: Fearless Kolkata Woman Fights Death Threats to Keep a Lake Alive #IndiaNEWS #Environment Love is a pure emotion that makes you do things you never thought you were capable of. An anchor of hope,

Fearless Kolkata Woman Fights Death Threats to Keep a Lake Alive #IndiaNEWS #Environment
Love is a pure emotion that makes you do things you never thought you were capable of. An anchor of hope, it can make you fearless, agrees Sumita Banerjee, who has risked it all for love.
A native of Durgapur, West Bengal, she moved to Kolkata for studies. Alone in a big city, she found solace amidst the canopied banks of Rabindra Sarovar and soon joined the community of morning walkers called Lake Lovers Forum, who were passionate about the well-being of the lake.
A few steps from Golpark More, the lake is a safe haven for people from all walks of life — those looking to snatch a few minutes of sleep under the trees, the elderly yearning for companionship or the hurried professionals striving to stay in shape.
“It was not just the natural bounty and beauty, but how it had cradled a diverse community of people behind its tall gates. It is almost magical to see the world go a tad bit slower in this green haven situated amid a concrete jungle. It is our treasure to cherish and protect,??? says Sumita.
Since then, she has been fighting tooth and nail to protect the lake from various forces—industrial, political or religious—that have been trying to encroach and destroy its valuable diversity for personal gains. Having drained most of her savings and even dodging death threats, Sumita has grown to be the fearless guardianess of Rabindra Sarovar.
Becoming the sole protector
Born and raised in Durgapur, Sumita came to Kolkata in 1990. After completing her Masters of Arts in Bengali, she took up a teaching position in a city-based school. It was in 2001 when she first visited the Rabindra Sarovar.
The artificial man-made lake is situated at a prime location of Kolkata and is visited by over 10,000 people daily. Dug up on a marshy land in 1921, it is home to a diverse flora and fauna that houses several species of migratory and resident birds.
Spanning over 192 acres, out of which 73 acres is water, this lake is considered the second-largest water body in Kolkata. With more than 11,000 trees and a majority of them over 70 years old, it is an environmental reserve that balances the city’s urban ecology. Owing to this, in 1997, this lake which is also known as Dhakuria lake, was declared a ‘national lake’, under the National Lake Conservation Programme of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
Yet, despite all the official accolades meant to provide immunity to this national environmental reserve, it was left in tatters during Sumita’s first visit, which was anything but love at first sight.
“Back then, Rabindra Sarovar wasn’t what we see today. There was no one taking good care of it and it was on the verge of becoming a dumpyard.

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