Z-Blogs

A lot of infrastructure that we have in the city is deliberately bad. Take the example of shoulder drains on roads. More than 200 years have passed since it was scientifically proven that water flows better in a cylindrical container than in a rectangular container (and it was known, empirically, even before the proof). So why do our 'engineers' in the city - with various titles - keep building rectangular shoulder drains?Simple - because the cronies of the corporators who hijack these contracts are not competent enough to build anything else. All they know is to pour cement (and by…

Who doesn’t love monsoons? The smell of wet earth, watching the raindrops, ducking for cover when you realise that you didn’t pack your umbrella or sharing an umbrella with a friend and getting half-drenched in the process! There’s nothing like reaching home and unwinding with a steaming cup of chai or kaapi along with a nice hot snack. While it won’t hurt to occasionally give into your temptations and sink your teeth into those crisp onion or mensinkai (chilies) bajjis , for all those who are looking for healthy snack options that you can munch on those rainy days, here…

With the Salvinia weed under control and a fair amount of water in Puttenahalli Lake, the ecosystem was slowly recovering. This was after the first heavy rains mid-May. Several bird species that were prominent by their absence in the earlier months were back in the lake waters, among them, a pair of Indian Spot-billed ducks (Anas poecilorhyncha).   The Spot-billed Duck likes freshwater lakes and marshes. It feeds by dabbling in shallow waters and marshland, mainly on plant food like seeds, grasses and aquatic vegetation. It also looks for aquatic insects and their larvae, snails and other molluscs, worms and other small creatures.…

World Wide Fund for Nature - India•WWF-India is a science-based conservation organization engaged inwildlife & nature conservation since 1969.• A part of the WWF Global Network, the WWF-India has made itspresence felt, through sustained efforts towards nature & wildlifeconservation.Nature Club of India-School engagement programNCI is the vehicle through which collective action for theconservation of nature is facilitated. This can only be done byraising awareness, fostering teamwork and social & ecologicalsensitivity. We believe that each one of us can make a difference &bring about the necessary change.Scheduled timings:Monday afternoon : schools around Machohalli(Magadi road) , yelahankaTuesday afternoon : schools around sanjaynagarWednesday afternoon : schools…

According to recent newspaper reports, almost 40-80% Indians do not get enough vitamin D. This is surprising - since vitamin D, also known as the ‘Sunshine vitamin,’ can easily be got through exposure to sunshine. What’s more, it’s free! Interested?? You better be, that is, if you don’t want to join the list of Indians who have vitamin D deficiency. Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D. Pic: Mahesh Telkar What is Vitamin D and why do we need it? It’s a fat soluble vitamin which is needed by the body for absorbing calcium and phosphorus, both of which…

Chandra Ravikumar, a volunteer who's very active in Hasiru Usiru, has unearthed this treasure, and says: I was able to find a 1891 catalogue of the trees of Lalbagh from Wiki. This is the link. Does any one know whether a later one is available, or has even been compiled? Is the Marigowda Library open to the public?http://archive.org/stream/cu31924000622252#page/n4/mode/1up Any answers from the tree experts of Bangalore would be welcome!

The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) has now opened a FaceBook page. The page states: This is  the official BESCOM Page, containing information about Interruptions and BESCOM Procedures. The Meeting Proceedings [ORM/CRM/Board Meeting etc] will be available in this Page. You may post your grievances here which will be attended and resolved. But for any immediate grievances please feel free to contact our central helpline 080-22873333 or just SMS your grievance to 92431 50000 in the format given belowBESCOM<space>Sub-Division<space>nature_of_complaint   BESCOM (Bangalore Electricity Supply Company)  has opened a new Face Book page, in a customer-friendly initiative:   <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bescom/669321596427980"> click…

In an effort to empower hobbyist youngsters with concepts in plant taxonomy and systematics, an "Orientation Course on Plant Taxonomy" has been planned at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. The course among other topics, will cover: 1.Principles of plant Taxonomy, ecology & phyto-geography2. Herbarium, its preparation & curation3. Botanical Nomenclature4. Field visits This two-day course, conducted over the weekend is free of cost and is scheduled to be held in July. The age limit for participation in the course is 35yrs. The course will take a maximum number of 15 participants, on a first-cum first-served basis. Candidates have to…

Vinay Sreenivasa, <vinay.sreenivasa@yahoo.com>, writes: Dear all,   In the month of May, we at Hasiru Usiru started what we hope will be a monthly series of conversations on the city. Dr.H.S.Sudhira spoke about Averting the Tragedy of Commons for Bangalore  (http://bengaluru.citizenmatters.in/articles/5299-hasiru-usiru-analyses-the-tragedy-of-commons)    This month, we want to do a walking talk.    On June 22, Saturday, Arun Kumar.N, Narayan and Sheshadri, passionate botanists and tree lovers will conduct a tree walk in Lalbagh. The walk will have discussions on the varous species of trees in Lalbgah, how to identify them, whether they are native or have been got in from elsewhere, what…

My friend Nitin Vyas has this experience to relate: "At9.00am on 22nd May on Kanakpura road, close to Thalgatpura Police station. KSRTC bus no. KA 42F 040 ran in to my car from behind. The rear  of my car was completely damaged . (The estimated cost of repairs is Rs 1 lakh.) The bus drove away from the scene as I took my car to the side of the road.. I went to Thalagatpura Police station at 9.15 am to file an FIR against the bus driver. Arun Thimme  Gowda was in charge of registering complaints. He did not respond…