Blogs

Fencing complete! The fencing work at Kaikondarahalli lake has been completed, under tight security. We wish to thank everyone at the BBMP who made this possible -- BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah, Chief Conservator of Forest Brijesh Kumar, Chief Engineer Lakes B V Satish, Forest Department Official Jagannath Rao and BBMP Environment Engineer Shilpa. A special thank you to the contractor on the ground, Madesh, who was enormously efficient in completing the work. Fencing finally finished under tight security. The fence ensures that the lake land won't get encroached illegally and the safety and the security at the lake has increased manifold.…

People who participate in community gardening have a significantly lower body mass index (BMI), as well as lower odds of being overweight, than their non-gardening neighbours and siblings. This is according to a study by Dr Cathleen Zick (Professor of Family and Consumer Studies) and her colleagues from the University of Utah, USA, published on April 18, 2013 in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH). The study concluded that "Community gardens may be a valuable element of land use diversity that merits consideration by public health officials who want to identify neighborhood features that promote health." More details of…

I guess the heat was too much and not many volunteers turned up this weekend. Those who did brave the sun did a wonderful job though. Yesterday, 6th April, some eight of us were scattered on the lake bed, bent over or squatting on the ground. We were searching for lurking bits of the Salvinia between the cracks and under stones since even a teeny bit is enough for it to sprout and cover the water in no time.  Fresh Salvinia spotted earlier in the week (Pic: Nupur Jain) Searching for Salvinia (Pic: Usha Rajagopalan) It was back breaking work…

The Sloth Bear Foundation presents: Wildlife Conservation and You at S Hotel 60, 13th Cross, 2nd Main, Phase III, J P Nagar Bangalore 560078 +91 80 4245 6060 and at Aloft Hotel 17C, Sadaramangala Road · • Off Whitefield Main Road, Opposite ITPL · Bengaluru 560066 Phone: (91)(80) 6670 7777 · (Click on the name of each hotel to go to the website) Click to see some of the speakers A 2 day seminar with eminent speakers from the sphere of wildlife conservation seeks to address the questions you may have across multiple facets of the topic. The two days…

Godson Samuel, a pastor from coastal Tamil Nadu, now working in Pune was a student of a lady professor in Bangalore's United Theological College some years ago. Hearteningly, the woman's courage and ability to break the gender barrier seems to have had a positive effect on the young man. In an exhibition titled Women, Leaves and Lent, the priest exhibited some of the exquisite creations that he carved out of dried leaves of the palm tree. The highlight of the theme - a focus on the women who are often missing from Biblical narratives! Here is a peek into this…

In this season of colours, our lake bed may seem drab, devoid of water but for us at PNLIT, it is a sign of hope. The brown piles of drying Salvinia is the final leg of a battle we've been fighting since Aug. last year to remove the invasive fern Salvinia Molesta and to infuse new life into the lake. The way the BBMP's JCB and the men are working, we are hopeful that the last of the Salvinia will be removed by the end of the week. THEN we can welcome the rain to fill up the lake.In spite…

For two years now the oldest film studio in town has been home to our work… It is time to leave…but before we go… Sign-out rafiki presents a series of performances as a tribute to the space. March, 2013 Thursday 28th The Fabulous Adventures of Aditi and Friends rafiki 7pm Friday 29th Somewhat Like a Balloon Just Theatre 7pm Saturday 30th Woza Albert! rafiki 7pm Sunday 31st Full Meals Tahatto 6pm Jannal & Seethaimark Seeyakkaai Thool Koothu-p-pattarai and PERCH 7pm All performances will be at our space: c/o K K Foundation and Public Charitable Trust 48/3 (Opp. Al Ameen Hospital)…

In its fourth edition, with a record 61,000 nominations for nine categories in the prestigious Namma Bengaluru Award, 2012 (NBA) which recognizes the "unsung heroes; ordinary people who do extraordinary things so that the city can move forth in to the future" the odds of winning were stacked against everybody.We had been shortlisted last year and the excitement continued this year as well. However, with a great deal of work yet to be done to make the lake ready for the monsoon, we tried not to think too much about the NBA. Our lake was in no condition to receive visitors…

Times have changed and today almost everyone you meet knows the importance of eating healthy and if you are ready to lend an ear, they will probably even end up giving you ‘gyaan' on what to eat and what not to eat. This is a welcome change, but what I notice is that most people have no idea on how to plan out a balanced diet. Including ‘healthy foods' in your diet is great, but how does one make sure that each meal that is consumed is providing the body with the nutrients needed on a daily basis? Take for…

Each year, for the past few years the Namma Bengaluru Foundation has been honouring those who serve the city in different ways, by recognising them thorugh its annual awards. I've been a jury member all four years, and during this time, I have been fortunate to learn about the work of so many inspiring Bengalureans, and occasionally to be able to work with them too. Namma Bengaluru Awards Jury. Pic courtesy: NBA The first year we received a few thousand applications. The second year the number grew to 14,000 and stayed at that level for the third year too. This…