Environment

To a mind that’s taught to see vast swathes of land where no large trees but “mere” grass and shrubs grow as inconsequential, Hesaraghatta’s distinction as a unique habitat for flora and fauna may come as a rude shock. Here, the view is just grass, with a few trees to break the monotony, a dying river skirting the landscape, and a man made lake dependent on annual monsoons to validate its worth. So, to truly appreciate the biodiversity hotspot that Hesaraghatta is, you have to either look up at the sky or peer hard into the ground.  Around 235 species…

Due to rapid urbanisation and unplanned development, Bengaluru’s groundwater is getting increasingly contaminated. This issue requires urgent attention as approximately 40% of the city's population depend on groundwater (borewells, open wells and tankers) for their daily water needs such as drinking, cooking and bathing.  Contaminated groundwater could lead to health issues if it is directly consumed. If used for agricultural purposes, it could even enter the food chain.  Residents across the city have reported that borewells discharge coloured or smelly water. This indicates percolation of sewage and chemicals into the water table. Discolouration, cloudiness and bad odour are some of…

Sandwiched between the swanky Bandra Bandstand and posh Carter Road promenades lies the rocky patch of Chimbai beach, that continues to be a source of dirt and squalor. Though the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) regularly cleans the narrow sandy stretch with dumpers and JCB machines, the beach continues to stay dirty and unattractive, unlike the promenades on both sides, that have become vibrant and popular community spaces. A survey by NGO ReefWatch Marine Conservation had named it to be the filthiest of the ten beaches of Mumbai. Photo: Hepzi Anthony 46-year-old Pravin Gohil who has been staying here since his…

Climate change is leading to a rise in extreme events the world over, and developing countries such as India have been experiencing not only higher death rates but also greater economic impacts due to natural hazards. Urban areas in India have been found to be particularly vulnerable to floods due to unplanned developmental activities, change in land use patterns, overcrowding as well as increase in natural hazards such as rise in sea levels, storms and cyclones. This paper 'Investigation of role of retention storage in tanks (small water bodies) on future urban flooding: A case study of Chennai city, India'…

What do the trees, water bodies, agricultural fields and forests mean for a city like Delhi? Can we ascribe a monetary value to their contribution? These are some of the questions that a team of Delhi-based scientists recently tried to answer and found that rapid and unplanned urbanisation in Delhi during the last two decades (1998-2018) has happened at the expense of many natural and semi-natural elements and it has resulted in a loss of about Rs. 560 million (US$ 7.614 million). The study showed that the biggest contributor to this loss was the decline in the city’s forest cover, which declined…

This article is part of our special series Environmental Sustainability & Climate Change in Tier II cities supported by Climate Trends. Situated on the banks of river Ganga, Varanasi, India’s holiest city and the constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came into limelight in 2015, when Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data highlighted that the city didn’t have even a single good air quality day that year. In fact, Varanasi is among the 43 critically polluted zones across the country. Not just air, its water quality is equally pathetic. Pollution indices in Varanasi have only got worse with time. In…

Twelve-year-old Sarah vividly remembers the first stargazing trip her parents took her on, about 70 kilometers from Bengaluru, just for a glimpse of the comet Neowise. Her father, who proposed this outing, says, “When I was young, my parents would scoff at the idea of going this far just to look at the sky. Living in a city has snatched away such simple pleasures, and I had to make that effort for my little astronomer!” Stargazers aren't the only ones losing out due to the city lights. Studies all over the world have shown that long-term exposure to bright artificial…

A short trip to a small island off Tarkarli in Sindhudurg District along coastal Maharashtra a few years ago introduced me to the sport of Kayaking. This first experience led me to explore how I could continue with the sport in Mumbai itself. The Walduni canal, not far from my home in Ulhasnagar would have been very convenient, but it is too polluted to be safe for kayaking. So my eyes were set on the Ulhas river, further down. A fisherman at work on the Ulhas river (Photo: Deepak Malani) (Photo: Deepak Malani) Two years ago I got an inflatable…

On the night of November 24th, a fire broke out at the Ghazipur landfill site in the capital, burning for over 24 hours till it could be brought under control and choking an already severely polluted city. As citizens coughed and struggled to breathe, we called Dr Ajay Nagpure, Head, Air Quality and Sustainable Urbanisation, World Resources Institute Ross Centre for Sustainable Cities, and this is what he said: “The air pollution caused by gases emitted from the landfill affects the birth weight of children born to those residing in the vicinity of the landfill. Even child mortality will be very…

It was January 2016. We had recently returned to India from Kenya, and were all excited to move into our new home at Hyde Park, Kharghar Sector 35. We had spent the previous couple of months visiting the apartment on and off from Mumbai where we were temporarily living. Away from the hustle and bustle, and surrounded by nature, this place was pleasantly different. Every time we approached the gates, we would see the tall green hills in the distance. A big pond lay behind the central jail and right in front of the apartments we would see this small…