bangalore

  Sincere thanks to our neighbourhood clean-up crew at Puttenahalli Lake, 15th Feb 2015 (Pic: Vishnupriya)  A glimpse of Snehadhara Foundation's work in progress - getting ready for its role at Puttenahalli Kere Habba.  A few enthusiasts did the bird count at our lake during the Bangalore Bird Count last weekend. Despite the several constraints, natural and man made, we are happy to report that as many as 28 species were spotted at our lake. If you would like to spot these birds and/learn basics of photography, please join the exclusive session for beginners at the Puttenahalli Kere Habba 3:30…

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In recent years there has been a lot of talk about how Bangalore will run out of water soon. I find that strange, in a city where we get as much rain as piped water supply, and in a region with an abundance of water bodies. We could easily create one more Cauvery - and that would be enough to sustain the next 10 million people added to the metropolitan area, not just in Bangalore, but in surrounding towns and cities too - if we simply did all the right things. 1. Watershed improvement and local supply from the region’s…

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PNLIT takes great pleasure in hosting "Lake Alive: Puttenahalli Kere Habba 2015" on Saturday 21st February. The festivities will start from 3 p.m. and go on till 7 p.m.Location: Puttenahalli Lake, JP Nagar 7th Phase (next to MLR Convention Centre, Brigade Millennium) "Kere Habba" is an initiative of the Namma Bengaluru Foundation to promote conservation of lakes. Partnering PNLIT in this event is Arghyam's India Water Portal.  The first Kere Habba that was held at Kaikondrahalli Lake in January was attended by over 3000 citizens.  Entry is free and open to all. There will be food and other items available on sale. Donations to PNLIT, exempt u/s 80G, are welcome.  Visitors can…

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At the Neralu 2014, a discussion on the cultural meaning attached to some of the older, shade-giving trees in the city led to the awareness that people continue to worship the Peepul tree AND informally generate community spaces within their neighbourhoods. This led me to research this idea further and to look at how the peepul tree (Ficus religiosa) shrine with its serpent stones and the raised platform around it, locally called the Ashwath katte, contributes to the making of urban space in the city of Bangalore. The origin of the ashwath katte lies in the rural areas of India. In…

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Republic Day is a good time to think about citizenship, and the responsibilities it carries. The basic premise of a democracy is that the people imagine it, create it, shape it and sustain it. There are no 'others'. But in fact, what we find is that most people go about their lives without any of this. There are many reasons for this, but one important reason is misconception about what is needed. A lot of people think doing things for the public good is a 'major' commitment, and that they cannot achieve much by giving a few hours a week.…

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Come Saturday and Kaikondarahalli Lake in Harlur will witness the first Kere Habba event on its two-kilo metres long trail. Kere Habba is an innovative initiative by Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) to bring public to the lake side and create an awareness to protect and preserve dwindling lakes of Bengaluru. The day-long programme organised by NBF in association with MAPSAS and United Way, Bengaluru, intends to host a bunch of community events which is open for all. In the first of its series, Kere Habba at Kaikondarahalli Lake will feature a whole lot of events such as informative green workshops,…

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The recent tragic story of a three-year-old’s death after receiving dental care under local anesthesia in Bengaluru is heart-breaking. I am a surgeon who treats patients and performs procedures everyday. I am also a father of a three-year-old and an eight-month-old. The aftermath of the incident would have been unpleasant for the doctor and the family. I am sure this incident sent shivers down every patient that walked into a healthcare facility. I have received and delivered health care in India and in the United States. Where is it safer? What does quality mean? What does informed consent mean? How…

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Namma Bengaluru Foundation's Lake Day aims at raising awareness, increasing community participation and fostering an appreciation of lakes in Bangalore. It is scheduled to be held on the second Saturday of every month, each time at a different venue.  “Bangalore has been blessed with a number of natural and human-made lakes. The water security of Bengaluru lies in us reconnecting with these lakes and safe guarding them” - Sridhar Pabisetty, CEO Namma Bengaluru Foundation The first Lake Day will be at Kaikondrahalli Lake on Saturday, 10th Jan 2015. The event, "Kere Habba 2015" will be a sunrise to sunset event, where…

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Smog over the city: view from Nandi Hills, 271114   I took this picture from Nandi Hills, The grey band in the lower part of the photo shows the skies over Bangalore. It was appalling to realize just how bad our air actually is. I have, several years ago, seen this kind of smog over Los Angeles...well, we can be proud that we have caught up with US cities in this awful respect!    

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