Articles by Nikita Vashisth

In the far past, afforestation was largely a means to generate income from timber and other products. Today, it is integral to our survival. Loss in green cover and increased concretisation in urban areas has led to cities becoming ‘urban heat islands’, which pose significant threats to not just human populations but also contribute to global climate change. In countries like India that are highly vulnerable to climate breakdown, forests are an integral element towards mitigation. Tree cover of almost 1.6 million hectares was lost between 2001 and 2018 in India - nearly four times the geographical area of Goa -…

In 2010, the United Nations declared access to clean drinking water as a human right. Yet, a large section of the Indian population suffers from the lack of it. A 2017 report by WaterAid India, titled Wild Water: The State of the World’s Water, stated that around 63 million of India’s 833 million rural population has no access to clean drinking water. The larger problem, however, lies in the lack of equal access to clean and safe drinking water for all citizens in the country, especially the poor, in both rural and urban areas. Among the middle or higher income…

This article is supported by SVP Cities of India Fellowship On April 22nd, World Earth Day, around 400 volunteers gathered at a Government High School near Bommasandra in Bengaluru, to plant 5500 saplings that will result in a forest by 2028. This Earth Day plantation drive was organised by Say Trees, a Bengaluru-based NGO that’s actively involved in tree plantations in India. This was their 8th plantation drive using the Miyawaki method of creating a forest, introduced by Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese Botanist. This method includes planting a variety of native species close together in a small pit. The advantage:…

This article is supported by SVP Cities of India Fellowship In the last few years, have you found yourself perspiring more than usual, while walking in core areas of Bengaluru city like Kalasipalaya?  Well, it's not just you. These are effects of the ‘urban heat island’ becoming more commonplace in the ‘Garden City’. This graphic by Raj Bhagath Palanichamy, a researcher at the World Resources Institute (WRI), as part of the City Water Assessment Tool, shows temperature ranges in core Bengaluru. Neighbourhoods like Jayanagar (the green section in the top left of the image) and Basavangudi are facing less exposure…

26 constituencies in Bengaluru went to poll on May 12th, and here are the winners. First, some data on the trends: There are no women.Kelachandra Joseph George, 68, from Sarvagnanagar is the oldest MLA.Zameer Ahmed Khan, 51, an 8th pass and six other candidates who have mentioned schooling in their education qualification have an average net asset of 80 crores. Five other MLA's (Shivanna B, Ravi Subramanya LA, Krishna Byre Gowda, Dinesh Gundu Rao and N A Harris) with post graduate degrees have an average net worth of 43 crores. The average net assets of all the 26 MLAs is 53 crore, and the…

With Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 just around the corner, it’s important to be well-informed about the procedure and your options before you cast your vote. Here’s a quick guide from Citizen Matters to clear the most common questions you may be pondering upon for the moment. Why vote in the Legislative Assembly elections? How do I know if I can cast my vote? How do I locate my Assembly Constituency? How do I know where my polling booth is? Can I vote if I do not have a Voter ID card? How do I know who’s contesting from my constituency?…