Environment

When British entrepreneur William Seighart founded National Poetry Day his intention was to promote poetry and recognize the works of talented poets. In his words,"They (poets) shouldn’t be embarrassed about reading their work out aloud. I want people to read poetry on the bus on their way to work, in the street, in school and in the pub." National Poetry Day became a global phenomena. This year it was celebrated on Monday, the 21st of March. As we learn to appreciate poetry, let us look at the work of poets closer home in Karnataka and how their poems are being presented in…

A map of the area under study. Pic: Biome As part of the participatory aquifer management studies in the Yemalur watershed, we conducted a Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) survey to get a clear geological profile of the ground below. A description of the activities is given below. Objective The VES or Resistivity Survey is a non-destructive in-situ test which is conducted  by measuring variations in the electrical resistivity of the ground in order to to locate and estimate the characteristics of the aquifer below. Methodology The survey is done by applying small electric currents across arrays of ground electrodes (depth…

The State government has officially gazetted the plastic ban in Karnataka. Here is the gazetted document that has all related details.   // Related ArticlesBengaluru is being swept by citizen-led plastic bansPlastic ban won't affect jobs, say govt, analystsPlastic ban: 25,000 to lose jobs; Industry seeks solutionsWhat Karnataka can learn from plastic ban across Indian citiesSanjay Nagar shopkeepers stop giving plastic carry bags, launch ‘Rent a Bag’

In a discussion on ‘The City in the World’ as part of the IIHS City Scripts festival in Bangalore, K.T.Ravindran, Professor & Head of the Urban design department for the last 20 years at the School of Planning & Architecture in Delhi talked of his three favourite cities – New York, Istanbul & Benares. He suggested that in places such as these, the intensity of the life in the city could change its people, it could make them special, different & quirky. On the one hand, these were cities that could draw people from outside, absorb them into their fold, give…

Some years ago, a majestic tree stood just outside our house, not far from the heart of Bangalore. It was home to a squadron of monkeys, numerous squirrels and many varieties of birds. There were probably many snakes around, too. In those days, there was ample wildlife where we lived. That was probably how it was in most other Indian cities then, too. But that’s a story from a bygone age. The three-striped palm squirrel is one of the most commonly found 'wild' creatures in Bengaluru. Pic: Vikram Nanjappa Today, a mammoth-sized school occupies the space which that sprawling tree…

Pictures from the meet. Courtesy: KSPCB Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) conducted a meeting with resident welfare associations of Bengaluru on March 9, 2016. Solid Waste Management and protection of lakes was discussed in the meeting. More than 150 associations participated in the meeting. The meeting decided to: - train public about protection and nurturing of environment around them - have separate websites for each lake where people can place complaints if any. - awareness drives on selected roads by students and public - form a committee to monitor solid waste management and lake protection in Bengaluru/ Dr Arbind…

How do you begin to like Bangalore when you have moved here from elsewhere? I remember when we first came here 8 years ago, I yearned for anything that would remind me of Bombay, where I grew up - or of Chennai which was where we had lived for the 3 years before. But, nothing about Bangalore seemed like either Bombay or Chennai. I shared my woes with other friends from Bombay who had also moved here around then. One friend was living in Fraser town and another friend had moved into a quiet neighbourhood in Domlur. They missed Bombay…

Even as he holds a big fish in his left hand, a young boy tries to reel in another fish. Pic: Ganga Madappa Picture this. A young lad sits on the edge of Ulsoor lake, with a stick in hand. He immerses one end of the stick into the water and moves it through the water. In a matter of seconds, a large fish floats to the edge and the boy picks it up. As he picks up the fish, someone shouts from the crowd, “Ai Appu! What are you doing? Drop it… it’s poisonous! Go wash your hands!” The…

An article on New York Times says 2015 was the hottest year on earth so far. Just as 2015 made way for 2016, we have another article from Washington Post that says February 2016 was the hottest month for entire Earth! What’s going on? Is global warming coming true? What was it like, in Bengaluru? This February had one of the warmest days in its history February 23rd, 2016, recorded a maximum temperature of 35.5 degree C, which is the highest temperature in Bengaluru for February since 2005. However, all-time record for February goes to a day in 2005. According…

My Dear Friends and Fellow Bengalureans, Warm (or perhaps ‘fiery’) greetings from me. Possibly, I do not need an introduction. Nevertheless, for those who still don’t know me: I’m the disrepute of Bengaluru - the frothy, foamy, toxic-filled, foul-smelling Bellandur Lake, which many claim has put Namma Bengaluru to shame on international landscapes. This would make for a pretty picture if we didn't know the reality. Pic: Sanchayan Nath Let me say, I owe this claim-to-fame to: The city’s mindless administrative machinery Unlawful encroachers All those who consider dumping waste (solid, liquid or industrial) in my waters their birth right!…