Environment

We wanted a home mate But could not confine dogs, birds or fish to the indoors So we consoled ourselves Observing neigbours' pets Watching stray creatures And recalling childhood companions Until Ms. Columbidae came visiting We chased her away And wanted to 'grill' her out But she returned And: Built her nest Laid two eggs Warmed them well Hatched the squabs Who pecked at her crop And chirped, jumped and pooped As they grew Mr. Dove helped too And one fine day Away they flew All within a month   She's back in our balcony Or is she someone else?…

Apartment associations in the city have got assurance from the state Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) that Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) norms for apartments will soon be re-defined. An informal group of residents from various apartments across Bangalore, have been in talks with the Board for over six months, many of them having faced issues with STP quality and adherence to regulations. Board Chairman A S Sadashivaiah said that the new processes will be finalised by March and will be implemented by June. Board will redefine aspects such as stringent checks before approving STPs, holding builders accountable for STP quality etc.…

Residents of Raja Rajeshwari Nivas apartment complex in Bommanahalli, had decided to dig two borewells to sort out the seven-month long water problem. But when the work started on Monday, they were in for a rude shock. Some goons landed there with weapons demanding the work be stopped. They threatened the residents and broke the glass windows in order to convince them they don't need to dig the borewell. Bommanahalli is off Hosur Road just south of the Silkboard intersection.  Police constable stands vigil as the borwell digging continues Pic: Padmalatha Ravi. Residents allege that Mohan Reddy, a local water…

Enzen Water Solutions, a Bengaluru based company, unveiled a possible solution to improve the quality of the water in the city lakes. This subsidiary unit of Enzen Global Solutions Pvt. Ltd announced the experiment results of the six week trial conducted at the Puttenahalli Lake in JP Nagar, 7th Phase. In a first attempt of its kind, Enzen collaborated with the BBMP and the Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT), the citizens' group that is maintaining the 13 acre lake which was restored recently by the BBMP. Puttenahalli Lake water after purification (left). Original murky water (right). Pic: Ramasasthri. The…

Kaikondrahalli lake along Sarjapur road, whose rejuvenation is being spearheaded by some active residents along with BBMP, is under the threat of encroachment now. While local corporator and MLA are demanding that the lake land be acquired for widening of Sarjapur road, another group is trying to build a temple in the north-east side of the lake. Fencing on side was completed smoothly. Pic: Navya PK In September, when the fencing around lake perimeter was in progress, some anti-social elements had opposed it, threatening the BBMP contractor and officials who were in charge of the work. Residents nearby say that…

One doesn't always get an opportunity to do something extraordinary. When you do, you've got to grab it! This is what we did when we saw the Puttenahalli Lake dying. We campaigned and lobbied for the BBMP to rejuvenate the lake. This is what PNLIT did when we saw the Mahindra Spark the Rise announcement inviting projects ("Sparks") for a competitive funding. We submitted "PNLIT - Nurturing Puttenahalli Lake back to its pristine glory" as a template for reviving lakes with active public participation. Click here to vote. Pic: PNLIT The many activities and events we conduct, such as the Children's Day Nature…

Environment Support Group (ESG), a Bangalore-based group that focuses on environmental and social justic issues, has won the 2011 Gold Award in the category of 'Best Green Water Stewardship' at the 6th International Green Awards. ESG won the award for its ongoing "Collaborative Initiative for the Wise Use, Conservation and Protection of Lakes" in Bangalore, India. Pic courtesy: International green awards "This recognition has been possible only because of the committed efforts of the small and dedicated staff at ESG, and the unstinting support extended by our families, strong network of volunteers and well-wishers," said Leo Saldanha, coordinator at ESG.The…

Around 100 people gathered at Bhashyam Circle early on 4 December, Sunday morning to walk down the Sankey road towards Maramma Circle. Young and old bid their farewell. Pic: Vani Murthy It was a walk to symbolise the voice of people who fought to save the trees from the road-widening project. The court has given a go ahead for the project and people are left wondering as to what can be done to save trees that are so vital to the environment. There were around 50 cyclists from the Go Green Club, who strongly believe that conserving the environment is…

For BBMP, even developing lakes mean building more concrete structures. In this year's budget plans, BBMP has included the plan to install a 32-feet bronze Vivekananda statue in Yediyur lake in Jayanagar. Rs 1.5 cr is set aside for this.BBMP is yet to call tenders for the project, but on November 22nd Yediyur Corporator N R Ramesh attempted to drain out water from the lake. He was stopped by about 20 local residents who were also members of environmental organisations Hasiru Usiru (HU) and ESG.The workers with Ramesh had already destroyed the RCC concrete structure in a corner of the…

"Oota from your thota" is an initiative by Garden City Farmers Trust to promote better living by encouraging organic urban farming. The immense popularity of the first attempt at oota from your thota in August at BTM, led to this event. The event was this time held at UAS Alumni Association premises next to Veterinary College, Bellary Road, Hebbal on 27th November 2011. Citizen Matters was the media partner for the event. People attending a session on organic farming. Pic: Deepthi Sarma Spearheaded by Dr Viswanath, the Garden City Farmers are a growing tribe of people who believe in greening…