Environment

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) is set to take on the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) on yet another case of lake pollution. The severe pollution of the DRDO lake near Bagmane Tech Park in CV Raman Nagar came to the notice of KSPCB officials during one of their routine inspections. One part of the lake seems close to perfect - a look at the lush greenery, the clear blue sky, and the ripples that disturb the calm waters when a bird fancies a swim occasionally, can make your day. Meanwhile, the other part of the…

I hate to wake up on winter and rainy mornings. Bangalore weather is so perfect that the comfort of the bed is impossible to leave; only the strong aroma of filter coffee can shake me awake.   Over the past two weeks, however, I have found newer reasons to spring out of bed - ever-surprising plants! With the monsoon rains, my 15 feet by 3 feet balcony has transformed into a live garden, blooming with flowers and tons of leafy vegetables (kadipata, kothmir, dhantu, chukaku, palak), chillies, beans, ridge gourds, bitter gourds and so on.   Plucking fresh vegetables and leaves right…

Venkata Subba Rao, a resident of RBI Colony in Jayanagar is a happy man. In 2005 he spotted the auction of the now dry Byrasandra tank (near Jayanagar Swimming Pool) by Indian Overseas Bank and initiated legal action. Five years later, this month, BBMP is fencing the lake land to protect it and remove encroachments. From left Ramalinga Reddy, Gangambika and Hema Chandra. Venkatasubba Rao pouring the milk. Pic: Chetan Boray. The fencing program was inaugurated on 23rd by Gangambika, (INC) Corporator of Jayanagar (Ward 153). “First of all we have to make a border to improve, we are going…

“It is remarkable how several hundred years ago, city planners were able to plan and execute the Bangalore lake system”, says Rajul Ramchandani, a student of Class X, Delhi Publish School (South). Ramchandani  made a video on Kaikondrahalli Lake on Sarjapur Road as part of the Lost Lakes of Bangalore video contest. “The silver lining is that not all is lost and many citizens and government bodies are realising the mistakes of the past and making amends wherever possible. One such result is the Kaikondrahalli lake. My experience has been that the civic bodies are quite powerful and can make…

It was a two-decade old case that finally came to a close, at least partially, in February this year. The 11-acre Meistripalya kere in the heart of Koramangala was at the centre of a legal battle, with residents of the locality fighting to protect this much-needed lung space. An individual with ancestral linkages to the land had claimed it. It all began with one woman. Laila Ollapally. A Koramangala resident and a practicing advocate. More than a decade ago, Laila chanced upon the Meistripalya tank. It was her determination to protect and preserve open spaces in Koramangala that saw her…

JP Nagar Citizens Association (JPNCA) had their Annual General Body meeting on June 5th 2010 at VET School. All the members wanted more details on Rain Water Harvesting. They wanted specific details like: they have been asked to dig earth 12 feet deep and sink rings. What is the next step? Also, they have been told it would cost about Rs 30,000. This  is a heavy investment, particularly for senior citizens.Members requested JPNCA to work  for some incentive from BWSSB similar to Solar Heating installation from BESCOM. They also pointed out the short supply of Pop-up-filter and suppliers resorting to…

Yesterday, some active members of Forward 150 federation, inaugurated the tree planting on Kaikondrahalli Lake.They did a Bhoomi puja and planted four trees on the island. The remaining 2500 saplings will be planted by volunteers in the coming days before island & bunds work completes. There is scope to plant about 250 odd trees on the island itself, pits have been dug up for the same.  ⊕

It is an 11.2 acre plush green landscape. A few huts have sprouted here and there. Encroachments. Pigs and cows graze along quietly. Apart from the piles of garbage strewn in certain portions, the Meistripalya kere (also known as Jakkasandra Lake) is a vital open space for residents of Koramangala. Meistripalya kere is a vital open space for residents of Koramangala. Pic: Vaishnavi Vittal. It is to protect this very lung space that the residents of Koramangala fought for years. Their efforts finally bore fruit in February 2010 after the Supreme Court ruled in their favour to protect this land…

Disclaimer: this information is provided by Prithvi K, an expert on snakes, it is for your information only. Please do not attempt to catch snake(s) based on the information provided here. Prithvi K, a trained snake catcher and resident of Sarjapur Road started rescuing snakes from January 2008. According to Prithvi, out of almost 270 varieties of snakes found in our country, only four are venomous. By learning to identify these four, we can allow non-venomous snakes to live in our surroundings, and maintain the balance in our ecosystem. Prithvi says, "If you are interested in pursuing herpetology as a…

Hariprakash Agarwal, President, Suncity Apartment Owners Association (SAOA) and Director, Community Services at Rotary Club Bangalore Lakeside, shares this update  on the tree planting done at Bellandur Lake.How it all started About 6 months back, some senior citizens in Suncity led by Ashok Dube wrote to BBMP Commissioner that they would like to do something for the city and environment. Their email was forwarded to Satish BV, Chief Engineer, BBMP and he got in touch with the SunCity group. He said BBMP was planning to rejuvenate the lake and a proposal worth more than Rs 350 Crores was under discussion.…