How to Fix India’s Urban Water Crisis, From Bengaluru to Chennai and Beyond
Sachin Tiwale The Indian Express | March 28, 2024 Bengaluru is experiencing its worst water crisis in decades. The weak monsoon last year has compounded an already difficult situation caused by unregulated urban growth and depleting groundwater resources. Chennai too has experienced shortages in recent years. Several other Indian cities are under similar stress, indicating […]
Reimagining the Ring Around the Neigbourhood Lakes
Vardhini Suresh, Namratha Murali, M Soubadra Devy Deccan Herald | March 28, 2024 In the early 90’s, during the IT boom, Bengaluru witnessed a seismic shift from a garden city to the Silicon Valley of India. The rapid urbanisation resulted in the depletion of green spaces within and around the city. The natural scrubby vegetation, […]
Why Scientists and Engineers Should Study Social Science
Sachin Tiwale Scroll | March 25, 2024 In fact, there are several social, economic, technical and ethical choices and considerations involved in the process of technological development. This process includes understanding the laws of nature, applying knowledge to a social problem that has been identified and designing a product to address the problem.
Mumbai’s Unquenchable Thirst: Overestimating Water Demand to Justify Dams
Sachin Tiwale Question Of Cities | March 22, 2024 Water to the city has been supplied from seven dams, constructed in the neighbouring rural and forested areas, at great socio-economic and environmental costs. More such capital-intensive projects are being planned. But does Mumbai really need these projects? The answer, surprising to many, is in the […]
Behind the Biodiversity in the Western Ghats
Seshadri K. S. Deccan Herald | March 19, 2024 The Western Ghats (WG), which run along the west coast of India, are one of 36 global biodiversity hotspots. Most life forms here are endemic to the region and found nowhere else on Earth. The Western Ghats sustain millions of people who are directly or indirectly […]
Renewable energy projects must do more to safeguard India’s natural ecosystems
Sanjana Nair, Abi T. Vanak Land and Climate Review | 13 March, 2024 In 2018, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi was honoured with the United Nations’ Champions of the Earth Award for leadership on climate action and environmental protection. A key factor behind this decision was the Prime Minister’s ambition to decarbonise India’s […]
Snailing with Friends: Exploring the Fascinating World of Snails
Nipu Kumar Das Science Reporter | March 5, 2024 It was on a wintery morning that I got off the flight in my hometown in Assam and took a deep breath. It felt good to be home. I had returned after more than a year. During that time, I had enrolled in a PhD programme […]
How Green Is The Green Credit Programme?
Anuja Malhotra, Abi Tamim Vanak Frontline – The Hindu | February 24, 2024 It aims to boost forest cover by rewarding tree planting, but plans tailored to local ecology and socioeconomic realities are crucial for true impact.
Bengaluru’S Riot Of Colours: A Call For Sustainable Urban Forestry
R. Ganesan, Namratha Murali Hindustan Times | February 20, 2024 After every shedding cycle, deciduous trees invest resources in producing new foliage and flowers, drawing nutrients from the soil, while simultaneously drawing groundwater. Burning litter deprives the soil of the nutrients needed by these trees, leading to a gradual decline in soil fertility. Furthermore, burning […]
Go Hiking, But Be Mindful of Nature
Seshadri K. S. Deccan Herald | February 16, 2024 The Western Ghats are renowned for their scenic beauty and have been identified as an important global biodiversity hotspot. In this context, the recent viral footage of nearly 500 trekkers thronging the Kumara Parvatha peak in Karnataka was shocking. The Kumara Parvatha is a challenging trek […]
