Articles by Deepa Mohan

After the sudden threat posed by the propsed re-alignment of the Metro Rail track along Bannerghatta Road, homeowners suddenly were threatened with the destruction of their homes.  When it was a matter of road-widening, we were able to protest at the chopping down of trees and the increase in traffic; but now, the Government can say that it is developing public transportation and this is for our own good.   After a storm of protests, the proposed re-alignment has been halted...for the time being. But there is no guarantee that our Government will not suddenly start the process again, and…

We all know about chicory; that roasted chicory seeds are powdered, andadded to coffee powder, to increase the strength of the decoction. However, the Chicory plant is a very pretty one!   <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/9015769793/" title="DSC09538 by mohandep, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3752/9015769793_79a6d22281_c.jpg" width="800" height="477" alt="DSC09538"></a>   That's the flower of a Chicory plant...almost makes one want to start planting it in one's garden! In some parts of the world, Chicory is just a roadside weed.

A purple moorhen feeding on litter. Pic:Anvitha This time, I turn this column over to a friend, Anvitha, who is 17-years-old, and who is utilising her post-exam holidays to good effect, watching birds. Alas, it’s not always a thing of joy. Here’s her report from Lalbagh, in Bangalore: The fragrance of flowers attracts bees; so do the birds in Lalbagh attract bird watchers. Birdwatchers from all corners of Bangalore have always been drawn towards Lalbagh, but today the situation has  changed for the worse. Over the years, the number of  birdwatchers visiting Lalbagh has reduced due to the dwindling number…

It's the beginning of a new year in schools across the south of India, and once again, I see a massive, and avoidable, wastage occurring...that of brown paper.Every year, children go to a new class or form, and they have to buy a set of new text books and note books. We do not have any concept of using the text books that the students used the previous year. (That's a massive wastage right there, but since text books sometimes change, parents prefer to buy each year.)Each printer and publisher of a school text book obviously goes to great lengths…

The Managing Director of BESCOM, Mr Manivannan, has been spearheading a movement on FaceBook, to bring various facets of this hitherto opaque Government organization to the public. Various initiatives have been launched, and the latest is his attempt to describe how electricity makes it into our homes from where it is generated. Here is the process, in his own words: HOW does electricity, generated at the Raichur Thermal Power Plant (RTPS) come to your home in Bangalore? It's interesting and important to know how electricity reaches your home. It may explain you why the supply is cut off at times,…

Tiny birds -be it anykind- are truly the creatures that melt one's heart. It is always a delight to see baby birds in the nests, with parents diligently flying around to get them food. Flowerpeckers are among the smallest birds in India. Here's the heart-warming story of a tiny bird that was rescued.We -a group of like-minded people - were on a nature trail on the Bannerghatta-Kaggalipura Road, when we found a Pale-billed Flowerpecker, which had been either pushed out of its nest, or had fallen from it before we could fly. Two young boys had picked it up, saving…

My friend Sravana Dasary posted this: That's a great way to document the fact that her family's voted! Each of us needs to vote, to take an active part in our own governance...to ensure that the nasties and the goons don't reign over us. So...what does YOUR finger say? Have you voted? I hope you have! ⊕

It’s twilight, and as you walk, you suddenly see a flapping movement in the air. It’s too late for it to be a bird;  and you suddenly think of a bat. Most of us then repress a shudder, or even squeak in fear... we grow up not liking the idea of bats, and popular films reinforce that idea, associating bats with horror stories. But do take a minute and see the wonderful mammal that the bat is! Bats are the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight; others, such as “flying” squirrels, only glide from one place to…

Sometimes, a rare plant can be found practically at one’s own doorstep! I’d gone with a few friends to the Arikere Reserve Forest, which is just about 4km from where I live. There, we spotted these unusual-looking flowers, which made us feel that it might be a carnivorous insect-eating plant, like the Venus Flytrap, and we took some photographs. Ceropegia Candelabrum. Pic: Deepa Mohan When my friend Poornima Kannan googled out some information about the plant, we realised that it was not a carnivorous plant... but even smarter than that! The scientific name of the plant is Ceropegia Candelabrum (the…

When we watch birds, one of the fun things to do is to observe them and trying to figure out what they are likely to eat. How, you may ask, can one find out what a bird is likely to eat, by looking at it? The answer is, look at the bird's beak!Bird's beaks come in different shapes and sizes, and each is designed to help the bird get the kind of food that it is used to.All predatory birds (raptors) have sharp hooked beaks that help them tear up the flesh of their prey, which could be other birds,…