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The Science of Bengaluru’s Lakes with Veena Srinivasan

In the first episode of The WELL Labs Show, host Pavan Srinath sits down with Dr. Veena Srinivasan, socio-hydrologist and Executive Director at WELL Labs, to unpack the science behind Bengaluru’s lakes.

Nov 20, 2025

In the first episode of The WELL Labs Show, host Pavan Srinath sits down with Dr. Veena Srinivasan, socio-hydrologist and Executive Director at WELL Labs, to unpack the science behind Bengaluru’s lakes.

In this episode, they dive into lake hydrology, lake chemistry and biology and explore how urbanisation, sewage bypasses, wetland design, and silt/sludge management change how lakes function today. 

 

Pavan Srinath is Managing Partner, Communications and Development at WELL Labs. Pavan is a communications and public policy professional who has spent over 14 years working in Bangalore’s not-for-profit sector.

Dr Veena Srinivasan is leading WELL Labs’ mission to transform scientific research into real-world impact by designing solutions that simultaneously create livelihoods and conserve the environment. In 2022, she was listed as one of the top-cited scientists in the world.

If you are interested in Bengaluru’s floods, groundwater, lake rejuvenation, or simply love going for a walk to your neighborhood lake- this episode is for you.

Suggested Readings:

  1. Pavan Srinath: LinkedIn, WELL Labs Website
  2. Veena Srinivasan: LinkedIn, WELL Labs Website
  3. Can lakes solve Bengaluru’s water crisis? | Veena Srinivasan
  4. What is The Problem With Bangalore’s lakes?
  5. Draft Framework for Lake Rejuvenation
  6. CSEI’s work on Urban Lakes
  7. Assessing the role of groundwater recharge from tanks in crystalline bedrock aquifers in Karnataka, India, using hydrochemical tracers
  8. How drying up of nearly 150 lakes is killing the city of gardens, Bengaluru
  9. Bengaluru’s now-destroyed lakes are the best solution to the city’s water crisis
  10. 93% of Bengaluru is concrete jungle, says IISc stud
  11. Geology, groundwater and lakes: Bangalore
  12. Here’s why Bengaluru lakes are in the soup

The WELL Labs Show features rich conversations on water, environment, land and livelihoods, from the people and partners of WELL Labs. Hosted by Pavan Srinath, each episode explores complex environmental and social issues and helps you understand systems and dynamics better.

Subscribe to The WELL Labs show on the WELL Labs YouTube channel. 

Recording by Vraj Acharya and Nabina Chakraborty  

Video editing by Nabina Chakraborty

Graphics and artwork by Aparna Nambiar

Podcast production and management by Nabina Chakraborty and Pavan Srinath

 

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