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Akka Thangi Kere - the story of once glorious wetlands

Akka - Thangi Kere is a pair of wetlands located adjacent to each other on the outskirts of Tumkur City. Due to the rapid expansion of Tumkur City the wetlands were slowly being encroached. To prevent this, the Tumkur District Environment Week Celebration Committee headed by the then DCF of Tumkur District and consisting of nature lovers from the city decided to convert the wetland into a forest. A massive tree planting programme was organised in October 2000 involving nature lovers and school kids of Tumkur City.

Dedicated efforts by the forest department helped the wetland become a beautiful forest. Due to the construction of the Golden Quadrilateral of National Highways throughout India, these wetlands have fallen prey to development. The following pictures tell you the story

THE STATE OF AKKA-THANGI KERE NOW
View of construction debris and bio-waste being dumped inside the boundaries of Akka Thangi Kere from the under-construction New Tumkur Bypass Sira Road (Mumbai - Bangalore National Highway No:4) (Aptil 2007).



View of construction debris and bio-waste being dumped inside the boundaries of Akka Thangi Kere (Aptil 2007).

Remains of poultry and other bio-waste being dumped on the new Tumkur bypass Sira Road(Mumbai - Bangalore National Highway No:4) adjoining Akka Thangi Kere (Aptil 2007).

Remains of poultry and other bio-waste being dumped on the new Tumkur bypass Sira Road (Mumbai - Bangalore National Highway No:4) adjoining Akka Thangi Kere (Aptil 2007).


AKKA-THANGI KERE DURING ITS DAYS OF GLORY
Members of WANC at the site of Akka - Thangi kere, planting the tree saplings (Oct0ber 2000).



School kids from Tumkur marched to the site of Akka - Thangi kere and helped in planting the tree saplings (Oct0ber 2000).


School kids from Tumkur marched to the site of Akka - Thangi kere and helped in planting the tree saplings (Oct0ber 2000).
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