Keeping a promise they made last year, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have contributed to the efforts to resolve the water crisis that has gripped Bengaluru for the last couple of months, rejuvenating three lakes as part of the IPL franchise's Go Green Initiative.
According to an India Cares Foundation report, RCB have completed the restoration work of Ittgalpura lake and Sadenahalli lake, while adding civic amenities to the Kannur lake.
RCB had launched the Lake Improvement Works Project as part of their ESG commitment in October 2023 with a focus on developing water bodies in the said areas as they lack access to Cauvery water and are totally dependent on groundwater and surface water.
According to the report, over 120,000 tons of silt and sand have been removed at the Ittgalpura and Sadenahalli lakes.
The soil has been used to create bunds and pathways across the lakes and 52 farmers have taken it to use as topsoil for their fields as well, resulting in an increase of the water holding capacity of these lakes to up to 17 acres.
Meanwhile, at Kannur lake, the objective has been to improve community ownership through the creation of civic amenities as lake assets.
Ethno-Medicinal Plants Parks, Bamboo Parks, and Butterfly Parks are also being created at all three lakes as the initiative aims to improve and sustain the biodiversity of the lakes while also serving as educational hubs for children to understand the ecosystem.
The Green Game was conceived in 2011 and since then, through multiple initiatives, RCB is now the world's first carbon-neutral cricket team and the foremost cricket franchise in the world, rallying behind a people's movement for a greener planet.
RCB cricketers will don green jerseys in their IPL 2024 game against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, April 21, 2024.
