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New Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
87.6 per cent of 'garden city' is concrete, mercury rising
BENGALURU: Bengaluru's concrete cover is a solid 87.6 per cent, having increased by 10 per cent over the past decade. This has had a multiple effect on the city, leading to the creation of many heat archipelagos, a rise in temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions, besides affecting citizens' health. A cluster of urban heat islands within a city or region is called an 'urban heat archipelago' and represents the combined effect of multiple localised heat islands, forming a broader area of elevated temperatures. A micro-level study of Bengaluru's landscape 'Urban Heat Island Linkages with the Landscape Morphology', released on Tuesday, shows that lakes and trees cover a mere 12 per cent. The report, prepared by researchers from the Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc, pointed out that increase in concretisation is also a reason for many diseases, including heart attacks and lifestyle disorders. Prof TV Ramachandra from IISc, co-author of the study, said there is a direct relation between reduction of lung spaces, increasing concretisation and deterioration of health. 'During the study, we found that the basic criteria of ensuring 30 per cent setback (thermal comfort space as architects call it) remains only on paper while seeking plan sanction from civic authorities. These thermal comfort zones not just help regulate urban temperatures, but also ensure good health. Corruption and lack of checks on the ground is the reason for this violation. It also leads to urban flooding,' he said. The report showed that urban green islands like the GKVK, IISc and Jnanabharathi campuses are also being compromised. For the study, researchers used temporal remote sensing data (from 1973 to 2025) through supervised non-parametric classifier. The report stated that the built-up area increased from 7.97 per cent (1973) to 87.64 per cent (2025). Bengaluru saw a boom in spatial expansion from the year 2000 with the formation of BBMP, when adjacent rural areas were incorporated and agricultural lands were converted to paved surfaces. 'The city's landscape saw a 1078 per cent increase in built-up area, and a decline of 88 per cent vegetation cover and 79 per cent water bodies, leading to the transition from porous to paved surfaces, affecting the hydrology, ecology and socio-economic aspects,' Ramachandra said.
New Indian Express
08-07-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
BWSSB to plant 60,000 saplings to commemorate diamond jubilee
As part of diamond jubilee celebrations, the BWSSB has launched a large-scale tree plantation drive titled 'Green Path - Water's Future', with the aim of planting 60,000 saplings across its jurisdiction, said BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar on Monday. Inaugurating the campaign at the GKVK campus, Manohar symbolically planted 60 sapling varieties. 'A green environment is essential for both water conservation and ecological balance. Citizens must contribute by planting trees in their surroundings to make our city greener and more beautiful. BWSSB owns several land parcels across Bengaluru, and our aim is to convert them into green zones,' he said. Manohar further noted that the campaign, inspired by World Environment Day, aims to plant 60,000 saplings over the coming year under the guiding theme — 'Green Path - Water's Future'. To encourage broader participation, BWSSB has appealed to bulk water users, including apartment complexes, industries, tech parks, and educational institutions to actively join the campaign. They are being asked not only to plant saplings within their premises, but also to take responsibility for their upkeep and maintenance. Additionally, all BWSSB divisions and offices have been instructed to take the lead in planting trees in their respective areas and service zones.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Adopt lab-to-land and land-to-lab approach, Karnataka chief minister tells agriculture department
Bengaluru: Stressing the need for farmer-centric research and innovation in agriculture, chief minister Siddaramaiah Friday urged the agriculture department to adopt a lab-to-land and land-to- lab approach to introduce new technologies to farmers. Felicitating progressive farmers from various parts of Karnataka during Super Star Raitha (Super Star Farmer) summit organised by Vijay Karnataka, sister publication of The Times of India, at GKVK in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said adoption of technology in agriculture will create more job opportunities. Stressing that the country's economy will progress only if agriculture sector booms, the CM said: "Farmers are the reason for our self-sufficiency in food production; our officials and scientists must develop technology based on farmers' experience. This will help them scale greater heights at a time when farmers' income has taken a severe hit following decline in soil fertility due to plummeting organic carbon content by 43%. Agriculture will be lucrative for youngsters only if you adopt integrated farming system (IFS)." The CM hailed Vijay Karnataka's effort to identify and honour farmers who have made a difference by adopting IFS method. He promised a crackdown on spurious seeds and pesticides.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Embrace tech for sustainable agriculture: Cheluvarayaswamy
Mandya: Change is the law of nature, and the traditional mindset that agriculture equates to hard labour, debt, and losses must be abandoned, said district minister N Cheluvarayaswamy. He emphasised that by embracing technology and modern agricultural machinery, farmers can achieve financial stability and sustainable growth. Speaking at the inauguration of a special technical workshop on sugarcane, paddy, and ragi cultivation—from sowing to marketing—at the Agricultural College, VC Farm in Mandya on Wednesday, the minister highlighted Mandya's strong agricultural roots. He noted that agricultural scientists and institutions are introducing innovative methods to boost productivity and profitability. "Growing the same crop continuously depletes soil nutrients and reduces yields," he warned. To combat this, he recommended a simple crop rotation strategy: divide a 3-acre plot into three sections, cultivate different crops in each, and rotate them annually. He acknowledged farmers' hesitation in adopting new techniques but suggested implementing them on a trial basis on a portion of their land. "Once they see the benefits, they can expand these practices to their entire holdings," he added. Cheluvarayaswamy also addressed the issue of marketing. "While crops like paddy and ragi take around six months to mature, marketing starts immediately after harvest—often directly from the fields," he said. He urged farmers to focus on value addition techniques to maximise their earnings. To tackle the labour shortage in agriculture, he announced that the govt has allocated Rs 1,000 crore for agricultural mechanisation . As part of this initiative, Rs 40 lakh subsidy is being offered for high-tech harvesting machines , benefiting around 350 farmers so far. In a significant development, a new agricultural university has been approved for Mandya, to be modelled after GKVK (University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru). Operations are expected to begin within three years. "Its impact and importance will become increasingly evident in the coming days," he stated. Joint director of agriculture Ashok shared insights into the district's key crops—sugarcane, ragi, and paddy. He noted that advanced techniques are being introduced to improve yields. For instance, farmers are using 'five-eye' and 'single-eye' sugarcane varieties for better productivity. Under the NREGA scheme, high-quality ragi suitable for export is now being cultivated on 2,000 hectares. To address labour shortages in paddy transplanting, workers are being sourced from outside the district, although some farmers have already started using mechanised transplanting methods. A special bi-monthly technical workshop is being organised to raise awareness and promote these modern practices among more farmers. Deputy commissioner Kumara, zilla panchayat CEO KR Nandini, SP Mallikarjun Baladandi, agricultural university special officer Harini Kumar, VC Farm dean Dr Fatima, agricultural scientists, and a large gathering of farmers were present.
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Daughter of mechanic, son of security guard among 1,271 graduating from UAS Bangalore on May 15
Spoorthi R., a student at the College of Agriculture, Mandya, and daughter of a two-wheeler mechanic and a homemaker, took up agriculture as per her parents' wishes. On May 15, she will be graduating from Bsc (Honours) Agriculture course with as many as nine gold medals, during the 59th convocation of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore. 'I tried to get into the medical field, but wasn't selected. I chose to study agriculture for my father's happiness. Today, with my results, I feel great. And I am happy that I fulfilled my parents' dreams. I want to pursue an MSc and then a PhD in the same sector as a researcher,' Ms. Spoorthi said. A total of 1,271 students — 871 undergraduates, 311 postgraduates, and 89 doctoral candidates — will be receiving their degrees during the convocation ceremony which will be held on the GKVK campus. Among these students, 63 will receive 150 gold medals and award certificates across various courses. Girls have overtaken boys, as 49 of them will receive 123 medals while 14 boys will receive 27 medals. Deepthi T.L., a BSc (Hons) Agriculture student, has secured the highest number of awards, receiving 13 gold medals and four donor certificates. Scientist in Lakshadweep Maarepalli Udaya Sindhu, a PhD student from the College of Agriculture, GKVK, Bengaluru, has secured 95.3% and will be receiving four gold medals and certificates. She lost her father when she was in class 4, while her mother is a government employee in Telangana. Ahead of her graduation, she has joined the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and is working as a Krishi Vignan Kendra (KVK) scientist in Lakshadweep. 'I am happy and grateful to my husband and cousin who helped me achieve this feat,' said Ms. Sindhu. Yakshith D.S., another student of Bsc (Honours) Agriculture, from the College of Agriculture, Chamarajanagar, has secured three gold medals and certificates. Although he had his interests in the medical sciences, Mr. Yakshith chose agricultural sciences due to his scores in the entrance exams. However, since he is also interested in the agricultural sector, after securing good results in his undegraduate programme, he nows wants to pursue an Msc and PhD. His father works as a security guard at the Reserve Bank of India while his mother is a homemaker. He has also given his IFFCO Agriculture Graduate Trainee exams and is awaiting the results.
