Visit to Cubbon Park 

19-05-2023, Friday

Our day started at around 8.30 AM at Gate 1 of Cubbon Park (also known as Sri Chamarajendra Udyanavana). Neelima and Ayushi were the guides for the day. Ayushi explained to us the geology of Bengaluru in general, the bed topology of the city, the river systems and the lakes in and around Bengaluru. We were surprised to know that Bengaluru hosted more than 1,000 lakes(man-made) in earlier days and now the number has been reduced to 100 to 150.

Geology of Bengaluru:

From the discussion and satellite images shown to us, we learnt basic geology of Bengaluru which can be summarized as follows:

• Bengaluru is surrounded by 5 valleys viz., HN valley, KC valley, Suvarnamukhi, Arkavati, and Vrushabhavathi. (BUDA Area = 1248 sq km)
• The highest point of the city is Doddabettahalli which lies on the central ridge.
• There are gentle slopes and valleys on either side of the ridge and the low lying area is marked by a series of water tanks. 
• We learnt that these tanks are cascading lakes(inter-connected) which eventually join either river Arkavati(a tributary of Cauvery) on the west or river Dakshina Pinakini on the east.
• The city has, mostly Red Loamy clay soil and Laterite soil with granite - gneisses rock bed (Combination of Igneous and Metamorphic rocks)

We also learnt about Weathering processes and how they affect the life cycle of a rock.The theory part helped us understand the physical features with more clarity.

About Cubbon Park :

    `Cubbon Park is a historic park located in the heart of Bangalore, the capital city Karnataka, India. It is one of the most iconic and cherished green spaces in the city, serving as a vital lung space amidst the bustling urban landscape.  It is situated in the central administrative area of Bangalore. Cubbon Park spans over 300 acres (121 hectares) and is bordered by important landmarks such as Vidhana Soudha (the state legislative building), High Court of Karnataka, and the Government Museum.
We explored various sections of the park and following were our observations:

1.Wells:                                                                                                                                         

        Cubbon park has approximately  7 to 8 wells which are used for watering the trees alternatively. We measured the depth of the water and it was around 2.5m. The Water level was reduced (when compared to the previous data) due to summer.
It is noted that Open wells are easy to recharge and are a sustainable source of water (require low energy compared to bore wells). We also learnt that open wells help in flood mitigation.
Cubbon Park had several wells that served as a source of water for irrigation purposes. These wells were manually dug and provided local water supply for the park's plants and greenery. The water from the wells was likely drawn using hand pumps or other manual methods.

2. Kalyani:   

        We saw a Kalyani (also known as Step well) in the park. The Purpose of the Kalyani is to store the water and recharge the shallow aquifers around it. There was a recharge well at the center of the Kalyani as a source of water in the times of drought. Also, there were four canals directed out of the kalyani as water diverting mechanism in case of flood. So, it served the dual purpose of mitigating both drought and flood problems at the same place.

3. Depicting Social Life on Wells:                                                                                                         

            We observed one of the wells had a painting depicting a scene from the folk festival of Karnataka - Bengaluru  Karaga which is celebrated in the month of  March and April. In the scene, the priest at the center, an embodiment of Draupadi (strong ideal womanhood) carries a Karaga pot (floral jasmine pyramid) and people around him pray and dance for the well being of the community. 

            It was nice to see how  culture and nature go hand in hand and people include wells as a part of their ritualistic celebrations. The water level at this well was approximately 4m.

4. Rock Mound:

        We then arrived at the Rock mound at the park which is almost 4 billion years old. This rock was granite - gneiss that forms the basement of the entire city of Bengaluru. We could see fissures and weathering signs on it and over the time it has lost a lot of its layers terming the process as Onion Peeling, due to the action of temperature, pressure and other weathering activities. We also had a brief discussion about city planning based on the geology of a place. 

6.Ponds and Recharge wells:

Cubbon Park also had ponds or small water bodies within its premises. These ponds played a crucial role in water conservation and acted as reservoirs for storing rainwater. They helped in maintaining the groundwater level in the park and provided a habitat for aquatic plants and animals.

There was also a rejuvenation project to save water at Cubbon park called the Cubbon park rejuvenation programme (CPR). As part of the programme, 6 wells were repaired and 73 recharge pits were built. The Horticulture Department carried out the initiative in collaboration with groups including Friends of Lakes, Biome Environmental Solutions, and India Cares Foundation.

6.Irrigation : 

        We observed the following methods of irrigation and water management systems being used in the park.

• For irrigation purposes, Sprinklers are commonly used to distribute water evenly over the park. Sprinklers are often connected to a network of underground pipes and controlled by a central irrigation controller.
• Another technique is drip irrigation  that involves delivering water directly to the base of plants through a network of tubes with emitters. This system is more water-efficient than sprinklers and is used to irrigate  flower beds, shrubs, and individual trees.
• Rainwater harvesting is also practiced to collect and store runoff water.These systems collect rainwater from roofs, roads, and other surfaces and store it in ponds or underground tanks.

Visit to Cubbon Park Metro Station:

    We then went to Cubbon Park metro Station that has a large mural art at the entrance of the station. The mural illustrates Bengaluru's water history, including the tale of the well diggers. It was done using mud from 65 recharge wells dug in Cubbon Park.

        It was completed under  the direction of Srishti School of Art and Design, in partnership with Biome Environmental Trust. The Bangalore Sustainability Forum donated funds for this initiative.

        The core of the artwork is Water. The artwork narrates Bengaluru's connections to open wells and the strain urbanization has put on water sources. 

It tells about the story of six rivers originating from Nandi village , how well diggers used the techniques to estimate the levels of oxygen in the depth, how wells were dug, how they are being commercialized and its impact on the society.

  

        It also talks about how people of  different sections in the society have unequal access to water especially in urban areas.The paintings gave us thoughtful insights on the current water problems of urban belts. That ended our half day tour to the Cubbon Park - famously known as the Lungs of Bengaluru city. 

Important Links:

1. Geology of Bengaluru

2. Cubbon park

3. Recharge wells at Cubbon Park

4. Cubbon park Metro station art 

Report prepared by,

Apeksha Deshpande and Machur Kasomwoshi  

Interns at Biome Environmental Trust

Trip to Sonnapanahalli & Devanahalli

Thursday, 18th May 2023. It was our fourth day with Biome Environmental Trust and we were to visit a government school at Sonnappanahalli. The school is around 23 kilometers from the center of the city, towards the north. The school has a capacity of 350 students and has a water demand of 5000 liters per day. A rainwater harvesting setup had been executed at this school under the sponsorship of ITC Limited as part of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative. It was an attempt to create a sustainable model of water conservation for the surrounding community to get inspired from.

Government School, Sonnapanahalli

Rainwater from the rooftop run-off runs through a series of 4” diameter pipelines and the initial run-off is let down directly into the ground. A manual valve is used for this purpose. There is a Y-joint that prevents water with roof debris from entering into the filter and is in turn deviated into a reject pipe. Once the terrace is cleared off with the initial run-off water, the rest of the rainwater is collected in a harvesting pit with layered aggregates through the other arm of the Y-joint. The filter is of 3 layers - larger stones, charcoal and smaller aggregates.

The underground sump of this setup has a capacity of 12,000 liters and the recharge well close to the Anganwadi building was 20’ deep and 4’ in diameter. The capacity of the underground sump is calculated and designed keeping in mind the average rainfall the region receives.

The school also has a well at its backyard which supplies 50,000 liters per day after its rejuvenation. However, contaminants from the soak pits of the surrounding neighborhood pollute the well.

Valve that lets initial run-off to the ground, Sonnapanahalli

 

Recharge well

The Anganwadi buildings were later modified to have a slight slope in the terraces and a small parapet wall was built to prevent rainwater from flowing across the external walls of the building. This measure protects the structure from prolonged exposure to water and also helps in collecting the rainwater. As a measure to regulate usage of this conserved water, taps in the school were also fitted with aerators.

          Rainwater harvesting pit filter           Aerators fitted to taps

Our next stop was at a lake in Devanahalli, further north of Bengaluru at a distance of 15 kms from Sonnapanahalli. The lake was locally known as Sihineeru Kere, which literally translates to ‘sweetwater lake’. The lake is adjacent to the Devanahalli Fort. The revival of the lake is part of the Hebbal-Nagawara Valley project. The lake is 10 ft to 15 ft deep and is solely meant for the recharge of groundwater and is not directly used for agricultural purposes since it is secondary treated water. Public activity is also restricted in the case of this lake and hence no fishing or grass cutting takes place here unlike the Kaikondrahalli Lake within the city of Bengaluru.

A well and a filter borewell next to the lake are recharged with the water from the lake. The well is 60 ft deep and was earlier dry and had weeds growing in it including a tree. The Town Municipal Corporation (TMC) was about to close down the well. With the efforts of Biome Environmental Trust, this was prevented and the well was revived. The filter borewell is 85 ft deep and taps into the shallow aquifer, which is replenished by the lakewater. During the visit, another filter borewell was being built next to the same lake, which was 100 ft deep. The lakewater if fetched directly is not usable but this changes as it passes through the soil, and gets filtered naturally. Hence, the water that fills up the well and borewell can be used for daily use (except for drinking). Water from this filter borewell then moves to a sump of 50,000 liter capacity. Water from the sump is pumped to a community overhead tank (OHT). The OHT has a capacity of 1 lakh gallons which is roughly 3,78,500 liters and supplies water to all the homes in the nearby village. These homes now receive water 24x7.

We also learnt how a filter borewell is built. On average, it takes 6 days to build one. It takes 2-3 days to drill and another 2-3 days to suck out murky water using an air compressor. The machinery used to drill a filter borewell can only drill to a depth of 200 ft unlike those used to drill a regular borewell which allows drilling till even 1800 ft - 2000 ft. While digging a filter borewell, the drilling is done until they hit stones. 

Devanahalli Lake

We met with a father-son duo, C Sendraiyappa and S Saravana Kumar, whose expertise was at installing filter borewells. They were originally from Tamil Nadu and have now been involved in this for the past 22 years drilling borewells in and around Bengaluru.

A filter borewell

After taking a stroll across the banks of the lake, we headed towards three other wells around Sonnapanahalli.

The first two wells we visited were 80 ft and 74 ft deep, there was vegetation growing in them earlier. Biome initiated the cleaning of the well and removal of silt. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4), lime, and alum were added to clean and purify the well. These two wells get water from Hunasamaranahalli Lake, via underground recharge.

The third well we visited was located in a residential layout. Similar to other wells, this one was also dry and had vegetation growing before it was rejuvenated. The area around the well was used for agriculture before the residential plots were developed. 1.5 lakh liters of water is pumped out of the well everyday, out of which the TMC takes 1 lakh liters. The rest of the 50,000 liters is consumed by the residents in the neighborhood. In total, the well’s water is pumped to two apartments, a college, and a hotel via OHTs.

The fourth and fifth wells we visited did not have a pump and water had to be fetched manually. One of these wells with a manual pulley system was considered sacred by the community. The first shower of a newborn baby in the neighborhood had to happen with the water from this well. It was strictly not allowed for anyone to stand or walk around the walls of the well as it was used for drinking and cooking purposes.

The Sacred Well

- Bhavana Gudnavar & Shree Nidhi G

Interns, Biome Environmental Trust (Summer 2023)

A day trip to Kolar

Wednesday, 17th May 2023, our third day at the Biome Environmental Trust began on a Traveller which started its trip from Vidyaranyapura at 6 in the morning, gradually filling itself with interns from various locations in Bengaluru and finally leaving for Kolar District by 8 am. We had a quintessential South Indian breakfast on the way to our first destination Laxmisagar Lake, 50 kms from Bengaluru.

Our ride for the day

We stopped by the KC Valley Out Point near the Laxmisagar Lake, where Nikita from the Biome Environmental Trust, who accompanied us for the trip, educated us on the hydrology of the region, and the KC Valley Project. The Laxmisagar lake is the first of a series of around 140 cascading lakes in the Kolar region, which is receiving 440 MLD of secondary treated wastewater from 7 STPs in Bengaluru. Bengaluru’s consumption of water is around 2000 MLD, out of which 1700 MLD is disposed as wastewater. The average annual rainfall in Bengaluru is around 1000mm, which is higher than the surrounding areas. Less rainfall and increasing water demand of cities, have led to overexploitation of groundwater sources, ultimately leading to depletion of aquifers and drying out of surface water sources. Lakes in the Kolar region have been drought-prone for the past 20 years, where the rainfall for years 2009, 2010, 2015 have been below 700mm. The Koramangala-Challaghatta Valley Project was initiated in 2018 by Karnataka’s Minor Irrigation Department to provide relief to these drought-prone areas. This is one of the largest treated waste water transfer projects in India, and has been adopted as a pilot model by the Jal Sakti Ministry to be implemented in other parts of the country.

A view of the KC Valley Channel Out-Point

The replenished lakes provide ecological benefits, which could be observed from rich growth of floating water hyacinth and other plants around the lake, and spotting of birds like pelicans, kingfishers and swamphens. The lakes also evidently benefit the farmers as the land around the lake were all cropped with banana plantation, crops and herbs. The lakes are auctioned for fishing, giving employment to the locals and economic gains to the panchayat, which ultimately benefits the locals. The water in lakes percolates the soil, recharging the aquifers and increasing the water table. It took around 6 months for water to show up in openwells around the Laxmisagar lake. Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, which is a technical partner with the Minor Irrigation Department, continuously documents the water quality and ecology around the lake, and has observed a 5m rise in the water table of the region. The water from this series of lakes ultimately leads to a tributary of Cauvery River in Tamil Nadu. Nikita illuminated us on the fact that the lake ecosystem further treats the water through biological processes. To test the same, we collected two water samples - one from the lake inlet, and the other from the lake outlet. These samples will be lab-tested for Drinking Water BIS Standards 10500, to see if the water is fit for direct human consumption.

 

A view of the Laxmisagar Lake

Carrying the water samples, we moved to our next destination - a small village Honnsetthalli, to meet S. Vishwanath Sir, Suma Ma’am, Avinash Sir from the Biome Environmental Trust and the people from an organisation called Grama Vikasa, who work with community building, and educating the people about their rights over land. The drive to the village was through a narrow road with agricultural fields on one side and a large lake on the other, with rocky hillocks in the backdrop, serving as catchment areas for the lake. The driver parked the Traveller inside a compound where they had made all the arrangements for the meeting. The location had a small block and a tin shed under which we sat and enjoyed the freshly prepared tomato juice served by them, surrounded by trees and small flowering plants. The ambience was very peaceful, and we could only hear the rustling of leaves, chirping of birds and the noise of monkeys hanging over the trees and the shed. We could also observe waste composting bins laid around, full of dry leaves and other organic waste.

A group photo with the Grama Vikasa members

While interacting with Mr. Rao from Grama Vikasa, we got to know that only about 50% of the residents own land in the village and the lakes are owned and managed by the Gram Panchayat. The Panchayat can auction the lake either to a village or to a private entity for pisciculture. But generally, it is given to the private entity for better economic gains, on certain conditions like first priority of fish produce must be given to the village residents, or sale of fishes to the village residents at a nominal price. He also shared an incident where they had opposed and prevented the auctioning of the adjacent hillock to a private entity for stone quarrying. He then enlightened us on various benefits of a typical tank rehabilitation project.

Further, Vishwanath Sir joined the conversation where we discussed strategies to improve the local economy of the village community, specially the landless villagers. Everyone contributed with their thoughts like promoting village tourism, branding and marketing of local crafts, food processing and value addition, vocational training of the community people, and shared cropping.

Girija from Grama Vikasa, shared her experiences, where she elaborated on the challenges faced while working with the village community. The most common challenges mentioned by her were money-mindedness of people leading to outmigration, internal disparity among the community people and lack of proper social infrastructure.

Vishwanath Sir explaining the Lake Irrigation System

After the discussion, Vishwanath Sir took us on a short walk towards the nearby lake where he showed us the various components of a lake-based irrigation system including the tank, the catchment area, sluice gate to control the outlet of water, the command area which is the area serviced by the irrigation system, and the distribution channel network which carries the water from the tank to the agricultural fields. We returned from the walk, had lunch which was prepared by the community women, and got back into the Traveller to proceed to the next destination.

Our lunch

We reached a nearby village, Pichhaguntlahalli, to meet people from Arohana Grameenabhivruddi Samsthe, and agricultural workers from the village, who were manually digging water distribution channels from the adjoining lake under the harsh sun. Some of us tried helping them, and found the task really difficult. The working women performed a folk song for us which they sing for good rain and the wellbeing of the community. We also looked at the lake and found it full of ipomoea (rubber plant), which is a weed having 2-feet deep roots, impossible to be picked manually, and is removed mechanically. Asha from Arohana, briefed us about their NGO which works on rural development of agriculture and farmers. Biome Environmental Trust ensures that the workers are paid higher than the standard wages. The workers are paid a daily wage of Rs.400 and an additional allowance of Rs.50 for food.

Village women digging water distribution channels

 

There was an open well next to the mulberry plantation with turbid water, which might seem impure to most people, but was claimed fit for agricultural use by the workers. We also visited a small house, where a group of community women were engaged in silk rearing activities, one of whom explained to us about the process in brief. We then moved towards our last destination for the day to witness an ongoing project of mechanical desilting of a lake.

Silk rearing in Pichhaguntlahalli

We reached the Doddakere Lake at Vadagur located on the Bengaluru-Tirupati Highway. We were welcomed with coconut water by the members of Panchayat, who intimated us about the ongoing project. The lake being created for groundwater recharge, has a small catchment area and would mostly be rain-fed. They talked about the initial struggles faced by them, including financial shortcomings and lack of community participation. Initially, there were no takers for the silt excavated from the lake. With continuous efforts of Grama Vikasa, they managed to persuade one of the community members who took 9000 truckloads of the excavated silt at Rs.30 per truckload and laid it over their agricultural land. This significantly improved the fertility and production of his land, and also raised the level of the low-lying land. This encouraged other villagers to do the same, as a result of which 36000 truckloads of silt had been excavated to date. And with additional support from the Rotary Club of Indiranagar, and other organisations, the project is financially stable. Due to the strategic location of their village, the Panchayat members have envisioned a market along the highway to sell their agricultural produce. Post this brief, we walked along the lake bund to the excavated site and observed continuous excavation, and a fleet of trucks carrying the silt. We collected two soil samples - one of the topsoil, and the other of the desilted lake bed for lab testing, and walked back to the parked Traveller.

Mechanical desilting at the Doddakere Lake

As the Traveller started moving towards the city, Nikita helped us recall and summarise the entire day. And within no time, we noticed heavy traffic and realised that we had reached the city. The 14 hours long trip ended with each of us getting off, bidding goodbyes, as the Traveller took us through the city.

- Abhinav Anand & Viral Chauhan,
  Interns at Biome Environmental Trust (Summer 2023)

A Tour of Sustainability

Mr Vishwanath's Residence & the BIOME Solutions Office 

16/05/2023, Tuesday 

On the second day of site visits, the interns visited Mr. Vishwanath’s residence, followed by a visit to the Biome Solutions office, both located in Vidyaranyapura, Bengaluru. We commenced the day by reporting to Vishwanath sir’s house at around 11AM, which is a model of sustainability and environmental consciousness at every level. The home is self-sustaining, taking into account the essential trinity of soil, water and food in order to create an independent ecosystem that flourishes in the absence of polluting technologies and inputs.

Mr. Vishwanath kindly gave us a tour of his home, and the following are the various components of the house:

1. Soil: 

The house is built entirely with bricks made out of the soil and dug for laying the foundation. The topsoil, rich in nutrients and organic matter, is used for gardening and planting. The rest of the soil below the topsoil is then carefully dug out and used as construction material. The advantages of this are,

• Easy Availability of the material to make earth blocks

• Blocks can be made on-site using a manually operated machine.

• Requires no plastering or painting and blends with the environment.

• Requires less energy compared to burnt bricks.

The entrance gate is constructed using Bamboo sticks taken from the trees grown on the house's premises. 

2. Water:

Bengaluru gets its water from River Cauvery, which requires 2 units of energy for every 1,000 litres (travelling 95km). At the same time, sir explained that Rainwater harvesting would require 0.1 units. Bengaluru gets an average of 970mm of water for 8 months, and a significant amount of household’s requirement can be met by harvesting the rainwater in tanks, aquifers etc.

We observed that the house's water requirements are fulfilled entirely via repurposed rainwater and grey water. Sir explained the rainwater harvesting system installed within the house, from the overhead drums on the roof, which collect and store the rainwater, to the pipes that transfer it to the kitchen and other parts of the house. In the kitchen, the rainwater pipes were connected to an R.O. filtration device, making it fit for consumption. We also saw the tanks intended for grey-water filtration and treatment to make it fit to be repurposed for household activities, terrace gardening etc. Furthermore, Mr. Vishwanath also created a composting toilet on the other side of the roof. The waste mixed with grey water is used as fertiliser for terrace gardens.

3. Food:

The home's rooftop contains a small plant zone, wherein crops like rice, green vegetables, fruits etc., are grown. The topsoil from the site, rich in organic matter and nutrients, is used as the bed for crops. The kitchen garden is well-lit with natural sunlight. Likewise, many vegetables were grown in polythene bags, used bins, and drums as a part of recycling. A schematic diagram of the rooftop, taken from a book at Sir’s house, is attached below.

Other Interesting Features of the Building:

• Energy: 

We saw photovoltaic panels fitted on the rooftop. A 10sq.m roof area with PVC (PhotoVoltaic Cells) can typically generate 1KW of energy sufficient to fulfil daily requirements. These PVCs run the water heater, solar cooker and other electric devices. The home is well-ventilated and needs no cooler or fan.

• Nurturing nature: 

The home is self-sustaining and yields a positive net benefit to local ecosystems, firstly by recharging groundwater and rejuvenating overall water availability and also via caring for local animals and insect species. A small bowl of water in front of their home allows stray dogs and wandering birds to quench their thirst. The weeds in the terrace garden serve as food for insects. Caterpillars feed on leaves and thereby enhance butterfly breeding. We, therefore, learnt that even a small step from our end can reach out to different strata of the environment and facilitate the benefit of all species that surround us. Ecosystems are fundamentally interconnected, and small actions of one species can and will significantly impact the life and health of all other species.

• Million wells for Bengaluru

The ‘Million Wells for Bengaluru’ campaign was started by the Biome Environmental Trust in July 2015 and is expected to run till 2025. The explicit objective of the intervention is to increase the groundwater table in the city while providing livelihood to the local community of traditional well diggers (called Mannu Vaddars) in Karnataka. The home is a part of this ambitious Million Wells for Bengaluru project.  A recharge well was constructed in front of the house to capture the stormwater and positively impact the aquifer level in the area.

 

The interns then sat down for a discussion with Mr. Vishwanath regarding BIOME’s work in water conservation all over Karnataka. This was a thought-provoking discussion with Sir where we were asked some basic questions as to who owns a common property resource, how rain harvesting is beneficial, the conflicts arising between the government and the local communities over a natural resource and balancing the same, etc. 

The discussion was highly stimulating, whereby we understood how our various disciplines would come into play during our tenures at BIOME. It also provided us with an opportunity for internal debate and discussion, which served the dual purpose of acting as an ice-breaking exercise and an intellectually provoking thought experiment. During the discussion, we learnt that a 40 sq m area can generate the following and sustain on its own : 

• Energy for its own consumption

• Water needs through harvesting and recharge

• Absorbing and recirculating all wastes

• Enhance Biodiversity.

The interns also received clarification from Sir about our prospective roles and responsibilities during our tenure at BIOME in accordance with our respective fields and technical skills. Later we were served a delicious lunch, ending the day's first half.

Biome Environmental Solutions Office: 

Following this, we visited the office of BIOME Environmental Solutions, an architectural firm devoted to sustainable housing construction in various regions around India. The firm offers simple solutions such as rooftop rainwater harvesting, recharging groundwater wells, and natural & low-energy systems like the root zone treatment (Biome design) placed on the terrace.

We were explained the office's water harvesting and management systems, including the rainwater storage sump and transport systems. The office building was designed by Mrs. Chitra Vishwanath, who heads the firm. Similar to Mr. Vishwanath’s residence, also designed by Mrs. Chitra, the design of the building was such that the interior remained cool and comfortable without external cooling devices such as fans or air conditioning units. 

We had a brief interaction with Chitra Ma’am, wherein she explained to us the office's design and structure and numerous other houses constructed by BIOME. She elucidated the various architectural nuances and feats of engineering that go into constructing a cool and comfortable home yet environmentally conscious and sustainable. We were told the story behind the cutting of numerous trees in American and European countries that led to the scarcity of green cover in the region and how the Tyranny of Small Decisions would impact the environment and biodiversity. 

The fruitful discussion ended up with a few suggestions that can be implemented at an individual level while efficiently constructing a building. Some of them are,

• Building the home on the ground floor, under the shade

• Usage of Smart Roofs

• Giving sunlight a priority - planning day-lit interiors

• Rainwater harvesting and Recharge wells

Overall, the day was enriching and inspiring as we saw a living example of sustainability. We were happy to be part of realising this green dream of Biome Trust and Biome Solutions.

Important Links:

1. Biome Environmental Solutions

2. Million wells for Bengaluru

3. Brown with Blue is Green

4. Designing a Rooftop Circular Food Garden- Vishwanath S

An article from Sowing Sustainable Cities - A book by IIHS;

Report prepared by:  

Apeksha Deshpande and Keerthana Panchanathan, Interns at Biome Environmental Trust (Summer 2023)