The lake water has lost some of its unique characteristics d

an increase in nitrogen and phosphorous levels that trigger the growth of algae and block out oxygen required to sustain life in the lake. Two years ago, the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) in Pune found methane-eating bacteria in the lake that could be used to combat global warming. Magnetic bacteria has also been found in the waters which has facilitated research on extra-terrestrial life. But the alkaline levels have slipped from the 1960s and 1970s maximum pH level of 13 to just above 10. "If we don't conserve the lake the alkalinity will drop further and it will lose its unique microbes and the flora associated with it," says Yogesh Shouche of the NCCS.