The Lokhandwala Lake Restoration Project

The Problem:

A freshwater lake, unique in its nestled position between mangrove patches, is in serious peril from urban pollution and government apathy.

What was once a community space and walker's paradise has been crippled by garbage inflow (a garbage unit was designated next to it recently), and the singularly Indian 'let's dump religious objects all over nature' mentality. Add to this powerful utility companies next door claiming the lake is a 'security risk', and you've got a good boil going. 

The Solution:

Using OikosES as a bridge and battery, we can help mobilize, redesign and redevelop aspects of  the lake and surrounding area through community participation, design sessions and sustainable ecological interventions.

Profit or loss? Urban redesign series - Water systems

Redesigning Mumbai's Stormwater and Drainage, toward a better management system for urban areas.

Why should we restore our water system?

It's plain to see, and reported often enough that our cities are falling apart. Unsustainable, and sometimes horrific development patterns and bad architectural designs are creating a monster mess creating cities with infrastructure falling apart as quickly as they grow.

Our ecosystems continue to deteriorate at a rapid pace, and cannot support life, creating a toxic backlash to the human community.

What are the problems that we have seen?

Loss of historic wetlands
Disruption of water flows
Deterioration in water quality and toxic chemical buildup and accumulation in sealife
Vast quantities of freshwater wasted and fouled
Mangrove and beach ecosystems affected by continuous and ever growing garbage buildup
Health risks for surrounding communities, in this case the entire city

 A possible vision

Turning our nallas back into walkable or navigable streams, rivers and canals for human use, through an ecological design approach.

We propose to change our wasted and polluted spaces into productive, ecologically and economically viable areas through the framework of landscape restoration, ecodesign techniques, and sustainable development principles.

Through this work, we can bring together communities and stakeholders into an open forum, making them aware again of their impacts on the environment.
Hopefully this will lead to a nurturing and revival of citizen's relationship with their land and people.
 
What kinds of lands are we talking about?

The issues we see are systemic, and creating solutions cannot be done on a  piecemeal basis. One cannot fix one section of drain and hope the problem will be solved, just as covering street drains does not solve the problem of foul and smelly gutters. Out of sight, out of mind, but still part of reality, unfortunately.

  Thus we propose to reconnect the land to the water, and work across the matrix, on:

Stormwater drains
Public parks
Mangrove lands
Reserve mangrove forest/Beaches



Operational benefits from a redesign

Reduction in urban flooding
More walkable / navigable green spaces
Healthier downstream ecosystems/ food web security
Reduction in health risks for immediate and surrounding community

Urban Projects

Orchids Forest Park 

Urban, Forest, Parks 

The Smiley 

Urban, Public Space, Green Wall 

Jungle Alley 

Urban, Corporate, Landscape 

Century Bhavan 

Urban, Corporate, Forest 

Lemon Grass 

Urban, Hospitality, Landscape 

Bunk Beds & Harps 

Urban, Scrap & Recyclables, Landscape 

Metal Madness 

Urban, Scrap & Recyclables, Cryptoforestry 

Century Bazaar Garden 

Urban, Speed Garden, Intervention 

Speed Garden 

Speed Garden, Recyclables, Guerilla gardening 

Bonobo Jungle Chic 

Urban, Hospitality, Speed Garden 

Green Balcony 

Urban, Landscape, Green Wall 

Green Bungalow 

Urban, Landscape, Green Wall 

Vertical Garden 

Urban, Green Wall, Mumbai 

Capt. Wayne Rodrigues 

Urban, Landscape 

 

Fungalist - Mushroom research: Where and why.

Saving water?

The best way to 'save' water may not be not to follow this rationing and limiting system we are told about.

A different rationale would be that perhaps we could be not so conservative in our water use now, in order to regrow the proper catchment and treatment systems as quickly as possible and to stimulate the inherent and latent water holding capacities of the land.

Forest restoration, acceleration.

Of course then one needs a lot more water pumps in operation. Now if only solar pumps were cheaper...

Zoo/ Exhibit Design for education/ breeding

Zoos and zoo authorities in India are in trouble and are being touted as incapable of handling the responsibilities of handling captive animals efficiently and with basic respect to the animals. Coupled to this the Indian mindset of zoos as an entertainment space and improper design and enrichment, the case could be made that zoos in India are in urgent need of upgrade.

We have previous experience with the Mumbai zoo, and now are setting up to assist the Tivona Project project to not only uncover some of the information on the current status of the Mumbai (Veermata Jijiabhai Bhosle Udyan) Zoo, but also to create a volunteering base to assist the zoo if need be, but also to sensitize the public to zoos and zoo keeping.

We also plan to keep working on finding ways to create a better zoo system in India through assisting in the redesign of zoos and zoo exhibits and increased work in the conservation realm.

Conservation

Conservation of Wild Flora and Fauna

We are dedicated to working towards the improvement of design of ex-situ (captive) wildlife facilities in India, as well as the proper planning and design of in-situ wild land projects and interactive infrastructure landscapes.

We have experience in natural spaces, rural lands, urban development as well as community development and captive wildlife work.

This allows us the unique ability to design and create not only wild lands and captive facilities conducive to regenerating wild populations of plants and animals, but also urban green corridors to improve sustainability of urban systems through increasing biodiversity studies and wildlife/conservation projects in cities.

Projects of interest to us would be -

• In-situ landscape and ecological restoration for species specific projects
• Eco-resort/Ecotourism planning & design with a
captive conservation element.
• Zoo/Exhibit Design for education/breeding
• Wildlife Corridors/Ecological Buffering
• Water Purification/Waterhole Design
• Creating Attractive Spaces for Wildlife - for urban residents