Environment

I enjoy taking groups of people on nature and bird walks. So, when my friend Vaibhav Chaudhury, who’s involved in many social initiatives, called me to help him guide the residents of a gated community on a bird walk in Madiwala kere, I was very happy to do so. So off we went to the kere at 4pm. I first got a photo of him with the bird board that Brickwork India had put up. The photos of the waterfowl are all by him and Dr Sanjeev Managoli, a paediatrician who manages to follow his passion for birds and contribute…

Ted K. Dass, Managing Trustee of Horamavu Parisara Abhivruddhi Samiti (HPAS) reports on the walkathon and the clean-up efforts at Horamavu Agara Kere. On Saturday, 27-Feb-2016, HPAS organised a Lake Awareness Walkathon at Horamavu Agara Kere, located in north-east Bangalore. More 200 people including school children from Maruti Vidyalaya (Babusapalya) and residents of Horamavu walked to raise awareness about the lake and the need to save it. In addition to the walkathon, people participated in a workshop on garbage segregation, watched and photographed birds of the lake, and had fun at a photo-booth set up with the lake as the backdrop. KR Puram MLA Mr.…

1) Think like it's 1947 A very large part of the deficits that we live with are because we do not have properly structured governance and accountability. We need to be reimagining these constantly, and adapting to current needs and realities. 2) Increase the number of problem solving people While it is important to pursue solutions, it's actually more important to create a society in which there are many problem solvers. That's what brings scale. 3) Help each other succeed Social enterprises almost always begin by trying to solve others' problems, but once their institutions take shape, they start to look…

Bangalore: Shettar to Completely Shut Doors on Use of Plastic Carry Bags - Daiji World, Sep 2012 Plastic producers vow to help enforce ban - Dec 2014 Plastic bag ban announced - Bangalore Mirror, Jan 2015 Tired of seeing such headlines over the past few years? The days of no-plastic-carry-bags are not far. While the state government is still sitting on the Plastic Ban draft rules, city neighbourhoods are slowly going plastic-free, led by BBMP and local volunteers. Yelahanka was the first zone to impose self-ban on plastic in December 2015. It is not a surprise anymore, when a Reliance…

There isn't any water left in river Cauvery to draw, for the use of ever-expanding city of Bengaluru. How do we, then, get water to drink? Here is a plan - creating another Cauvery for the city. Matthondu Cauvery Related ArticlesNo Cauvery water, no water problems. But that was thenWhy Cauvery Stage IV water has reached Bangalore, but not your home

The empty plot became a garbage dump over the years. Pic: Praveen S During the end of November 2015, when the corporator and the ward engineer began cleaning up an vacant plot (plot number 60) located at the intersection of 4th cross-10th A Main in Indira Nagar 2nd Stage (Ward 80), close to the Indiranagar metro station, residents’ joy knew no bounds thinking that the garbage mess piled up over the years would finally be cleared from the vacant plot. What actually happened has instead left the residents frustrated.  The corporator and the ward engineer, instead of clearing up the garbage, have…

The Great Backyard Bird Count came to a close yesterday and there were three things that stood out for me.  One: the birding wasn’t exactly great, but it was satisfying. Two: I stuck to the backyard of my immediate neighbourhood, not foraying too far from where I live. I did this for a reason. Often, it’s tempting to go to bird-rich habitats and notch up a big count. I was keen to survey and re-survey the same stretch of the backyard – old, familiar haunts – to see what kind of bird diversity I could dig up and compare it with…

It's almost like a switch is turned on and two things happen. People get up from their seats and head towards the doors in two different directions. Most of them make a beeline towards the restroom while some presumably head towards the canteen in the opposite direction. I am attending a classical concert at the Gayana Samaja while I watch this scene unfold in front of me. Ranjani and Gayatri are the main artistes of the evening. The auditorium is overflowing with music-lovers. Before the concert begins, all the seats are taken. The stragglers end up standing near the doors while…