Environment

According to a recent World Bank report, India presently accounts for a meagre 1.8% of the global forest cover. Even more concerning is the fact that an enormous ‘46,759 acres of forest-land have been sanctioned for mining’ across the country, over the course of the last five years, by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) itself. According to many ace climate scientists and researchers, our planet has already hit “the tipping point”. In this backdrop, the people’s struggle to save Dwarka Forest, one of the last remaining natural forest lands in a choking capital city, is a…

As the Northeast monsoon intensifies in Tamil Nadu, the fishing community in Ennore has asked the State government to clear blockages and encroachments along the Kosasthalaiyar River and Ennore backwaters. In an open letter addressed to K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, Minister for Revenue, District Revenue Establishment, Deputy Collectors for Disaster Management and P Amudha, Principal Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, the fishers point out that these blockages are affecting the health of the Ennore wetlands and could cause flooding in Chennai, if not cleared. While the services of the fishers and fishing boats are called upon every monsoon for flood rescue,…

We are standing ankle-deep in muck mixed with construction debris on the banks of the Ulhas River on a grey, cloudy day with rain lashing down. I am with Vicky Patil of the environmental NGO Vanashakti. Mounds of construction waste surround us. This is a Coastal Regulation I Zone (CRZ I). Vicky explains that Vanashakti filed a complaint with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) about dumping debris in a CRZ I zone and even visited the site with them. During the visit, a local informed them that the waste was coming from the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), which was…

இந்திய விமானப்படையின் 92-வது ஆண்டுவிழா 6.10.2024 அன்று கொண்டாடப்பட்டது. இதனையொட்டி சென்னை மெரினா கடற்கரையில் காலை 11 மணி முதல் 1 மணிவரை இந்திய விமானப்படையின் பல்வேறு விமானங்கள் கலந்துகொண்டு சாகச நிகழ்வுகளை நடத்தின. இந்த  Airshow வை பார்வையிட மொத்தம் 13 லட்சம் பேர் கூடியதாகச் சொல்லப்படுகிறது. கடற்கரைக்குச் சென்றவர்களில் வெப்பம் மற்றும் கூட்ட நெரிசலின் காரணமாக இதுவரை 5 பேர் உயிரிழந்திருப்பதாகவும் 90க்கும் மேற்பட்டோர் மருத்துவமனையில் சிகிச்சை பெற்று வருவதாகவும், 250க்கும் மேற்பட்டோர் மயக்கமடைந்ததாகவும் செய்திகள் கூறுகின்றன. Read more: Why Chennai needs to put its ‘heat action plan’ to practice right away நேற்று (October 6) சென்னையில் 36°C வரை வெப்பநிலை இருக்கும் என சனிக்கிழமையே இந்திய வானிலை ஆய்வு மையம் எச்சரித்திருந்தது.  நேற்று (October 6) சென்னை நுங்கம்பாக்கத்தில் பதிவான அதிகபட்ச வெப்பநிலை 34.3 °C ஆகும். வெய்யிலின் தாக்கம் அதிகம் இருந்ததிற்கு முக்கிய காரணம் Wet…

In the OpenCity Bengaluru Design Jam on BBMP, our team analysed and debated the bylaws and zoning rules governing civic amenities, parks and open spaces in the city. As a diverse group of spatial thinkers and design creatives, we sought to understand what liveability meant for citizens navigating the urban landscape, and how building and zoning laws address our needs and the city’s densifying future. Urbanisation is transforming cities worldwide, significantly impacting the quality of life both socio-economically and environmentally. In democratic societies, livability crises affect and are affected by the different levels of urban growth and how cities are…

A lake is not just a body of water, it is an ecosystem. Action Aid Association India organised a survey to document the biodiversity of Dorekere, a lake in South Bengaluru. The biodiversity survey was funded by the Australian Consulate in Chennai. It not only documented several species but highlighted the importance of such an activity in understanding whether Bengaluru lakes are being developed in an ecologically sound manner. Dorekere is a 28-acre lake in the Uttarahalli suburb of South Bengaluru. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) currently manages the lake. Earlier, it came under the purview of the Karnataka…

Peenya Industrial Area, one of Bengaluru's oldest industrial hubs, is facing a significant challenge — rising urban temperatures exacerbated by the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. The aggregated maximum Land Surface Temperature for the first 8 months increased from 43 ℃ in 2023 to 46 ℃ in 2024, as derived from the ECOSTRESS sensor. This phenomenon, in which urban areas experience higher temperatures than their rural counterparts, is particularly pronounced in Peenya. The area’s industrial growth, coupled with a lack of green cover and the prevalent use of heat-absorbing materials, has made it one of the hottest zones in the…

In July, some members of the Valmiki Nagar Residents Group wanted to address the problem of overgrown trees, support newly planted saplings, prune trees along the avenues, and curb the growth of invasive species. A few of us at the Association thought it would be a good idea to form a smaller committee to research and supervise the growth of trees, the different species in the area, and their proper care. Read more: Heritage tree walk sheds light on Chennai’s finest trees Through our research on the trees in the area, we developed an inventory of around 70 trees. We…

On October 16, 2015, I came across a newspaper photo that left me aghast — women performing Chhath Puja in the frothing Yamuna River. Chhath Puja is an important festival for Hindus in Uttar Pradesh, beginning and ending with a dip in a water body. This festival is known to be one of the most eco-friendly celebrations among Hindus, involving rituals performed in natural settings, using natural materials, and respecting the environment. However, the sight of the river submerged in toxicity starkly contrasted with the nurtured love and respect for divinity in its natural form. The river languished in a…

Nilesh Shinde, the organiser of the Mumbaicha Samrat Ganpati at Khetwadi, is confused. Just as many other organisers of Mumbai's famed Ganeshotsav, he has also been preoccupied with the Bombay High Court's recent order. The Court, in its order, asked all civic bodies to intimate sarvajanik Ganesh mandals that they have to mandatorily follow the Central Pollution Control Board  (CPCB) guidelines of 2020 and shun PoP idols altogether. Yet, not all are aware of the rationale behind this."Why didn’t they put a ban on PoP for the past so many years? It is not as if people have started celebrating…