THIRTY RUPEES to visit the Nagawara Lake in Bangalore, and no guarantee that you will see a single bird. If disappointment wells up, wash it back with a glass of something cold at the Café Coffee Day outlet, the star attraction of the new concrete paving that rims the lake. And, under the shade of a plastic tree that has sprouted nearby, you can pay to let your child play. If even that isn’t enough, a few rupees more can get you a ride on a water scooter or a motorboat. Welcome to Lumbini Gardens, at what once was Nagawara Lake...

The decision to lease 26 lakes in and around Bangalore to private operators has provoked a flurry of protests, reports SHRUTHI JAGANNATH on Tehelka. How competent are the people in whose hands we trust our future?