Environment

Residents of Sobha Daffodil apartment in HSR Layout Extension have been waiting for water for the last 4-5 months. They had paid around Rs 10 lakh to the BWSSB for water from Cauvery Stage IV Phase II project; they got pipelines laid and meters fixed. But no water comes here yet. Pic courtesy: BWSSB.org "We paid a few crores some 3-4 years back too, for water. In the last few months, we went to the local BWSSB office some 10 times. Every time, we were told that water will come the next day or next week, but there has been…

Work on the Diversion Channel is proceeding well and with a reasonably good monsoon this year we hope to divert lots more rain water into our Puttenahalli Lake. We may even see our wish fulfilled finally - the lake bed covered with water and not a bit of ground to be seen! Diversion channel work in progress, Feb 2013 (Pics: Usha Rajagopalan)Now, when the water level is at its lowest, is the right time to remove the invasive weed Salvinia Molesta from the lakebed. Will you help us get the lake ready for the monsoon? Help us get rid of the…

The weather in Bengaluru has become rather unusual these past few days - with dark clouds smothering the sky, accompanied by short spells of rainfall across the city. And this after a streak of particularly hot days - which went as high as a daytime maximum of 33.2°C on March 3rd, coming back down to a daytime high of 27.1°C yesterday (6th) under the influence of clouds and spells of rain.With all apparently unusual weather in the city comes the talk of climate change and how the climate of the city is becoming worse every year. While the city's climate…

Even after repeated appeals, protest marches and follow-up, there has been no let-up in encroachment of the Haralakunte or Somasundarapalya Lake in HSR Layout. Various groups have been dumping debris into the lake with impunity for long and of late, tankers have taken to pumping out whatever water is left. As residents of the area we feel that given the trend, it may not be long before Bangalore loses yet another of its precious water bodies.The most sustainable solution to water woes of any community could come through its water bodies. Not every locality in Bangalore has one; we were…

One of the delights in our city is to watch the various flowering trees, and at this time of the year, one of the spectacular sights is that of the Flame of the Forest (Palash...the scientific name is Butea monosperma). The name of the tree is well-deserved...the bright orange flowers of the tree look exactly as if tongues of flame were engulfing the tree. At this time, the tree sheds all its leaves, too, and the effect is stunning. But there is an even more interesting aspect to the flowering of the Flame of the Forest...that is, the flowers, and…

At Puttenahalli Lake, we know the value of rainwater and its harvesting. After all, the only water that the lake receives is from rain.  Now here's a good opportunity for artists to help in promoting RWH and win some good prize money too!"Raindrops Geneva Award" is a competition organised by the International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance (IRHA) to highlight the importance of this vital resource - rainwater - and its management. Participants from all over the world send in their entries, and after a vote by the jury, three prizes are given. The first competition, organised in 2007, awarded the poster that best…

Arekere Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (ANIT) is doing everything it can, to properly save Arekere Lake. The lake is located not far from Puttenahalli Lake, on the other side of Bannerghatta Rd. Please see the map below which shows the location of Arekere Lake.   A human chain has been planned on 16th Feb 2013, Saturday @ 9 a.m. starting at Maruti Magnolia School (red circle on the map). Please do join the effort to create more awareness about lakes in general and Arekere Lake in particular. The programme is below.     ⊕References  

Despite the problems and challenges we have in maintaining our neighbourhood lake, each visit is such a delight and so full of surprises.Today morning even while walking briskly (for a meeting at the Gazebo), a Fig tree growing wild at the edge of the lake caught my eye. There was a white breasted kingfisher sitting on its branch. I went as close to the grill as possible but that little fellow was not bothered in the least. He calmly sat there and let me shoot him (with my camera).Our gardener Sivalingayya came hurriedly holding a white plastic bag carefully with…

On the 22nd of January, I met a friend for coffee in Indiranagar. Namrata is a new friend; we are still getting to know each other over our once-a-month cups of coffee. We spoke of current affairs (a largely demoralising conversation) and then, after coffee, she said that she would like to show me a public art project that she has been involved in and quite proud of. Something in her voice and eyes made me curious. Children painting the wall. Pic:Dhiraj Kacker We walked from the Gloria Jean's Coffee shop into Indiranagar's Defence Colony. A short walk into the…

25 students of class VI and VII, Kumaran's School, wrote to the Consumer Services Manager of the snacks company Frito-Lay, telling him what they thought of the packaging that the chips came in. They each posted a Lays chips packet back to the company along with the letter. This was done as a part of their school nature club extracurricular activity. They called this campaign "SEALED: Yours Truthfully" which taught them about the EPR (Extended Producers Responsibility) Law. Post cards by students of Kumarans School (State Board) to Frito-Lay. Pic: Shamala Kittane The recently amended Plastics (Manufacture, Usage and Waste…