BANGALORE: Bangalore beauty Nicole Faria wants to see Bangalore regain its charm. She has started work for her cause of water conservation, and her exclusive photoshoot with The Times of India kicked off her campaign to highlight the condition of the city's lakes. 

"The place reeks of filth, it's horrible. Waste is dumped here, some serious action should be taken towards it. I would love to see Bangalore opt for water soil Ganeshas, where soil from rivers is used. The idols are easily degradable and it would be a form of recycling," she said. 

The clean-up is due to start some time in the second week of February, and will cover 14 lakes in the city. "We already have 3,000 volunteers for it and funding may be done by a charitable organization from the US," added Ian Faria, her father. 

Nicole, determined to make our city cleaner and greener, has tied up with the Rotaract Club and has already completed a tree planting session in her neighbourhood. She plans to pursue it in different parts of the city. "The city has changed a lot over the past few years, there is litter everywhere, people just throw plastic and non-degradable things on the roads and in water bodies. There is a lot of pollution, so I am promoting cycle rickshaws, which will provide employment and also help create a better environment. I also want to educate children about saving the environment and inculcate in them the habit of being environment-friendly," she added. 

With the Rotaract Club, Bangalore, she plans to promote rainwater harvesting through roof funnel pipes which lead underground, and has also tied up with Usolar to promote solar energy to generate power and electricity. She has also linked up with an Australian company producing solar panels which generate adequate power to run air-conditioners for about six to eight hours. "It's a really good thing to support. We can make the maximum use of nature and resources available in abundance but going unused. If we don't take a step towards this, what will be India's future? I would love to see Bangalore get back its beauty," she said.