Environment

There is a Tiger in our backyards, yes that's right, and not only in our backyards but chances are that you would have encountered one as you walked down the road preoccupied with the business at hand. But there is no need to panic as I am only referring to The Striped Tiger Butterfly, Danaus genutia. Adult Striped Tiger butterfly Pic: Vikram Nanjappa I have often come across them at the Indian Christian Cemetery on Hosur Road while waiting for my daughter to finish school and have even seen them from my balcony at home. I live on the ground…

Jayanthi Venkatachalam, a homemaker in her late 40s, resident of Jeevanbheema Nagar got the roof of her house painted white recently.  Her husband, S V Venkatachalam, a scientist at ISRO, heard of painting roofs white as a method to keep buildings cool from a friend and decided to try it. She says, the rising mercury made life unbearable for her family as a fan was just not enough to provide relief.  Jayanthi says they did not go for air-conditioners or air-coolers because of the cost in terms of buying one and also monthly electricity bills incurred in running them. Although…

Birdwatching, or birding, as it is referred to, seems to have become a very popular pastime in Bangalore. In this context, it's interesting to find out just how it's organized and carried out in the city...and I decided to talk to several people who've had more than thirty years of experience in this activity A team at the HSBC Bird Race. Pic: Deepa Mohan. There are no "professional" ornithologists, as far as  I can gather, in the city. Most of the experienced birders of Bangalore are those who pursue birding as a weekend or holiday activity. Their professions might or…

In the last week of March, while World Water Day was being marked globally with a focus on "Urban Water Management". But our own urban administrators were busy - giving out contradictory statements about metropolitan water management and plans for tackling water scarcity as summer sets in; leaving citizens with emotions ranging from confusion to anger that can be as enervating as thirst. The Karnataka Groundwater (Regulation and Control of Development and Management)  bill passed recently forbids drilling of  borewells in groundwater-depleted areas (and most areas are depleted, with the water table sinking to incontrovertibly alarming levels)  but four days…

In a hearing on April 7, the High Court directed that the report submitted by the committee on March 3 should be implemented. The court order said that the following should be taken up on war footing: surveying lakes to demarcate boundaries and erect fences, identifying and removing encroachments, removing silt and weeds and laying bund where necessary, and stopping sewage flow into lakes. These tasks should be completed and reported to the court for further directions. Chief Justice J S Khehar said that the process initiated to protect Bangalore's lakes will be applied across other districts.  Excerpts from the…

Praying Mantis camouflaged. Pic: Vikram Nanjappa. A couple of weeks ago I found myself spending my mornings at the Indian Christian Cemetery on Hosur Road. My daughter Tara’s school is next to the cemetery and I have often photographed a variety of butterflies, birds and squirrels while waiting for her to finish. One day I decided to spend my mornings wandering around the cemetery instead of coming home and then returning to pick her up. The cemetery has a lot of green cover with flowering shrubs and large trees. At least this part of the green cover in Bengaluru will…