A food park for the birds coming up in Bangalore during the pandemic

By Anuksha Dey

Capt. Santhosh KC (retd) is working on creating a food garden for birds amidst the pandemic. Known to many in Bengaluru as the water warrior fighting to stop the tanker and sand mafia in Anekal, the activist is setting up the food park in Brickfield Villas, Anekal. The lung space will be home to guava, pomegranate, custard apple, ramphal, sapota, jamoon, fig and rose apple trees. The food park is to have eighty saplings out of which seventy have already been planted.

Why create a food park?

The former army officer, who has been working with the restoration of Muthanallur lake for over three years, decided to create a food park 700 metres away from the water body as he believes in a holistic lake rejuvenation approach. “When we work on a lake, we begin by clearing encroachments in the storm water drains, and then de-silt the lake,” he says. “But when you develop a water body, you need to ensure there is enough greenery around it for birds and animals to reclaim it as their home.”

The Brickfield Villas is an ideal location due to its proximity to the lake. The residents of the area welcomed the idea too as they were planning to create a dense, wooded area within the perimeters of the villa. “We wanted to create a buffer zone to isolate the sewage treatment plant (STP) from the houses,” says Pankaj Kumar Mishra, a resident of Brickfields. “When Capt. Santhosh proposed the creation of a food garden, we loved the idea.”

What will the food park contain?

Other than ten different varieties of fruiting trees, the food park will provide water for the birds. All the trees for the park were provided by the Green Indus Volunteers for the Environment (GIVE), an NGO run by Santhosh. “We are only using the best breeds of plants… they are the kind used in orchards and cost Rs 200-600 each,” he says. “The trees will be ready to bear fruit within a year.” 

How is the food park being created amidst a lockdown?

The idea is to not let Covid-19 affect work on greening the world. Proper covid protocols are being followed, warranting that the planting activities are done in phases with minimal volunteers. The first phase happened on Thursday and the second this morning (Saturday). The activities take place between 6am and 10 am, when the ground staff at Brickfields are on duty. 

For maintenance, the NGO has a three-pronged approach. Farmers from the local area, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and volunteers from the NGO will work to maintain the food park, while the cost of maintenance will be borne by the NGO. 

GIVE plans to create four or five more food gardens around the area within the next month, and has eight such projects on the anvil. “We have a target of planting 10000 fruit trees around the water bodies in Anekal,” says Santhosh. “If people from other areas would like to create similar parks, we are ready to collaborate with them as well.” 

How the fight to save the environment began

Santhosh’s journey as a water warrior began in 2019 when he noticed tankers draining the water from Muthanallur lake and selling it commercially. The former army captain got the mafia to stop their illegal activities at Muthanallur. “When the system fails, somebody has to step up and take its place,” he says. Since 2019, Santhosh has worked with seven lakes around Anekal, reclaiming encroached storm water drains, and rejuvenating the water bodies. The food parks are part of his lake rejuvenation efforts.

How you can support the cause

The initiative is unique as it does not accept monetary donations. All donations are in the form of trees. Santhosh has compiled a list of the required tree varieties and the nurseries providing these saplings. Additionally, GIVE has aligned with three nurseries that provide these trees at half the price.

The donors purchase a tree directly from the nursery. GIVE collects the trees and transports them to the plantation site. Those who donate are informed about the location of the tree, so they can go and visit the tree any time. You can get in touch with Santhosh at 98458-52999, if you want to donate a tree.