Thousand saplings planted by UWBe to Wake the Yelahanka Lake

UWBe along with BBMP organized a massive Plantation Drive at the Yelahanka Lake. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) July 31, 2013 - United Way of Bengaluru (UWBe) along with the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) organized a massive Plantation Drive at the Yelahanka Lake with the planting of thousand saplings, a testament to the spirit of UWBe's 'Wake the Lake' campaign which focuses on rejuvenating dying lakes. Through this 'Wake the Lake' initiative, UWBe seeks to sensitize the community living around the lake and mobilize their efforts to revive the Yelahanka Lake. Among the Guests of Honor on the day was the MLA for the Yelahanka Assembly, Mr.Vishwanath, and Chief Conservator of Forests Mr. Brijesh Kumar.

United Way of Bengaluru, a network partner of the 126 years old US based charity-United Way Worldwide, has been working actively to revive the dying lakes in the city and restore their beauty. UWBe along with the BBMP has drawn up a mandate clearing encroachments by demolishing as many as 15 buildings on the lake bed and recovering 7 acres and 13 guntas of land worth INR 3 crores to plant a thousand saplings in an attempt to address this pressing issue of the 'Garden City'.

Sabu Thomas, Chairman, UWBe encouraged the volunteers by sharing the importance of the eco-system for Bengaluru and said, "We all need to be proactively involved in environmental issues and work towards keeping our Bengaluru green, making it a better place to live. While we feel proud of living in the fastest growing IT City, we also bear a responsibility to retain it as a livable place with sufficient water and a healthy environment. It is indeed a paradox that once a 'City of a Thousand Lakes', Bengaluru today is struggling for water. United Way's 'Wake the Lake' campaign is aimed at bringing all the stakeholders such as Civic bodies, Communities, Corporates, Experts, Media and other institutions and people together to act as a converged force to address the environment and water related issues in the city. United Way of Bengaluru wishes to use this opportunity to showcase how a lake can be transformed, provided the community around it is committed towards investing time and effort into the process."

Eminent Environmentalist Saalumarada Thimmakka was also a part of this initiative and encouraged the volunteers through her speech to participate in such causes. The eminent environmentalist recognized world over for her work in planting 284 banyan trees in the city and tending to them single-handedly was the Guest of Honor at the event.

Also present on the occasion was John Devaraj, a renowned painter, sculptor, film-maker, playwright, musician & Art Director who choreographed a Puppet-o-Thon with the students of Vibgyor High International School, who displayed a lot of enthusiasm in being a part of the 'Wake the Lake' event.

More than 300 volunteers, donors, and patrons of United Way participated in the event which took place along the lake periphery, their eyes scanning for a perfect spot to plant a sapling. The plantation drive focused on rejuvenating the 292 acre lake to develop it as a model for others.

About United Way chapters in India & United Way of Bengaluru (UWBe)
United Way of Bengaluru is a network partner of United Way Worldwide. United Way is a global network of locally governed not-for-profit member organizations in 41 countries and territories whose members work to create long-term solutions to local human needs. These members convene community leaders who identify and prioritise local needs, generate and distribute resources for mission-centered work, help improve the effectiveness of the non profit sector, and enhance service delivery. This work happens primarily at the local level, where community needs and opportunities are best understood by local volunteer leaders. Through its commitment to and demonstration of effectiveness, transparency and accountability, United Way was able to raise $5 billion worldwide which are applied to create greater local community impact. United Way convenes more than 2.5 million volunteers annually - a diverse corpus of people who care about their communities and are motivated to make a difference. For more information please visit: www.uwbengaluru.org

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