Environment

The following is an excerpt from the book Shades of Blue: Connecting the drops in Indian cities, written by Harini Nagendra and Seema Mundoli, and published by Penguin Random House India. The excerpt is from the chapter: Bengaluru: Landlocked city of tanks and lakes and has been republished with permission from the authors and publisher: To know where a lake once was, Bengaluru has only to wait for the monsoon. The Kempegowda Bus Stand, the Sri Kanteerava Stadium, the hockey stadium in Akkithimmanahalli in the city and the Asian Games Village in Koramangala, all of which are sites of former…

The habits of birds have long been studied to make sense of the changes and trends in our natural ecosystems. Given that these are environmentally adaptive creatures — whose patterns of migration and breeding change as the ecosystems change — watching birds can teach us many things about climate change, ecological degradation and the ways we can respond to these phenomena. Every year during Pongal time, birders and nature enthusiasts around Tamil Nadu participate in the Pongal Bird Count, a state-wide annual bird monitoring programme, which is an initiative of the Tamil Birders Network. This year as a part of…

Part 1: More insects than we cared to get acquainted with… Both as an architect and heritage conservation expert, ecological living has been a day-to-day mantra for me. However, it’s not without its attendant perils as many years of living in a home in the city, built with natural materials, has demonstrated. Our woeful tales of insects and other species reluctantly permitting us to share space with them, provide much amusement to friends and family. And now, I have decided to spread the joy and share some of our encounters with a wider audience.   We blithely commenced our home construction…

The lesser and greater flamingos of Gujarat that migrate to our wetlands are nothing short of a blessing. Every year a record number of juvenile waders and flamingos visit the TS Chanakya Lake, feeding on urban algae. When Navi Mumbai becomes a "Flamingo city." Pic: Seema Tania Read more: How a Navi Mumbai citizens group fought for the flamingos After strenuous breeding activities they fly to the flamingo city of Navi Mumbai to feed and roost in TS Chanakya and NRI wetlands in large numbers. While, the species is in an overall decline, the mudflats and mangroves of Navi Mumbai offer…

In envisioning the 'Good City of Chennai,' North Chennai, including Manali and Ennore, were turned into industrial sacrifice zones. Successive governments have ignored the complaints and protests of local residents against industrial pollution and degradation of the Ennore wetlands. After the 2015 floods spotlighted the critical role of wetlands in mitigating floods, the Government of Tamil Nadu announced a project for 'Eco-restoration of Ennore Creek.' However, the project — with its weak ambition and limited scope — was opposed by Ennore fishers, who decided to produce their own 'People's Plan' for the restoration of their region. In 2019, the fishing…

Paro, 26, a resident of Shraddhanand colony in Bhalswa, and her friends wait patiently for the water tanker, surrounded by buckets and barrels – a routine that repeats twice weekly. "We pause all our tasks to ensure we secure enough water. It's only available twice," Paro remarks. For years, Paro and her fellow colony dwellers have relied on water tankers. The local groundwater, tainted by the adjacent Bhalswa landfill in northwest Delhi since 1994, makes it a necessity. Meena, 36, standing alongside Paro, succinctly notes, "Khate (landfill) ki wajah se pani achha nahi hai." [The water quality is poor because…

On the morning of December 13th last year, Seema Tania, a bird watcher spotted a few dead mangrove trees near Navi Mumbai’s Chanakya lake. These fully grown mangrove trees are usually seen in abundance on bunds created within the lake forming a forest along a small strip of land that divides TS Chanakya’s grassy wetland. The strip is popular among birders, who often hide between the trees– hoping to spot the usual migratory birds that settle on the water all through the year.  Initially, Seema thought that only a few trees were being cut down. The next morning however, she…

For more than a month now, Ennore has been in the news continuously. First, we had the floods, then the oil spill and now the gas leak. Hundreds of villagers in Ennore have been protesting for two weeks against the industrial pollution that has been taking a heavy toll on their livelihood and health for nearly five decades. Located in the northern part of Chennai, the Ennore Industrial Cluster has two thermal power stations, ash ponds, two ports, fertiliser manufacturing industries, pharmaceutical companies, oil storage terminals, coal storage yards and cement manufacturers. Once a quiet and verdant locale, the Kosasthalaiyar…

Mumbaikars may have briefly felt better as pollution levels dipped with the unseasonal showers last week. But it may not last long and that persistent cold and cough might just return as temperatures fluctuate and pollution levels rise again.  Mumbai, the most densely-populated city, and in the throes of infrastructure projects and other construction, has had worrying pollution levels in the past few months. Data now shows that Mumbai has recorded a 38% increase in the PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels over the past five years. The data was analysed by Climate Trends and Respirer Living Sciences, and presented…

'Slow motion Bhopal' — this was the title of the public hearing held recently to hear grievances of Ennore residents after the ammonia gas leak incident. As the title rightly points out, the episode was reminiscent of the horrors that people endured in the Bhopal gas tragedy. In the wee hours of December 27, residents in several areas around Ennore rushed out of their homes gasping for breath. Many complained of irritation in their eyes and throat, while some had blood oozing out of their nose. Few others, especially the elderly, fainted on the streets. All this happened after ammonia…