Environment

There's been plenty of loss felt at the cutback on trees due to Bengaluru's rapid expansion. Equally, there has also been anger felt at the enthusiasm of city authorities to build all over the city and uproot trees, virtually at will, on questionable projects. Bengaluru's ‘Garden city' tag has thus been under a cloud for a while now, especially for new comers who only find a city jammed with traffic and dust-laden air. Citizens have tried to hit back. While the most evident form has been increasing protests and action at the High Courts, another movement has been quietly mushrooming.…

Rajee Shanker, a resident of Kalyan Nagar is troubled by falling leaves on all roads and empty sites, “For the past 5 months,  nobody has been entrusted with cleaning of roads and removal of leaves".This is a common issue in all residential areas in the city especially the winter/post winter season. BBMP workers often burn the leaves, so their job becomes easier, inspite of the Commissioner’s order otherwise.BBMP’S RESPONSEResponding to complaints of leaf burning in the Organic Terrace Gardening Forum, Bangalore's composting evangelist Vani Murthy (who has documented her leaf composting process here) shared the contact details of the BBMP…

The Byrasandra lake, situated in Jayanagar, which was once almost sold, is now set to be rejuvenated. The lake area was under a land dispute as it was allegedly sold by Indian Overseas Bank in an auction for a sum of Rs.7.60 crores. Citizen Matters's 29 Jul 2010 article has a detailed report on the various developments of the lake. Pic: Deepthi M S With the local people's initiative, the lake is now moving towards development. The fencing work at Byrasandra lake has started from 17 February.The lake development project was inaugurated by Ananth Kumar, MP, BJP. It will be…

We'd taken our birder friend from Kerala to the Kaikondanahalli Lake. We were greeted by the spot-billed ducks and purple moorhens. And at twilight a big flock of Lesser Whistling Ducks took off (about 200); the sight and sound of a big whistling flock is quite a sensation. It was fairly dark when we reached the swamp area. "Sandpipers" and a friend pointed to activity in the swamp. "Sandpipers" quicky turned to "ringed plover? Painted Snipe!". We could hardly believe our luck. We did try our luck at shooting them too (Snipers, we are not!). We saw at least 3…

Did you know your city was a rocky, barren plateau 250 years ago? Since then, starting with the Tigers of Mysore, followed by botanists and horticulture authorities, Bengaluru managed to become home to one of the greatest collection of trees from around the world. Vijay Thiruvady. Pic: Rajeev Rajagopalan This is the foreword in a new book, Heritage Trees, in and around Bangalore, by Vijay Thiruvady, 70, Koramangala-resident and Trustee at the Bangalore Environment Trust (BET). BET is also the book's publisher. Thiruvady is an engineer-turned naturalist better known in recent years for leading the Lalbagh Green Heritage Walks.No less…

For a BBMP pourakarmika, this would perhaps rank as the worst time of the year as s/he would be constantly required to sweep the streets. Those in independent houses with a garden and trees would be filling the leaves in several black garbage bags everyday, perhaps even having to pay a little something to have it cleared. As apartment dwellers, leaves shed from the tree probably do not feature as easily on our radar. But if you are trying to learn all things related to creating and managing a healthy terrace garden, like me, you would rush to collect and…

No Cauvery here: In the backdrop is the Army Welfare Housing Organisation's towering 1000-plus flat community under construction, opposite Chaithanya Samarpan, off the Whitefield Hoskote Road. Samarpan's security entrance is in foreground. Both communities don't have BWSSB connections and rely tanker and borewell water currently. Pic: Subramaniam Vincent. Some of the residential and commercial complexes in the peripheral Whitefield area of Bengaluru are likely to see better times. They will get water supply once the second phase of Hoodi reservoir is completed, probably by August or September this year, an official with BWSSB has said. Rapid growth, no water Two…

Perhaps not everyone is aware that less than 150 km from Bangalore is a beautiful place where the critically endangered animal, the Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) can be sighted.This is the Maidanahalli Blackbuck Reserve. "Maidana Halli" in Kannada, means, "Village of the open meadows". The open grassland of the Deccan Plateau have steadily shrunk due to human habitation, and it was the efforts of Wildlife Aware Nature Club (WANC) along with other NGOs and individuals from the 1990's. This resulted in the creation of the Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve in 2007. Pics: Deepa MohanPics: Deepa MohanPics: Deepa MohanPics: Deepa MohanPics: Deepa MohanPics:…

Around two months back, our apartment association got a notice from the Rajaji Nagar regional office of the state Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). The notice said that we had to pay Rs 1.2 lakh as STP operation fee for six years, starting from January 2007. Ours is a 165-unit apartment in Kundanahalli.When we went to pay this amount, KSPCB officials said that we had to pay an additional Rs 45,000 (Rs 7,500 annually for the six years) for an environment audit report. This was to be paid to an agency that conducts surveys. When we enquired about the audit report…

Gollahalli lake in Electronic city has lost 2.11 acres to an illegally built road. Despite orders, the road still stands intact thanks to the timely call by the then Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa. Road that encroaches on the Gollahalli lake. Pic: Sankar C G The then Tehsildar Mallikarjuna ordered the road to be dismantled in 2010. The road, which covers about one-fourth of the 9.2-acre Golahalli Lake, is still in use today.  According to the records obtained through RTI, survey number 15 is a lakebed and it belongs to the government. However, a road was constructed in 2007. The…