Environment

Looks can be very deceiving. Pic: Eden Ezsak When people ask about my daily discoveries in Bengaluru, I have a hard time recalling what I still find surprising in India. After two months, I have moved past the innumerous cows that so nonchalantly add to the congestion on the Bengaluru roads. The symphony of barking dogs, shouts, calls to prayer, traffic and endless horns has drifted quietly into the background of my consciousness. I no longer feel like rickshaw rides are similar to my childhood experiences at amusement parks. The perpetually burning mound of garbage near my apartment has become…

Message from MAPSAS   For World Water Day we will be organising three events at three of the lakes we are involved with. SOUL KERE RUN FOLLOWED BY BREAKFAST: 6.30-8.00AM We'll be conducting a run around Soul Kere at 6.30AM (please gather at 6.15AM).  You will need to bring a two-litre bottle(like some old coke/pepsi-type bottle that you can pick up from a kabadi wala) filled with water.  We will have volunteers who will puncture the lids of the bottles and tie them to the trees and saplings we have planted so it will drip irrigate the saplings.  We encourage each of you who…

One of the major problems with Bangalore lakes is sewage inflow - either secretly or openly. The various citizen groups working to save their neighbourhood lakes have repeatedly approached BWSSB and KSPCB, the agencies in charge of handling Bangalore's sewage and monitoring pollution, but if recent feedback is an indication, the agencies do not care. Arakere Lake (in South Bangalore) rejuvenation work was started by BDA in Feb 2014 and supposed to be completed by Feb 2015. Arbind Gupta who is an active member of the Arekere Lake team ANIT says that while work is still in progress, no effort seems…

With our trees sprouting new leaves or bursting into flower, each day is a celebration of our lake. The World Water Day (March 22nd) is but an excuse for us to get together and do our bit for Water. Post Ugadi, please join us on Sat. 28th March to clean the dry parts of the lake bed. Help us remove the plastic, pull out weeds and plant bamboo perches for the birds. For just a couple of hours of work on one day in a year, get the satisfaction of preparing your lake for the monsoon.    We are delighted to have the…

Do they not look delightful Perched upon the wire, Chatting together Against the sky? When I see the same birds Through the twisted wire Of bird-cages, penned up... I ask..why? (Picture of Munias in a bird cage from the FB page of Gopakumar Namboothiri, with his permission) Why can we not just admire? The flower set upon the bush Or smiling from its tree? Why do we need to cage and tie down beings That look so much better, when they are free? The first photo was taken on Bannerghatta Road, near the Police Station; the second in a house…

April 22, 2015 will mark the 45th Anniversary of Earth Day.  The international slogan to mark the Day is ‘It’s Our Turn to Lead.’   To commemorate this year's Earth Day, Earth Day Network India announces a 45-city contest titled "Shehar Green Karo" - It's Our Turn to Lead.   All the cities chosen (listed below) have populations of over one million.   Agra, Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Amritsar, Asansol, Aurangabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Dhanbad, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Jamshedpur, Jodhpur, Kanpur, Kochi, Kolkata, Kota, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Madurai, Meerut, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Patna, Pune, Raipur, Rajkot, Ranchi, Srinagar, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, Vadodara, Varanasi, Vijayawada,…

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) told the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday that it has released Rs 118.15 crore out of the total pending amount of Rs 150 crore to be paid to the garbage contractors and the civic workers. The BBMP counsel assured that the remaining Rs 32 crore will be released soon after contractors submit the bills for the work done. The BBMP has come up with the statement after the High Court had slammed the Palike while hearing a batch of petitions on Solid Waste Management on February 13, 2015 for not releasing the due of…

Licence for operating a sewage treatment plant can now be renewed once in five years. Pic: Satarupa Sen Bhattacharya Now, apartment management committees don’t have to trudge to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) once in every two years, to renew their licence to operate sewage treatment plants (STPs). Industries have to renew their licence to operate only once in five years. This is the result of the KSPCB’s recent decision to eliminate extra paperwork and make the processes user-friendly. In a move perceived to be industry-friendly, the KSPCB has decided to extend the minimum consent period for operation…

It happens in every nook and corner of Bengaluru. Electronic City, Basavanagudi, Malleshwaram, Indiranagar. And your area too, possibly. This is the season of burning garbage in Bengaluru. Last year we wrote about it. This year is no different as these photos prove. A dog rests happily in the ash left after burning garbage, in Chikkanayakana Halli. Pic: SWMRT volunteers   What’s different about garbage this season? From January to April, Bengaluru witnesses scenes of burning garbage. mainly leaf litter. While trees profusely shed dry leaves this season, there are no local composting or disposal solutions for leaf litter. The…

PNLIT is registered as an NGO beneficiary at the Vodafone Cycling Marathon. Our page can be seen here.   Calling all you cycling enthusiasts to register for the marathon and support our cause.The marathon is on 1st March. Registrations will close soon. Please register today!   Pick the ride that suits you - from 60 kms for professionals to fashion ride of 5 kms. There's even a kids' ride of 2 kms!! More rides and registration details on the website here.   Godspeed to your cycling legs!!     Usha