Environment

The very word 'Tarantula' is something that strikes dread into most of our hearts. We’ve all heard the horror stories of 'evil' arachnnids delivering fatal bites. However, though they may be deadly Tarantulas elsewhere, the ones we have nearby are generally more wary of us than we are of them, and do not bite until they are extremely disturbed. Tarantulas comprise a group of very large and often hairy arachnids belonging to the Theraphosidae familyof spiders. Their large size and hairy appearance, combine to give most of us a dread of them. But they have some very interesting features! Tarantulas do spin…

Survey of lakes based on cadastral maps, dredging of lake beds, fencing of lakes and removal of encroachment are among the steps experts recommend for revival of the fast depleting lakes in the city. These are among the suggestions made in a report compiled by Prof. TV Ramachandran of Indian Institute of Science, and his team, on the status of wetlands and lakes in Bengaluru. The report was released on World Environment Day by the Whitefield Rising Lakes' team in association withKK School, Varthur. It includes the latest test report from the study of water samples of Varthur Lake. Whitefield…

World over, June 5th is celebrated as World Environment Day. It’s that time of the year when people across the world come together to talk about the environment and how we need to make a change today, so we can help nurture the planet for tomorrow. In Bangalore, nothing could have said it better than the Parisara Habba. Organised by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the Parisara Habba, or the Festival of the Environment, is a two-day event held on June 5th and 6th at Kanteerava Indoor Stadium. While KSPCB does organise the event almost every year on…

PNLIT is delighted to be one of the recipients of 94.3 Radio One's #BangaloreAtItsBest awards, given away at a function in Bangalore on 31st May 2015. There were about 27 individuals/groups/businesses that were recognised for "outstanding service to the city of Bangalore and working towards keeping #BangaloreAtItsBest". I was happy to collect the certificate from the Chief Guest Justice Santosh Hegde, on behalf of PNLIT.Thanks to all our supporters for helping PNLIT make a positive difference! Justice Santosh Hegde speaks    A view of the "heroes" on display at the function   Some of the awardees

  For many of us, ‘concern for the environment’ is that green bulb  which our schools effectively fitted at the back of our heads. It glows whenever we urinate under ‘Do not urine here’ murals or someone goes ‘thoop-splat’, staining a wall with red paan. Maybe when someone asks us to segregate, and we think that it is the most challenging thing to do, or when we walk past a water tanker which has water spilling out. This will in all likelihood continue happening, until one day the bulb fuses and the most convenient thing to do will be to…

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) is organising Parisara Habba on 5th and 6th June 2015, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, at Sri Kanteerva Indoor Stadium (Rajaram Mohan Roy Rd). Look out for a stall on lakes at the event. World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated every year on the 5th June, and has become one of the main vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates positive action for the environment. Through WED, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) enables everyone to realise not only the responsibility to care for the Earth, but also reminds them about their individual power to become agents of change. Parisara Habba or “Festival…

Rock climbers at Turahalli Forest. Pic: Deepa Mohan Dr Vishnuvardhan was a dignified and mature actor in the film industry, a good human being – a veritable pride of Karnataka. It is in the fitness of things that such a person is remembered for long, by way of a suitable memorial in his honour. However, a memorial is anything to commemorate a person or an event. It does not, necessarily, mean a construction with bricks and cement only! Bengaluru is overflowing with such constructions already. That has been the bane of our city, which has made the city lose its…

A few days back, I had written about my interaction with two Bengali immigrant children as I biked past Bellandur Lake. These two children were happily playing with the Bellandur ‘snow’ unaware of the health risks that their games posed to them. Pic: Sanchayan Nath That day, I was on my way to Kaikondrahalli Lake where I wanted to spend some time before biking to Puttenahalli Lake in JP Nagar. As I walked around the Kaikondrahalli Lake, I came across two other children. In contrast to the two children I had met near the Bellandur Lake, the young lady and…

Abitha Shetty (name changed), a resident of Bellandur, found her two children complaining of severe headaches all of a sudden. She had seen garbage being burnt near the school where her children study. Being conscious about air pollution, she decided to check out what is happening, as she couldn’t bear the possibility of the innocent kids suffering because of air pollution. She, along with Lokesh, Deputy Environmental Officer, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), visited a spot in Choodasandra, near Chikkanayakanahalli, where she saw garbage being burnt regularly. This article has been made possible thanks to support from Aruna Green…

Allalasandra Lake, Yelahanka will host Bangalore's fifth Kere Habba on Sunday 7th June 2015. Since January this year, the Namma Bengaluru Foundation has been regularly collaborating with local lake groups to organise Kere Habbas (lake festivals) across the city. The earlier four habbas were held at Kaikondrahalli, Puttenahalli JP Nagar, Madiwala and Chellakere.  The Allalasandra Kere Habba is being held in collaboration with Yelahanka United Environment Association (YUVA). About YUVA: YUVA has been in the forefront of the rejuvenation of the 44-acre Allalasandra Lake, with support from the Upa Lokayukta, local MLA, Corporator, BBMP, BWSSB, police officials and citizens. It…