Jhumroo was just about a year-and-a-half when we spotted her deep love for nature! Her bedroom window overlooked a guava tree where the early morning chirrups and coos would wake her up! One cuckoo would arrive as early as 6 am and start calling and she would respond in her baby language – ‘Yes, I am awake! I am hearing you!’ Her Sunday mornings were quite busy! Papa and she would pack a huge loaf of bread and off were the two on a red bike to the ‘Duckie Pond’ (as she named it) to feed and play with a bevy of swans! The thrill of spotting them on the other side of the pond and then the brood recognising the visitors and almost flying towards them was an inexplicable excitement on both counts! The loaf would vanish in a jiffy and a very fervent request for another would crop up. Yes, there was always provision for more! Gradually as she aged, the place changed; the brood vanished! The greenery around kept diminishing down the years; the place began to get isolated, only to be given an identity of notoriety and illegal activities. Yes, I am talking about the Police Line Takli Lake.

 

A news highlighting the sorry state of the lake was published in ‘The Hitavada’ CityLine on October 26 under the headline ‘Over Rs 9 cr spent, Police Line Takli Lake still in a sorry state’. ‘The Hitavada’ has been voicing its angst over the negligence of water bodies, once the crowning beauty of the Orange City. The green cover around the lake has been allowed to diminish on the plea that the place is being renovated and rejuvenated to make it appear a place worthy to visit. All that was done was concrete walling inside out. The greenery is lost. A few days back there was a huge fanfare of tree plantation. Within a couple of weeks that has dried and worn out. Most of the time these plantation drives prove to be photo sessions, to be frank! The little corner needs just two things – a heart to feel and a head to heal! There is a constant campaign to save these natural gems of the city. The concerned departments are doling out a lot of money for upkeep and maintenance of these lakes.

 

Where is it going? Not a leaf has stirred to find anything new or novel, except for some concrete walls, hedge growths, weeds and tall wild grass, overgrown wild bushes almost choking the water body, a brashly constructed immersion tank and most unkempt environment. The greenery has vanished. People walking into the inner area of the lake are found to be going there with an ulterior motive. The huge iron gate is an eye-wash. It’s high time our thinking heads – the guardians of the city, used their positive energy for giving some serious thought to the upkeep and maintenance of the little lake and the larger ones too! The fate of Futala and other lakes is quite evident. The die-hard nature-lover is deprived of sunset view because of the concretisation and an unnecessary viewing gallery. Youths of the city need to mobilise its tribe to save these blessings of God. Maybe, once again one little ‘Jhumroo’ will be back with her huge loaf of bread and happy bevy of swans flying back to her in glee!