bangalore environment

We thought the battle against synthetic manja was long won. There are already stringent laws in place against this variety of killer kite string, an unbreakable, non-degradable nylon string. Even its possession and storage is punishable by up to a lakh of rupees, and seven years in prison. The penalty and jail terms for causing injury are obviously much higher. Yet, how is it that this manja continues to injure people and wildlife in Bengaluru? On a daily basis, more than 50 calls arrive at the desks of wildlife rescuers to save animals caught in manja. Rescuers risk life and…

On February 25, 2021, plans were announced from the highest levels of the state government to comprehensively develop Nandi Hills as an international tourist destination. This is to be done through various measures including a clean-up of the area, refurbishment of various structures and heritage sites, enlargement/improvement of the parking areas, and last but not the least, a ropeway to the summit.   My family and I moved home from the heart of Bengaluru to the foothills of Nandi Hills over seven years ago. The contrast in our altered lifestyles could not have been starker. Swapping traffic noise for bird song We…

What is the environmental cost of a big music event? Can art afford to be for its own sake and not think about all the plastic bottles and banners left behind without being recycled? What about the emissions from generators or the decibel levels? These questions led Roshan Netalkar to come up with Echoes of the Earth (EOE), an annual music festival, three years ago. Held on the outskirts of Bengaluru on a sprawling 150-acre property, it was aimed at marrying music and art with the theme of sustainability. Netalkar hoped to prove that music festivals of such scale could…

When my son and daughter-in-law invited us to Singapore, we of course were happy to go stay with them. However I had my own reservation about the place, because I thought it was a concrete city. After seeing the beautiful Rockies of Canada with my son and daughter-in-law, I did not know what to expect in Singapore! As we travelled by the ultra-clean train from the airport early in the morning, I did see the city dotted with varieties of high-rise buildings. But I was surprised to see a lot of green pockets in between. My stay in Singapore was…

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…

One of the wonderful things about Varsha Ritu and Grishma Ritu in our city is still the wonderful carpets of flowers that the trees lavish upon the ground beneath them. Here are just three flowering trees, the Copper Pod (Peltophorum pterocarpum), Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) and Honge (Pongaemia pinnata). Here is how one of the small roads looks after the Copper Pod flowers have fallen: This is a closeup of the Copper Pod flower and the seed which gives the tree its name: Here is the carpet of Honge flowers: A closer look: Honge carpet: The purple of the Jacaranda is…

Case 1: Bellandur In the last week of October, residents of Mantri Espana, an apartment close to Bellandur lake in Bengaluru, were appalled at the sight of thick smoke engulfing the skies from a private land adjacent to the lake. The smoke originated from an illegal garbage burning site on a private land. The situation continued for the next few days worsening to the extent that children in the neighbourhood faced breathing difficulties. Garbage on fire in Bellandur yet again, after being doused once. Pic: A Bellandur resident Following repeated complaints by residents of the area, officials from Bruhat Bengaluru…

The rocky plateau of Bengaluru was originally a combination of grassland and scrub and thorn forest, with small trees. We don’t know have a historical record of the original climate. But was it likely to have been warm and dry, just like the other districts nearby, namely Kolar and Chikballapur, possibly receiving only about 300-400mm of rain, with the temperatures somewhere in the mid-thirties? We don't know, but that's just a wild guess. Bengaluru’s first man-made climate change Though the city originally had a few tanks as water sources, around which settlements were built, those who ruled Bangalore, including Cholas…

Licence for operating a sewage treatment plant can now be renewed once in five years. Pic: Satarupa Sen Bhattacharya Now, apartment management committees don’t have to trudge to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) once in every two years, to renew their licence to operate sewage treatment plants (STPs). Industries have to renew their licence to operate only once in five years. This is the result of the KSPCB’s recent decision to eliminate extra paperwork and make the processes user-friendly. In a move perceived to be industry-friendly, the KSPCB has decided to extend the minimum consent period for operation…

At last! The bed of the Puttenahalli Lake is barely visible. Thanks to the rains and one key inlet near the coconut grove getting fed, the water level in the lake has finally risen. A gardener and sweeper appointed by Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT) help in ensuring that the plants are well tended and the walking track and lake surroundings are kept clean. In the early mornings and late evenings, walkers can be seen enjoying the various species of birds like moorhens, herons, egrets and others, waddling and flying around the place. Children and adolescents can also be…