Saalumarada Thimmakka (Pic: SH)
Rarely do we leave the world richer while dealing with an emptiness within.
A childless couple, instead of brooding over what life has not given, leaves behind a living green heritage this world had never heard of. Continue reading
Despite my eco-sensibilities, I am not sure if my carbon footprint is so low that I can brag about it. Until I opt for public transport regularly, stop using the geyser for heating water, and grow my own food, I will remain a major source of carbon emission on the face of this earth. That’s for sure.
However, Continue reading
When I wrote about Persian wheel recently, the headline carried a question mark.
That’s because the wheel was still turning somewhere, keeping a fiction of hope alive. That the last surviving Persian wheel in Kolar in Karnataka would somehow clatter along. That it would somehow continue to draw water slowly while leaving the groundwater table unharmed. That it would continue to remind us that the secret of a water-secure future lies a simple realisation that we have to respect the bountiful Mother Earth as much as we enjoy her generosity.But this time, it’s a full stop.
I read it recently that firecracker sales in India have dipped by 30-40%. One of the reasons is the rising manufacturing costs that have pushed prices by 25-30%.
Isn’t that hard to believe? Continue reading
For the last few days, I have been seeing some real estate ads in newspapers with lavish display of a massive swimming pool inside the club house, with a promise of private swimming pools for penthouses!
It’s not about criticising the idea of luxury. All of us want to succeed in life and live luxuriously.
But where is water for all this? Any idea how many Continue reading
I can spot two water bodies from my living balcony. The first picture shows a lake on the right side. Although it is named after a village, I hardly see people visiting it. There are no benches, no stone bund, nothing else to attract visitors.
The second picture shows a puddle on the left. I have been tracking its evolution for almost six months now. It swells up a little during rains and sparkles beautifully in sunlight. Although there is human habitation a little away from it, this puddle is blissfully tucked away in a safe spot in North Bangalore with only a few buffaloes meandering around the edges.
A quick thought on World Habitat Day with “Cities and Climate Change” being the theme of the year: is it the best way to preserve lakes – just keep them off human beings? Can we Bangaloreans think of saving its few surviving lakes, our lifeline?
(Pics: SH)
All of us know that an ocean has an infinite number of drops. But few of us see an ocean in a drop of water.
Chikmagalur-based Farmland Rainwater Harvesting Systems (FLRWHS) is one such organisation out to save the precious rainwater to tackle acute water shortage in various states. Through its innovative RWH technology, it has helped rural and urban areas with improved yield levels of bore wells which were either dry, or low-yielding.
Safe drops for children at Allampura Government School, Karnataka.
A rainwater harvesting model on the move.
Hundreds of government schools have benefitted through assured drinking water supply and quality water for cooking midday meals. The children have access to fluoride- and iron-free water for four months in a year. So far, the organisation has recharged over 3,000 bore wells and installed more than 10,000 rooftop rainwater harvesting filters.
Contact Vijay Raj at vijay.shisodya@gmail.com; +91 9448130524.
Dakshina Kannada-based Girish Bharadwaj’s bridges are not just about connecting people and places. They are about bridging the gap between utilisation and exploitation. They are about connecting hearts and souls.
ENDLESSLY GREEN 