Environment

Which one of us has not watched the house sparrows as they hop about, living their lives alongside us humans in our rural or urban homes? House sparrows (their scientific name is Passer domesticus, the very name saying that they are a part of our domestic lives!) are small and pretty birds which play a large role in our lives, though we are often not aware of this. Male House Sparrow. Pic: Wikimedia commons Can you imagine, these birds are supposed to have become associated with humans nearly 10,000 years ago! Stunning, isn't it?Sparrows prefer a hole to nest in,…

In a city of vanishing lakes, PNLIT is a small team of ordinary citizens who campaigned successfully to rejuvenate Puttenahalli Lake in J.P. Nagar and has now become its official caretakers. PNLIT's goals are to recharge the water table, indirectly providing water for an increasingly parched locality and to transform the lake into a secure bird habitat though in the middle of an urban jungle. Within two years of restoration, over 200 tree saplings have been planted and over 50 bird species spotted in and around the lake. PNLIT meets expenses from voluntary donations, mostly from residents in the area.…

Brief background: Spark the Rise is a platform built by Mahindra "for ordinary people to take charge of India's future". Anyone with a plan could submit it to http://www.sparktherise.com/ to get volunteers, advice or donations. From August 2011 to March 2012, 1346 projects were posted on the site. For six months, Mahindra awarded monthly grants of Rs 4 lakh each, to 8 outstanding projects. "PNLIT - Nurturing Puttenahalli Lake back to its pristine glory" was one such awardee, and one of the 18 projects in the Grand Finale, where additional grants were at stake.   20th April 2012 was an eventful day for the Spark…

The Karnataka High Court cancelled the lease of Agara lake in HSR Layout given to Biota Natural Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd on February 29, 2012. Biota had filed a petition against the termination of lease of Agara lake by Lake Development (LDA) in 2009. Following the High Court judgment, the lake has been handed back to the LDA, Bangalore. The under-maintained Agara lake, adjacent to HSR Layout, off the outer ring road. Pic: Anisha NairThe judgement from high courtBiota contested LDA's termination of its contract in its petition. Biota claims that they could not take up any development work on…

This Sunday’s Second to None flea market event, will have a bit of everything from used books, electronic items, furniture and home decor knick knacks. You can also pick up handmade and homemade items from paper jewellery to jams, cakes and more.Let us recycle and re-use, replenish, restore and rethink, why throw away used things you no longer want when you can sell them? This is the buzz in town this weekend, 22nd April, 2012, 11 am-5 pm at ‘Jaaga’, Double Road, Opposite Corporation Bank, Behind KH Road Bus Stand. File pic: Second To None. Anupama Gummaraju, along with her…

One cool morning in February 2012, I drove up across town to Hesaraghatta Lake. As we approached the embankment, my excitement rose and I ran up the steps. They had told me it was big. What I had not realized was just how big this lake was. I could not see the edges on the far side. All 3000 acres of it used to brim with water, fed by the Arkavati River. That day, it was dry. Bone dry. For the first time in seven years there was no water in Hesaraghatta Lake. And, unfortunately, this was no exaggeration. Hesarghatta…

Yesterday, while chatting with a friend, I happened to mention the Millets Mela, now on at Lalbagh. His prompt response was “what is that?”. I wasn't surprised. In these days of white rice, brand name atta, imported cereal for children and milk additives that are packaged well and priced high, it is not surprising that millets don't have a market, even though a bajra roti or ragi malt in milk is as good if not better than more popular cereals. On the other hand, it is also surprising why they don't have a market, given their superior quality whether it…

PNLIT is happy to announce "PNLIT Greenscraps" an introduction to nature journaling which will teach children how to observe, sketch and write about what they see in the natural world around them. Too often we do not notice that little ladybird sitting on a pale green leaf or the cobweb in an early morning glistening with dew drops. These are the small pleasures that uplift our mood and give meaning to our day. These are invaluable lessons in appreciating natural wonders which stay with us as we grow older. Ms. Sangeetha Kadur and Ms. Shilpashree who designed the Greenscraps workshops…

When we hear the word "parasites", we generally think of leeches. But there are other creatures and plants around us, that are parasites - living beings which live on other creatures. One of them, not often known, is the Braconid wasp. This wasp ensures a fresh supply of protein for its young, by laying its eggs on a caterpillar. When the eggs hatch on the caterpillar, they feed on the caterpillar, sucking its blood...and then, as all insects do, the larvae turn into pupae, still stuck on the caterpillar's hairs. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae end up eating the…

It is not only the number of birds in our lake that is growing but also our team, slowly but steadily! We are happy to induct two teams of volunteers PNLIT Mitra and PNLIT Young Rangers. As of now we have three supporters in the Mitra (Friends) category and four Young Rangers who make up for their lack in years with youthful enthusiasm. To those of you who had suggested names for the PNLIT juniors - "PNLIT Young Rangers" was the name that the child members chose for themselves. With these new volunteers to assist us, we shall soon be…