PRESS RELEASE

Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI) has been designated as the state nodal agency for Climate Change in Karnataka to provide technical support in conducting research, training and capacity building in climate change programs. To strengthen state climate change cell in Karnataka, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India has sanctioned a project, “Establishing/Strengthening the state climate change centre/cell under NMSKCC (State Climate Change Centre-National Mission for Strategic Knowledge on Climate Change) in the state of Karnataka”to EMPRI at a cost of Rs. 2.83 Crores, says a press note from Information Department, Karnataka. The project started in…

BBMP fails to issue ID cards to street vendors, even after 10 months of completion of Phase – I of survey BBMP must issue circular announcing Phase – II of survey to cover all existing street vendors in Bengaluru Eviction and relocation of street vendors continue against the law, and street vendors cannot avail benefits from State Government due to lack of ID cards Federation demands that all ID cards be immediately issued, failing which street vendors will go on protest in August 2018 The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) conducted a survey of street vendors in Bangalore in September-October…

Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC) submitted a detailed observation to Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) on the Consultation Paper No. 05/ 2018-19 in respect of Determination of tariffs for Aeronautical Services at Kempegowda International Airport. Revathy Ashok, Managing Trustee, B.PAC had earlier made these submissions in the Stakeholder Consultation meet held on June 18th, 2018. B.PAC in its submission has requested AERA to disallow the collection of User Development Fee (UDF) through the second control period for the following reasons: Because of delay in hearing by AERA, excess UDF has been charged in the first two years of the second…

Management of liquid waste (sewage and septage) is a huge challenge for urban local bodies in India. Despite efforts in various directions, the scourge of manual scavenging – cleaning of sewer networks, septic tanks and other onsite sanitation systems by human labour – is something that has not been completely eradicated from our cities. Manual scavenging is, in fact, one of those sad dichotomies that continue to haunt our cities, which are, on the one hand, adopting sophisticated technology to upgrade the quality of urban life in many ways, and on the other, grappling with the social and health ramifications…

A one-day workshop on “Human Eye and the Colourful World’ for high school teachers of science will be conducted by Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium on July  12, 2018.  This chapter, from class X text book, will be discussed in detail while clarifying conceptual understanding, suggesting interesting activities to teach optics in general and the said chapter in particular. Common misconceptions and textbook errors, if any, will also be discussed. Eligibility: Science Teachers of Classes VIII to X Date& time: 10.30 am to 3.30 pm, July 12, 2018 Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, Sri. T. Chowdaiah Road, High Grounds, Bangalore-560001 Interested teachers must…

Saahas and Daily Dump, two well known initiatives in the waste management space in Bengaluru were recently recognised for their work. Saahas was awarded the Swachh Best Practice Award by Swachh Bharat Mission and Daily Dump the Swachh Entrepreneur Award. Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred the awards and released the Swachh Survekshan 2018 Report and launched the Swachh Survekshan – 2018 Results Dashboard, accessible here. More details of the award can be read here. The following note has been shared by the Saahas team. Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) has selected Saahas Zero Waste, a Bengaluru based startup, to receive the Swachh Best Practice Award…

National School of Drama, Bengaluru Centre invites applications for admission to its residential One year Certificate Course in Acting. The Course will begin from 25 th July, 2018. Anybody throughout the country (India) can apply but preference would be given to candidate from Southern States of India (Karnataka, Andhra pradesh , Telengana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Union Territories of Pondicherry and Lakshadweep. Total seats: 20(Twenty) Medium of instructions: English. The language of instruction shall be English. The language of performance will be multilingual (South Indian Dravidian Languages). The language of writing the examination shall be English or any one from…

On the occasion of World Environment Day 2018 that had the theme Beat Plastic Pollution, environmental groups led by the Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT), Bengaluru, got together to conduct Waste and Brand Audit in eight locations in Bengaluru. The audit was part of a pan-India activity coordinated by GAIA India, where ten member organisations and partners conducted clean up and waste and brand audits in 18 states of India. In Bengaluru, the Waste and Brand Audit took place on 20th to 22nd May 2018, with over 120 volunteers worked in partnership with groups like HasiruDala, Bangalore Eco Team,…

Chennai Volunteers is organizing a blood donation drive and stem cell donation registration in partnership with the Madras Voluntary Blood Bureau & Jeevan Stem Cell Foundation on Saturday, June 23 2018, between 10 am and 2 pm  at Mecheri Center, Eldams Road, Teynampet. The proceeds of this camp will be used for deserving children being treated for Thalassemia at VHS Hospital. A facility to register interest to donate stem cells will also be available at the venue. Donors who express interest in stem cell donation will be contacted when a requirement arises. Why stem cell donation? Every year over 1,20,000 Indians…

With Urban India alone generating a gigantic 1.5 lakh metric tonnes per day of Municipal Solid Waste, waste management has grown to become a huge burden in urban India. Despite the existence of strong laws -- Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016 and Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 -- cities are stuck at the implementation level. Now, a new report shows that while smaller cities have done a good job of complying with the major clauses of key environmental legislation, larger cities including Bengaluru and New Delhi are yet to satisfy the basic mandate of waste management: source segregation, or in…