Environment

The Lalbagh Flower Show in Bengaluru needs no introduction really, but the January 2014 edition of the show is rather special. The flower show, currently in its 199th edition, is just one short of completing its bicentennial. That’s not all; this edition also marks the 50th year of the Horticulture Department. Over 200 varieties of flowers and vegetables are on display. The showcase also features huge floral structures in the shape of mushrooms, bananas, coconuts and more. With props that act as the eyes and lips, these structures make for a quirky spectacle. There is also a huge 18 foot…

Halanayakanahalli Lake is located off Sarjapur Road, near Rainbow Drive/ Rainbow Residency, about 1.5 km from Mori Gate. It belongs to the Halanayakanahalli Gram Panchayat. Hidden away from the traffic of the main road, currently with little water, the lake can be easily mistaken for "land to be developed". There is a bare island somewhere in the middle, and a wooded area that has full grown trees, and admist these have been spotted a variety of birds that have made this place their home. The lake consists of three parts:- Halanayakanahalli Lake (42 acres 23 guntas)- Chikkanayakanahalli Lake (22 acres…

Like the age old tale of the elves and shoemaker, our cities too appear to have a group of elves that are hard at work before the sun is up and are completely responsible for the city’s garbage collection and clean streets. Almost blending into the scene, there is a group of women from largely dispossessed sects of society that are employed in the sector called the pourakarmikas. Belonging to low income or BPL families of a particular sub-sect, they end up at the bottom of the professional and social ladder, to be looked down upon by the upper castes…

Former Olympian, Nisha Millet and Kannada actress, Anu Prabhakar are true blue Bangaloreans. They, like many other Bangaloreans, have been brought up around the numerous trees that adorned the city. With time and urbanisation, the cityscape has taken a turn for the worse. Urban forests have given way to apartment complexes and tree-lined promenades have been turned into roads. Does this spell the end of Garden City? Not by a long shot; especially considering that Neralu is around the corner.   On February 8 and 9, Bangalore will witness an event that is the first of its kind. Neralu, the Bangalore Tree Festival will be…

Message received from Mr Jagadeesh Giri, Joint Secretary, Yelahanka United Environment Association (YUVA)   To involve the youth, students & local citizens in keeping Allalasandra Lake (Yelahanka) and locality clean, utilize the facilities provided by civic bodies, bring in awareness on environment, water conservation, and neat maintenance of the lake surroundings, YUVA has organized a Shramadaan program at the lake on 12th January 2014 at 7 a.m. on the occasion of National Youth Day to mark the 151th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.   YUVA has also engaged with the University of Agriculture Sciences, GKVK for collaborative efforts for revival and development of…

The India BirdRaces, supported by HSBC, is the largest and most popular birdwatching activity across India. The current season (November 2013 – March 2014), will see the event in 16 cities.    The Bangalore BirdRace 2014 is on Sunday 19th Jan 2014. Registrations, for teams of 4 members, are currently open. To register and for more information, click here.    This winter, Puttenahalli Lake has seen the the return of the migratory Garganeys from Europe/ West Asia. Lake visitors were thrilled to see a group of Garganey females at the lake on Christmas Day, and thereafter.   Garganeys at Puttenahalli Lake, Dec 2013 (Pics:…

Sweet Indrajao (Wrigtia tinctoria) is a small, deciduous tree with flowers that look like snow flakes. Native to India and Burma, Wrightia is named after a Scottish physician and botanist William Wright. The leaves of this tree yield a blue dye called Pala Indigo. The wood of this tree is used for making Channapatna toys. The wood is suitable for matchboxes, bobbins, engraving and printing-blocks, mathematical instruments and rulers. It is also suitable for stained wood inlay-work. Medicinal uses: A survey conducted showed that tribal people in Chhattisgarh district control diabetes with their own drugs prepared from plant sources proving…

Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board has issued an order instructing M/s Mantri Techzone Pvt Ltd / M/s Manipal ETA Infotech Ltd to stop the construction of the Special Economic Zone, residential and commercial buildings coming up on 72 acres of land that lies between Bellandur and Agara lakes, in South Bengaluru. Post the Upa Lokayukta’s comments on Mantri SEZ in a meeting held on December 20, 2013, KIADB’s 327th Board Meeting discussed the matter and passed an order directing Mantri Techzone Pvt Ltd to stop the construction with immediate effect. According to the minutes of the KIADB Board meeting, the…

The Lake division of Bangalore Development Authority has handed over the lakes under its supervision to respective zonal engineers of BDA. The north and south lake divisions have been closed down, and have been merged with the BDA's Engineering Department. A BDA official, who didn't want to be named, said that BDA's lake division had 123 lakes to look after, but only five engineers. These five had to manage the execution of restoration plans. They also had to oversee the protection of these lakes spread all over the city and take action against encroachers, which was practically impossible. Hence the…