over the course of the past three years, they have diligently implemented these principles to regenerate the farm's fertility in a natural and sustainable manner. By nurturing the land and working in harmony with nature's cycles, the TVC community is steadily transforming the once depleted farmland into a thriving and resilient ecosystem. TVC only owns one cow and a calf to help them in plowing and other farming activities but is still debating whether to use cattle for farming as maintenance is an issue as of now.

After the discussion, the tour of the farm started. We started off with looking at multiple farming practices followed to grow pulses, paddy, tamarind, banana, papaya, ragi, etc. TVC looks after such crops only for the initial few months and lets it grow organically for the rest of the months. TVC only owns one cow and a calf to help them in plowing and other farming activities but is still debating whether to use cattle for farming as maintenance is an issue as of now.

Paddy Farm

Other than such pulses, TVC has also started apiculture. Currently there are 3 such bee hives to observe the bees and see if this venture has a potential to be beneficial for the crops at TVC.

The Three Bee Hives (Bee Boxes)

We viewed the premises of the collective, which is where the living fence now stood. Earlier there was a bamboo fence there, which was weaker and would not last long due to termite infestation. Their shift to a living fence was necessary due to the constant threat of wild animals e.g. elephants, monkeys, boars, etc. grazing and destroying their harvest. During the farm tour itself, we were informed that monkeys had come onto the farm, and they burst firecrackers to scare them away. 

The Three Tiered Living Fence

This fence consisted of 3 layers of different types of plants, with the innermost layer being made of sitaphal and jamun plants. 

The collective also planned on diverting the nearby stream on the property to stimulate natural irrigation. 

Site Where The Water Will Be Diverted

Another interesting fact that we learned was how minimum was the waste production. The green waste like dried leaves etc are used to replenish the nutrients back into the soil. TVC tries to use minimum plastic as well. They have to use some for their nursery but they try to reuse it as much as possible. The nursery hosts plants that will be planted on fertile grounds in the TVC area and will be left to grow on their own after the initial two summers. 

The Nursery

On our way back from the tour, some of us climbed a tree house that is used to keep an eye out for wild animals entering the farmland. Soon after that it started raining, so we started walking back to the Lunch hut where we drank tamarind juice which was followed by a spread of local food. We had tamarind curry, ragi mudde, etc.

View From The Treehouse

This was followed by a refreshing hike from where we could see the whole area of Tamarind valley Collective in all its glory. We stayed at the top for some time, took some beautiful pictures and finally headed back home after thanking our generous hosts.

A Happy Ending :)

As of now, the permaculture agriculture method is not financially profitable for the collective, which is why they also host a number of workshops along with stays in their bamboo tents. The farm hosts hikes for their visitors as well. 

TVC is planning to expand its residential space by allocating 8 acres for the development of a village. Here all the 52 families can stay together and take care of the land easily. Biome will be assisting TVC in this project to help them plan the village.  

Akshita Garg and Mrinal

Interns 2023

Biome Environmental Trust

A Visit to Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant in Devanahalli

Information Board at FSTP, Devanalli

On 30th June, some of us interns had the opportunity to have a look at the faecal sludge treatment plant in the Devanahalli TMC. It was quite interesting to know and understand the mechanism behind how human waste is recycled and thereby used as manure.

As we reached the plant, one of the workers introduced us to the basic functioning of the plant. He patiently explained all the details to us and answered our questions as well. It was an engaging conversation with him. Firstly, he began by showing us the main component, the Feeding Tank. This tank receives the load which is collected by a tanker. The feeding tank receives around three to four loads every day. The tank comprises two sub-tanks or chambers having a capacity of 3500 litres and 3000 litres each. Once the first sub-tank is loaded, the sludge is then fed into the next one.

The sludge is then allowed to settle for a minimum of 2 hours where the solid and liquid components separate. Once this occurs, the liquid is extracted from the sludge and sent to the biogas chamber. In this chamber, the liquid gives rise to biogas as a byproduct. Biogas produced in this plant is used by the workers for cooking. The solid remnants from the sludge then go to the stabilisation tanks where anaerobic reactions take place. There are two stabilisation tanks present in the plant. One of them is movable and is present underground. Apart from this, there were other parts of the plant such as planted gravel filters and an anaerobic baffle reactor. Lastly, the after going through all these processes, the sludge is sent to the drying bed. It is allowed to dry for 10-15 days after which is collected. The dried sludge is then mixed with household wet waste. It is mixed in batches and allowed to decompose for about 45 days. Lastly, it is sieved and the final product is sold as manure or compost.

 Diagram of the Treatment System

Our visit to the FSTP was much needed considering our exposure to Sanitation Safety Planning. This set the context for us to understand this concept better. It was quite surprising to see no foul odour in any of the chambers. There was no chance of humans coming into contact with the faecal sludge. The ambience of the place was calm and peaceful. A lot of trees and plants were present. The manure produced by the plant is also used to grow these trees. There were jamun, pomelo, and roses among others. Birds were chirping even at that hour. A birdhouse was also present in the plant. It was made out of recycled wood. The entire plant was an eco-friendly, low-waste, energy-conserving system. It was great to see this place maintained so well.

View of FSTP

View of FSTP Site

- Srija J & Arunraj,
  Interns at Biome Environmental Trust (Summer 2023)

 Visit to Cubbon Park 

19-05-2023, Friday

Our day started at around 8.30 AM at Gate 1 of Cubbon Park (also known as Sri Chamarajendra Udyanavana). Neelima and Ayushi were the guides for the day. Ayushi explained to us the geology of Bengaluru in general, the bed topology of the city, the river systems and the lakes in and around Bengaluru. We were surprised to know that Bengaluru hosted more than 1,000 lakes(man-made) in earlier days and now the number has been reduced to 100 to 150.

Geology of Bengaluru:

From the discussion and satellite images shown to us, we learnt basic geology of Bengaluru which can be summarized as follows:

• Bengaluru is surrounded by 5 valleys viz., HN valley, KC valley, Suvarnamukhi, Arkavati, and Vrushabhavathi. (BUDA Area = 1248 sq km)
• The highest point of the city is Doddabettahalli which lies on the central ridge.
• There are gentle slopes and valleys on either side of the ridge and the low lying area is marked by a series of water tanks. 
• We learnt that these tanks are cascading lakes(inter-connected) which eventually join either river Arkavati(a tributary of Cauvery) on the west or river Dakshina Pinakini on the east.
• The city has, mostly Red Loamy clay soil and Laterite soil with granite - gneisses rock bed (Combination of Igneous and Metamorphic rocks)

We also learnt about Weathering processes and how they affect the life cycle of a rock.The theory part helped us understand the physical features with more clarity.

About Cubbon Park :

    `Cubbon Park is a historic park located in the heart of Bangalore, the capital city Karnataka, India. It is one of the most iconic and cherished green spaces in the city, serving as a vital lung space amidst the bustling urban landscape.  It is situated in the central administrative area of Bangalore. Cubbon Park spans over 300 acres (121 hectares) and is bordered by important landmarks such as Vidhana Soudha (the state legislative building), High Court of Karnataka, and the Government Museum.
We explored various sections of the park and following were our observations:

1.Wells:                                                                                                                                         

        Cubbon park has approximately  7 to 8 wells which are used for watering the trees alternatively. We measured the depth of the water and it was around 2.5m. The Water level was reduced (when compared to the previous data) due to summer.
It is noted that Open wells are easy to recharge and are a sustainable source of water (require low energy compared to bore wells). We also learnt that open wells help in flood mitigation.
Cubbon Park had several wells that served as a source of water for irrigation purposes. These wells were manually dug and provided local water supply for the park's plants and greenery. The water from the wells was likely drawn using hand pumps or other manual methods.

2. Kalyani:   

        We saw a Kalyani (also known as Step well) in the park. The Purpose of the Kalyani is to store the water and recharge the shallow aquifers around it. There was a recharge well at the center of the Kalyani as a source of water in the times of drought. Also, there were four canals directed out of the kalyani as water diverting mechanism in case of flood. So, it served the dual purpose of mitigating both drought and flood problems at the same place.

3. Depicting Social Life on Wells:                                                                                                         

            We observed one of the wells had a painting depicting a scene from the folk festival of Karnataka - Bengaluru  Karaga which is celebrated in the month of  March and April. In the scene, the priest at the center, an embodiment of Draupadi (strong ideal womanhood) carries a Karaga pot (floral jasmine pyramid) and people around him pray and dance for the well being of the community. 

            It was nice to see how  culture and nature go hand in hand and people include wells as a part of their ritualistic celebrations. The water level at this well was approximately 4m.

4. Rock Mound:

        We then arrived at the Rock mound at the park which is almost 4 billion years old. This rock was granite - gneiss that forms the basement of the entire city of Bengaluru. We could see fissures and weathering signs on it and over the time it has lost a lot of its layers terming the process as Onion Peeling, due to the action of temperature, pressure and other weathering activities. We also had a brief discussion about city planning based on the geology of a place. 

6.Ponds and Recharge wells:

Cubbon Park also had ponds or small water bodies within its premises. These ponds played a crucial role in water conservation and acted as reservoirs for storing rainwater. They helped in maintaining the groundwater level in the park and provided a habitat for aquatic plants and animals.

There was also a rejuvenation project to save water at Cubbon park called the Cubbon park rejuvenation programme (CPR). As part of the programme, 6 wells were repaired and 73 recharge pits were built. The Horticulture Department carried out the initiative in collaboration with groups including Friends of Lakes, Biome Environmental Solutions, and India Cares Foundation.

6.Irrigation : 

        We observed the following methods of irrigation and water management systems being used in the park.

• For irrigation purposes, Sprinklers are commonly used to distribute water evenly over the park. Sprinklers are often connected to a network of underground pipes and controlled by a central irrigation controller.
• Another technique is drip irrigation  that involves delivering water directly to the base of plants through a network of tubes with emitters. This system is more water-efficient than sprinklers and is used to irrigate  flower beds, shrubs, and individual trees.
• Rainwater harvesting is also practiced to collect and store runoff water.These systems collect rainwater from roofs, roads, and other surfaces and store it in ponds or underground tanks.

Visit to Cubbon Park Metro Station:

    We then went to Cubbon Park metro Station that has a large mural art at the entrance of the station. The mural illustrates Bengaluru's water history, including the tale of the well diggers. It was done using mud from 65 recharge wells dug in Cubbon Park.

        It was completed under  the direction of Srishti School of Art and Design, in partnership with Biome Environmental Trust. The Bangalore Sustainability Forum donated funds for this initiative.

        The core of the artwork is Water. The artwork narrates Bengaluru's connections to open wells and the strain urbanization has put on water sources. 

It tells about the story of six rivers originating from Nandi village , how well diggers used the techniques to estimate the levels of oxygen in the depth, how wells were dug, how they are being commercialized and its impact on the society.

  

        It also talks about how people of  different sections in the society have unequal access to water especially in urban areas.The paintings gave us thoughtful insights on the current water problems of urban belts. That ended our half day tour to the Cubbon Park - famously known as the Lungs of Bengaluru city. 

Important Links:

1. Geology of Bengaluru

2. Cubbon park

3. Recharge wells at Cubbon Park

4. Cubbon park Metro station art 

Report prepared by,

Apeksha Deshpande and Machur Kasomwoshi  

Interns at Biome Environmental Trust

Trip to Sonnapanahalli & Devanahalli

Thursday, 18th May 2023. It was our fourth day with Biome Environmental Trust and we were to visit a government school at Sonnappanahalli. The school is around 23 kilometers from the center of the city, towards the north. The school has a capacity of 350 students and has a water demand of 5000 liters per day. A rainwater harvesting setup had been executed at this school under the sponsorship of ITC Limited as part of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative. It was an attempt to create a sustainable model of water conservation for the surrounding community to get inspired from.

Government School, Sonnapanahalli

Rainwater from the rooftop run-off runs through a series of 4” diameter pipelines and the initial run-off is let down directly into the ground. A manual valve is used for this purpose. There is a Y-joint that prevents water with roof debris from entering into the filter and is in turn deviated into a reject pipe. Once the terrace is cleared off with the initial run-off water, the rest of the rainwater is collected in a harvesting pit with layered aggregates through the other arm of the Y-joint. The filter is of 3 layers - larger stones, charcoal and smaller aggregates.

The underground sump of this setup has a capacity of 12,000 liters and the recharge well close to the Anganwadi building was 20’ deep and 4’ in diameter. The capacity of the underground sump is calculated and designed keeping in mind the average rainfall the region receives.

The school also has a well at its backyard which supplies 50,000 liters per day after its rejuvenation. However, contaminants from the soak pits of the surrounding neighborhood pollute the well.

Valve that lets initial run-off to the ground, Sonnapanahalli

 

Recharge well

The Anganwadi buildings were later modified to have a slight slope in the terraces and a small parapet wall was built to prevent rainwater from flowing across the external walls of the building. This measure protects the structure from prolonged exposure to water and also helps in collecting the rainwater. As a measure to regulate usage of this conserved water, taps in the school were also fitted with aerators.

          Rainwater harvesting pit filter           Aerators fitted to taps

Our next stop was at a lake in Devanahalli, further north of Bengaluru at a distance of 15 kms from Sonnapanahalli. The lake was locally known as Sihineeru Kere, which literally translates to ‘sweetwater lake’. The lake is adjacent to the Devanahalli Fort. The revival of the lake is part of the Hebbal-Nagawara Valley project. The lake is 10 ft to 15 ft deep and is solely meant for the recharge of groundwater and is not directly used for agricultural purposes since it is secondary treated water. Public activity is also restricted in the case of this lake and hence no fishing or grass cutting takes place here unlike the Kaikondrahalli Lake within the city of Bengaluru.

A well and a filter borewell next to the lake are recharged with the water from the lake. The well is 60 ft deep and was earlier dry and had weeds growing in it including a tree. The Town Municipal Corporation (TMC) was about to close down the well. With the efforts of Biome Environmental Trust, this was prevented and the well was revived. The filter borewell is 85 ft deep and taps into the shallow aquifer, which is replenished by the lakewater. During the visit, another filter borewell was being built next to the same lake, which was 100 ft deep. The lakewater if fetched directly is not usable but this changes as it passes through the soil, and gets filtered naturally. Hence, the water that fills up the well and borewell can be used for daily use (except for drinking). Water from this filter borewell then moves to a sump of 50,000 liter capacity. Water from the sump is pumped to a community overhead tank (OHT). The OHT has a capacity of 1 lakh gallons which is roughly 3,78,500 liters and supplies water to all the homes in the nearby village. These homes now receive water 24x7.

We also learnt how a filter borewell is built. On average, it takes 6 days to build one. It takes 2-3 days to drill and another 2-3 days to suck out murky water using an air compressor. The machinery used to drill a filter borewell can only drill to a depth of 200 ft unlike those used to drill a regular borewell which allows drilling till even 1800 ft - 2000 ft. While digging a filter borewell, the drilling is done until they hit stones. 

Devanahalli Lake

We met with a father-son duo, C Sendraiyappa and S Saravana Kumar, whose expertise was at installing filter borewells. They were originally from Tamil Nadu and have now been involved in this for the past 22 years drilling borewells in and around Bengaluru.

A filter borewell

After taking a stroll across the banks of the lake, we headed towards three other wells around Sonnapanahalli.

The first two wells we visited were 80 ft and 74 ft deep, there was vegetation growing in them earlier. Biome initiated the cleaning of the well and removal of silt. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4), lime, and alum were added to clean and purify the well. These two wells get water from Hunasamaranahalli Lake, via underground recharge.

The third well we visited was located in a residential layout. Similar to other wells, this one was also dry and had vegetation growing before it was rejuvenated. The area around the well was used for agriculture before the residential plots were developed. 1.5 lakh liters of water is pumped out of the well everyday, out of which the TMC takes 1 lakh liters. The rest of the 50,000 liters is consumed by the residents in the neighborhood. In total, the well’s water is pumped to two apartments, a college, and a hotel via OHTs.

The fourth and fifth wells we visited did not have a pump and water had to be fetched manually. One of these wells with a manual pulley system was considered sacred by the community. The first shower of a newborn baby in the neighborhood had to happen with the water from this well. It was strictly not allowed for anyone to stand or walk around the walls of the well as it was used for drinking and cooking purposes.

The Sacred Well

- Bhavana Gudnavar & Shree Nidhi G

Interns, Biome Environmental Trust (Summer 2023)

A day trip to Kolar

Wednesday, 17th May 2023, our third day at the Biome Environmental Trust began on a Traveller which started its trip from Vidyaranyapura at 6 in the morning, gradually filling itself with interns from various locations in Bengaluru and finally leaving for Kolar District by 8 am. We had a quintessential South Indian breakfast on the way to our first destination Laxmisagar Lake, 50 kms from Bengaluru.

Our ride for the day

We stopped by the KC Valley Out Point near the Laxmisagar Lake, where Nikita from the Biome Environmental Trust, who accompanied us for the trip, educated us on the hydrology of the region, and the KC Valley Project. The Laxmisagar lake is the first of a series of around 140 cascading lakes in the Kolar region, which is receiving 440 MLD of secondary treated wastewater from 7 STPs in Bengaluru. Bengaluru’s consumption of water is around 2000 MLD, out of which 1700 MLD is disposed as wastewater. The average annual rainfall in Bengaluru is around 1000mm, which is higher than the surrounding areas. Less rainfall and increasing water demand of cities, have led to overexploitation of groundwater sources, ultimately leading to depletion of aquifers and drying out of surface water sources. Lakes in the Kolar region have been drought-prone for the past 20 years, where the rainfall for years 2009, 2010, 2015 have been below 700mm. The Koramangala-Challaghatta Valley Project was initiated in 2018 by Karnataka’s Minor Irrigation Department to provide relief to these drought-prone areas. This is one of the largest treated waste water transfer projects in India, and has been adopted as a pilot model by the Jal Sakti Ministry to be implemented in other parts of the country.

A view of the KC Valley Channel Out-Point

The replenished lakes provide ecological benefits, which could be observed from rich growth of floating water hyacinth and other plants around the lake, and spotting of birds like pelicans, kingfishers and swamphens. The lakes also evidently benefit the farmers as the land around the lake were all cropped with banana plantation, crops and herbs. The lakes are auctioned for fishing, giving employment to the locals and economic gains to the panchayat, which ultimately benefits the locals. The water in lakes percolates the soil, recharging the aquifers and increasing the water table. It took around 6 months for water to show up in openwells around the Laxmisagar lake. Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, which is a technical partner with the Minor Irrigation Department, continuously documents the water quality and ecology around the lake, and has observed a 5m rise in the water table of the region. The water from this series of lakes ultimately leads to a tributary of Cauvery River in Tamil Nadu. Nikita illuminated us on the fact that the lake ecosystem further treats the water through biological processes. To test the same, we collected two water samples - one from the lake inlet, and the other from the lake outlet. These samples will be lab-tested for Drinking Water BIS Standards 10500, to see if the water is fit for direct human consumption.

 

A view of the Laxmisagar Lake

Carrying the water samples, we moved to our next destination - a small village Honnsetthalli, to meet S. Vishwanath Sir, Suma Ma’am, Avinash Sir from the Biome Environmental Trust and the people from an organisation called Grama Vikasa, who work with community building, and educating the people about their rights over land. The drive to the village was through a narrow road with agricultural fields on one side and a large lake on the other, with rocky hillocks in the backdrop, serving as catchment areas for the lake. The driver parked the Traveller inside a compound where they had made all the arrangements for the meeting. The location had a small block and a tin shed under which we sat and enjoyed the freshly prepared tomato juice served by them, surrounded by trees and small flowering plants. The ambience was very peaceful, and we could only hear the rustling of leaves, chirping of birds and the noise of monkeys hanging over the trees and the shed. We could also observe waste composting bins laid around, full of dry leaves and other organic waste.

A group photo with the Grama Vikasa members

While interacting with Mr. Rao from Grama Vikasa, we got to know that only about 50% of the residents own land in the village and the lakes are owned and managed by the Gram Panchayat. The Panchayat can auction the lake either to a village or to a private entity for pisciculture. But generally, it is given to the private entity for better economic gains, on certain conditions like first priority of fish produce must be given to the village residents, or sale of fishes to the village residents at a nominal price. He also shared an incident where they had opposed and prevented the auctioning of the adjacent hillock to a private entity for stone quarrying. He then enlightened us on various benefits of a typical tank rehabilitation project.

Further, Vishwanath Sir joined the conversation where we discussed strategies to improve the local economy of the village community, specially the landless villagers. Everyone contributed with their thoughts like promoting village tourism, branding and marketing of local crafts, food processing and value addition, vocational training of the community people, and shared cropping.

Girija from Grama Vikasa, shared her experiences, where she elaborated on the challenges faced while working with the village community. The most common challenges mentioned by her were money-mindedness of people leading to outmigration, internal disparity among the community people and lack of proper social infrastructure.

Vishwanath Sir explaining the Lake Irrigation System

After the discussion, Vishwanath Sir took us on a short walk towards the nearby lake where he showed us the various components of a lake-based irrigation system including the tank, the catchment area, sluice gate to control the outlet of water, the command area which is the area serviced by the irrigation system, and the distribution channel network which carries the water from the tank to the agricultural fields. We returned from the walk, had lunch which was prepared by the community women, and got back into the Traveller to proceed to the next destination.

Our lunch

We reached a nearby village, Pichhaguntlahalli, to meet people from Arohana Grameenabhivruddi Samsthe, and agricultural workers from the village, who were manually digging water distribution channels from the adjoining lake under the harsh sun. Some of us tried helping them, and found the task really difficult. The working women performed a folk song for us which they sing for good rain and the wellbeing of the community. We also looked at the lake and found it full of ipomoea (rubber plant), which is a weed having 2-feet deep roots, impossible to be picked manually, and is removed mechanically. Asha from Arohana, briefed us about their NGO which works on rural development of agriculture and farmers. Biome Environmental Trust ensures that the workers are paid higher than the standard wages. The workers are paid a daily wage of Rs.400 and an additional allowance of Rs.50 for food.

Village women digging water distribution channels

 

There was an open well next to the mulberry plantation with turbid water, which might seem impure to most people, but was claimed fit for agricultural use by the workers. We also visited a small house, where a group of community women were engaged in silk rearing activities, one of whom explained to us about the process in brief. We then moved towards our last destination for the day to witness an ongoing project of mechanical desilting of a lake.

Silk rearing in Pichhaguntlahalli

We reached the Doddakere Lake at Vadagur located on the Bengaluru-Tirupati Highway. We were welcomed with coconut water by the members of Panchayat, who intimated us about the ongoing project. The lake being created for groundwater recharge, has a small catchment area and would mostly be rain-fed. They talked about the initial struggles faced by them, including financial shortcomings and lack of community participation. Initially, there were no takers for the silt excavated from the lake. With continuous efforts of Grama Vikasa, they managed to persuade one of the community members who took 9000 truckloads of the excavated silt at Rs.30 per truckload and laid it over their agricultural land. This significantly improved the fertility and production of his land, and also raised the level of the low-lying land. This encouraged other villagers to do the same, as a result of which 36000 truckloads of silt had been excavated to date. And with additional support from the Rotary Club of Indiranagar, and other organisations, the project is financially stable. Due to the strategic location of their village, the Panchayat members have envisioned a market along the highway to sell their agricultural produce. Post this brief, we walked along the lake bund to the excavated site and observed continuous excavation, and a fleet of trucks carrying the silt. We collected two soil samples - one of the topsoil, and the other of the desilted lake bed for lab testing, and walked back to the parked Traveller.

Mechanical desilting at the Doddakere Lake

As the Traveller started moving towards the city, Nikita helped us recall and summarise the entire day. And within no time, we noticed heavy traffic and realised that we had reached the city. The 14 hours long trip ended with each of us getting off, bidding goodbyes, as the Traveller took us through the city.

- Abhinav Anand & Viral Chauhan,
  Interns at Biome Environmental Trust (Summer 2023)