Saving a lake

On realizing that "a lot of debris and rubbish got accumulated along the shore line of Lake Kapra Cheruvu during Ganpati visarjan (immersion),” seven years ago 70-year-old Secunderabad activist Gulshan Bamboat along with several others started campaigning during the 10 days of visarjan. "Thousands of families around the vicinity of Sainikpuri found this the ideal place to bid farewell to Ganpati Bappa,” she noted. The conservationists held placards requesting people to avoid PoP (Plaster of Paris) idols and plastic decorations. They encouraged clay Ganeshas and even atta-haldi (flour-turmeric) Ganeshas which could be immersed in buckets of clean water at home.

Some minor politicians took objections to this interfering with "decades-old traditions.” The same police personnel who appreciated the activists’ efforts in other areas, now drove them and their placards away.

Bamboat decided to write a couple of slogans on T-shirts. Gathering up whatever felt pens were lying around her home, she wrote: "The smaller the idol, the bigger the faith” on the front and "Next Year, small haldi or atta idol immersion at home in clean water,” on the back. "I wore it and mingled with the crowd that evening, along with a couple of friends who readily joined me to explain to the curious crowds.

"We got photographed at least 10 times every day and many times that number when the crowds were aplenty, with a lot of thumbs ups and appreciation and promises to follow.” Local television channels also covered Bamboat extensively. "The news media have been very kind/ They listened to whatever we opined,” Bamboat had rhymed. This year they were glad to notice that the number of Ganeshas had changed from 80% PoP idols to 80% clay.

"Am sure Lord Ganesh is as pleased as we are with the growing awareness, and will shower his blessings upon all of us,” the activist notes.

Earlier, the Kapra Lake was being encroached upon. "We realized that it was soon going to disappear if no action was taken. We decided to do something about it and formed various WhatsApp groups” to improve the surroundings, one of them being the Kapra Lake Revival Group.

The focus on Kapra Lake prompted the government authorities to delineate the perimeter of the Lake and subsequently fence the area to prevent building around it.

Bamboat lists some of her fellow Lake warriors: "Vijaya Naidu (every day, without fail although she is 76), Hema Latha, Medha Agashe Naniwadekar, Kiran, Sailesh, C. S. Chadrashekar, Deepa Shailendra, Jason Wilson, Col Sanjay Kapoor, Ajita, Manognya Reddy and Aryamand (her younger son) have been fiercely fighting for Kapra Lake too, over the past several years.” During the days of immersion Aryamand accompanies his mother and is actively involved in the making of Eco Bricks and Bio Enzyme too.

She is also greatly thankful for the support of her husband Wing Cdr Gev Bamboat, son Capt Rayomand and his wife Hutoxi (who live in Umergaon) and mother Roshan Patel who "is also a pillar of support. I really can’t feel old with Mum around, active and on her feet all day at 93 for which I touch wood and give thanks to Ahura Mazda.”

Beyniaz Edulji