For nearly two years, the grasslands around Hesarghatta lake, which was once Bengaluru’s prime water body, became a legal battle between the State government and city-based photographer Mahesh Bhat.

The government-owned grasslands and shrub forests on the outskirts of the city were touted as having “potential” for tourism in the form of a film city, resorts and amusement parks. For Mr. Bhat, however, this grand plan would have choked the 1,100-acre lake.

“The lake was bone-dry by then, but having concrete structures in the catchment area would have effectively ended hopes of revival,” he says.

Mr. Bhat and others formed the Arkavathy and Kumudvathy River Rejuvenation Trust and filed a Public Interest Litigation in December 2012.

The vulnerable eco-system houses jackals, foxes and 133 bird species, including the threatened Lesser Florican; and this was cited, among others, in a long process to counter the government’s “wasteland” argument in the High Court. The PIL was disposed in 2014 after the State put its plans on hold.

The lake is inextricably linked to the cultural and historical ethos of the city. “After its creation in 1894, water was drawn in aqueducts to Soledevanhalli and then pumped to Bengaluru. Now, even remnants of the aqueduct are gone,” he says.

In the serendipity of events, it was one poster – placed amidst the advertisements that serve as a warning of a growing commercial city – that led to ‘saving’ of the grasslands. “I’ve been living in Hesarghatta since 2001 and wasn’t really clued in. In 2004, I saw a banner saying Arkavathy river should be revived. I got involved and, eventually, helped out in clearing 3km of canals to allow water to flow into the lake,” he said.

Photographer Mahesh Bhat fought a two-year legal battle against the State government’s plan to ‘develop’ Hesarghatta lake and grasslands