Environment

Bellandur Lake has been frothing again, and in a big way. Read a report here. This time, several people are trying to find a long term solution. An online petition has got more that 15,000 signatures. You can lend your support too, on Change.org here.   The former Panchayath leader of Bellandur, Mr. Jagannath, has called for a citizen's meeting to discuss concrete steps to save the lake. He has seen the lake when it was thriving and will tell everyone about the history of the lake, the problems, the fight in court some years ago, and the resulting Lok…

We witness a beautiful aerial stream of butterflies between March and May, and once again between September and November. These butterflies are not, like other wildlife, only to be found in the forests; you can often see them floating around you, and past you, as you walk in the city.  The most common butterflies that migrate twice a year are the Blue Tiger, and the Common Crow. The Common Crow is a dark brown, almost black butterfly; but the Blue Tiger is a blue jewel!  You can see them clustering on some plants even in uncultivated fields. The butterflies migrate…

Buildings being razed down at the demolition drive at Sarakki Lake. Pic: Rahul Ravi It all started a couple of years back. Some NGOs like People's Campaign for Right to Water ( PCRW) and Sarakki Lake Area Improvement Trust (SLAIT) had begun to worry seriously about Sarakki lake. The severe pollution caused by ingress of sewage from nearby houses and apartment blocks, and the shrinking size of the once-pristine standalone lake because of the rampant encroachment by unscrupulous elements was the cause for concern. Construction debris and garbage dumped into the lake reduced the size of Sarakki lake, which covered…

PNLIT is happy and thankful to be honoured with the "Prakrti Mitra Award", instituted jointly by BNM Institute of Technology, Bangalore and Heritage, a non-profit NGO. The award was received on behalf of PNLIT by trustee Nupur Jain, former trustee Prasanna Vynatheya and volunteer Divya Shetty, at a function held at the BNM Institute of Technology campus during the institute’s Srishti Sambhrama Festival on 23rd September 2015.   A beautiful citation was given to PNLIT: "In recognition of the exemplary service rendered to the community, and to the Nation, extending itself to protecting, preserving, and promoting the cause of the Environment…

Cubbon Park is one of the last lung spaces left in the city, where one can find fresh air and green area. Pic: Shree D N Disappearing lakes, chopped trees and encroachment of open spaces are the unfortunate reality of today’s Bengaluru. This means, in a few decades, Cubbon Park may well be among the last vestiges of greenery in the city. However, given the frenetic pace of ‘development’ and the varying combinations of unethical nexuses that thrive in Bengaluru, who knows, one day, as Bimal Desai, who waged a 20-year legal war against the authorities to protect the park,…

Yelahanka Puttenahalli Lake and Bird Conservation Trust (YPLBCT) is organising a birdwatching session on Sunday 20th September 2015, at Puttenahalli Lake, Yelahanka, India's newest Conservation Reserve. Dr Subramanya will be the guide. Read more about the Conservation Reserve status accorded to this lake here.   The programme is expected to be covered by Doordharshan and likely to be connected to Man Ke Baat by our PM Narendra Modi.   Venue: Puttenahalli Lake, Yelahanka - See here for location on Google Maps Date: Sunday, 20th September 2015 Time: 7 am to 10 am   For more details, please contact  NC Krishna Datta <nckrishna@yahoo.com>  KS Sangunni <sangunni@gmail.com>/ 9845063490…

It is now official. Puttenahalli Lake Birds Conservation Reserve is now a reality! Puttenahalli Lake in Yelahanka has been declared a "Conservation Reserve" by the Karnataka Government.  Bangalore Mirror's article dated 14th Sep 2015 says: The move makes Bengaluru arguably the only Tier-I urban area to have a bird sanctuary within the city limits.   For several years, efforts have been on to get this lake in north Bangalore onto India's Conservation Reserve list. A report in The New Indian Express of April 2007 said: According to biodiversity expert Dr Harish R Bhat, Bangalore is left with only 34 healthy tanks, 14 of which are in…

Thank god it didn't rain! We never thought we would say this but it was important that the early evening of Sat. 12th Sept remained nice and dry. "Keshavraju Thippaswamy" wanted a drum above everything else. Would he get it was the question in the minds of the 30 odd children who had gathered in the Gazebo at the Puttenahalli Lake in South Bengaluru. The occasion was a celebration, though a little delayed, of International Literacy Day with a story telling by Geetu and team from the Snehadhara Foundation in an event organized by PNLIT. As part of its One Day…

The environment is a hot topic everywhere - in offices, in the press, even in classrooms across the world. The need for action to protect our planet is gaining traction, and the first step in addressing the issue is raising awareness. Among the steps being taken to protect the planet, waste management is a burning theme. E-waste, in particular, is attracting attention since it is well-known that it is one of the most toxic forms of waste. India is the fifth largest e-waste generator in the world and produced 1.7 million tons of e-waste in 2014. The toxic pollutants of…

The nightmare of our lakes is fast approaching. Yes, this is the time of year that every lake that has water in it would actually be wishing it was dry enough to turn away devotees of Lord Ganesha. Every year during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, thousands of idols that do not dissolve/ with hazardous paint and paraphenalia (not environmentally friendly) find their way to lakes and immersion tanks, creating tons of garbage after the festival.   This year, in order to encourage people to use clay Ganesha idols, MAPSAS will be doing two events at Kaikondarahalli Lake on Sunday, 13th…