Environment

A dry for years lake finally looks like a proper water body. Ever since we took up the cause of Puttenahalli Lake over seven years ago, this had been one of our goals - to see the entire lake bed submerged. 20th May 2014 6th June 2015 For over a year, excess treated waste water from the STP at South City Apartment Complex is being discharged into the lake. This has percolated and saturated thoroughly the earth below before showing up on the surface. The rain water added to this increasing the level to an unprecedented height. While we were…

This is an excerpt introducing the book Nature in the City: Bengaluru in the past, present and future, written by Harini Nagendra, a Professor of Sustainability at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, India. The book is scheduled to be released on June 10th, 2016, at 6.30 pm at Alliance Francaise, Bengaluru. My office is in the peri-urban fringe of Bengaluru. From a place that was fairly rural, in ecology, lifestyle and livelihoods, this area has transformed almost literally in front of my eyes in the past decade into a mess of congested traffic, garbage dumps, slums cheek by jowl with apartment blocks,…

Team VIKAS is organising Run4Lake - to create awareness about Vibhutipura Lake. The location of the lake can be seen on googlemaps here. Runners will need to complete two laps around the lake, starting at Utkarsh Park, LBS Nagar. Registrations are now open:Below 16 yrs - Rs.200/- Adults (above 16 years) - Rs.300/- The registration amount includes a CAP for Below 16 yrs category and a T-Shirt for Adults To register and for more details, pls contact 9164573210 / 9663521774 / 9880318511 / 9844218201 / 9449825502. Register before 12-Jun-2016.  

Trees as we all know are of great importance for the whole human fraternity as well as managing the natural balance in the environment. However, we human beings are regularly cutting down the trees for fulfilling our personal needs without seeing its side effects on the society and the environment. This insane act of deforestation is affecting our environment through climate imbalance, increasing global warming, soil erosion, floods, wildlife extinction, dip in the fresh oxygen level and an increase in the carbon dioxide etc. This impact is unfortunately understood by only a few in this world. Mindless chopping of trees…

Over 1000 people participated in various activities at the World Environment Day celebrations organised by YUVA, and held around Allalasandra Lake area this morning.   Tree planting in Allalasandra lake area was done by Bengaluru MLC Mr.Narayanaswamy, BBMP Yelahanka zone Joint Commissioner Mr.Sarfaraz Khan, Ward 4 Corporator Mr.Satish, YUVA members, local citizens, students of Sheshadripuram College, Poorna Prajna School, MES and Govt PU college.   Students from Sheshadripuram College took out an awarness rally in Yelahanka New Town, on the plastic ban, waste segregation and water conservation. Saplings were distributed. Bhoomi Thayi Balaga entertained the public with songs about the environment and lakes.…

The Karnataka Lake ​Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA) is on the look out for lake wardens, to work on a voluntary basis. The government order and other relevant information can be seen here.   The Karnataka Lake ​Conservation and Development Authority Act 2014 was constituted (vide Gazette Notification No.Samvyashae 07 Shasana 2012, Bangalore dated 07-Mar-2015) for Lake Conservation and Development. The Act finally came into force in March 2016, with the following mission:- To establish a strong system of well linked lakes and tanks free from organic and chemical pollutants, and- To intensify official concern and motivate community vigilance to the extent where pollution…

To all our friends, Puttenahalli Lake, May 2016 ​ For many of us, every day is Environment Day. Still, it feels good to see the whole world pause on 5th June every year and focus on raising awareness about environmental issues and concerns. From the World Environment Day website "This year's theme for WED – Go Wild for Life – encourages you to celebrate all those species under threat and take action of your own to help safeguard them for future generations. This can be about animals or plants that are threatened within your local area as well as at the…

Watch the birds, feed the ducks, get a sapling to plant, listen to environment-related songs, help in cleaning the lake surroundings, learn about managing your waste. All these and more at the World Environment Day celebrations at Allalasandra Lake, Yelahanka    

Fig. 3.5.1: East View of Bangalore in 1792 AD by Robert Hyde Colebrooke, British Library, Shelfmark - WD4461 Courtesy: Yashaswini Sharma Were there waterways inside Lal Bagh once upon a time? How did the famous garden get the unique design? How did the famous glass house came to be in it? This chapter from a book on Bangalore's early history — Bangalore - the early city - AD 1537-1799, authored by Yashaswini Sharma, an architect from Bengaluru, to be released on June 4, 2016, at the British Council, Bangalore, provides some insights. Exclusive images collected from archives make it an…

One doesn’t have to visit distant forests or wildlife sanctuaries in order to find the beauties of Nature… a visit to the local park will do just as well. Here’s what I did on a recent morning visit to Lalbagh. First of all, I soaked in the morning sun, and the freshness of the air. I then walked along the lake, and I found these Black-crowned Night Herons, looking, hopefully, for a fish breakfast. There were so many flowers still blooming, even though Bengaluru has been at its hottest. Here are the Gulmohar blooms, setting the park afire. Here are…