tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35144298236730879572024-03-21T06:18:55.183-07:00Water Water WaterBiomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-72850855817847296222024-02-20T21:12:00.000-08:002024-02-20T21:14:06.909-08:00Meeting the Biome Team & Visiting Mr. Vishwanath’s Home!<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/yCWUqD8o3dB-Pj_7BKpamnP7dGzqOFqTBdoemLspLQzVUHLWQULTtSXKyLzIqjatwhPmk0EJfDqUPZ052WTL-5TqzY2D8Vde4sWEiBkA0wp7iHkK0ilPad9XqaccYqhS6tZ9KMzDgLQ2MFarZPO6IEM" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7ab038e9-7fff-ce8b-b155-48def9f5df72"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Group photo of the interns with Mr.Vishwanath</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This past Thursday the Biome team of interns visited the lovely home of Mr.Vishwanath, the founder of Biome who has since partially retired after spending 50 years working with water for the government and then Biome. He welcomed us into his home and invited us to sit on his couch where we discussed various topics over a cup of tea. Initially we discussed simple topics like where we are staying, our thoughts on India so far and why we were interested in being here. Eventually we worked our way towards discussions about Biome and the theory behind why and how Mr.Vishwanath ended up founding Biome. He declared that it was just a happy accident after growing tired of government work. We sipped glasses of water that came directly from the Bay of Bengal or more accurately rainfall from the collection system above the house. We talked about the work Biome is currently doing to rejuvenate lakes in the area and the various successes and challenges that come with developing a new process like this. Primarily we discussed how this system uses treated wastewater to refill these lakes and the difficulties with monitoring these processes.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e7077e11-7fff-72d8-25d1-dc3cec43706f"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 419px; overflow: hidden; width: 315px;"><img height="419" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/rKXE8Rnf83iPt6YJksqYAVAlRXdzKBHhY8ReVDBBHFtXAp0nlRJtyrn6pOsK3jQwr4ktE4FkW7GZY2A7pstG0Dzvoc9X3777jjASe3Kaq4id0nkSLnGuNn816gIeBR9Dzx2197_KBbIW4LXo_b8XUNY" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="315" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Mrs.Vishwanath’s collection of frog figurines</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After more discussion Mr.Vishwanath offered to give us a tour of his lovely home. We were staggered by the beautiful architecture and natural light that hit the corners of every room. This was in addition to the red brick infrastructure that came directly from the dirt and clay that once filled the ground where the cellar now resided. We traveled to the roof and saw the garden along with the most beautiful composting toilet we had ever seen. Then Mr.Vishwanath excused himself to go talk on national TV and we continued to admire the house, the book lined walls, and all the potted plants. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 459px; overflow: hidden; width: 345px;"><img height="459" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/qlnFwvnNC8sy7cesjkXLuQY8Fln5dFMvK3aoftGvyuIh0DY3kY4Ej3pU6mHIFdKVbCYDLvpMeIpk_vrTnCxm53B-YwiV-sF53NEG9oLZNNHjwtjNplGL4xRp8BdDDK2NmZJId0W-8hJMa9I7hZme3Jo" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="345" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Picture of the kitchen</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Subsequent to talking with a national audience, Mr.Vishwanath sat with us again and we discussed our goals specific to our program with the University of Washington. We have been working on a solution that we believe will help aid in the water crisis in Bengaluru and we pitched this idea to Mr.Vishwanath. He gave us a lot of valuable feedback about challenging ourselves and developing a solution that pushes the boundaries even if we “fail spectacularly”. We are currently working on developing this solution and hope to spend our final three weeks here working hard on making a difference. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 257px; overflow: hidden; width: 266px;"><img height="356" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/om6fomYXFLDtzBYVuTwTZsUtgoYP0FgNe9O7wzrBog50fBqNtaJDyC6cGan5qS9LCCmduumoanaFXpWR0U-FJAopLrvrayDkGn-3cIndKWsaji85Ykp4MDLE77qQZZ63G5_ir5tdxAdMi9vZEhqTtb4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -59px;" width="266" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Biome Lunch</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Last Friday (16/02/2024), Biome had an organization lunch at The Green Path Organic Restaurant. There, we got to put faces to the names from our organization’s team chat. Other members of Biome also got to meet each other for the first time! </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We started the event off in a conference room, where we all introduced ourselves and talked about our studies and time so far in Bengaluru. The Biome members introduced themselves to us, telling us more about their background and how long they’ve been with Biome! They had a very informative discussion about the current water situations happening across India. Unfortunately, us interns were not able to contribute much as we do not have much experience and information on the topic, but it was nice to hear more about what’s happening around us. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After the initial discussion, we all headed to a delicious, organic buffet filled with fresh fruits, dal, and millet dishes! These have become a part of our daily meal routine during our time in India, but the food at this restaurant was spectacular. We have already discussed going back with the rest of our class! </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Before we had to leave, we introduced our idea for a social venture. Our team is looking into making a rainwater harvesting web tool and creating a more accessible connection between potential customers and Biome. We received helpful feedback on the idea and hope to hear more about where we can take this! </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Overall, we had a very fun and productive first meeting with Biome. Every member was exciting to talk to, and we learned a lot from the group in a short period of time. We hope to see them all again before our time in India is up! </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Elena, Ridgely, Quinn & Kiara</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Interns at Biome Environmental Trust</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Winter 2024</span></p><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-18656299955101699912024-01-24T03:50:00.000-08:002024-01-24T03:51:47.457-08:00Interns’ First Site Visits!<p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span><span> </span>Yesterday (23/01/2024), the new Biome interns got to go on some site visits! For those who don’t know us interns, we are four students from the University of Washington in the United States who are here in Bangalore as part of the Grand Challenges Impact Lab program. We have enjoyed being in the city so far and are looking forward to working with Biome.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-bea6745f-7fff-6f0f-dd63-6571ce0e2581"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 318px; overflow: hidden; width: 567px;"><img height="424.06213761880156" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/CpuIQoMf0JFMQHWhtL0yMLDFaULa5smdVVkCJshmlpr_Oyn8t_EIfTbi_IqdLEaIyEE6kgwe3Tn25V3ZRnlUIVrym7UshyJMqhlRFZzwz3gJ5OCW_X2ZeeDBLKgT6soIHZ97PjEqQJQmZKiElDD8m1I" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -106.062px;" width="567" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hunasamaranahalli Well</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Pictured left to right: Kiara, Ridgely, Quinn, Elena</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Our site visits yesterday included government higher primary schools and open wells. We got to see rainwater harvesting systems in three different stages at three different schools. At Channahalli GHPS, the rainwater system has already been constructed, and we were able to see what the system looks like after completion. This helped us connect a lot of the dots on how this infrastructure actually works. At Kuduregere GHPS, the rainwater harvesting system is still being constructed. The students in this school are actually helping with the completion of this project. It was fun to see students learning about hydrating concrete while it is curing and other construction techniques. Finally, we went to Chikkajala GHPS, where Biome is in the process of designing a rainwater system. This school presents a number of challenges because it includes a recently developed building with a small roof, and an old building that will be taken down and rebuilt. From these three schools, we got to not only meet some very fun school children, but we also got a much better understanding of how Biome and its projects work.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 233px; overflow: hidden; width: 311px;"><img height="233" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/hnNiOrfMrjIFwozoPWONb4E5e4PspWIGbJtz64PUW2Rx72OvgBxB7w_5d6Zz_DqRbhuVl6_3cG_rS25yAqTP3P-X4Uzd4DHDKFno5ttGQo4ACFV_naWGS5Zh1IUUeKvisIMpC5j47iESbUNHgQVFJQ0" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="311" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Interns and Staff at Channahalli GHPS</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 273px; overflow: hidden; width: 364px;"><img height="273" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/vosnQOuIadGOp_yFqPVuY-rpAhi6YSRdZf7U6pZRbU6_nb5nEg0TpI4KJQpftazw7StDpQ6vWdstDI5x6fAiypXaMgGffECAvsFrF9XDOdXuPrKKicIaHk9FmVD5P_Ky9vphQGkJaFflkLpQPurohyg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="364" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Interns and students at Kuduregere GHPS</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 312px; overflow: hidden; width: 267px;"><img height="356" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/Ct4i02-6k8H7VFn1ll7tMQxMBEErHR0PUlvqa-e5fKVFC9M1dV_An4TFxr9oqCUywIkPqpJV_FX8YIhlOs-2bEthahSsJ00alBmhoKFZiKjy5nBDz7T_HHr928q6R2W9nhBsuONE8HmR1dg46JhE4Bs" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -44px;" width="267" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Student helping hydrate concrete at Kuduregere GHPS</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After visiting the schools, we went to a number of open wells. The first was a street that had two open wells on it. Here, we discussed the prospects of calculating the capacities of these wells if rainwater harvesting was developed on the roofs of all of the street’s structures. This amount could then be compared to the water demand from the inhabitants of that street to determine how effective the use of these wells can be. Visiting a private well, we learned about the intricacies between open well ownership and possible partnerships with the panchayat. In a nearby cemetery site, we discussed the three bore wells that are there and the possibility of replacing their use with some shallow wells instead. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 248px; overflow: hidden; width: 331px;"><img height="248" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/N1xP1Wh-UWgSnHAw6GqVKH7Bb_jKTVvr8aS-it9G0P_W4yXCI-pR5Sa9iUVVfyVj5dNRsCwrE6x1I8PjN_xLgCHkd3_Zo2XdpX5-C5NTjbhG3n0qAdxcfTr25hSowjcBHOp4eWBiR0ibeqknjsuC1q8" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="331" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Private Well</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Seeing the shallow wells and how they can be used was very interesting and useful to us as interns. In one of the wells, we could actually see ground water pouring into the well at a deep point - very exciting! When we start working on projects involving these areas, we will be able to go back to collect data and assess anything else we need for work.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Overall, it was a very educational day with our guides Bhavani and Shivananda! We had a lot of fun exploring all of the different projects, interacting with students, and sharing a delicious lunch. We gained insight on the community we will be working with over the next few months and even got to practice our water drawing skills from an open well. We hope to keep the blog updated with our progress and future visits!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 422px; overflow: hidden; width: 316px;"><img height="422" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/yIEb1syNLBxZza0XTQCx-xk1I0UCz8L873xE80NHFlH-_oq-S42Eg8vIxlW0bBzBio1u4G9ZcGogOBFkTU7iQVGVj_LWlwszIbNMSMf7g8Oyda_MR9r2soNtBSvzdFl0PmdfV5DMMXBKUBjBP5-MLgc" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="316" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kiara pulling up water from an open well</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Elena, Ridgely, Quinn & Kiara</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Interns at Biome Environmental Trust</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Winter 2024</span></p><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-12844666527110163702023-07-25T02:05:00.002-07:002023-07-26T10:03:12.782-07:00Visit to Tamarind Valley Collective<p> </p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b94b3893-7fff-2cff-15c4-c4b41115556e"><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A Day Visit to Tamarind Valley Collective</span></h1><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>8th July 2023, Saturday
</u>
</span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The day started at 6am. A team of 20 people from Biome embarked on their journey to Thaggatti R.F., Tamil Nadu for a day visit to the Tamarind Valley Collective. The place was 2.5hrs away from the main city of Bangalore, situated in the green hills of Tamil Nadu. </span><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We reached the TVC at exactly 9:30AM. After a small walk through the greens (guided by our four legged friend Coco) we finally arrived at the New Lunch Hut. Here we were greeted by our host Madhav who graciously welcomed us with fresh lemon juice and a delicious breakfast of Idli and Sambhar. While having breakfast, he introduced us to Tamarind Valley Collective where we had an interactive discussion of what it is and how it functions. </span><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 200px; overflow: hidden; width: 268px;"><img height="200" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/6j4f9XFJ4Zl0UcesahnYhX-MuluCSneDpJ9XMW-9C4BPC8hjOiHK5LKeBkczHcOkSPOOPgSNBNv3rAJCFKjPxmA1NfgBBWqA22v6LQ5ObqiI6w4VDSgSvKoo8Fyut4VaMgulsiq9ZkCelc0a7M2u18E" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="268" /></span></span><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 196px; overflow: hidden; width: 289px;"><img height="196" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/I9Gv9-yP322MIqTZXW0ewr2NR9cjMlya-_LOlUVTrh_3IH521guVwq_Mr8gMf9CutsnfyfOo5jR2H-i_IpaIOhWTiE95nZcQx0IR_ln27xDec90iu37LcDLumCHqXQ8PYfVIzwl1wdvNVSYUna3tw88" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="289" /></span></span><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The TVC Lunch Hut</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">TVC is a community of individuals who share a common vision of embracing a sustainable way of life. Their main objective is to develop and refine a concept of sustainable living. Within this collective, they actively engage in practices that promote sustainability, particularly in the realm of agriculture. They grow crops and cultivate them using methods that prioritize ecological balance and minimal environmental impact. At present, the initiative boasts a membership of 52 families, all of whom are dedicated to this cause. Recognizing the alarming degradation of our planet's natural resources, the TVC community strives to combat this issue by experimenting with a lifestyle that emphasizes reduced consumption and the integration of naturally supported cyclical systems.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">TVC's journey towards sustainability takes place on a 100-acre farm, which is collectively owned by the participating families. However, upon their initial acquisition, the farmland was severely degraded due to exploitative farming practices. Undeterred by this setback, the community rallied together and decided to employ permaculture principles as their guiding philosophy. Over the course of the past three years, they have diligently implemented these principles to regenerate the farm's fertility in a natural and sustainable manner. By nurturing the land and working in harmony with nature's cycles, the TVC community is steadily transforming the once depleted farmland into a thriving and resilient ecosystem. TVC only owns one cow and a calf to help them in plowing and other farming activities but is still debating whether to use cattle for farming as maintenance is an issue as of now.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After the discussion, the tour of the farm started. We started off with looking at multiple farming practices followed to grow pulses, paddy, tamarind, banana, papaya, ragi, etc. TVC looks after such crops only for the initial few months and lets it grow organically for the rest of the months. TVC only owns one cow and a calf to help them in plowing and other farming activities but is still debating whether to use cattle for farming as maintenance is an issue as of now.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 280px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="280" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/yjormbPkHWleHFSMQ3ZqmZuw1Ex6tbIPoRwL26JHuVYg-7ne4-PEPmm0Yqr3Wyufm7yxROZ2UWV3m935HX2CesCVEYq5Ia5wDi1QxHODgcX6CFj5DZQTjr1DOJRJol269cfUgJ-62v5FPpYGlM42E4Y" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Paddy Farm</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Other than such pulses, TVC has also started apiculture. Currently there are 3 such bee hives to observe the bees and see if this venture has a potential to be beneficial for the crops at TVC.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 291px; overflow: hidden; width: 372px;"><img height="480.80864197530866" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/GwzAv5o4MEWxLZdnHTW_IIAx_lTxjf3t4XZmQsusMlyjG6qI6xO6VnUmO-rQ_lkU71xPlJFX1svyPc42rEh6SR5nkbUXDrpaBvlhBIIIPNb2pv6E6XQlIsOblLgZ30bwdZv5kQGSh6JAesQ2tJNkd80" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -70.0556px;" width="372" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Three Bee Hives (Bee Boxes)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We viewed the premises of the collective, which is where the living fence now stood. Earlier there was a bamboo fence there, which was weaker and would not last long due to termite infestation. Their shift to a living fence was necessary due to the constant threat of wild animals e.g. elephants, monkeys, boars, etc. grazing and destroying their harvest. During the farm tour itself, we were informed that monkeys had come onto the farm, and they burst firecrackers to scare them away. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 367px; overflow: hidden; width: 277px;"><img height="367" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/saMybNWJHUEhyvU1AlW3QR2I9CpANde0cK6tS_bpscIwdVBzId-5ynjJu8rhUYWNEJzClE3NI-7mLb0w1GdLr8NavsiiB2VzlG0xSuOJL7y_NdLAg9cYdsjYeNIo7VY9y6Ktx8x545xSCRpcUohuMZM" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="277" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Three Tiered Living Fence</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This fence consisted of 3 layers of different types of plants, with the innermost layer being made of sitaphal and jamun plants. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The collective also planned on diverting the nearby stream on the property to stimulate natural irrigation. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 285px; overflow: hidden; width: 375px;"><img height="285" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oo6gXf_F90bmU7ZBLakxIIEG7zDAE8Nb_rwYBKBVY-i_syTDGkuqH_soGfBsDThV2Cg97Onaxczv2HyZKPx5ejectONhu_utjMk20Dm8KrejxhPc49nrxmR3DS0lGuOhl2Src_koukdzqdvc0ikZ-QY" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="375" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Site Where The Water Will Be Diverted</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Another interesting fact that we learned was how minimum was the waste production. The green waste like dried leaves etc are used to replenish the nutrients back into the soil. TVC tries to use minimum plastic as well. They have to use some for their nursery but they try to reuse it as much as possible. The nursery hosts plants that will be planted on fertile grounds in the TVC area and will be left to grow on their own after the initial two summers. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 293px; overflow: hidden; width: 218px;"><img height="293" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/JMwA0AbqJuhcI6AJfPr5L_kfPmIeaACIUKH-1OVz7xHiDBQWf8nNLUriQuCFPai7_kosYawMuxJ4rPScGbjN58s-d2J_z3XbHqkK1H4mjYfouH2jQxXxGCRxrjVtO2mND2b5Ex0pngxh7EZUZgfL8UA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="218" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Nursery</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">On our way back from the tour, some of us climbed a tree house that is used to keep an eye out for wild animals entering the farmland. Soon after that it started raining, so we started walking back to the Lunch hut where we drank tamarind juice which was followed by a spread of local food. We had tamarind curry, ragi mudde, etc.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 428px; overflow: hidden; width: 192px;"><img height="428" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/rKmRSaKahJr4OCFTrDHkRZxgoTHWoImZMu48pTrjjFARjVRNbCXYvvqO30nRmkE0zAg4xCHLIOmpBxovaTQw49vDkvIPZqZaKsvdOPTDkZ0KJWIZy7n7jUx_OQJVZk_cLCltSWU4FEydS07rXd2i3dY" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="192" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">View From The Treehouse</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This was followed by a refreshing hike from where we could see the whole area of Tamarind valley Collective in all its glory. We stayed at the top for some time, took some beautiful pictures and finally headed back home after thanking our generous hosts.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 293px; overflow: hidden; width: 391px;"><img height="293" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Ob5d3XzjfBFBynPxYx1Ghnx7yM4I9MR_vW1XAukamH-HIYsU7i0APv8cjl-5LDwvcHbbR_OdS7Py7i28-rAb-vOHPL_MiU7qtX_c0e5qvGbXdP7SnWsXqRZhXzeUXyE_PHP2SMzOgtEP-zntVP-F31E" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="391" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A Happy Ending :)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As of now, the permaculture agriculture method is not financially profitable for the collective, which is why they also host a number of workshops along with stays in their bamboo tents. The farm hosts hikes for their visitors as well. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">TVC is planning to expand its residential space by allocating 8 acres for the development of a village. Here all the 52 families can stay together and take care of the land easily. Biome will be assisting TVC in this project to help them plan the village. </span></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Akshita Garg and Mrinal</span></div><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Interns 2023</span></div></span><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222021; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Biome Environmental Trust</span></div></span></span>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-22550513746819898742023-07-10T04:03:00.004-07:002023-07-10T04:09:06.048-07:00A Visit to Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant in Devanahalli<div style="text-align: center;"><p><b id="docs-internal-guid-836a2d7d-7fff-7cd9-a2a7-d9aae49ac2e6" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Playfair Display',serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="border: medium none; display: inline-block; height: 470px; overflow: hidden; width: 458px;"><img height="470" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/iOTlkggyncHrrER6DQ8GFebMIAQjKeFNcV0DBAJLnI_jHuTpNRfMrwbWzM0H4JUiQ4c637ie9iCRZvoCMUwArWbp1jCTkuChafizPzU34bpaTY-VsRM5LQYkZIbi5FHuPcXv35hj6-h4S2HR_T55TD0" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="458" /></span></span></b></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><p><span style="font-size: small;">Information Board at FSTP, Devanalli<br /></span></p></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><p>On 30th June, some of us interns had the opportunity to have a look at the faecal sludge treatment plant in the Devanahalli TMC. It was quite interesting to know and understand the mechanism behind how human waste is recycled and thereby used as manure.</p><p>As we reached the plant, one of the workers introduced us to the basic functioning of the plant. He patiently explained all the details to us and answered our questions as well. It was an engaging conversation with him. Firstly, he began by showing us the main component, the Feeding Tank. This tank receives the load which is collected by a tanker. The feeding tank receives around three to four loads every day. The tank comprises two sub-tanks or chambers having a capacity of 3500 litres and 3000 litres each. Once the first sub-tank is loaded, the sludge is then fed into the next one.</p><p>The sludge is then allowed to settle for a minimum of 2 hours where the solid and liquid components separate. Once this occurs, the liquid is extracted from the sludge and sent to the biogas chamber. In this chamber, the liquid gives rise to biogas as a byproduct. Biogas produced in this plant is used by the workers for cooking. The solid remnants from the sludge then go to the stabilisation tanks where anaerobic reactions take place. There are two stabilisation tanks present in the plant. One of them is movable and is present underground. Apart from this, there were other parts of the plant such as planted gravel filters and an anaerobic baffle reactor. Lastly, the after going through all these processes, the sludge is sent to the drying bed. It is allowed to dry for 10-15 days after which is collected. The dried sludge is then mixed with household wet waste. It is mixed in batches and allowed to decompose for about 45 days. Lastly, it is sieved and the final product is sold as manure or compost. </p></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><b id="docs-internal-guid-c6b00ce8-7fff-6263-2d5e-7670fb464416" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Playfair Display',serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="border: medium none; display: inline-block; height: 216px; overflow: hidden; width: 551px;"><img height="227.94904742450706" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/4seTPNgfKYnFQWaZT_8tlQ_1IkB-XPCTMiCsQUKKEQwW8MTuUxI3eTXKvfRUkBMvdwQKS8e-JM64dmuVhgWX2QqM0Tb403YSGT7y7v9RBhyWS5uNOwoLP6ivCv0NAM755VYXo3_T7Qkacz0W8gpH0SI" style="margin-left: -49px; margin-top: -4.0451px;" width="624" /></span></span></b></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-size: small;"> Diagram of the Treatment System</span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p>Our visit to the FSTP was much needed considering our exposure to Sanitation Safety Planning. This set the context for us to understand this concept better. It was quite surprising to see no foul odour in any of the chambers. There was no chance of humans coming into contact with the faecal sludge. The ambience of the place was calm and peaceful. A lot of trees and plants were present. The manure produced by the plant is also used to grow these trees. There were jamun, pomelo, and roses among others. Birds were chirping even at that hour. A birdhouse was also present in the plant. It was made out of recycled wood. The entire plant was an eco-friendly, low-waste, energy-conserving system. It was great to see this place maintained so well. </p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><b id="docs-internal-guid-301acb97-7fff-96ad-298e-8f2435a245d0" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Playfair Display',serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="border: medium none; display: inline-block; height: 296px; overflow: hidden; width: 525px;"><img height="296" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/V1N0m3uCzzppSqTEN0RUt4a9dWGXHhgz9rcd_syYY45N3VvyQXYXKlkSuepdfn5pcqcAPCK25uK56EGX48IGXgh92qcddbPSQj9yaVLJMBSHLXcxHLFii1JEb2sWgfAmcfNtxas-Eqmqkoqn8pg36bE" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="525" /></span></span></b></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><p><span style="font-size: small;">View of FSTP <br /></span></p></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><b id="docs-internal-guid-e7457dcd-7fff-4b34-4147-2f67ab9ab432" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Playfair Display',serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="border: medium none; display: inline-block; height: 494px; overflow: hidden; width: 370px;"><img height="494" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/K4wkSnKcQDunmawJe_8qLBK8hQRba7ag4Pp1jUg9gtSk5kLFZe4158Pj8wFUUEbI4mptPBMX1oBN9rSVCFQpgCUCdi-z6_0-6GnE7BauIn9oX6Dogl7clN68cAYHd67BkQjXt0otm771XwAqCddO0h8" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="370" /></span></span></b></p><div><p><span style="font-size: small;">View of FSTP Site<br /></span></p></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span style="font-size: small;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">- Srija J & Arunraj, <br /><span> </span>Interns at Biome Environmental Trust (Summer 2023) </span></b></span></p></div>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-34768167776240856592023-06-26T05:14:00.000-07:002023-06-26T05:14:17.087-07:00Visit to Cubbon Park<div class="separator"><br /></div><div class="separator"><br /></div><h1 style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: georgia;">Visit to Cubbon Park </span></b></h1><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">19-05-2023, Friday</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></b></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">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.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Geology of Bengaluru:</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">From the discussion and satellite images shown to us, we learnt basic geology of Bengaluru which can be summarized as follows:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Bengaluru is surrounded by 5 valleys viz., HN valley, KC valley, Suvarnamukhi, Arkavati, and Vrushabhavathi. (BUDA Area = 1248 sq km)</span></li><li><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The highest point of the city is Doddabettahalli which lies on the central ridge.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">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. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">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.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The city has, mostly Red Loamy clay soil and Laterite soil with granite - gneisses rock bed (Combination of Igneous and Metamorphic rocks)</span></li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 358px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 506px;"><img height="358" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/684Wi7xIUbYufSePRxFg3Hq9RHNQVuus6h-j9fVBqL_2q9Ipxr3cWy6PiFIbt2A9-O_Cfwjt0FVsrjXlS5OVOoLdRuBgbhiltnm9qmLA9FMWWHYQOgWFwS9o37HR3h2pMOHhVk5dh6qh7L89ymOjZQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="506" /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-14ea1152-7fff-4b3e-a72a-6058ee14ba7c"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-49ab226e-7fff-8c1c-21e7-f243ed71a983"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">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.</span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 244px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 422px;"><img height="244" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Pz-qsFtlVTrBMKC5OSzdjszVR4Ps-JO1m5Qq-12bQEaDlq6JXBLwiMowVYW9S5aP6Z68n05VPu0xVFsHoP0DNoP2Vf4ciKQHHbAg18nKHHjmzRWjRVeHdQV3gjadmzVr26cdpP47YsSU5Hn0JKFWfA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="422" /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-61b74870-7fff-faaa-94b3-892d8fcccec0"><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">About Cubbon Park :</span></h3><div style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> `</span><span style="font-family: arial;">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.<br />We explored various sections of the park and following were our observations:</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><h4><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1.Wells: </span> </span></h4><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span><span> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">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.<br /><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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.<br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 212px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 312px;"><img height="394.1106467247009" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_wylcEnkxXngxyJyYGv_7XEcuJ3BU5-uPKrOaRUfjbJQE3yUM9-fS5VELjD2smtAdhJraWM1026ptnvKWCatXbW3gwCIT2yTIkvSlEIShURvIJOeWhS7y0D9nLqOq44OBDVBNQuKoARKZWlcIH1ZXA" style="margin-left: -102.21770024299622px; margin-top: -182.11064672470093px;" width="554.656777381897" /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 17.3333px; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d4dc8a88-7fff-3f7b-cca6-77c0f5a29f7a"></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">2. Kalyani: </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> </span></h4><div style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span><span> </span>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 plac</span>e.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 228px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 302px;"><img height="228" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/eTaFThO_QndxAbFezgSmVGsntf1oARU-kn5r-Wnr3M7HSp7Jnr0DVA9wgWu0Oyv0mOeOk-dBFjeL7lbqcDfqKO0NWyo-PZYWuOUN26ItvVzgBZh-e3MFGUq7EOqoqsalMsCv4s1IKtZWnKgZJUhIiQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="302" /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-402cfbb3-7fff-1522-1377-d9751fbae3a3"></span></p><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">3. Depicting Social Life on Wells: </span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span style="font-family: arial;"> <span> </span> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">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. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> <span> </span> </span>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</span>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 240px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 319px;"><img height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/QOZlSkM1xR-RC75dRSxG_FLTOFHZPRodD0hxleMiFeqpXl-OBHnGQdLGvg856_xV8D0pZouChQ8Eyu9n5Ega02dMnjEDWb8OllBE579B7UCcePordYQGAsYDCE-tGV-yWTuBgH2HUAbMG0c1wHrNRA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="319" /></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-0d9b7cec-7fff-84fe-02e4-02ddf6cd600e"></span></div><div><div><br /></div><h4><span style="font-size: medium;">4. Rock Mound:</span></h4><div><span> </span><span> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">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. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 247px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 338px;"><img height="247" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GiPXcbeaE-_g57PQjsYEQ7nsAhLJDkbKZlF3t2QPAqctxEVKFHwnA7H8hiwA5ovb83enM3-tuW0DcQBtypBk_M8ainW9pZZWFhq8Oua--QYwmcdc9TLnbMsbioTgqiT1e5pG0TEDFrODcldT-560rg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="338" /></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-20397445-7fff-1d30-2d35-47e6973095d7"></span></div></div><div><div><br /></div><h4><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">6.Ponds and Recharge wells:</span></h4><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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.</span></span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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.</span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 309px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 309px;"><img height="309" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/HT69VfimuQJMh3aBnczygWYPjp3_IOTxcVPxy6BWYU7DCS7JwKJ7-7hUp0oI-Q73lY0sbizUrmtrta85vH0GU0LXJW5gUP4BNlPcCmKDtWhRS2Prg_9Jq3MteHiufXoCromjtgjwAjjDXYmny_4z2Q" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="309" /></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-6d43b96b-7fff-a32c-0d13-84db6a807cf0"></span></div><div><h4><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">6.Irrigation : </span></h4><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>We observed the following methods of irrigation and water management systems being used in the park.</span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">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.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">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.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">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.</span></li></ul></div></div><div><h3><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Visit to Cubbon Park Metro Station:</span></h3><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span></span>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.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>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.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>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. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">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.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 316px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 297px;"><img height="354.7014684677124" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/GmVjUypPYd7tsKtEd_UZZXEc4srSV0PbDfNmq592i_0eDVcKgs-UraB5ptLFqEM49vaw7u5y0ulUggRj0H6juL9MU45TKeF0I6GWV14IQcZM3x6zJYL4JDKbIUs87uix03OsfoJGR3zbjkxHvFSdQQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -38.701480239629745px;" width="297" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-83219156-7fff-c1e3-27fa-dbbb07ce8190"></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 427px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 479px;"><img height="427" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/gOYvW6D-Qjj-0fESU2bLLI8DhNOCaieut4T4kGbkWwX3u_FnPVIRnpdN1_k2fbKTbJEOyhmpz112bEzaUxn5TNe8Cn0USUxNkJ6-cytVGvbiNycL7b_OpAVT0n-81OnepUy-S-AjvqjFfWWcCD6hjw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="479" /></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-1331693c-7fff-e14f-a856-ae9eb6657ac5"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>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. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-51fa0b65-7fff-8901-52ef-4de17913c88a"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Important Links:</span></span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangalore_geography_and_environment#:~:text=The%20Peninsular%20Gneissic%20Complex%20(PGC,canopy%20and%20minority%20coconut%20trees." style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Geology of Bengaluru</span></span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Chamarajendra_Udyanavana" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Cubbon park</span></span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/recharge-wells-bengaluru-cubbon-park-tackle-water-crisis-7827204/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Recharge wells at Cubbon Park</span></span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/mural-at-cubbon-park-metro-station-tells-the-story-of-citys-well-digging-community/article36299588.ece" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Cubbon park Metro station art </span></span></a></p></li></ol><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Report prepared by,</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Apeksha Deshpande and Machur Kasomwoshi </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Interns at Biome Environmental Trust</span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><br /></div><div></div>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-53238024009763532942023-06-26T02:39:00.000-07:002023-06-26T02:39:04.681-07:00Trip to Sonnapanahalli & Devanahalli<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">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.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-085e7a35-7fff-5db2-d39b-866bd1f15fd1"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 265px; overflow: hidden; width: 235px;"><img height="281.3546358091915" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/F7cI1nD3ZCw-wwUHegiI3thGjJ4w0Jp5q9AocFgOJvzVofGjExERtDd5wZnTO30yjxzJ9taBhUYzFXswULuo60RkR-1WL66icaFv-jX5Vas7py8OgW2ib84feQXJHZaGLQdnVxO2mqJofxG3ImFpz-8" style="margin-left: -228.58361774744031px; margin-top: 0px;" width="500.47781569965883" /></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 265px; overflow: hidden; width: 373px;"><img height="265" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ihVOIZRyLT9rIXW7QFezm3vsLOsiZJvbUtQYTRUBmZ7-NjK5zTbHCvtTzpTklVQP-JctRyUOwmuLI7zN9gLL-EuruLML-EdccVeOohq4-TXy4bKp0NiHcx9WFhPPilcKV4yybnr5RN5r_x5nsz2HEQU" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="373" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Government School, Sonnapanahalli</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">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.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">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.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">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.</span></p><br /><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 373px; overflow: hidden; width: 212px;"><img height="373" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/52J6Jpjn5exxP1FWo68Hfo8HFtGHyyXZdEQuTwnyQ_E3LIYvfK_lEux_4c0s-BApNGZKwfikTXDlDjgxvQ2535dOqy7APV8hjiIB8DysQtthpvVsG6b9gRg-Lb6kxay5DiDtZqIhNzXZX3aRWqKADUc" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="212" /></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 373px; overflow: hidden; width: 279px;"><img height="373" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/2v0p5a3Dn4DFY9U3s6_JHqZnDQ30hD7GOe2XsJIqxjPngLyesqBJWa2uNb5HQ3u4POigYqJMbNg2KPIkfaSjFS7QiU8_3YsZ6JpguU-9aKXxmexCkDQxWJURcgtybtLt8_XCyQasJc9JJXnj2xvzCC8" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="279" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Valve that lets initial run-off to the ground, Sonnapanahalli</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 262px; overflow: hidden; width: 267px;"><img height="391.38838611601574" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/8tawYSCY8RFNkvTDUDCnwqOXdO4V1wKoUB8u-tukzBcGX0239aR7irSOsUhBhlZw9Krjuc_EpT3Mfj2dqFidxS9ATqf4b71uL12e3yCkOc0KoQ2_dv5DbIqV2xOIb0J-gQD-P8ehTwE-IUOcPHU2Muc" style="margin-left: -28.23262839879154px; margin-top: -24.17600006160613px;" width="295.2326283987915" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Recharge well</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">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.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 304px; overflow: hidden; width: 273px;"><img height="380" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/DOTDV7y5DKL1xxtV0BkcbHwFfEgyRjjPN3EfflMMncZsnfhuWhX_O9esYCGm8OfGemb15Lck5WnodtiIWB5HTqyTGkQ9GFjxGc-3x00jWssE1Ydg0LQGoViQsnYwzQhCOViKkHBOcTNE6LdFXREs7R4" style="margin-left: -13.530612244897839px; margin-top: -76px;" width="286.53061224489795" /></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 309px; overflow: hidden; width: 273px;"><img height="363.05464488102444" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/y0qfPXCZW-NDDnNTFtkVdzjm_pHNBSz_fGIK2B29IY5vLmPeqBM1MgmDs2TvuaBASytt9995unlWXg5zaksaoxTFVKXTSgu_qtDnPCck2ZJdcpReXFZ24MtFBFbwADYwA_x1b9fQgrsokEnSyVZZ-r8" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -34.514594450880224px;" width="273" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Rainwater harvesting pit filter</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Aerators fitted to taps</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">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.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">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.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> 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). </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Water from this filter borewell then moves to a sump of 50,000 liter capacity.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> 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.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">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 </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">1800 ft - 2000 ft. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">While digging a filter borewell, the drilling is done until they hit stones. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 259px; overflow: hidden; width: 259px;"><img height="295.1590909090909" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/lRE3s0Ia9dFd6HQ-M7OflbzkYdptjglI89u3imQ7ndZ0TVY7wCEiwU8lpUikYbwwnU6KzYFbX62oiW3rVrFX4sDMOWFVKvCMcZ9CRq8EX41zxTBvL-LNkJp2vAWRJXUYWa4vEsHXHdNjMBeW61Iyl08" style="margin-left: -62.22727272727273px; margin-top: -18.5px;" width="524.7272727272726" /></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 260px; overflow: hidden; width: 352px;"><img height="260" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/B0ZQm7apkJj386XwBAYJVew7uxiSz_vMRvgIAVUPORx6X_aFYKJW0_QZnYaK0yqKh5cUo5vIByzI2SCOWxvNunndRAq9TM9qfIAQZ8TvRiZay51kdsseH_rFi9V8OrVwROjsgSCEdJyjhdHCbYhL8yA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="352" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Devanahalli Lake</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">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.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 245px; overflow: hidden; width: 327px;"><img height="245" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OReG6xOWkse_FhR7oKb-AZC8ELie8Ir94yhY7QqfW3REyFkflbmfm9UyMVVnGEyKgrdzcXN5bXt5vfTdjXVImLYgIW5lCEOAWuavFKp1p4d3SJJSKYRvf6bL_CXGloChk6O9t84emL85dnyY8yQ9COw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="327" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A filter borewell</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After taking a stroll across the banks of the lake, we headed towards three other wells around Sonnapanahalli.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">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 (KMnO</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: sub;">4</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">), lime, and alum were added to clean and purify the well. These two wells get water from Hunasamaranahalli Lake, via underground recharge.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">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.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">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.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 412px; overflow: hidden; width: 231px;"><img height="412" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/I8Pg2obAHuZbjIl-JjfdBaKqxvKPcPNnF-6sG7wucZEym-nFfRIq0e29nTIO-QToZBdktcZd6g6W_DFSOUlsNulIHBMIccYhuukAWZzPFOUS3CeI9eq_3LrW5D5qWc7htwhVZEtfqIufDyTOQMEyth0" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="231" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Sacred Well</span></p><div><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">- Bhavana Gudnavar & Shree Nidhi G</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Interns, Biome Environmental Trust (Summer 2023)</span></div></span>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-22188552362314547582023-06-25T23:17:00.073-07:002023-06-26T00:06:20.976-07:00 A day trip to Kolar<div><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">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.</span><br /></p></b><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="border: medium none; display: inline-block; height: 378px; overflow: hidden; width: 319px;"><img height="573.7443866729736" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/K-arWioBICwFTMFHYfYy3OPnF0h9pXGw4yVj8KXxT3VBcOvGxjcKnHf9I4L8ftnVOrLCyzME_PAvC7fhJkGlbJRSHycypO1tREsLeS_Fup2LOt4zaAlQVauF7LFwJY1j-CxdjAk_emRp45sF0pE9fA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -131.6px;" width="430.1452270746231" /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Our ride for the day</span></p><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">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. </span><br /></p><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="border: medium none; display: inline-block; height: 287px; overflow: hidden; width: 311px;"><img height="425.80340135097504" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/WtE3UJvx6maNZ8s_42kiNKwbk2hKPiVNjXoXwTquDR3Ta9IvPJQG5gqca9ZPQ8CP1cLM-0-XXHUJOau5PuATnFqnnVQpvAAoAhHnfjLZQN3OhYh4DrT2qJ61aWEyGmqnh5hKpYwK61sAcOCb8_5MpQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -138.803px;" width="318.87950444221497" /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A view of the KC Valley Channel Out-Point</span></p><span style="font-size: small;"></span></b><p><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">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.</span></b></p><p></p><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="border: medium none; display: inline-block; height: 240px; overflow: hidden; width: 303px;"><img height="404.8651313781738" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/v5lYP7nO8-b_ABvuoodEH1jlNc-BT2DjDBlFo8vNQ9NJHS9JwFb5c6yEdU12LFzqiqzl-CB7GkeJBRkicToXWsdIdKrORUdKrmSIAX2Xd8IzcfnBQyVB54_5i_9ZQA0JDv9iGy3ThU9_wFx53YZSDg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -126.549px;" width="303" /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A view of the Laxmisagar Lake</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">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.</span><br /></p><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="border: medium none; display: inline-block; height: 303px; overflow: hidden; width: 561px;"><img height="314.5992765426636" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/l7_r6WqD2d5gGQHo-d6EwWeJ6Jh7tqVDlucn4rb1ySx0Sp6dEFkhMP-N5tjYRu3gwkRq4AEAslYyv8wuNrcEB8MSZIr2n6Bgh8FpiO6L4DgzLlgw3Xbo3-G2qGahnzJzVDEtHs0MxnvyCgNdWw_neA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="561" /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A group photo with the Grama Vikasa members</span></p><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.</span></p><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="border: medium none; display: inline-block; height: 302px; overflow: hidden; width: 526px;"><img height="342.73003578186035" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4oHFqGsh695EAv7kStKiFH-PvXBwYnb3rDvX31-RU3ONe2LFrBJFUQqjeI9NJ2COUGmA4K3yxCylZnhUx0EfiD24MvK5TxTfKNkBdoIVFhHeKc3m-86O38FB4YfbX0HlVuMA4889USr59TfbvpXtqQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -40.73px;" width="605.0566849708557" /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Vishwanath Sir explaining the Lake Irrigation System</span></p><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">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.</span><br /></p><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="border: medium none; display: inline-block; height: 280px; overflow: hidden; transform: rotate(1.57rad); width: 262px;"><img height="284.4140863418579" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/z94DGu4Ln9ZIwArudv42vYU9qImN-bBo6EIdKt_d0V5jl-o3r_QvOGp8oM5Ujv0x2qI6rBrmJdpzBw9rNj2K4jR_fWrUpklsUFVfo888mfXHtqYl6dQeyQnBKvppeNw2NBIBkStIMgG-jscbjedWnw" style="margin-left: -46.1963px; margin-top: -4.41411px;" width="380.9689874649048" /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Our lunch</span></p></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">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.</span><br /></p></b></div></div><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="border: medium none; display: inline-block; height: 230px; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"><img height="404.0616822242737" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bVRyZ-LymQe6wng7T6OO6myxvafjjhXQcVwUfB0k8iP9PgKngksyBilC7-SlJ9H-2yy6Bi6HhDb3RTvpTpQIlX9LzRPo9RZl2bYsbF8NdIZbe039Y5UsbQDngFlo0p1jQQtlJqaSpbuH-B5HsUM7YQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -126.58px;" width="538.8768696784973" /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Village women digging water distribution channels</span></p></b><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-1542bd17-7fff-8b81-eb1a-6885257bbcbc" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></b></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">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.</span><br /></p><p></p><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="border: medium none; display: inline-block; height: 278px; overflow: hidden; width: 297px;"><img height="393.1718111038208" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/NXZcEpNer1Bf99wSZfKI-gj1TVQN_W_GAK1y_X8qrqkIktBfPhs0a7Au29yA59NzdVbbTTEMDhnkxsufc_9okpCJl5fdz_usC7UqxMWApqoISybu4TQwzVd8sf6McTG56X7lb4Xg1rHz31JPBhJ13A" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -67.2442px;" width="297" /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Silk rearing in Pichhaguntlahalli</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span><br /></p></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">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.</span><br /></p></b></div><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="border: medium none; display: inline-block; height: 375px; overflow: hidden; width: 329px;"><img height="439.65062499046326" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/qPJZYG7gTsaZ3RPMqD1w1J4ALz89pmdpJvXwTcEraabKvWh9DZXTm_roLQ1bFjR4EY4hWhwgExU6axlxTtTObZUa8An7_nv7DCh9OR3t_7PWwQE151Vpq_MHlg_-OOUbDikITlPRd9crOXQSZFnx7g" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -64.6506px;" width="329" /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Mechanical desilting at the Doddakere Lake</span></p></b><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">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.</span><br /></p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></b><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">- Abhinav Anand & Viral Chauhan, <br /><span> </span>Interns at Biome Environmental Trust (Summer 2023) </span></b></span></p><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><div style="text-align: left;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-af787153-7fff-25c7-a314-fa575c0a8fb1" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p></p></div>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0Kolar, Karnataka, India13.1362143 78.129098599999992-15.174019536178845 42.972848599999992 41.446448136178844 113.28534859999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-17431134674772701522023-06-20T10:59:00.000-07:002023-06-20T10:59:51.238-07:00A Tour of Sustainability<h2 style="text-align: center;">Mr Vishwanath's Residence & the BIOME Solutions Office </h2><h3 style="text-align: center;">16/05/2023, Tuesday </h3><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">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.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8ece929f-7fff-81fb-86f1-c6bf84ff220f" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 129px; overflow: hidden; width: 253px;"><img height="129" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/l2OpiBCHbWAZLnRnajEThaYe0cYlhG7sFymbnG9u7SH0h3UdI1wjBxMBThHTsc0nQd0LVD-uLlHE450JhWxzPYOs3a-nZNstkqPtEfrtWKxzI5jU-Yu9KYj-Vw2_krRbCeXS7WCCdL9UNTep1zVhFA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="253" /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. Vishwanath kindly gave us a tour of his home, and the following are the various components of the house:</span></span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soil</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p></li></ol><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">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,</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 36pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Easy Availability of the material to make earth blocks</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 36pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Blocks can be made on-site using a manually operated machine.</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 36pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Requires no plastering or painting and blends with the environment.</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 36pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Requires less energy compared to burnt bricks.</span></span></p></li></ul><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">The entrance gate is constructed using Bamboo sticks taken from the trees grown on the house's premises. </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Water:</span></span></p></li></ol><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-faa6f509-7fff-86a1-cd00-01be46a32965" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 450px; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"><img height="450" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/C66fe3960U4L8RWTbCXxF5tnpEhg64pfmSuXZQZxWJwFlbz1PmRwxxbotvSApbB7-Hp-EmMhR8QF7ehiYHehhKUENDx9SoTIzv2V9m5ttupOL27CEL1S6ylS2MGbMY0AgnYld7PDTkDGR44e3Ia0dg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="527" /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Food:</span></span></p></li></ol><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-93e85bab-7fff-e29f-f91f-fd10454b15e5" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 211px; overflow: hidden; width: 469px;"><img height="194" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/WXkqLRqYFW1szYp2aszBtPQOARf_cMi3HHvxqWzPXods7vKZZGmT8mk9bcV4ZhZ2uEz1WCArG0p4GmP08toUhxazYZSeaIDZTY5mX9apqBkdW7nr4Jh9OrcFNM5Akq1mo-TAFCb0R0nCUEeZtgBvaw=w432-h194" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="432" /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Other Interesting Features of the Building:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: -13.5pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Energy:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p></li></ul><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: -13.5pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Nurturing nature:<i> </i></span></span></p></li></ul><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 260px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 472px;"><img height="260" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ul_3I-qZLwWybzAcPTskaQEQgbue1iqBDWcwoJCL0rkE2lFyJYAnkuVOzbwb-JLQ1TpO_97YleF-M4HDcSwGnsynymqVHkbYvSkyDq8yAFLjDqLro9-TTwhJOVojx6qQKIaxsadpEsVyi01Rak_1XA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="472" /></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fd3c0442-7fff-b87c-8d50-c82883e5b21e"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: -13.5pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Million wells for Bengaluru</span></p></li></ul><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">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. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">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 : </span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Energy for its own consumption</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Water needs through harvesting and recharge</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Absorbing and recirculating all wastes</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Enhance Biodiversity.</span></span></p></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">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.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-be79f48a-7fff-90d9-5532-e5728a67481e" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 314px; overflow: hidden; width: 509px;"><img height="287" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xdj-VXYcqKD9GT2xPaJLMUpyFFr2BYHQTKApy_4wYaMG__HkmcjsUW88DAAFjc_GoQ0zmcP-dV_keSwV31VMAuhE5WkmqZ0Jk7dW029-znJhZ-LXsqBrVh8dGtWerQQIx-x_G82D5XIeFb6Zzwd6Ow=w465-h287" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="465" /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Biome Environmental Solutions Office:</span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following this, we visited the office of BIOME Environmental Solutions, an architectural firm devoted to sustainable housing construction in various regions around India. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">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. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ed30aa80-7fff-1cc8-01c9-ea1738af45b3"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 465px; overflow: hidden; width: 552px;"><img height="465" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QCL2lcs98Ev-2DFHFIKnA2mgxbq0nbrTM0pEBiZHLn5-yA0qpZL2qsmvCdm1Gzf3pLCVn9VNHa-vHxvt5fdTz8rpA5ZhGYaKBi3b4IOIKENRdBX1HVxAx_Uhe66WDaNu5uWM2Y8CgOVzgRocWQQ1lg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="552" /></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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 </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tyranny of Small Decisions</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> would impact the environment and biodiversity. </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2c518c6d-7fff-2e19-75aa-f3995755ea48" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 293px; overflow: hidden; width: 429px;"><img height="243" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_e1paZrKjMYgBUcHJ6teecFMsdlss12CdHyQ9pWWcEBDdyaZIvGXiIQ5WZgF2JCrdp2DTG5g0DjUGzLm4erNxYFuAGUyPglhhQkfjsXotTDhTwmmLILr4BzgPt6PY2UvZcwPS3PNYTxLFsaoAVlcvw=w355-h243" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="355" /></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">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,</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Building the home on the ground floor, under the shade</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Usage of Smart Roofs</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Giving sunlight a priority - planning day-lit interiors</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Rainwater harvesting and Recharge wells</span></span></p></li></ul><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Important Links</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/supplement/story/20191125-the-green-dream-1618961-2019-11-14" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Biome Environmental Solutions</span></span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="http://bengaluru.urbanwaters.in/million-wells/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Million wells for Bengaluru</span></span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.archidiaries.com/articles/brown-with-blue-is-green/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Brown with Blue is Green</span></span></a></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Designing a Rooftop Circular Food Garden- Vishwanath S</span></span></p></li></ol><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 18pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">An article from Sowing Sustainable Cities - A book by IIHS;</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Report prepared by: </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">Apeksha Deshpande and Keerthana Panchanathan, Interns at Biome Environmental Trust (Summer 2023) </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-13000775107454572772023-02-16T04:30:00.007-08:002023-02-19T07:55:07.541-08:00A day with Ramesh<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-f8ba59c0-7fff-651a-2313-40068103af6d"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today we traveled to Chele Kere, a lake on the northeast corner of Bengaluru to meet with Ramesh, a well digger who we learned was Ramakrishna’s brother. He was working on digging 15 recharge wells for a park on the south side of the lake (13° 1' 31" N, 77° 38' 41" E). His crew had just started working in the area earlier that morning, but had already almost finished digging one well and had started on two others. The crushed rock had already been delivered and sat in several large piles nearby. We learned that while BBMP had facilitated the recharge wells, the funding actually came from the NGO United Way who found donors and contracted with Ramesh. He showed us around the area where the wells would go, indicating where soil with a cracked surface indicated that water had pooled in a low spot and dried up sometime in the past.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 203px; overflow: hidden; width: 327px;"><img height="203" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/QMfjBUOEXUDVTFLyby6MexH3C8WlgUlzOZGgNeq46yAmF1OvDv7FfeAVtVR1DJwDQzZ_quwdta432x8D-CblpRGxAY6i69fG5lh08rG8YdYAYBZxhWGidQo2_W3SPW6WHesc5dinNqvpCJad_aDj1ZA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="327" /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 203px; overflow: hidden; width: 271px;"><img height="203" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Z_wv1WQAltD75J-II1LfWOjAPyrKffugStEVR_7Uk2PPpIwCZzCqql6-UUSLvNAvIqUJR4vRN-EUwX4NKYRt4maXa4PXfPrXn_3SSDdixdyqUBihaV7i8G7SzTA3AUwQDBEKcn6bk_hUVMzgHv8PBs0" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="271" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Digging a recharge well and cracked ground evidence of a low spot</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We learned he employed 40 well diggers when he had work, but that he had spent the last month without and most of his crew had resorted to construction or general labor to make ends meet. He definitely felt pressure to find work to keep his crew busy so they could all provide for their families. He told us about a few of his previous projects, digging 300 recharge wells in Lalbagh Park last November and December and another digging 160 recharge wells in a layout. Those projects had provided a lot of reliable work for his crews and also gave him the opportunity to share his contact information with park visitors who had later contacted him to do several private wells.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 294px; overflow: hidden; width: 391px;"><img height="294" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/C5o4ifrwDvv9o3sKcSzLBjlcHfMjQP5GDdLKFpv3w2kGUZmwACDfy9Nfe64aFLnCpDT76CsxQT908dPXkRMdjis3naxBMc_VE8B-KwdiJmAsqWnRYle9V_WpGDriVIHeXsKhxNiZdCe0SjFGf_tMKU4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="391" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ramesh’s crew digging recharge wells</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We left the park and, after a brief stop for an early lunch, we followed Ramesh to a well rejuvenation project northwest of Manchenahalli. An engineer had purchased 10 acres for a small herd of cows and wanted to rejuvenate the existing well. It had fallen into disrepair and been filled with silt, and debris. The top stone pitching had collapsed and it was overgrown with bushes and weeds. His crew had already cleared the brush and excavated down about 12 feet. The well was approximately 15 feet in diameter and Ramesh told us he thought it was about 30 feet deep.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 185px; overflow: hidden; width: 281px;"><img height="185" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/vg-lIwKHV670BMoOCnyAQTTzjKsD_Su9SOSOEccKg7qiwuKmfeFNriy6q8zfk9D3hXUj__rRlcER1lvEfPk62EyDi9JBboW7uxLqN6TEhZGvlgACUgNJcTB9wk01QsHQ23o-zoi_TdZr9O9cktr9jy4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="281" /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 184px; overflow: hidden; width: 319px;"><img height="184" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bQ31FuW5Q7N18NMWu1-u6T06jx6Yg4ZYN3aGqEV_mNEwGYo_3tjQSy3s9mSyNdmqYy0M3S1vAh_ueI1t6N-5jzC84HX-NW3_8Z4v_7FPwEBSISuxYjcHMdrzWSl5KeWGxMCGQhWEL9SllTvZb0KkerE" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="319" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Removing silt and debris from an old well</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unfortunately the project relied on power that was sourced from a nearby powerline that was used to power an electric winch and a pump to dewater the well. The power was only on from noon until 4 pm and after dark. This meant that the crew only had 4 hours to work a day with daylight, and it was during the hottest part of it. They had wired a lightbulb on the end of a stick to easily show if power was available. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whenever the bulb illuminated the crew would quickly pump the water out of the well and begin digging, filling up large rubber containers made from old bus tires and using the electric winch to pull them to the surface where they were emptied before being sent back in the well for another load. They were making good progress until the power unexpectedly went out, stopping progress for 20 minutes. Everyone climbed out of the well and found shade until jumping back to work the moment the bulb was illuminated again. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were able to interview Ramesh, between him helping his crew to make sure the pump was working properly and stopping to drink tender coconut water from fresh coconuts that a local villager brought out to the well. We gathered information for a well-digger biography as well as exploring any struggles he faced in his work. He mentioned he missed climbing down in the well and digging himself. He enjoys working on open wells, building new ones or rejuvenating old ones. He takes pride in his work and wants to leave a finished product that looks finished. He also has 2 children, but he’s unsure that they will follow his footsteps to be well diggers. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 309px; overflow: hidden; width: 412px;"><img height="309" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BSF_cLz-9ap8Uo2mmyDwjTCvgZAMGUXWFSGrOivbUPgxaZeW7cWlsLEbSkH1CNJH2lQsdlFHQyysyvejTIwDShRWwGAJR2nbZAAcC67b0ALkLNwEG3mAzIMJoROWvNxMJXUa_FQj9UtHCK0873WXIJw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="412" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Group picture with Ramesh’s rejuvenation crew</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The power shut off promptly at 4pm and the crew was done for the day. They had made significant progress cleaning out approximately 8 feet of silt and debris from the well. We took some pictures with the crew and a closeup photo of Ramesh to use in his bio. A couple of his crew jumped the nearby fence to walk to a river that's a couple hundred metres away to rinse off from working in the mud. Before we left, Ramesh walked us to the opposite side of the property where we peered over the fence and saw a neighbor’s well that was overgrown. Ramesh was hoping he would be able to get the contract to rejuvenate that well while he was in the area.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">18/2/23 Update:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ramesh brought in a portable generator to enable a longer workday. At approximately 30 feet, the well narrowed to approximately 8 feet in diameter.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 318px; overflow: hidden; width: 424px;"><img height="318" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/9NNPW9jiaD9MoQwDZEqMFTiJ4PY8mIf-YT744XYpjCr9RVTqC4IKRD3RSzpaUptWYCAGZ2cvQm9fhtfixKM6RnveLWZj5TBOfd2OUq1Fjkcmtv6vLi0wHXGcnQZD6nzu9-RwADYA0fVy5qMfCznp0AQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="424" /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Photo of the narrow section of the well.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-64511642013186855872023-02-08T04:30:00.046-08:002023-02-15T05:23:46.740-08:00Cubbon Park & Russell Market Well VisitsAfter a morning of classes, Sophia, Chloe, and I met up with Ayushi to visit several open wells in Cubbon Park and Russell Market. I had seen several open wells in Cubbon Park previously while exploring the park on a weekend and an employee from the NGO SayTrees had shown me a photo of the well in Russell Market after it had been rejuvenated. I was looking forward to seeing the wells, particularly the one in Russell Market as the photos I’d been shown of it were of a beautiful well that had been creatively restored.<br /><br />We walked through Cubbon Park, stopping near a concrete lid that we thought might be a recharge well–a quick smell test quickly dispelled the notion as we realized it was just access to a sewer line. We then approached the first of 7 open wells inside the park. We were unable to get a water sample for TDS readings but we were able to lower a tape measure from under the leaf screen through the metal grate to gather a water level measurement for all but two of the wells. We struggled to find one of the wells, labeled on the map as “Cubbon Park Recharge Wells - Open Well Three. When we approached the location found on the map, what we found instead was a sprinkler trickling a small stream of water into a small depression–obviously not an open well.<br /><br /><img height="493" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/vTrOHAl2PuQ6s_dld2MSnMiKip0aOily3jeuzh9dPxlGg0axjYYEWJ8wZ_o_SWm1aGuQM7hAktoc5ROdCpJ_IfBXZBStDPvJLuep0clby4Esn3TGWAntSkKpVdZfcpfRNAyD_ICEzDfTJj9OSpwsOBE=w369-h493" width="369" /><img height="493" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fNvZw9dOWWcqNr1_PGZ6TpYZbtVxLDVYsWUjhUw2ajseq9rgET2r0V5xGWwvWwE4OPr5FOqnpZWwPp7I1zpDtIZE2ihPWVynQu-klu84GHv6pW4SQXG4n9jDHlbQraQJp5ZPl_SUNsQo1CazyI2JgJs=w277-h493" width="277" /><br /><i>The pinned location of “Open Well Three” and the actual well once we found it.</i><br /><br />We continued walking through the park and stumbled across the missing well approximately 200 meters northwest from where it was pinned. We made note of its true location and measured its elevation, size, and depth of water below ground level. We finally made our way north to catch autos to go to Russell Market. After a brief ride, we arrived and began making our way to where the well was. As it came into view, I was immediately shocked to see garbage floating on the water surface inside the well.<br /><br />The well was unique in that the nearby arterial, MF Norrena Street, encroached on the west side. A steel and concrete structure had been built to support the road over the edge of the well and a metal grate had been installed about three feet below ground level to prevent someone from falling in the well. There was a leaf screen over the metal grate but the water level in the well was high enough to cover the screen and grate with a couple inches of water.<br /><br /><img height="211" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/RPn99US7tWVS2ZgdQpNEowWRomhl6jwZPVlUZFzWj22TKdE7_b8NAz9q4LYclcGCy1R5j8BsSdJ8fJDcBSURQGJakvixV_kJANbr4WEeh082PzVcksiganBmeCoPnzCtonni1-EPnSfFu7c24b1_s0A=w281-h211" width="281" /><img height="213" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/cfQTBn06p5EXWXVdO-HbwX4RxMwaLpAQ0a65yqwKTGLxgx4c8EYeK4F9788CdmHwvzJD3aX7BbnvleBJP06OqUy9OccXxopOahRsrkKLdUzu78TVzcYK64ucH5odU6SOpc0Tpj12Lo3YFuzREXRU6rU=w378-h213" width="378" /><br /><i>Photo of Russell Market Well and of me measuring the TDS.</i><br /><br />The water was close to the surface so we were able to reach down and test the TDS (317 PPM.) While doing so, several people wandered over, curious as to what we were doing. In our conversation with them, we discovered that the well is believed to predate the British in the city and that the British used the well’s water for their calvary’s horses. They told us that it was connected to 7 other wells in the area, but that some of them had been closed. It would be interesting to locate any of these other wells and verify their condition.<br /><br />While we were talking around the well, a young boy with a large jug ran up, jumped down onto some garbage on top of the well’s grate, and filled the jug. I was surprised to see anyone using water from the well when the water’s surface was covered with litter. We asked him what the water was for as he climbed out with his jug of water, and he responded “washing clothes.” I was relieved that it wasn’t being used for drinking or cooking, But I found myself grateful that the well, despite not looking pristine, was still getting used by the community. <br /><br />It’s been about a year and a half and the well is definitely cleaner than it was before being cleaned. But there remains a drastic contrast between it and the other rejuvenated wells we visited earlier in the day. I think one major difference that could lead to this is ownership. Nearly every well we monitored in Cubbon Park included a conversation with a park employee to ensure that we weren’t going to harm the well (or in one case, that I wouldn’t injure myself.) In Russell Market, There was no one around when we were there who had taken ownership of the well to make sure that it was maintained. <br /><br />Since the visit, I have read several articles about the well’s rejuvenation. Despite the garbage, the well in Russell Market still remains beautiful, but it isn’t the spot that the articles I’ve read dreamed it would become. I think facilitating ownership by the community or by an individual might be key in transforming it into the idyllic place that it has the potential to be. Unfortunately I’m unsure as to the best way to achieve that.<br /><br /><img height="362" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/N-3Xm4dTWPJaEzHPh2mm1VCvz86XTA1cmzIF_j9N-VO6eWSIy80S77Vu2deOkIWhq2CuXi2i0XiffirkuvVeF5xWM0t1NBAS6Bl74TkBsRHhM0Mnl2GNlFE7Xy9RLpju-5wiBtNDrSytDjZT_11pBFo=w483-h362" width="483" /><br /><i>Group photo of GCIL Interns with Ayushi in front of the market</i><br />Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0MF Norrona St, Shivaji Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560001, India12.9851099 77.6055111-43.66336057212645 7.2930111000000011 69.633580372126445 147.9180111tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-86370450831042506222023-02-06T03:41:00.004-08:002023-02-15T05:15:10.232-08:00Kodichikkanahalli Community Well Rejuvenation<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today we visited a well in Kodichikkanahalli where we got to witness our first well rejuvenation! This well is a public well that is 150+ years old. The well is about 50’ deep and 9’ in diameter. This well rejuvenation will not only clean out the well, but also add a tank and public tap so that community members will have free access to the well water for household needs. Currently, community members get municipal tap two days a week, so this well will be a great new water source for them. It was very interesting to be at the well for long enough to see the pile of trash from the bottom of the well grow and grow as bucket loads were removed. By the end of the day, Ramakrishna’s crew had removed the extent of the silt and garbage from the well. They would be returning the following day and that by that time it should be recharged to about 30’ of water. It will take a few more days to organize the pump and wiring to make sure the well is fully functional, then the community will be able to use their new well! </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b0b46673-7fff-ed37-d3db-5a93c85e7c54"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 425px; overflow: hidden; width: 320px;"><img height="425" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Ati8DhEQrrha6VLUcBdLFRQHQ1tti0zyEmoUml2a5DRDRfIgFjxzBZKMOuHQRJEy5NmZ6UeouPGnVqK8wdj3aBoU0Nj42Y7kD30IVTdKavM6waK0i7BjOlUWu_SdvPLlGCNN4xo2-EwWddSi2pk6-NE" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An aerial view of the well during rejuvenation. Notice the bucket to remove silt and debris.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 343px; overflow: hidden; width: 257px;"><img height="343" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Vqiqk64vqcCh5CwwoDGdFjDBcsuFBwi5i9Xu344J9d6Hh3a5FHgG1WdILW7DHvW2mWA9r6HvPgSq4jOWolFujiEGydc8WqGkKRjNhsfTY-DiCiBVJEgY-eJNU652OJobE8nocPkQXdo_3wfIMX6XkRU" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="257" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ramakrishna and his crew standing in front of the well and behind the pile of silt and debris they removed from the well that day.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After speaking with a woman living near the well, we learned that the well used to be used by the community. She said that even just 30 years ago, the neighborhood used to be very forested, but rapid urbanization brought more water infrastructure, and the well fell into disuse. She expressed excitement about the well being rejuvenated and seemed very happy with how it was being executed so far.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We took our visit as an opportunity to also interview Ramakrishna for our well digger profiles that we are working on for Biome. As always, he was a pleasure to talk to and learn more about. He was very eager to talk about past jobs he has worked on, and also got into some of his difficulties finding well digging work until he was connected with Biome. He expressed extreme gratitude for all that Biome has taught him and the opportunities that have been brought to him after being affiliated with Biome. Ramakrishna also talked about his interest in old wells and how he enjoys the history behind them. As always, it was very inspiring to have a chance to speak with Ramakrishna and hear about his love for wells and how passionate he is about his job.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 443px; overflow: hidden; width: 332px;"><img height="443" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/2o8FgXUwN35-YgbJXxaW6ai_kyHWLtw_DcVfcQFa9RVsVfCMMD7C7pQ2vQItKNSM3iEGstXb6GfSaAuN3nar-ttaJZX_PvNiyl4KAxfEEoB0O-ldaYsT3l3s1pYb8rr78RwpcvS_AK8nsCWQcGfVXrs" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="332" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jody, Chloe, and Sophia standing on the well with Ramakrishna and his crew.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It felt great to complete our first interview for our well digger profiles. All of us also had a great time learning about the rejuvenation process with Ramakrishna and found it very exciting. We are looking forward to meeting more of the well diggers in Bangalore!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This well is located at 12.8986625° N, 77.6157692° E.</span></p></span>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-70509128618350158422023-02-01T06:30:00.001-08:002023-02-02T03:20:53.260-08:00Lalbagh Park Visit<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, we visited Lalbagh Park with Suma and Neelima. First, we visited our first step well, which is located near Lalbagh Lake. The well was rejuvenated by Biome this past year. It was previously contaminated with leaf litter and in need of desilting. Suma led the way along the outside of the well through piles of leaves, stomping to ward off any nearby snakes. We made our way safely to the well’s entrance, where we then navigated the ropes for the safety and shade nets that prevent debris from contaminating the open well. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6161266c-7fff-3864-0c79-7ba249e80405"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 488px; overflow: hidden; width: 366px;"><img height="488" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/SeLwm3IZPsOvknRdfE-DMqlvjjy_nVZ843Eb3N7UbvuAmLb2Ef0gCpUblBRGkzZ8I68DAXjFu8jzGHEMfHUYbHaVKJly1BMZrJ-DQ9KHD4l_3_tMRnCCdB_8YiKbI14uXZeoy9j2pu9N4-zxfK3y9So" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="366" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The entrance to the open step well at Lalbagh Park.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once under the netting, we had a clear view of the 25 ft wide, 30 ft deep well with stairs descending down the sides, disappearing from view into murky water about 20 ft down. Jody adventurously made his way to the bottom of the stairs to take a TDS measurement (159 PPM), but I stayed at the top and even made sure to grip the wall when I had to go down a few more steps to be visible in a group photo. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/5yT8fC2ZeSNtseBaj3YqU749mogzzQ9kI1L4HTrbglmCjdzveG3Phv3Wx8vpFZbntsw2i2gmyYXmZoEF6TwfgJy-qNmwhv-BQJfv1WZ4XzCxIJXu4p8c-LxTPy370mWgSO7mdHeOO2Advcr6pB927z8" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jody, Chloe, Sophia, and Neelima in the open step well at Lalbagh Park.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After we emerged from the well, Suma took some time to give us more details on the ‘Million Wells for Bengaluru’ campaign. She explained that two of the main aims of the campaign are to create more public awareness about the shallow aquifer and to give livelihood to traditional well diggers. We have been learning a lot in the past few weeks about the importance of well diggers, so it was interesting to also hear about public knowledge of the shallow aquifer. While open wells connected to the shallow aquifer used to be a big water source, once Bangalore began getting water from the Cauvery River, people started using shallow aquifer water less and less. Now, many people do not understand the effectiveness of recharge wells and open wells. The campaign, with the help of Biome and many other NGOs, will hopefully help to bring back this public knowledge of wells so that people can make informed decisions about their water sources. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We then visited two smaller open wells in the park. Suma explained that both of the wells were filled with lots of trash. One of them required 10-15 tractor loads of trash to be removed! We also heard a slightly happier story: that only two days after restoration of the last open well we saw, there was 10 ft of water in the well. She said that you just need the wells to be rejuvenated and the water will come.</span></p><br /></span>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-40515255626151575542023-01-31T04:30:00.003-08:002023-02-02T01:51:32.468-08:00TC Halli, Tindlu, and Handenahalli School Rainwater Harvesting Systems<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, we visited three government schools in Bangalore, focusing on their different rainwater harvesting systems. All three of these systems had been installed in the last year. The first school we visited was TC Halli Government School. This school is an example of a sloped roof rainwater harvesting system. We learned that Biome had helped to install a rainwater filter, underground sump tank (4400L capacity), recharge well (3’ wide, 20’ deep), and a new overhead water tank for the roof. The school has a pre-existing borewell that they still use. Rainwater and borewell water are both used for daily use such as cleaning, gardening, dish washing, toilets, hand washing, etc. The handwash station was replaced to reduce water loss from dishwashing, and resistors were installed in the taps. The school uses RO water for drinking and cooking.</span></p><p><b id="docs-internal-guid-60e16957-7fff-3af4-d33d-099e312f88bd" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 447px; overflow: hidden; width: 541px;"><img height="755.9024390243902" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/gygYtLCIRY9ln1VwABHGag4JtKEbzclmHErWrWy0YVmM5aIK-5BSVprnHj7PocoCNRFxWHiYIrAa7IRUVa4F63kUl-u8QgqeLYw_Hcqwjg9i0JE0Z-VfnlYyG9lK2vtUpLxmCC0ubfVq7YQL9WvXFME" style="margin-left: -27.32323232323232px; margin-top: -204.4207317073171px;" width="568.3232323232323" /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">Toilet unit, showing the gutter connections to the rainwater filter, as well as the handwash station.</span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 269px; overflow: hidden; width: 287px;"><img height="381.2742759795571" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/AQFXynzKnJmb_4ANAKm_ZoMgs6pHU4NTxzaOiVvCII2W8a65bQoPfhxQS1BujjkpTVBD1a_H1H7RDW3IYtGIE4BcSABG8jxUDPRfV1KB5BULbWkudtqTr3SoLAdSv4NEY3yx87Tn0XzrggH-QMsHWvE" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -42.61839863713799px;" width="287" /></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 266px; overflow: hidden; width: 323px;"><img height="523.1962174940899" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Z3XSJz-qPtN98i4OmJQZkIiuowD9VTVzLbY00HUxFvvf-RwqeX3sM4DawUF-bo7-haG5W7SwAhLTVOawDW51hOxznL1oX15zIlTs6Xle2R1ODTBk0Is8uNAwOG_2TZ50bta_e2GW2Xh3G9Z2NTwI9TE" style="margin-left: -26.444444444444443px; margin-top: -125.13947990543736px;" width="392.88888888888886" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Left: Sump tank. Right: Recharge well.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The second school we visited was Tindlu Government School, which uses a flat roof rainwater harvesting system. Similar infrastructure was installed at this school. Since the roof area is reasonably large, the underground sump tank had a much greater capacity, at 12000L. A rainwater filter and recharge well (4’ wide, 20’ deep) were installed, as well as a handwashing station. Resistors for the taps were installed during our visit. This school also uses RO water for drinking and cooking, but meets all other water needs with either rainwater or borewell water. While we were at Thindlu the headmaster and students were very welcoming and also invited us to visit the school’s art room, where we saw some very impressive artwork!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 251px; overflow: hidden; width: 321px;"><img height="524.7035175879397" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6fjvqDJOa6l7J22YE3q-8vFdVSosZhHTtOg_jiTlXRPaXas2CZ7BQUbTzJPR5JUzP-NpsLuTOv85Atgq18IajY3fJKHu_9Y8QEQ0lv1Od0dK854vR5vYlWWM5Mj6Vs4NGx4Y09i5KnKvlNKfn1jnt8g" style="margin-left: -24.595284872298624px; margin-top: -168.38442211055275px;" width="393.524557956778" /></span><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 251px; overflow: hidden; width: 292px;"><img height="444.32340425531913" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/dpBfXOz80MHP46nXDbO6MQo7HDjPc30YUTU1ZMQdzJiCIJEffEQHOfsn3lFBf2bKYYZgQM5HpP67-4ggonhgrmUDS_D45GCwD1G9qZnFZxIrt7abq61s-VjMvySqCAWg4Bqz_lkN_PUk_Qx6XLKa0BM" style="margin-left: -42.94117647058824px; margin-top: -115.88723404255319px;" width="334.94117647058823" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Left: Recharge well. Right: Sump tank and hand wash station. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 388px; overflow: hidden; width: 352px;"><img height="468.52830188679235" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/HmuFxa9AIX7gR0uRq7i0-B7ILFXJ0I2iH479SoX3H1RlBDR9RsSp16M_3LJY6WnJ8vA4pItNrU62QxSIe9jHE5LtaAgwmPwimnAorO3TJTMXMuH1Typk6_Y0lSU9SojIaC1nDHJoBpmxP4z9waRtcsA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -63.0711175616836px;" width="352" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rainwater filter. Y-joint shown.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 392px; overflow: hidden; width: 294px;"><img height="392" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/sPEbPNjJg7Ceqk7M4qALvXLtKZpl2EeDCVNSevv6qFdczxMNb3jXPHWXI4nOdmXB6_yaa2jlB6vd7IibxeY-aKX2tAic698l8WY71h8A6cAhXduhObAxUz2oa1M8Gndy3McLOI1jZb6LjFY0s-1lqgk" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="294" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Student art classroom.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our last visit was to Handenahalli Government School, which is an example of a flat roof rainwater harvesting system utilizing an above ground sump tank with a capacity of 5000L. This school also had a newly installed rainwater filter and recharge well. Similar to the previous schools, this school used RO water for drinking and cooking, and borewell or rainwater for other purposes. We observed students washing their dishes after lunch in the new handwash station fixed to the sump tank. Resistors were also installed during our visit. To end our day, we enjoyed a delicious lunch of rice and sambar with the school’s headmaster and teachers. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 326px; overflow: hidden; width: 516px;"><img height="686.6632911392405" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/M5j8sXHUdEZAsP7W0cxhKODk2AT6ZtoWTwED-R7qpLnpyccltce23P12goHJy4BPNchgCiCMZQObcaGA_MNus7Nf-paZeo9cyGt0X5Uq90lVvOm8Qk1nyc7JPDJwZ7qhKK3HpJCXezBCr3qQtq0L2vY" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -243.46835443037975px;" width="516" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students using the new handwash station. Above ground sump tank and rainwater filter are visible behind.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 307px; overflow: hidden; width: 534px;"><img height="709.5111111111112" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/f7TRZVi2Jgv95O_gBCGX4yDqdXuU5W9WHObBm1vXo-p5qvkzYmZ0P-oSYxtAD8cTa8vQHEw7CBfPFwrMi_P1T821l4AyTLL_k7XJzuk5AhzoOW8PPTPhGOv2lbSL3298T6PUWV9xy-fAPYwmoQufAVE" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -272.0361111111111px;" width="534" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Borewell and recharge well.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-39721499-7fff-9036-2559-409e798b1e1a"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Overall, this was a very informative day and it was very interesting to see three new and different rainwater harvesting systems. It was great to see the student’s interactions with these systems as well. We learned that in many schools, they will train students to take care of the recharge well and sump tank, which we saw at Thindlu. Bhavani explained that the youth are the future of water conservation and that starting water education in schools can hopefully shape behavior at home as well. </span></span></p><p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-32131004020185514852023-01-27T04:30:00.003-08:002023-02-01T00:05:01.946-08:00Well Documentation Near Madiwala Lake<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today we went to south eastern Bengaluru to meet with Neelima at Madiwala Lake. There we met with a well digger, Ramakrishna, who had been instrumental in digging several new wells and deepening another in the area. The first well was used for the nearby public bathrooms and for landscaping. The well was also used to recharge the groundwater by directing the rain from the bathroom roof into a silt trap and then into the well. When we looked in the well, we noticed that there was a small amount of leafy debris that had gotten through the mesh covering the well and was floating among a murky film on the surface. Ramakrishna was frustrated to see the well that he had worked so hard on wasn’t being properly maintained. He pointed to the bathroom roof that had leaves and foliage on it indicating that the lack of maintenance extended beyond the well. The vegetation on the roof, he explained, would block the gutters, clog the silt trap, and lower the water quality in the well if not cleared off before a rain.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-45db7165-7fff-134a-4504-9cddbd63bb45"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 317px; overflow: hidden; width: 300px;"><img height="399.9701918689782" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/c2J_QisQvEoPlpr_S-p5apOyoY_ROQK9tBR8NgN-B9pvh5qKGu_wdZ0-FaaZYT_1MsZaUCsO7ywltTGOodjI5lHIEoUC4urVdUf-yDcrmBPrKZQKArW6VOFNCFBsGReTrMk2x9ddMAj55mU6LmDvkDeuwb6dHOdCmG1FqQzkqEM_UGKu6HUayC2xjUNRlA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -51.2559px;" width="300" /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 318px; overflow: hidden; width: 242px;"><img height="471.1111111111111" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/UgnH2lADCuFaEY9tEc0xzsQdrTw3ZLWyddt6DSMAYvTlo9j4u7DzsIXGVdRL_uAg0jiM3-c-Xguy9rpoN43nJkbzzCk9OreVfVT8WO_lapf50WrRNGSffrwB8wf10vB0_wgF7eJh2pWxrhYZbGZmxDVkI04itj9--Ja2lL2Y03rbYTbi3F410nKz6Y5CgA" style="margin-left: -318.283px; margin-top: -70.6667px;" width="629.9891304347826" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ramakrishna peering into the well with film floating on the surface, foliage on the </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">bathroom roof that needs to be cleared off.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We wanted to record some data about the well including water depth below ground level, well depth, well width, TDS (total dissolved solids), well use, etc. Neelima had brought a TDS meter, and we already had a tape measure, but we had forgotten to bring anything to collect a water sample with. A brief look around found the bottom of an old plastic bottle and some twine that we used to lower the bottle into the water. The TDS was slightly above optimum range but the water smelled clean, albeit slightly discolored. We measured the rest of the available data and asked Ramakrishna about the soil conditions he encountered when the well was dug. I was impressed by his detailed memory and knowledge–even a year after he had dug the well. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 284px; overflow: hidden; width: 214px;"><img height="284" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/POHRPD4lpIRvroHylpgb3zNS5tdr6Ycwb5I1WVA_5rKkGPynZj3JORxSIkt6fzZ72mDByLAuXiusTb95aozHIk7KICtx1LEikZACHnS97WXZo7shdVpqLyPPp1eeb2oK8vFoLCihQR02cf_tqObZCfKWHf01cIUUC83lvC8C9UuXut99DktW8gniLZbgbA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="214" /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 285px; overflow: hidden; width: 382px;"><img height="285" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fu8DgFuilSmJ8nG_slu5J1wtOswELrmWfMR7hBcl4HGFqXscUiqvZp6t-VNMv7Jp2T2-ij3SG9bbxOyGsjpSS-4GUugDMWdaBk3GDmF5dtwZLuUi_0E1ppLcDRrdbJJmP6HHd7cGAQ-sFM1woBAlaZYVhaLpeEwlmauLTAG4MafULTDOrDrMjR-zMQ0zyg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="382" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Measuring the TDS of the first well and looking out over the beautiful Madiwala Lake</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we walked to the next well by the lake, Ramakrishna quickly passed us on his motorcycle. I was a bit surprised as he rode past the park entrance onto the smaller pedestrian path just past the park security guard. Neelima explained that the entire community loved Ramakrishna because of the wells he had dug in the area, they would let him do anything. The next well had a beautiful square stone wall covered with a metal grate and more mesh to keep leaves out. When we got there, we saw Ramakrishna sweeping all of the vegetation off of the mesh to ensure that it was clean. Neelima said that he regularly will return to wells he’s worked on, unpaid, just to make sure they are being maintained and to offer advice to stakeholders if the wells needed anything. We measured the water elevation and Ramakrishna turned on the submersible pump to get us a water sample. He guided us around a building, showing us another recharge well he’d dug. Before we left, we took several photos of us standing in front of the stone well.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 277px; overflow: hidden; width: 210px;"><img height="277" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/z7Iei4avRX5-pQHniV_R8m28CiQicX7svlcMrWRkHw9cEDg6dkqbhZfMF4zcBqtSK9ccSMnlSlk_gTZ-dGtQDUi3lcxVNTvDG9GAim9D7S7NWVWs6E2rQXrc9c3D4l7y-9rb4XYvYwyxWJjq0p2GH0jsKgJiXlrH3oRpyMROZPuEkt1yhGQ_x6esyrrmyw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="210" /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 278px; overflow: hidden; width: 371px;"><img height="278" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Rd7Q6f5r2PURkkVU0S_4vDaruosqgvIVMto6qWgRZ7AEdG-3qON2HWDGTgiE7Wc7ijo1LUbRs-zo7R3FFjrjeWLPzFJx8HJKC1MeijKLLap_3Uc8-mK1-7pXH4IB58SuXbssMK7J8ismn3gi-zLvUqvYA5BYIM2TdeFQ5tjJCozocHpjSkKy43BiuJ074g" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="371" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The water at the second well looked much cleaner-and had a lower TDS. Group photo of us with Ramakrishna.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We walked to a nursery where we saw the last well near the lake. He had remodeled it from a shallow recharge well into a deeper well that could be used to water the nursery’s plants. It was 10 feet in diameter and Ramakrishna explained what we couldn’t see; during the rejuvenation, in addition to desilting the 10 foot well, Ramakrishna had dug a smaller 13 feet deep, 5 foot diameter well in the bottom of the original well for a total depth of over 20 feet. As if to illustrate this, The nursery worker came over with a piece of string tied to a rock and lowered it into the edge of the well to show us how deep the water was. There was only 3 feet of water. Ramakrishna took the rope from him and swung the rock out to the center of the well, dropping it with a splash. It sank much further, proving the presence of the smaller well. When he pulled it up, he measured the length of the rope by holding it up to the tip of his nose. When I laughed, he looked at me and said “five feet” and indicated he wanted me to check. I used our tape and measured 5’ on the nose–excuse the pun.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 360px; overflow: hidden; width: 480px;"><img height="360" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/zdeOr9SkOHkhHDQ_3CWRlOGTSLd0CPJecaYQ6uVjQZYBTj23GyX2nkfYDzIsxP3vwZtTSBU3TpG3OcLDlvPF-UoCcmiwZeh5F1228cFgD6ouhO_6M-JF3LI8jODnEPBmAbYu4FqmH-AERl_yJwxhowkvQLNtYApoomschL5euJh2ViMYrULCv4k7THGUUA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="480" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The 10 foot well with the submerged 5 foot well in the bottom.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Neelima joined us in our taxi and directed our driver to a delicious restaurant for breakfast where we were joined by Ramakrishna. The food was amazing. During breakfast, Ramakrishna scrolled through photos on his phone, showing us different wells he had dug and examples of different soil types he had encountered while digging some of these wells. In one example, he showed a photo where the well had been dug through 8 different vibrant colors of soil in only a few meters depth. Another showed a unique well he had dug with a local university to gather samples of buried flora from differing depths. A photo looking up from the bottom of a deep, narrow well proved that this wasn’t an occupation for the claustrophobic. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After breakfast we went to what is thought to be one of the oldest wells in Bengaluru. It’s an unassuming stone well nestled between small homes next to a busy street. It was covered with a rusty metal grate and had litter floating in the water inside. Ramakrishna explained he had planned to remove the garbage and desilt the well in the past few weeks but due to an electrical problem with his pump, he had been forced to postpone and hoped to get it done next week. We again measured the TDS and water level, this time putting a small amount of water in a bacteria testing vial to determine if the water is safe, as the community would like to use the well water for drinking. The water in the vial should turn black within 48 hours if the water is unsafe.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 244px; overflow: hidden; width: 198px;"><img height="297.9914893617022" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/l5_OQV2FhguLqobYP3Ovt9h55Shi0GEixdPBEaUf-numqIcpxIJBWenoBJ4p_FURuq-KrtrSUTTOuX7DETz71vlMobtiHViAHv3PR33A0o_j2aw_Fv0D5STL6VWY2WuEhYdxiLXBGT55cQPBk4GTe1Qcl0EAjHel9HgfgiIt1mhbbrzAppym-maAm5qtIg" style="margin-left: -75.0316px; margin-top: 0px;" width="399.12631578947367" /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 244px; overflow: hidden; width: 168px;"><img height="297.3527696793003" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/cGyZxmFDlLZTHkpEkRKe-STHneWcOnpY7X7etDuA86aZ5I5dqKsqsxoigygWwYQLmuZ4js9_PKeEiHo0R0XQigfFyL2k5lot2YkGqItFJ95iCj_3loXIswHeqG_a2GkO3QQfcbxPyagEwRhVnU7-6QwqL6USDTQ2A0Do4AZ33r1nWTgBNXLYKml3QZ2brA" style="margin-left: -53.8734px; margin-top: 0px;" width="221.873417721519" /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 244px; overflow: hidden; width: 116px;"><img height="362.03003858228743" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WAW3v1ggbU8xptYnW0870VN4SyjPPOWn5e-KSwqk_zZTxF2CEcjLht5TGkIRcpPMP852NA_jTe0mbD40IlNfCCE3DhTWqjGr1_SEA5J3hl5GnrkWJqeO1rtutxAvt0e0ZEM0-WFjQKpMv3ocoU-5rziIVayl9Hh35Ai4yuE2bY7sTtmz_9CP2NSMZmWSjg" style="margin-left: -41.0377px; margin-top: -77.4535px;" width="274.66841023725016" /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 244px; overflow: hidden; width: 108px;"><img height="323.8586499906994" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/cyhdcY_0t5fHDf_9J1vibi9RUuIqNcg7AT835DQZS6sAJGhEShIfzQ8gTeuhlQgS3iKJ-zHE8QKViEHFh6a3ROF9OSbA1kxk8VfVYWz-yEOe9s6-dRN6EZqStAbgAfUNWnWxPuWQ0Hzg2IZ13Wmso1PRHkoZisuH97ztgZMq2BMvMqmZ8N9FCtNuRfUk9w" style="margin-left: -46.2413px; margin-top: -31.2313px;" width="244.1178677707336" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The old stone well, a sample of the water we pulled from it, and the bacterial testing vial.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lastly, we went to the home of an IT worker who had contacted Biome about groundwater seeping into his basement garage. The home was constructed 10 years ago and the entire neighborhood is built on a filled-in historical lakebed. During construction, two borewells were dug to depths over 900 feet, and both were dry, indicating that the deep aquifer is very far below the ground surface. Due to groundwater encountered during construction of the home and the presence of a shallow aquifer, an open well had also been dug to provide water for construction which is still used for flushing toilets and landscaping. Neelima suggested having the well water tested to see if it could be used for more activities such as cleaning, laundry, and possibly even drinking after minor filtration. Any additional water that could be used out of the well might lower the groundwater and potentially eliminate the seepage. Other options that were discussed involved much more work and the associated cost could quickly skyrocket.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we left the home, we saw a water truck delivering water to homes just up the road. It was fascinating to see multiple different water issues all in one small area: dry bore wells, flooding basements, and a lack of available water requiring the truck. It was a fitting finale to a day where we’d seen wells in various stages of maintenance being used to manage water sustainably in several different ways. I think we all gained a greater appreciation for some of the water problems facing Bengaluru and some of the solutions being implemented.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before we said goodbye to Ramakrishna, I asked about worker safety. How does he check for bad air before descending in a well? He explained they lowered a lit candle, if it stayed lit, that meant there was oxygen and it was safe. I also asked how he ensured that the wells won’t collapse on his crew as they are digging. He replied that well diggers understood the stability of the soils that they work in. They could tell which soils risked collapse and which were safe. They know the geology of the areas that they work in to such a degree that they can generally anticipate if a well can be dug safely and even provide an estimate as to the depth of well needed to reach groundwater. He mentioned that they appreciated harder soils even though it required them to use heavy metal bars to break up the ground, as it meant the soil wouldn’t collapse.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I find myself wondering how we can best capture and record all of the information that the well diggers have. Their knowledge of the different soil types, the geology under Bengaluru, the understanding of how and where groundwater flows under and through the city. How can their experience be shared with others working in the field to maximize efforts to bring about sustainable solutions that can be used to solve the problems that we are facing. The amount of expertise that is available is staggering, and it would be a waste to not take advantage of it or, even worse, lose it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A water sample was taken from the old well at 12°53'55.2"N 77°36'56.8"E and used for a bacteria test:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikI_rzh9AJ8gMCRoujlhgUwRbG8tF2D8pPdstAyPOWjM8fVpuyzjsfkMrhJao0nuBZgbm3KMfGV0H5vFs6l8kgxdTm8PSyxO4AhF52xO3si1sTb5ppHDJKj_eiVfRTUI1zGasditn0Mt7znsm02O3GiSXcSuWm39frrh8VvQ-2DzFRhkKwcfubzmmH9A/s2048/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-02-01%20at%2012.40.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikI_rzh9AJ8gMCRoujlhgUwRbG8tF2D8pPdstAyPOWjM8fVpuyzjsfkMrhJao0nuBZgbm3KMfGV0H5vFs6l8kgxdTm8PSyxO4AhF52xO3si1sTb5ppHDJKj_eiVfRTUI1zGasditn0Mt7znsm02O3GiSXcSuWm39frrh8VvQ-2DzFRhkKwcfubzmmH9A/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-02-01%20at%2012.40.46.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i>After 48 hours</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbr7-qzIcxIE1ilFs08T7oE1BCMMmSx4MErJMo_Bq0DJ23UYQhwO25o1DbKg9hM33obrjGFo-V1Yy8iZdwEyW1AihgOZ5BYieh2InsdJnkTrIHsNQcV5n3RMRIpl34SjxX_XP_1XWBWImXYC2S7N2pZuhbZP5jiliwXIX8Wwnyx7F68nFvt3siwKvWA/s2048/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-02-01%20at%2012.40.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbr7-qzIcxIE1ilFs08T7oE1BCMMmSx4MErJMo_Bq0DJ23UYQhwO25o1DbKg9hM33obrjGFo-V1Yy8iZdwEyW1AihgOZ5BYieh2InsdJnkTrIHsNQcV5n3RMRIpl34SjxX_XP_1XWBWImXYC2S7N2pZuhbZP5jiliwXIX8Wwnyx7F68nFvt3siwKvWA/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-02-01%20at%2012.40.47.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: left;">After 72 hours</i></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0Madiwala Lake, Bengaluru, Karnataka12.9046136 77.614948-15.405620236178846 42.458698 41.214847436178843 112.771198tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-90434335191591289752023-01-25T04:30:00.008-08:002023-01-30T03:54:48.548-08:00School Rain Water Harvesting System<span id="docs-internal-guid-3967ab0e-7fff-3677-d3d4-1254a428e4c6"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, Chloe and I started out the day by meeting Rakshitha at Sonnappanahalli Government School. We jumped right into learning about the rooftop rainwater harvesting system that had been installed by Biome. This system starts out by collecting rainwater from the roof of the school, which is then fed into a pipe system that leads to a Y-joint. The Y-joint allows for rainwater from the first rain that may be contaminated by debris on the roof to be diverted to a reject pipe. After the first rain, once the roof surface is clean, the rest of the water is directed through the other arm of the “Y” to a filter that directs the rainwater through three layers of filtration media: larger stones, charcoal, and smaller stones. After filtration, the water flows into an underground sump tank with a 12000L capacity. Rakshitha explained that this capacity is determined by analyzing annual average rainwater volume. The water in the sump tank then goes into a recharge well that is 4’ in diameter and 15’ in depth. Upon inspection, the recharge well seemed to have very clear water! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 429px; overflow: hidden; width: 321px;"><img height="429" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ywj53roFzZ-TX4VFvNclqHcw9rEEFGcsExMm3EzplyyDBMLAjFOvMkJE_f7z7dJ6SmOkwS6hmZFsRADGGLW_bhu2vdFg__1G6b3CG230sDUbI2kOemgv7_LRmMV5twH02pBPm5tufaciBjGWwgK1ytap3mDp2As9FUJp4J-VU-10a3spSv8MK07yrdWU2Q" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="321" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The rainwater harvesting system’s Y-joint and filter.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was very exciting to see a rainwater collection system in use and Rakshitha was very detailed in her explanation of the system. We also learned that before the rainwater system was installed, the school was facing water scarcity and was getting water from tankers, which is quite costly. Currently, the school uses water from the recharge well for washing dishes, gardening, and other cleaning uses. The rainwater would be safe for drinking if it were boiled, but the school still uses reverse osmosis water for drinking purposes, as do many peri-urban areas of Bangalore. The water collected from this rainwater harvesting system is currently meeting the school’s needs for about 100 days out of the year. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I loved being able to see the implementation of a rainwater system and it was very fascinating to see how the school uses it. It made me very excited to visit other schools next week and see how their rainwater harvesting systems have been implemented and how they are using them. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After a nice lunch, we headed to an open well nearby. To our excitement, Mr. Shankar, a well digger who we had met briefly the previous day, was at the well we were visiting. This was quite a nice surprise, as he was very eager to share information and insights about the well. This was probably the largest well I had yet seen, at 25’ in diameter and 65’ in depth! Mr. Shankar passionately showed us many aspects of the well, including two small spouts of water entering the well from the shallow aquifer, which demonstrated that the water table was rising above the well’s current water level. This well is currently providing water to a nearby hotel, college, and a couple of apartment buildings, with plans to also pump water to the nearby village, consisting of about 200 residents. We then traveled a few hundred meters away to another well of similar size. To Chloe’s, Rakshitha’s, and my horror, Mr. Shankar immediately began walking around on top of the metal grate covering the well opening. After some words and encouragement from Mr. Shankar and his jumping up and down to prove to us the structural integrity of the grate, we joined him on the grate for a photo. I can now say that I have stood on top of a 100 year old well! </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 295px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="295" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Oz-PB_Mepi3AWJDwjRhxkA4x2lamzvqaO_XDRw71yZs1-4UMWFZIDpQtArCwxloY9gPpwuWEDa3ddkXHix1SGxO9kznvpE5NTu1E2Y8PB1iz2RSjs2OJyN1xtifnERLSwS2oR4-1fG-iNngXh6EuHvABirgc0cbfT3ABnHxdD9H9Mu7oTRdg8aQpL9mahw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chloe, Mr. Shankar, and I on top of the second open well we visited.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the combined knowledge from Rakshitha and Mr. Shankar, I learned lots and am looking forward to more visits like these. It was very inspiring to spend time with Mr. Shankar and see how undeniably passionate he is about his work. This last open well visit wrapped up our first Wednesday with Biome, and I couldn’t be more excited for the many days to come! </span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0Sonnappanahalli, Karnataka, India13.2955428 77.56910640000001-15.014691036178846 42.41285640000001 41.605776636178845 112.72535640000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-72703015242331893372023-01-24T04:30:00.006-08:002023-01-27T23:32:28.989-08:00Devanahalli Kere Lake Water Treatment Plant and Sir M. Visvesvaraya Rain Water Harvesting Theme Park<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">On January 24th, the ground breaking ceremony for a new water treatment plant occurred along the bank of the Devanahalli Kere Lake. Rotary Club members, ZEISS employees, village locals, Biome members and many more joined together to celebrate this momentous occasion. Although we faced a bit of a struggle to find a cab in the morning, we arrived in time to catch all of the proceedings. In a mix of Kannada and English, several stakeholders took time to communicate their excitement for this project and their gratitude for all those who took part in making the project possible. Avinash took special care to introduce Shankar, a traditional well digger who had helped rejuvenate the well that was to be the source for the new water treatment plant. Next the local priest led a puja, the ground was broken, and the festivities concluded in a round of handshakes and warm goodbyes. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ac9feb0d-7fff-c17e-9755-20480e566b10"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Cr6O7EsipmV2Q6OkzV1HdJMgkPrcGnYYbzrs5YTl1zjDQYkhbI4Q-1oLoUZnNwMgeucHBWYHeWQQYmQ4XRZH-CoLCos-GXfUg318vdm0PthyO3wzOGdCufUnETAGUzKBRQq1Mrg3UseFqYF2IdmaxGD0dmr5ClEyHT5KVxTh0ZXRWS7gdl5UXN1Zu1jubg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Several stakeholders pose for a photo to commemorate the day.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/VuW5uAwO1Zm710_FMonZfGYK1X6KpZUL-jGvqwlAdQ8MK13SBkAyP-_xUzJkHj0xHrp244kVRC18p4r59WL-7ySTe407gVKPzL6QJFcvQ6COlwgwOGOPqOMQj2Z-wLvg1TaM0PELvOpEd4o8qlnjhxNOyRJV1MVRC-vC3DQL0lm-MZ--DBPXpTw8f24XfA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Rotary Club member literally helps to break the ground to signify the start of the water treatment plant. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Afterwards, Shivanand and Avinash took some time to make introductions and provide a little more context for the day's proceedings. Then, we walked towards the residential area of the town and Avinash shared about the sewage flowing in the storm water drain and the farmer’s use of it. It was an interesting discussion about the importance of facing water issues as social issues, and favoring infrastructure lean approaches to such problems. Following our discussion, Avinash suggested we use the rest of the afternoon to explore the Sir. M. Visvesvaraya Rain Water Harvesting Theme Park made by Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We traveled south back into the city, stopping for lunch before arriving at the theme park. There, we were warmly greeted by Mr. Nikhilesh. Once a group of students from a local college arrived, we tagged along with their tour of the impressive park. The outdoor section of the park included examples of various types of rainwater harvesting infrastructure including groundwater infiltration wells, first flush bypasses, and various methods of catching rain from a roof. Inside, two different exhibits educated us on water and sewage management through life-size displays. We ended in a comfortably air conditioned auditorium where we watched an admittedly dated but informative video on Bangalore’s main water source: the River Cauvery.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 392px; overflow: hidden; width: 523px;"><img height="392" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/0JQfdZFlJzezjfs4i5oPAttuOfYhzjqOP_6Iv1mna--_49d22l_VYVtp6IZQ-DOL1UPP_orlCT5QpbSuMD8mRi11QnjV2KwhgsmBfdUvOak86_gcP9sVMzJGuUHJEXm_MT59Hq97ge1ZIGTF-w54k9DBKdgHZnGvxcQ7b6YAWlB81sGCyhGLpMBHUneLoQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="523" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The exterior of the park included pervious pavers, sloped and flat roofs that collected rainwater and various storage tanks.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 526px; overflow: hidden; width: 550px;"><img height="731.9999999999999" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/MaQy4jDE-EB2UBdES53j1M9bZ9ha0YLhcDgd1Sf_2aijYERMYWZRNUDpZ_PtRKja_PB2B1Qwrdj3-LAwBp8Q33GjjcvSO2gcWxhAAlFuCzU153yG4iNr2ELfVGTNvqAGl_H8dK-FVtyF6VrSz03nw_SbSxW1DxglYw1PoY2zAvW9F6aGw3ES1SVtyJDd6g" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -115px;" width="550" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cross section of a sand filter, a popular filter device for roof captured rainwater before entering a storage tank.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 423px; overflow: hidden; width: 564px;"><img height="423" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/6_78AF2HxXg_8mzEXSe1WWUXIqh6ziUEYaUAGpcQmHIAE6iTe837KWHOV2lnHIX6qa07kCuUsx7SXESwXeLLS-kdlgZBDCnTT1tuozH90Fkjj7JL2HvAzgjlPqMYk6BHVwXW470s8cjpWmQgqXGzBHPblkj24WSUgpxa6-VZIc0HWTm-UQIqB1zaCvdbJw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="564" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A comparison between three taps: normal, aerator and flow restricted. Each ran for 1 minute and the volume of water spent was measured.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Overall, the schedule of our day kept my mind very occupied and supplied much to chew on. The morning’s ceremony made me more aware of how many people can be involved in a single water project. Our discussion with Avanish challenged my typical outlook on water problems and their solutions. Our time at the rainwater harvesting theme park made me curious about the degree of implementation of such infrastructure throughout Bangalore and what the possible delays in widespread adoption are. There is still much to learn, but today was a great continuation of our education with Biome!</span></p><br /><br /></span>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0Devanahalli kere, Karnataka 56211013.2517241 77.708364199999991-15.058509736178845 42.552114199999991 41.561957936178842 112.86461419999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-83630589228759300352023-01-23T04:30:00.008-08:002023-01-27T23:53:39.119-08:00Kalkunte Lake Rejuvenation<span id="docs-internal-guid-340f577e-7fff-2e7d-f4ae-01f9b076498d"><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today was our first official meeting with Biome Solutions. We are all excited to be able to work with them for the next 7 weeks. We’ve been in India for 3 weeks as part of our study abroad program with the University of Washington in America. During this time, we’ve been learning about design thinking, entrepreneurship, and exploring the complexities of problem solving in a social context. We’ve also gotten to meet with several organizations that are doing incredible things in and around Bengaluru including a brief introduction with Biome during a tour of Lake Jakkur led by Suma, Priya, Neelima, and Nikita that showcased the rejuvenation of the lake, the fish farming practices, and some of the potential problems and solutions associated with many of Bengaluru’s lakes. </span></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today’s visit focused on Kalkunte lake, which lies on the edge of the rural village of Kalkunte Agrahara, east of Bengaluru. We started by visiting an </span><a href="https://goo.gl/maps/bWdE89atGLP7THyh6" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">open well near the lake</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> which, although covered with a metal grate, still had a layer of solid waste floating on the surface. It didn’t have an odor like we’ve smelled in other wells, which we were told indicated that it wasn’t being contaminated by sewage.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 269px; overflow: hidden; width: 346px;"><img height="425.1801806779902" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OvonkV2hBPYqXiJ2uJ-A3hXZkdE3zZYYiUqNND6R1ezwjIu-85XAHoF8jOIpm6VTuJiZ6o4LnCMyFx6yIRgAnjWt5wifnH0CQEaUpKXqLxf15wROscgVoNxORVc9l5eJ_x_D6IuDVfblDFUpNXt2QwRSNushgEJvhzoEpA2yQ1Oxm2lEaqakvieEDMiZjA" style="margin-left: -85.6321px; margin-top: -41.0659px;" width="564.441986107538" /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 269px; overflow: hidden; width: 245px;"><img height="326.89735099337753" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Hldd8nX9Jw9NxlnKkyzWhbSPt9ball-baNd5d4zU50XGZjz8_2eya0QFNZh7_4KzHW22LnqtjaCtjcTcXSLi6eRRWnUOoTOgceavQ8SzE4AlSTWMvpDO0MLx0Vif72Kun17QYkHoIiSwfR-uC2cG_41gWywgoTIFdxymG_I7656ZdDNGayW0nqcQ9adFFg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="245" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first open well we’ve visited with Biome.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We then walked along the bund on the south side of the lake. During our walk we learned about the lake and some of the issues facing it. The lake is artificial, at least 300 years old. It is 28 acres and has 1 outlet and 3 inlets, one of which is fed by another lake. The outfall flows into the river Dakshina Pinakini. There used to be a sluice gate that was used by farmers below the bund to farm approximately 30 acres of rice, but it was inoperable and appeared to be sealed closed. There is no known sewage flowing into the lake. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was thought to be some encroachment in some areas of the lake. The lake had not been rejuvenated within the known history of the village. It has recently been cleaned up to remove solid waste but still needed to be desilted - which was evident by how shallow the lake appeared to be despite how high the water level was. There was significant farming activity on all sides of the lake. Areas of the bund that were steeper showed significant erosion on the upstream side. Locals said that the lake had never been full that they could remember and it would dry up completely in the summer months prior to 2018. Now that it has water in it year round and fills up completely in the rainy season, they wanted to see it rejuvenated. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 294px; overflow: hidden; width: 391px;"><img height="294" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ckc0OnsZZy2U6gbdjUcl6OE1H0HVPnnbI1AYO4uUeY_tqrkFc8Qmvi3vQdlYmI0_qZyeCvDknfi8t7-NNy_1ErGzVsdBSaunqz4kwfKLD5nNgWsX5Jyh23Nq68FtqmonM4nlq7jBHI7avNrcpzqexgiWMpSsP0nC-ZL0y3S7HyxIXlSuawHaA5EJFCaqqg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="391" /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 296px; overflow: hidden; width: 222px;"><img height="296" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mn4-JiIXRXrEzcqEU7Gh5hfpcr3QIqMUFohM4fs7QfOry37GOai1bC3-NryevAq47bUFBeopfsfN79HYEF7zBkVWjjQWVXntD7XgieYgXgwsDiOJLmrvkv7JqOo9xPzDcPpZ_x7-tRYL0ecPpX9cQLwQZSdUv0P-bCr1SssjVitZBmYwXPAGTh_tdSGD5w" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="222" /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">View of the lake from the west and east (by outlet) ends of the bund</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We met some of the farmers who lived alongside the lake and they showed us the location of a well that they had historically used for agriculture. It was overgrown and had branches that had fallen in it. They explained that when the lake was dry it also dried up and they had started using water from a bore well instead and the well had fallen into disrepair from disuse. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We learned about the planned rejuvenation of the lake which will start with the cleaning of all three inlets. The rejuvenation will continue by building a temporary bund to divide the lake in half and desilting each half of the lake separately to remove a total of 4800 cubic meters of material and increase the current water storage capability by approximately 48 lakh (or 4.8 million for those new to Indian numbers) liters. The bund will also be built up 2-3 feet and areas that were being eroded will be reinforced with stone pitching as needed. Finally a stone or concrete wall will be erected around the lake to protect it from waste being dumped and from encroachment.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the tour of the southern edge of the lake, we drove into town where the rejuvenation community meeting was being hosted at Kalkunte Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple. There community members including a member of the local Grama Panchayat, funders, NGOs and even children from a local school came together to learn about the rejuvenation project. The meeting began with a delicious breakfast provided by the temple. We then proceeded upstairs into a meeting room setup with a projector where a Pūjari gave a Puja in Sanskrit followed by every person present introducing themselves. The school children were asked how they felt about the lake and we heard their responses. It was obvious that the entire community, even the children, cared about the lake. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The majority of the rest of the meeting was done in Kannada and we were grateful for the translator that had come with us who was able to take notes throughout the presentations and explain what was said after the meeting concluded. Most of the slides used both Kannada as well as English which helped us follow along. The meeting continued by introducing Biome and another organization Arohana, that is “working towards women empowerment, environmental protection and development of rural education.” Arohana has already done a similar rejuvenation project in other lakes. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We also heard from one of the Rotary clubs that are sponsoring the rejuvenation project. The Rotary clubs were also helping the temple build a new room and helping the local government school upgrade their facilities and education. The members of the Rotary that we heard from talked about growing up in the community. While they no longer lived there, they still held strong ties to the community and returned for events and festivals and obviously desired to give back to the community they came from. The meeting covered the lake rejuvenation benefits, discussed possible options, and even covered a variety of water conservation methods that we all could be doing to live more sustainable lives. We finished the meeting with several group photos before returning to the ground floor for another amazing meal.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e1ba79d6-7fff-11ae-bbc7-25620b560c46"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 285px; overflow: hidden; width: 214px;"><img height="285" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/fYsmqrQa5Cjn9gguTQlOMKlNEd5d7mf_zgY76uP24CU0O1ARvltrqbwZHOMqURwQb156JNw3r6Wklak2uSPJcmdKlwPZY4c1QwqWij1QVKHoR0xq9okaws7rusfrRsvfHXKXuspOcgwlzbS8P5Lk08LFVpAVvaq8zSsSC6Vcvmrqclu6R3tjitP4FmKm1Q" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="214" /></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 286px; overflow: hidden; width: 382px;"><img height="286" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/KWFbaNE-i8qmGSuXpO0R3H8i7ZhfSWprZ-cDthaiJmHQuCINVd48j5I72CpAKYQjMFACGK_1bLU1J9YXYQpEwgmfbxxLtFdy2NvpOB_vYN0Acd5yaMDtSnycNPre7oBf8N1CWYZQ2mtBtGriviD3GT6dv3X2QTMelKJGeHYCwiZHiSdRc4BXrVff_4Pbgw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="382" /></span></span></span><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Rotary International’s project sign and one of several group photos taken for posterity.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We finished the visit by talking with Biome about what projects we might be working on over the next 7 weeks. We could potentially be developing methods to teach children in schools about water sustainability topics, teaching schools about rainwater harvesting methods, helping with documentation for rainwater harvesting infrastructure that’s already been installed, inspecting hand dug wells all over Bengaluru to monitor water levels, cleanliness, and meet with the well diggers, or continue to work on the project we visited today to determine the total catchment area of the lake and monitor the rejuvenation process. We are all excited to see what the coming weeks will bring and are looking forward to meeting more of the Biome team and learning all that we can from them while contributing to what is being accomplished.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 550px;"><img height="521.0610263149989" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/RXHKK7dQM50fhP3L7j0WAdavqIVjZEXK8EZg_6UnQvVdK8POQl4RkAnaxHC5_PDUU21CD33CrEsyDnQgB_09m_DjN1mVwuc-JdaQiNqIKT5WtQpxGqK_SjbbXaCg-s2Qpnwm9ShJ4ZSz6cvo_Vyv2elGW4TIs5w5gqQLEhbNt6YH4g6CL2GCcFbLW68gFg" style="margin-left: -38px; margin-top: -69.8231px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Map of Kalkunte Lake</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 294px; overflow: hidden; width: 454px;"><img height="521" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/vMlpv86BcctGEe5wNs10lsiHt2W2xNcCPRe3HEnQhIfuLdDUl1LCNGhkuot67wbkfGxnBAdqPq7GJULTDWkM35ZydnrVNsYKYRldK9Qhoj_j4kwd7OILDjgdmHop2Lr6fDnS3wWxXwpLcLVTrCr9Bxd0ai-HVzmZFzveaclyY3omFE-driJspQEYy-Icjw" style="margin-left: -67px; margin-top: -67px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Detail of Eastern end of lake</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0Kalkunte Agrahara, Karnataka 562114, India12.9326346 77.8405738-15.377599236178845 42.6843238 41.242868436178846 112.9968238tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-79871009841197985522022-09-18T08:21:00.000-07:002022-09-18T08:21:02.710-07:00BioBlitz<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT) conducted a BioBlitz on the 17th of July at Puttenhalli Lake in JP Nagar's 7th Phase. </span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PNLIT has been actively working towards the rejuvenation and maintenance of Puttenahalli Lake since 2010. In an attempt to raise awareness about lakes in Bangalore, they have conducted workshops and events including nature journaling, educational trips and guided bird walks. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The lake was rain-fed up until 2015. Later, arrangements were made to divert excess treated water from South City’s STP. They have a small wasteland built to filter the water coming from one end of the lake. In 2008, the lake was a marshy dump yard. Due to the combined efforts from BBMP, PNLIT and corporate volunteers, Puttenahalli Lake has now gained recognition as an </span><a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L2583597" style="text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">avian habitat</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> with over 60 species of birds found in and around the lake. Over 400 trees surround the lake which provide a habitat to many species of fungi, lichens, birds, insects and small mammals. The lake teems with fishes, crabs, water snakes, etc.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-44c68af6-7fff-9b92-4eca-152404f9f905"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 266px; overflow: hidden; width: 580px;"><img height="266" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ByUEsHhXW2kF0mVDBWiMHy-emhXoYPKbZTLcnFZbywxY3wOs4zyXmfL1TEu0e4_3lnHiDjcZ9t9YJXbobXLp7Z_bLXp5gvqYO0R3U27x1f83vnO8XLHHxZDZDmhfHuK2BJwyZhQDNp3iAXYLDYFKsIFND_P2zhO2PUoZujAfflisZOt-SeEs-v2GdQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="580" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The BioBlitz event was led by avid birder and biologist Dr. Kaustubh Rau. A group of students and nature enthusiasts were present for the walk. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A BioBlitz is a way of creating a biological inventory to get an overall count of the plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms found in a specific region. The inventory can also aid in timeline study to plot the biodiversity.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 282px; overflow: hidden; width: 129px;"><img height="282" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/7XNFBWz7iW_m17H1sSudmEt5rUnoKh7PhlPP13Qk3ZeYlAzrUW_eg1l_Q5YayX305eGD4VUbYVSN4Mkj9NMJbkQzfJOBd2P1GptekBMV1jOYOaLTq5T69JfO4U2ToLnx8PQ9auJouE2XiClsPkJZag5fFHZrj-ILbxs_cXLN-teZkVcF3urRNVuiBw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="129" /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 280px; overflow: hidden; width: 130px;"><img height="282.36307213118505" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/S8ZiP5YP2r33gJb86NjrR71Hr-WsI8Gqg9chLBr3mKQSLSmSh1e9vIrgW-Kbr6o72XW_PJ6gyTXxLzsZe9sfyuAjsRydnzAn5y8FhWr4topiwUmWDtrHTo8vWbMqZHa5DVx3pO2FR2EtuDVhSuMY7iH0MAhaQFI3cm96GdvyGH6fKTqWd7aQyEq9Jw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -1.18154px;" width="130" /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 282px; overflow: hidden; width: 130px;"><img height="282" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/bCIOg199nboVgqhOG0ZRCXmet0Zv7-SaPJcnAY2Yxb5khsM4esM2v10olnh6syOvEdYpqdTm0a0LC8ekEXqz_pfRGbgFBORA4oUkOBSQkSv75l_43S_W-gR3kWyj-u_mr1o_Cdb0Em056Id07lUi5XzCudlfuQ3wrVCcnHSW-WItiL9XGKvv73fvag" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="130" /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 282px; overflow: hidden; width: 130px;"><img height="282.46938823807835" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/WF3xHzVi1y5hFAF1zfPLBZGp1D3mEBoEJSfy6mf9TLg7WmbSPy0q7_lIDl119y4Tx4Q4HrlmWDmkJRSWwHeOkyQamlsREflejBnNC4g26ewRjHZExOjlinvMVPJKKCbmCh6JSCOEAqJi_S9vyn4HP51nigG0N1TxZqrySLYrDHHjRHnfNk9lG8BDlw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -0.234694px;" width="130" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We covered around 20 meters around the lake and started by discussing different trees, the insects associated with them and their unique properties. We started the discussion with lichens and how they are good indicators of air quality. We saw a rat snake (possibly) thanks to the alarm sets by mynas. All along the path, we found snails, wasps, butterflies and many spiders, particularly a very cool “signature” spider. We noticed fire ants' nests and learned that these ants are not native to India! Among other trees was the Pink Casia tree which attracts many species of insects with its gum; the Arjuna tree, known for its medical properties; </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the "Buddha Coconut" tree and its unique seed pod; the Kadam, the Badminton Ball tree, a fig tree, a Mahua tree, a gooseberry tree and the flame of the forest. We enjoyed cherries from a tree at the end of the walk.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 276px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="276" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/78e1J_OMMBxH4Gyb_GcmCKsEGpaqbfy9xm-kVOkVCKMj2HqFemLhpqKptfXEq5Ak2Nf9IQyqFbgclvtz3Mh8EdXTuJZ2LAje_zp7jccYv4YnwLhqmMDP-pfSMBalZQz13Kv5RpRgaP5B4cg-gpK2c_Sfxy8yI-F84bdLhKL2RWxm578QZ8oxX2ACIg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The bird population present at the lake is quite impressive. It’s wonderful to know the amount of life a lake supports or has the potential to support. The birds we spotted were red-whiskered bulbul, barbets, oriental darter, coots, grebe, spotted billed duck, egret, brahminy kite, grey-headed swamphen, pond heron, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">great cormorant, little cormorant, Indian cormorant and prinia. The highlight of them all was a grebe family. The mother grebe left her nest with three little chicks following. The reluctant fourth chick eventually got a piggyback ride on dad’s back.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 271px; overflow: hidden; width: 126px;"><img height="271" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Z8gd7lsvdrg1xyoZ5F2HL2qvQOM_ZCJe82PgwQ2PDPaZ0ms1qj3uusqwh8GDhcRPGmGKXlDJq5nm2fXcog36AV_KY9vbJWWDA1h7BZ0lQBNFXxkoIlUzBTAodqf7g0xOGENMRP73rrGYo_KOjRnkBX4OaNq_s9Kh9W-MDt_eerf2knbeBg5NhPaBkA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="126" /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 270px; overflow: hidden; width: 125px;"><img height="270.3272006169439" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/CWiDqRWKEdz1Yr3k-rDcnX8ShxloWtvWsYQv0buaXyWuslPfId6SQYf7Hgsy3LcPWnOwFHCv9uMnL_YyZ9X8skdBd7ZNr6Dpu41WgLZ7ofyqimYsyt697v-cWCFggoYCHjpKwXU3gttx-8HYcJDLaCBIPRHcTy_fr2l2FE-q6uSPgTAEpp5-KKOBSw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -0.1636px;" width="125" /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 268px; overflow: hidden; width: 125px;"><img height="271.2339623508861" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/sbiNHLxGqJdFgcGDji6BaNRVJ8YKy68TLJO_9TQ3y9DSvJ4A0qO67z3wZ_J_-Tl9AhQG9RsFF4f6M4UaVsvmON48ailSchmc1MYEIR7b57qBR_IbhvOq-8Ka1Hbas-R5KpzMGmpPzigqaSWslilnXysNk-LnxZdjSrsN9xP3yofs_YiTD5YYIX76LQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -1.61698px;" width="125" /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 269px; overflow: hidden; width: 125px;"><img height="270.7849594494962" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/x01pDLrKhD3UBuwyHR6TDuOKfQeRVcpschjkkap6sYWr783bL_1ckuAo6yR9cXrizD9M2wp8MSncnp2loAcTEvzEAZEb29twpymZPZVstpHgy9g_kdiGQPMWDO3XoXAlMytC9jjrafcfubyWDmaaR7KmNNkeyz26knodvnJM02aaUmQR5Cd9kwWcvQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -0.89248px;" width="125" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Certain elements of the lake were unique and could be added to other lakes. There are perches for birds to rest on and floating islands for birds to nest and seek refuge. These Artificial Floating Islands bear different bio-filter plants to curtail plant growth in the lake. There are fountains for the aeration of the water in the lake. They have also grown flowering plants on the slope for butterflies and birds to wander. Towards the central area closer to the birds, the slopes had wetland species of grasses growing. The gradual slopes promote more biodiversity to thrive as compared to steep slopes.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 276px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="276" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/SiT2rqLbOmpXhgWCXuAtkJtfeZWfsvmJUzCsmRsr7KFKWDnh9FAYt6qdXiMboSwiZp7QQFDFb2NyvVUvHOZhkLUg321wOqUEX-IjUKot6mTTFx_ZdYerHZXU7xqzKye45ZZIfwd4wT8vC2Ko32PKO1zF5sLvJJUg9sqqa96kkt_56o-lBQak7CVbXg" style="margin-left: -0.133698px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602.2673966210177" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BioBlitz is an interesting exercise to tune one’s eyes to observe the biodiversity around us. The activity encourages experts and novices to engage with nature and share knowledge. It is a great way for people of all ages to engage in citizen science projects. Puttenahalli lake is a great example to highlight the amount of life a lake supports or has the potential to support. You can find a list of flora and fauna found at Puttenahalli lake </span><a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/puttenahalli-lake" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">here</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: right;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sneham Pandey</span></p><br /></span>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-58504124272765127822022-08-15T03:05:00.005-07:002022-08-15T10:59:07.527-07:00 "Power of Youth engagement"; Swissnex student Delegation<p> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>We can no longer let the people in power decide what is politically possible. We can no longer let the people in power decide what hope is. Hope is not passive. Hope is not blah, blah, blah. Hope is telling the truth. Hope is taking action. And hope always comes from the people</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.” – Greta Thunberg</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-9284ddfd-7fff-5101-6ac7-7a140e81b6cd" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is what Eleonora and her group, hailing from Lausanne university, who came to Bangalore to explore water and waste management related projects found attractive in the city: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Hope always comes from the people and it’s truly visible here</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”. They appreciated the active engagement of the community and how the work is being done at the ground level. The engagement of youth in climate dialogue and the urge to take immediate actions is reflected in activism and commitment. Breaking the physical barriers of boundaries to collaborate and engage in understanding the issue of the water crisis in Bangalore, the Lausanne student delegation through the exchange program took this as an opportunity to explore varied dimensions of SDG 06 i.e water and sanitation. When asked by the host; why did you choose India and not any other country for your project? Eleonora responds because India as a developing country has a lot of issues that need consideration and water-scarcity is one of them. As I write this blog on the country's 76th Independence day, eleonara’s statement exemplifies that the first step that comes towards making a progressive state is the acceptance of the problems that exists because with acceptance comes humility and the resolve to solve it. This can prompt us to engage, collaborate and coordinate and find solutions and ways to make our city water-efficient. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Swissnex, a global network connecting Switzerland and the world in education, research and innovation received a batch of interns from Lousanne university who were interested in exploring water related projects in the city. Since Biome has been deeply involved in this domain, the organization volunteered to organize some field visits including Cubbon Park Trail. This walk provided the opportunity for Intern-to-intern interaction as Biome has already been running a program for interns hailing from different states and institutions of the country. Interns at Biome hosted the walk for swissnex student delegation. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-aa446d76-7fff-b546-8aa5-cc402098599f" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; filter: brightness(1.2) contrast(1.1); height: 469px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="469" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/3vt36j5GMV5O2rmfjX0vg_V-A1BJ8kdVGRTF09jTACP68h61pykq9Z8N7Ed0c9EN73tpoVUCJQ5iH6ngf4KsY6ZYZ148XJ6fMhqLgMGA0smk9Srj3Co6Vim1B8wzGh9cKObNN8NnNYzWirHPkIZUugc" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Standing behind the Sir Edward statue inside the Cubbon Park</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-78a4ecf0-7fff-0f7c-6fb9-90918b4ec89f"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Intern-to-intern interaction at Cubbon Park Trail</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-b48732ac-7fff-741c-e031-ffdc6c72e8d0" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">we started our tour at 10:00 am. The plan was to show the Swiss batch the murals depicting water stories of the city and then head towards Cubbon park to see the wells and ponds. We were joined by Elenora, Jennifer, Roxana and their professor Francesco Panese . As the saying goes things don’t always go as planned but it’s when you make a plan out of the unplanned and make the best out of it. It started raining and we couldn’t do our Cubbon park walk. But as we were waiting for the rain to stop we got a chance for more meaningful interactions that went beyond water and included topics like gender equality, domestic violence and others. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Professor Francesco expresses that Switzerland has its own problems. “We might see it as a developed country and standing here we may make comparisons and think that it’s a perfect country but it’s not. We have a lot to work upon when it comes to transition towards sustainable lifestyles and issues like domestic violence and gender equality". Waiting for the rain to stop with our umbrellas, the Swiss batch offered us to come with them for lunch at the swissnex office and then we can come back to visit the park. It took a little while to reach our destination since we couldn't find a taxi due to traffic. Then we decided to walk but struggling to find the location we finally met Mr. Anthony, the driver, arranged for a swissnex student delegation who dropped us at the office. Squeezing into one car, adjusting and laughing made me feel how even first time interactions can become meaningful and joyful when we come together to express shared concerns and objectives. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Cubbon park Metro Station</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The batch of interns was fascinated by the project undertaken at the Cubbon park metro station (Namma Ooru Namma Neeru); a collaboration among different entities namely Biome, Art in transit and Srishti school of design. Farha, an intern at biome while navigating them through the interpretation of murals , starts off by giving the context of water-crisis in Bangalore. When told that these murals are made of the mud derived from the wells dug by the well diggers they were mesmerised as they tried to feel it by touching the surface of the walls.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-b13cf9b5-7fff-3780-4691-3db274422db3" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; filter: brightness(1.2) contrast(1.3); height: 469px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="469" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ZbTClK2SSlVe4ypRfxNV90ysJhc_0DgNvMt1wawbm7Geth3rbm5MfV3T3_egQBPGb1jbuDWRkV2dTHEu0q2GnPjTW7mSakRIkKS3kMcjyhzRlQeFmO5W_GDIXBGM38ZUn6ZdYfHfz42At_U54DzDT5w" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Observing and interpreting the murals at the Cubbon Park Metro station. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Jennifer, elenora, roxana and the professor Francesco at the back capturing the moment. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e2315428-7fff-8335-1b41-070e3fc6a7f2"></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-d500f20d-7fff-9ba3-35b8-bd2a73e5b917"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-35f76ef0-7fff-1cfa-a7f3-0bc15b3aed83"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; filter: brightness(1.1) contrast(1.2); height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/s5iQz58OhOOJqpHgHm9H7SbQiIEYrXsGUZhEfpAgDIxp9cZ4VeAz3n3nEORrgKYd-n7UjoPKQcfEyXn2q4VyVJtrJYc4nxK00Hixo2BiNW701iYr-5XVeuTakg9a-qBHq0hb3dOY5zlcn33C3BDUSbc" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Girls enjoying refreshing coconut water while it was raining</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-dc44337d-7fff-4c11-a6fe-1091dd3037c8"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-92c9cb39-7fff-5cf1-5d1a-f4ba2b5b1b3b"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Invited for a small screening of the experiences of the swiss batch at swissnex office on friday i.e 12th august which were to be followed by a dinner, coincidentally marked the day of International youth day. It’s fascinating to reflect on the potential in the power of youth engagement and activism in solving some of the biggest issues of the 21st century. Reflecting on our interactions while on the way I felt empowered to see how people from different countries, states, educational backgrounds, contexts are tied together with common threads of commitment, compassion and willingness to do something meaningful. </span></span><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">This commitment is reflected in Biome’s approach towards empowering well diggers communities and the trust in the city's potential in managing its groundwater resources in a better way. Through our Million Wells campaign we are telling stories of the well diggers communities and connecting people from all walks of life through engagements, workshops, poster design competitions and others so that each and every individual feels a sense of responsibility and commitment in the judicious use of common resources. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; filter: brightness(1.2) contrast(1.1); height: 334px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 501px;"><img height="436" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/FX8-U8RjB8I3n2AoZBhrzWZL5ep-LVO0gT7gqYrJ9BjnGZ3Ufnjt3yoSzOQ2TtQ8mRmL3UpJ8dZl6ePtp00pPFwafYfEj5hQhLw23kkmk94TbpLEEKY_0f52QjYoEc9zsfmPmWRY2XmHDvfwRHeQCg0=w790-h436" style="margin-left: -7.999999999999999px; margin-top: -37px;" width="790" /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9fe7e1bc-7fff-a0d2-bc7e-be103fb65765"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Journey to Bangalore- Lausanne student delegation”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Jacobo starting off the presentation!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-5e84e528-7fff-e220-f69d-eb766bbccb7b"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-67759e9a-7fff-2b73-c7c3-8fbfca066e29"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/g5d7wz9aAICG7CUczbKCdku9KSlHNLvTQY2MuuX1E8aauEl8PQD_h1EmzN-ooLv0oqfVR2fujk18-N-0BjFG05BzsgAzrqvULXpbhf6bZ98Txd0s_-61W1Jf5oAcHycB0K_pa1k_wiMuEQCzF6JxsXk" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Jacobo introducing the team </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d03c9788-7fff-5035-84a8-6fc65bd697a2"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-5225514b-7fff-754f-f253-e1233bb2c07d"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/aXVr68x24p5fnRmlkX38rKx_JHHsdNMc9Zr4NkiLJ5nMsE8G4RWWnee3eCxyzGDMdf5bYAjPbTWqKtqLN_vwWD2NvKMWqcJKBS2_r2STVL4jIR843xdjEuIonHE8tsgu9iW58k_YYHxwWNca9YaeVO4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Day 1: Visiting the majestic Jakkur lake: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Roxana sharing the experiences and learnings</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-346e8b0b-7fff-9710-c20d-80d33184ea51"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fca9cdf2-7fff-b398-6604-2f394b7d39fc"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/vwu5ctaHcOcik8Zt-a-7hS0yRwb0QUpgK60bzKAyVvClV7w35LBXbldREF4w2KA3qa3tAcFXF6V2kq2p3tHOO_zX3hsjs95yhkIONbxvEDYlAxwNAT8Cnal_pLSexRPhrvz8bxX8IymhDzp6iVmS8-M" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Day 2: walking along the welldiggers’ story through art</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Jennifer sharing the experiences and learnings</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-93593dd6-7fff-dbc6-2f61-8732eecc41f9"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-bddc33ae-7fff-f906-7f9e-7a5f5424ea4c"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/wg7O8C7n9p3xFhS_aNxDmVZYbDM5sV_krv4x5I_Noegue3hUvf-JEiA-74m34eApJzh8mGvhTBdBMZQ2xYV61ejg63YpkQ1jRUpqxQdrp2WODGN8EIRX8jdLDd-MzuPKFch6z21H0kF2enP25Td8rxs" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i> Professor Francesco</i></span></span><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i> </i></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(67, 67, 67); color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 19.33333396911621px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>emphasising</i></span><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i> on the need of social innovation</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The professor explained how he and other faculty were planning to organize a project that includes field visits. This time they wanted to do things differently. He believes that experiential knowledge is essential in preparing students to work at the ground level. It facilitates in examining their emotions and by engaging students in hands-on experiences and reflections they are better able to connect with the ground realities. Amalgamating academics with experiential knowledge will assist in designing tools and ways that bring in transformational change. Fortunately enough I realized what the Professor had expressed after completing my internship with Biome which made me realize that reality is very different to what we study in our classrooms. Professor also mentioned that talking about climate change and these issues sitting in our chairs in AC rooms is very easy. We have to come out of our comfort zones and expand our horizons to integrate</span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">different points of views. Being aware of the repercussions of our modern lifestyle and its negative impacts he consciously says: Switzerland might become the next Bangalore that might face similar water related problems if we do not act immediately. We can learn from cities like Bangalore that are reviving traditional methods of wells and see its potential in replicating in different areas keeping in mind the local context. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-29ffadbe-7fff-e483-e799-870ad32bfcf2" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #111111; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/tl1sxKJoBJX52W-K3pCgy0a8inVk7l4LvaLUOv3KnLvKX5TT9Lot_OcXKaKP0RN2ToQ2SXhEmOh6OeYs2fZN6QH9AElqB0s3cSyakuCYq335p4FRjGCTVfjNKNW7JuMS-ss88IAOsF6n2EUinpXWKMU" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The inquiry approach: explained by the Professor Francesco </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3ae0e491-7fff-12ce-c8d8-08785de76b94" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #434343; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> ‘ Social innovation is the key and answer to many of the problems that we are facing today”. He ended his presentation by thanking all the attendees and entities involved including swissnex and Biome to let them experience the incredible India. He ends his talk by expressing his love for the country and its people who are very friendly. He says: Indeed India is truly incredible. After the presentation we headed for dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant in Indiranagar. People from other organizations also accompanied us including Ishita, a representative of SELCO, Divya, representative of Jhatkaa, campaigning organization and others who have been working diligently towards one of the SDG’s in the city. These interactions and engagements were a learning for us as well as it allowed networking and alternate ways of working towards sustainable lifestyles. </span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Capturing their key statements:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-0b6b79ad-7fff-25a0-b105-bc3368421c4c" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eleonora: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jennifer: It’s really good to see all these organization and people we have come across are “Driven by passion and not profit”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jacobo: “I was very impressed by this lady (Mariyam) who has been working to recycle waste…”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Roxana: We learned a lot from these visits. These visits allowed to take hold of the ground realities </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clement: I am a person whom you will mostly find in libraries reading books. This was a completely different experience for me. I enjoyed it…</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Professor: “We as citizens have to come out of the slumber and become active agents in switzerland. Community engagement and active participation will solve our many problems…”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; white-space: normal;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; white-space: normal;" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d54d9275-7fff-ac32-04bc-b9b51219535d" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #111111; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; filter: brightness(1.1) contrast(1.2); height: 810px; overflow: hidden; width: 609px;"><img height="810" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AjRiSD4tYPTpgJudhL-PX8-gqFGM0p99tkHV430VBenbGgiaN0IT7Es5epCfh29M5cJs0JwFRg71MlLEn3fft4VEKSg-UxPrDlcqeXwiwXVuxWfJPZ-QYFlT84z_mcOzF3J-PAuhksZCQtCrVoI0EH8" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="609" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Farewell dinner with the Lausanne student delegation</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-218abcf1-7fff-cdd9-4b09-b0d940e0961d" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; white-space: normal;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; white-space: normal;" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Organizations like Swissnex are the facilitators and intermediary in successful implementation of projects that assist in knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas. It helps in connecting like minded entities, promoting research, supporting young enthusiasts to experience alternative ways of learning, preparing them for bigger roles in the job market and the economy. We need to support young minds and their innovative ideas to create a culture of free enterprise. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-29f77033-7fff-63d8-ab1b-a09c429a9c35" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 453px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="453" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cUH_D7CeRhyAorhLecg6JSOkd27SInI7cPAtIydQUkuq5LDPaKwVCqmnhtHuKr8WdtamJ-PKAkwSl-ePgd3NSbhv82vACskjOUcm8poukTGL0DiKdM8fv3EdCDkjwSJUKFD39mVLepHQXjtt6sbeIvo" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">Collaboration is the KEY (Knowledge, exchange of ideas and youth engagement)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-38ef2f61-7fff-8346-a71a-284b9f21f5ba" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; white-space: normal;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; white-space: normal;" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Looking forward to more engagements. Biome’s doors are always open for everyone who keeps an intention and interest in learning about and improving the water problems and other relevant issues in the city. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d4997d8e-7fff-5be1-890e-bb412e22ae20"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3be53f0e-7fff-1b08-68e8-78e212ee1f34" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; white-space: normal;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; white-space: normal;" /></span></p>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-81914080843765874132022-08-13T09:41:00.001-07:002022-08-13T09:41:32.384-07:00WACH (Water, Art, Culture and History): A Cubbon Park Walk<p> To be able to walk in the shadow tree canopy, right in the heart of the city is truly a blessing considering all the urbanization that has taken place, all the tall buildings that we see, and the sound of buses and cars honking, especially in a big metropolitan city like Bangalore, also known as the silicon valley of India.</p><p>As part of our internship with Biome, we interns got to organize a small walk to Cubbon Park on 11 August 2022. Although it was a weekday, we were quite excited that 8 people could join us for the walk. We had already prepared brochures and sent an e-invite. To be honest, it was a first-of-its-kind experience for us interns to organize something like this and so all of us were excited but also nervous. Few of us were busy with brochure design, and some of us were preparing what exactly we were going to say, how we will carry out the whole walk. </p><p>This is how our brochure finally came out:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3tprjbI7AB5sUTHBCituLz1tydO2onySh4ERmGrBLgRB--7Njla9LQwqbuKPeGA7vFoTnC3ihDxBA0N_llOzJeAmPVyOTz-agpHxhYXjbsneHcpR3eIYO_J_2FuF3Y_wukbZZMttGYZv_Def-OCex8YDvD1gwFp8vBAJLiXoUiR4VqFxqhep-pzeIug" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="1168" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3tprjbI7AB5sUTHBCituLz1tydO2onySh4ERmGrBLgRB--7Njla9LQwqbuKPeGA7vFoTnC3ihDxBA0N_llOzJeAmPVyOTz-agpHxhYXjbsneHcpR3eIYO_J_2FuF3Y_wukbZZMttGYZv_Def-OCex8YDvD1gwFp8vBAJLiXoUiR4VqFxqhep-pzeIug=w466-h302" width="466" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYtQqxshYuh_6ul-1GyvEz5hVxUxjMUP-Kh2tfZ9qb0I5TMIbF0yk7sOLDKemGNYU02jTXYi86turUwXjjuvZsdOTOipi4MPXvXzGXrgA3fGZwo3aE2UqZwm_0bIZGv85Cv403xhgp94Zz1D7uRBiYzTtDybo0mcp4lE6OqNOHrjOCcUPSgOIuQ2sX2A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1156" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYtQqxshYuh_6ul-1GyvEz5hVxUxjMUP-Kh2tfZ9qb0I5TMIbF0yk7sOLDKemGNYU02jTXYi86turUwXjjuvZsdOTOipi4MPXvXzGXrgA3fGZwo3aE2UqZwm_0bIZGv85Cv403xhgp94Zz1D7uRBiYzTtDybo0mcp4lE6OqNOHrjOCcUPSgOIuQ2sX2A=w451-h295" width="451" /></a></div><p></p><p>The aim that we had in our minds was that instead of just focussing on the water crisis and what is being done to address that problem, we decided that we wanted to bring in the social, art and cultural dimensions to this walk because when common people get to know all the struggles that went in addressing the water crisis, the hard work that was put in, understanding the water challenge can become more meaningful because then the personal connection can be established. </p><p>We decided to start our walk from the Cubbon park metro station, by introducing people to the murals which are part of the Art in Transit project. People were really thrilled when they got to know that the murals were painted from the mud which was recovered from the wells dug in the park itself. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7eDII8GwuN6VUC9JIBZ7yxtxSzADeQawE_DDy_fR2M1ffSXUfNjutTMPjvbi6fkLi4Y8MsLdihcans_7BMTVR9T0OFJRSn24JPlss7_LoFx51rIhFQhrUS01DS7nM8jBj4Dff0K8UU8t-nUlCQJnyX2KCzcf1-iTK4zAbtCNiWQwD5KxObWdJJS6bzQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="1397" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7eDII8GwuN6VUC9JIBZ7yxtxSzADeQawE_DDy_fR2M1ffSXUfNjutTMPjvbi6fkLi4Y8MsLdihcans_7BMTVR9T0OFJRSn24JPlss7_LoFx51rIhFQhrUS01DS7nM8jBj4Dff0K8UU8t-nUlCQJnyX2KCzcf1-iTK4zAbtCNiWQwD5KxObWdJJS6bzQ=w406-h188" width="406" /></a></div><br />Many of the participants got curious and went ahead to touch the murals to soak in all the emotions and messages that the murals were trying to convey. It was quite interesting to see people trying to come up with their own interpretations of the mural. The participants were quite thrilled to know how different stakeholders like the Srishti School of Art, Biome and the traditional well-digging community were involved in such a huge project.<p></p><p>After spending about 40-45 minutes in the metro station, we then proceeded toward the park. Although many people had come to Cubbon park earlier, this time it was different in the sense that we were trying to come up with a meaningful conversation. We started by talking a bit about the history of the park. The cool atmosphere and chirping sound of the birds immediately caught our attention as we entered the park. </p><p>As we proceeded with our walk, we started to engage more and more with the people. Some of them were already aware of the ongoing water issues in the city; some had already attended some water workshops and some were already familiar with the concept of recharge pits and open wells. We also talked a lot about the biodiversity aspect and tried connecting it with the water crisis and with the bigger crisis of climate change.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvHqzxUR0CztM5bzosW3QwYYeFBkAMOrrOnV3iVZBR2YkIuHIcG492UoJFlywx5bzpB-7olCJfsHrgKkQDcpo5mwJ8G0AI6LLjGYn7PwqPjpKzA_L3hJ5sqvo10BsS39KMyjIMFEMGteQJsSehS3rEcjHIlP606EAjIin4kDcN9bibqm9SSGtkeeFdHA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1175" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvHqzxUR0CztM5bzosW3QwYYeFBkAMOrrOnV3iVZBR2YkIuHIcG492UoJFlywx5bzpB-7olCJfsHrgKkQDcpo5mwJ8G0AI6LLjGYn7PwqPjpKzA_L3hJ5sqvo10BsS39KMyjIMFEMGteQJsSehS3rEcjHIlP606EAjIin4kDcN9bibqm9SSGtkeeFdHA=w521-h354" width="521" /></a></div><br />Answering a key question about the watering needs of the plants in the park, we informed the participants about the presence of an STP plant in the park which was used for meeting the gardening needs of the park. During our visit, we also passed by the library present inside the park. <p></p><p>Towards, the end of our walk, we decided to bring in the cultural aspect of the walk by showing them Karagade Kunte - a well present inside the park, which has cultural significance attached to the famous Karaga festival of Bangalore. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXpnvx7u5baAu-YYMIe4RZgNxyDKzY20g4n38ttMnVk1rHhuwkaPzxf9YwtQ7W2UEXSZQMX0i-RccseTiWLPPHu-YeuW9LeGR6RSvzuONLVBYqpsCc1fIlmHOEyudSi-84X9RNhlC22q7Y39QhBdLhASqRhsIRJ3BeCjtwYx2mMf-QpZxh33pi37kxCg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="1359" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXpnvx7u5baAu-YYMIe4RZgNxyDKzY20g4n38ttMnVk1rHhuwkaPzxf9YwtQ7W2UEXSZQMX0i-RccseTiWLPPHu-YeuW9LeGR6RSvzuONLVBYqpsCc1fIlmHOEyudSi-84X9RNhlC22q7Y39QhBdLhASqRhsIRJ3BeCjtwYx2mMf-QpZxh33pi37kxCg=w589-h261" width="589" /></a></div><br />The walk was an enriching experience for all of us as we got to know a lot during the whole process; right from planning the walk to researching all that we could about the park, till the end when we got an opportunity to interact with the people.<p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_gtgDcPkF5tg4rD8bC2fmirAQ2aMQXiN24484E1M1kSBKsAGsZRnmB4RiwP6K24sMeESZL9pt4u9DS0tDEc8IaNCDrgBkESJUzY79lkRaneWZ0kzdpf6z5hlTPj-ys66GS-3jlbHK5FBauNPrjVEkWrzbWc7R0R4pzOXbOuUVoMbBcxUlNYMk1uGeow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="1320" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_gtgDcPkF5tg4rD8bC2fmirAQ2aMQXiN24484E1M1kSBKsAGsZRnmB4RiwP6K24sMeESZL9pt4u9DS0tDEc8IaNCDrgBkESJUzY79lkRaneWZ0kzdpf6z5hlTPj-ys66GS-3jlbHK5FBauNPrjVEkWrzbWc7R0R4pzOXbOuUVoMbBcxUlNYMk1uGeow=w566-h278" width="566" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-91670383819684877972022-08-13T05:16:00.003-07:002022-08-13T05:24:09.773-07:00“Will to Meaning”: living experience at Navadarshanam; an eco-spiritual settlement!<div class="separator"><br /></div><div class="separator"> </div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amidst the hustle-bustle of the city we are heading towards a place which is 31 years old, a settlement of a community built on the principles of “Reciprocity” or giving back to nature. Though we might never be able to return the favors endowed by nature but in whatever little capacity we can gradually develop ecological conscience and sustain ourselves by making our lives simpler, more meaningful and enriching. On the way as we pick up colleagues, some making their first interactions, we share snacks with each other; baked matthis (guilt-free), Danish buns and cookies exuding bonhomie.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On a Sunday morning at 7:30 as we drove past the city our route was seamless as we didn’t encounter any traffic. Coming closer to our destination I saw houses painted in different shades of neon green, yellow, pink and red outshining amidst the greenery and muddy way. Seeing </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Senna</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">spectabilis</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">; an invasive species, one of the mentors expresses her concern about how this invasive plant is posing threat to wildlife and indigenous plants. Little intermittent silences allowed us to gaze at the trees, observe the transition from the urban to the rural, and reflect. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we reach our destination we see other cars are squeezed into a pleasant shady square. We get out of the car and start walking towards the place where all the arrangements were made. Entering the paved surface by taking off our footwear the floor felt very cold. We were warmly welcomed with the hot ragi drink suffused with the flavor of raw ragi. This healthy, delicious, nourishing traditional beverage prepared us to explore the wilderness of the adjoined sanctuary. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='462' height='313' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dypLCHKEjvISduYwmEmnwa48iuWSel9M972Iq4ufsd2NujSiqzZ8vclH8M4rZQWMdkEktKer5NL-k_az2BR7A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-5aa23e62-7fff-2a2d-206c-abef889fbb1f" style="text-align: start;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The community at Navadarshanam have put into practice various ideas of using appropriate technology, permaculture principles and traditional knowledge systems to live sustainably on the land. Navadarshanam is an eco-spiritual settlement. The place runs on solar power, harvests rainwater, and the buildings have been constructed using mud bricks (CSEBs). They grow their food and also run a self help-group of local villagers to supply chemical-free groceries and vegetables to subscribers in Bangalore. The community kitchen is satvik and vegan. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By integrating sustainable models they showcase the potential of sustainable lifestyle in transition towards well being not only of humans but of the entire ecosystem. They conduct regular programs and retreats. Some of these programs are Silent Retreat, Song of Mystics, Sustainable farming- Permaculture, workshops on sustainable farming and others.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-a3966627-7fff-3ee9-190b-512e7aea4f24" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Continuing our exploration we went out to discover the wilderness of the forest. As we wade through the muddy area I had to take off my slippers to manage to walk and maintain balance which made me feel like an adventurous traveler. We came across wells of different depths with variations in their water level. Hand pumps were installed to fetch water, reminiscent of the time I last visited the village in the northern region of the country. Seeing the banana plantation, Lady fingers crops, chia seed and other crops it was fascinating how this settlement has built its resilience by becoming self-sustainable. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-91103d83-7fff-1f07-7d3d-5b7f3750b419" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; filter: brightness(1.2) contrast(1.2); height: 541px; overflow: hidden; width: 526px;"><img height="541" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/UOgIKVwWqNrufKYq116sLVoCYxqqW_RxPgv-PkLxcX-g2Yr2w4zZnQmHFn88piA9NS24eC5nHx-E1QOfHvDzNVxqrKIo8ThAh83pOGU-49-fHSBlz_B-Yvqd-88buhd542l4aHghWMNn7wMApVaZYUs" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="526" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.1599999999999997; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> The shade is surrounded with greenery</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-37e13c7f-7fff-89bf-82f6-aacab0efa720"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fe47b172-7fff-8e1a-9a0c-631286b19609"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; filter: brightness(1.3) contrast(1.4); height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ldyasAiWYfpA_DPVObawMxO3D27i5h6zZdeJoxWsuBbg8fSyJOoYpV9EatwNicBF1vbViSGlJxUx-ICNqL_aqYHGLBR5MT2L6c9xQpJB1XHbMUBzkoBaMs_Ox4mwmcDq1HjfdNi0RpQdy3l2VzrXYR0" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></p></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-53f3c582-7fff-d5c1-69f9-835255356466"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “ In the middle of the wilderness of the forest”: reflecting and admiring</span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Places like Navadarshanam embodies scale and mystery: the thin line between destruction, the power to take life or to transform it. A self-contained, homogenous, uncompromisable and irreducible. When we have become accustomed to fast-paced lifestyles, lost in the quagmire of urbanized cities it could be challenging for some to absorb the silence, stillness and serenity of nature. While making our way through forest Mr. Gopi tells us about human-animal conflict as we see at various spots the elephant footprints which enter the fields and destroy the crops. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e02959c5-7fff-034c-c19a-421e020f82fe" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; filter: brightness(1.1) contrast(1.2); height: 528px; overflow: hidden; width: 533px;"><img height="528" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/yYDy7UqHjk3lVh395u1t2SdrK_Z3DT6iq10Xs65IuAyBVoehYg4cBlYBJcyUa_AHTScS8m-GT5KPP2o8prz7kQmxx-Ydymai2qXRol25Ln3xDYq5f7f6kaa6nT6OaFio8MGY3R8knWXDTcaGLaCqaj4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="533" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> “Wonders that mother nature create at her own will”</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fcc39af6-7fff-48b2-675e-df1b0f10a031" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-058b2587-7fff-70ab-91f7-1a9395cbc5e5" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; filter: brightness(1.1) contrast(1.3); height: 733px; overflow: hidden; width: 586px;"><img height="733" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/LHprmKpklBeaJpiJJyvgqVSpju4B2T6eqv0wcCgCkFPjRxD_uY8N7TYASVDr-sdcVNm2ML2-vat5M-9GpAQoGD-W6iqzJS-0yd09V8K2cLTjkSzaHNLlk-MnxAt7cE0Eov-JhX9YIQ6lCdwYqx5Cyks" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="586" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> Banana Skipper; Erionota thrax</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> The caterpillar feeds and molts within the rolled leaf.</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8e02757a-7fff-c7a7-448d-71aa73ba9d7b" style="text-align: start;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="text-align: start;" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0e22db4a-7fff-4311-fc3a-48931ca76e20" style="text-align: start;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="text-align: start;" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-554ac800-7fff-225c-b63a-64587e9caa3b" style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 766px; overflow: hidden; width: 594px;"><img height="766" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/4-l6x3xuHy76qdcbTnUTBQN9nOP883k8ZDZmv6g8r7kbLIVQUxDe720yiALaYLvRgGT5Mu5vdi3TRV87QFSEjYjPskIzLtWVCJ3wklH-w3GKPDgbueeGivRPn_6lLe1iERKqXHOLOAFUxpKHSaJrUso" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="594" /></span></span></span></p></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-fd7c3945-7fff-547b-a680-cac0d1351279"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> JUGAAD? </b></span></p></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-b7a4b44a-7fff-8cfd-89b6-03585b2a3e61"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 403px; overflow: hidden; width: 539px;"><img height="403" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/qT_L4hciTdA1okY3SGq2c_xTBcGHH-FancKpBlYyUNMF1gQZ9I2N10DF5vY1ukS3t9I2DdlPbmhhztUiHrHJtehE89FzyggNz9LgBEmwac6oVQv9jCYhWnsyg6Zrkd26WxAE2y-koOkmjkF6rGzByWg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="539" /></span></span></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><span id="docs-internal-guid-b9a4f17d-7fff-ab2f-2160-265e76053c43"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> Mr Gopi, our host sharing about the rain water Harvesting system installed in the home</b></span></p></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZXPnUkthrojxPdEmJBToqPBlvOAZgOIQ266HyjZi5_u0QX3FzTRu1_19aBD3N4ILfTKrtTOqSW6a-ViDwsNotbnCLGkrSd5yV28SQz3jSUMHa3Pgw3vEjTg6OVoABXI8iqz7igSvqjOwMSCUCkDKfzcJ-6kplN_76ijBOix-RaaTWDjL1jZANUj9lw/s653/Screenshot%202022-08-13%20at%204.31.31%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="653" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZXPnUkthrojxPdEmJBToqPBlvOAZgOIQ266HyjZi5_u0QX3FzTRu1_19aBD3N4ILfTKrtTOqSW6a-ViDwsNotbnCLGkrSd5yV28SQz3jSUMHa3Pgw3vEjTg6OVoABXI8iqz7igSvqjOwMSCUCkDKfzcJ-6kplN_76ijBOix-RaaTWDjL1jZANUj9lw/w418-h341/Screenshot%202022-08-13%20at%204.31.31%20PM.png" width="418" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-c137cf33-7fff-0e21-bc22-731ea7811525"><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Experiencing the joy of eating locally grown organic food. </span></h2><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we returned from our walk in the forest food was being prepared in the kitchen. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #70757a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Conscientious </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">women were preparing food sourced from their own farms (community land). We were served ragi balls, red rice, daal, sambhar and pickles. The meal was wholesome and nutritious. “I usually overeat when I come here- one of the mentors says excitedly”, I can relate to it since the food was so delicious and nutritious that you are bound to have a second round of the meal. As we were having our meals the sharp clarity of the light was softened by the heavy rainfall. The sound of voices and conversations was subdued as the rain patters on the ground. </span></p></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-e56230d6-7fff-ceb4-ed5a-86bb49043c17"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; filter: brightness(0.9) contrast(1.3); height: 424px; overflow: hidden; width: 566px;"><img height="424" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/sBRsqIAGOgdlX1RF2QUjxtYeZ-X7OMeuUPuFnYU3y1YR4H1Zrxma0h5KmaOFS4l2Pep_k_IFziy9L1KPXRmDTEQI5ltDjJ6PXGlZKf6Fw_XVOBQYSn2mQsw77V1sg3VjcR1qE4gZtvTzB2_BmKWVjzs" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="566" /><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;"> “Eating silently and mindfully”; Leela with her novel </span></span></span></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-8a477cfe-7fff-364e-a4db-9acbeeb4af1a"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> “Eating silently and mindfully”; Leela with her novel </b></span></p></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-8a0ddd1a-7fff-cd0f-b40e-d0ead8e4d12f"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 568px; overflow: hidden; width: 481px;"><img height="568" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/DWnzpfPuJhPeUBReqR_gglDXXAyRyANWZomPXebRi0-txxhIDSGIiZcqbCZvNvaD4wK195-CA_Nuws5IO_mHvBamgx4eaHuQIXmlYwm95iDDTqKUqNcv166aQaYYyofBvvfYhs4Hde3Y5pbmRElJ_EI" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="481" /><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;"> “ Guftagu: گفتگو”</span></span></span></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-7f9ab2b0-7fff-eff8-bbe5-62d9516968d9"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> “ Guftagu: گفتگو”</b></span></p></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-4cf7002e-7fff-5050-f7e0-2a96134510d3"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zOxpjAIFoOiD4SKau0--nvBDCAnwcUH2_Sj7miwc4JasGuRVaE1K0g-Np_vaIlcJ7vbhWea6QOCEIY7xzTjk49B8l-Gt6cho5tLLhgEMEG4z9wKvb3W7P2VjvecwDatZ0UksDqx07jyaTNnKvsEWxoQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;"> “ Reflections, knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas” </span></span></span></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-388cdd89-7fff-9513-b9f5-af8bd32e7406"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> “ Reflections, knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas” </b></span></p></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-55698d46-7fff-dc16-b477-c2383c0ab30e"><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gist of our discussion</span></h2><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we enter this aesthetically pleasing hall all of us sat to listen to Mr. Gopi who shares about the principles and objectives of Navadarshanam. Mr. Gopi used to work in the USA and left his job 13 years ago to become one of the core members of the Navadarshanam community. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Life in the USA was going well but I think I was longing for a more meaningful and purposeful life closer to nature and my own self”. Dr. Victor Frankl, the holocaust surviving pshcysitarist coined the term phrase ‘</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will to Meaning</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">” which defines that having a coherent purpose in life is essential to psychological well being. In the age of social media and fast-paced lives, spending hours in front of our laptops and systems, we are at risk of losing touch with nature and its impacts are reflected in the rising cases of mental health issues and anxiety problems. Mr. Gopi expresses that life here is not easy but it’s meaningful. As </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Frankl remarks, “If a person has found the meaning sought for, he is prepared to suffer, to offer sacrifices, even, if need be, to give his life for the sake of it. Contrariwise, if there is no meaning he is inclined to take his life, and he is prepared to do so even if all his needs, to all appearances, have been satisfied.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px;">He tells how the younger generation in the rural area (Navadarshanam) is lured to city life while losing touch with the nature .“If Navadarshanam was Mr. Gopi’s fantasy, the city is theirs (rural people). Perhaps they will learn from their journey as Mr Gopi learnt from his that fantasy and experience never quite match up” </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Navadarshanam launched the Community support Initiative (CSA) in 2016. It’s a new offering under the SHG banner with the intent to facilitate a closer and direct partnership between the rural producers and urban consumers of food. This initiative facilitated market access to rural producers of organic and nutritious food. CSA is functioning efficiently by making the community self-sustainable by providing farmers with good income opportunities. Through initiates like CSA and others the administrators/mentors have been successful in building clusters and networks that ensures the smooth supply chain. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “Our discussions and questions came to an end with a beautiful song sung by Ms. Shubha after which we enjoyed light hearted and luscious organic tea. Tea is central to us. It offers welcome, gives comfort, stimulates conversation and provides a focus for social intercourse. …..and here our tour ends but the urge to reconnect with the nature and our own selves continued....</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-0c235aea-7fff-dee0-ec3a-45903f38d489"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; filter: brightness(1.13); height: 690px; overflow: hidden; width: 518px;"><img height="690" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/1xZ_Us5nHDdhI5MyZy7DNp340wy4fkG674vzb3FRKQAsfeYawpnppBrgtMLkEt1iQg3veuBPrvLVI4QmSFsOckL_vD4RJaw-BFjD7-ZxMT8qOYxEvtNNGM89O6eK_qR2w5Lc5FMft-vMxoqZjNHO0Uw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="518" /></span></span></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-d290d7d9-7fff-1b31-d348-ee9511be5687"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> Pietra Dura? Intricately floral pattern on the upper side of the door</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-93b795a5-7fff-0fdb-a477-1bd6954f372c" style="text-align: start;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="text-align: start;" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7cf93bc7-7fff-80a6-97f3-f67a413e0dbc" style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; filter: brightness(1.2) contrast(1.1); height: 752px; overflow: hidden; width: 565px;"><img height="752" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QpQCbtYPh43PJ1SZkn9epBtEMCIBt6cqxX5coVGr9iIVcuJ0hQSvhjrDGhtFyCbvoOilLhNlyplg55j5y_4ls53KmoV6d3No8iaNeZ1cuSJ_-x1jtfwWLCCsEQORI1WNy4ZmfIawfvWyTEPKhDjkiUw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="565" /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> “Silent Retreat”</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-70010732-7fff-a3af-3ab6-f1b555e1163a" style="text-align: start;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="text-align: start;" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e01a39ba-7fff-d61c-9153-d267aea0c3e6" style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; filter: brightness(1.3) contrast(1.1); height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 563px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TgP-Wzlr2gArXBpLma_T5FDvHDRmOReKwT34NOHHkS5JfIUGgn4K8r7WojlrZ0_l4qu8ByDoC_tA8ztAbDbZjN7ZRD9JKZ-Qte3s9HtOzxM_Cv2BHK2dKMsaibkQJKDS5iEzeNFekFIMaH3AvzhOSHg" style="margin-left: -61px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> Going back in time? </b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> “Aesthetically pleasing architectural design”</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fa8392b8-7fff-f93e-5512-e6f32952a092" style="text-align: start;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="text-align: start;" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-95d414cc-7fff-3d6a-0c76-63363f973d82" style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; filter: brightness(0.9) contrast(1.1) opacity(0.9); height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ZOaSenV3-i7_vpreY4tJ-eqmnTT535hPhbMxofMu2gvTCOcqoBWTYMr9jAJLdrnlQduJke8ZT0w1Obm7l-Ksp2AWmVfhRQUr1P5x7Na3D748qshprb-2hGtfIBbjRC7HfKvotchfaEsvN3R7SCrw1P4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /><span style="font-size: 6.999999999999999pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Smiling faces; Content and Happy! </span></span></span></span></p></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-d5d79f56-7fff-6d85-e201-3a80ba1dba8e"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> Smiling faces; Content and Happy! </b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> 4 munchkins also accompanied us which made our tour more exciting!</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This picture was taken after we filled our bags with the local products including sambar powder and chikki which was absolutely amazing!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself" </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Till our next visit goodbye! If you have visited Navadarshanam or any similar places do share your </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">experience in the comment section. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6e528890-7fff-fbbe-c2bc-1c78241a798f" style="text-align: start;"><br /><br /></span></p></span></div>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-59431010306563156592022-07-25T21:27:00.014-07:002022-07-26T23:37:46.562-07:00Virtual tour of Rainwater harvesting theme park!<h2 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">What does a Non-resident think about her Rain-water harvesting theme park visit and what learning does she take from here? </span></h2><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-9381d7b2-7fff-1def-a2a2-f82031a520f8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As our guide opens one of the sump tanks to show what’s inside it, all of us present moved towards it slowly in curiosity with 8th standard students giggling, whispering and struggling to find their way to come forward. To maintain the decorum and bring student’s attention back our guide asks them to remain 1 feet away otherwise somebody might fall into it. He asks what do you think what’s inside? There is nothing <b>‘it’s water only’ </b>and that caused us to burst into laughter. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 467px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 352px;"><img height="428" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/1T6LkbfIL44Rw3h8alqMcQXctzKoNgGM9dUUlcQgg7JVEz6Qy7bl5JweNht6NE1YYJVZrThDtaZTFYYrILRktK055cKYS4zBF1yqV4jOJUqo1n9vasD_GaKX86Y46MuWnJOg5QKW6WCFNBqLK2r23Ms=w367-h428" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="367" /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-86367745-7fff-e97d-4462-a3119de0acde" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I enter the Rainwater Harvesting Theme Park I see a small standing statue of M.Visvesvaraya under the wide punched sky telling the story of the legacy he left behind. This park innovatively amalgamates technology to exhibit live rain-water harvesting models, structure and their functioning. These simulation models allowed all of us to understand the nitty-gritty that goes into the installation, costing and functioning of the system. It allowed us to engage with real things in an<b> experiential way</b>. There were two sections to the park, one is an open space where RWH systems, recharge wells, sump tanks and traditional method of RWH (Which looked to me as some magical pond reflecting the sky and a small tree that reminded me of Fairy Tales) and water wise gardening is exhibited, the other section enclosed by a roof has three galleries namely Water Gallery, Sewerage Gallery and the Centralized Gallery. The entire Gallery is a knowledge hub and the simulation model installed there adds fun to the learning process as we ourselves engage and interact to ponder over some of the critical questions. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><h1 style="text-align: left;"><img height="377" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BeD0hzIy4gXQxwqP0PHFCbsMaXFCZE79bz6D1R9atGheIGypjqrnSilDqD9LVsKIP6GPiKowXaupkdqST-YPwJVy-HDXeJL-o73KDkPo_hlAgoVmaN7McUHSBjJRePb7jAeM5nd86PlvvZhoFUn_yVI=w347-h377" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;" width="347" /> <span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Magical Pond?</span></h1></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><span><p style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none; clear: left; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 529px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 397px;"><img height="347" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/no-Qfq7_tDvQc-6ahDYn9ktHsoPTTgomSChcmQTKoW7-M3ZLnHlSEgcru_TiBUU9r2uZTTBnWJcfPY8wdE50n_jU6lmOAblpoMZvxTRrL0dAb6_HsNkNyZx_eVrTuJ22E3WEyDZxaqftZl_9OokbI0g=w349-h347" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="349" /></span></p></span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div><span><p style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6fa5cb88-7fff-9f1c-bcdf-4443b8c3482d" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"> We started our tour at 11:30 along with 8th standard students who also accompanied us to make sense of the bookish knowledge disseminated inside their 4-walled classrooms. Our Guide, Mr. Nikhilesh patiently makes us familiar with all the installations, types and structures exhibited there. As all the students take out their diaries to jot down all the key points we also start making notes but in our virtual diaries i.e our phones. A small tangent here experts say that writing down with your own hands increases your memory and retention power. As we continue with our tour, to bring back the attention of the 8th standard batch our guide addressing the students says, I will ask questions to check whether you are able to follow. This hit me with a thought that we are at a position where we are on our own, accountable to our own selves and nobody else</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Banglore, silicon valley of India is also known for its gardens, man-made tanks and people who take pride in the city’s heritage and what it serves. In the midst of the busy city, crowded metros, places like rain water harvesting theme parks and other parks bring in the calmness even if it's sporadic. The rapid urbanization and increased population is adding pressure on all the limited sources that we have. Post 1980’s the trend of digging borewells started which eventually resulted in water deficit i.e the extraction of groundwater was in excess than the recharge of the aquifers. Not only was the quantity affected but the quality also deteriorated in some pockets where industries were popping up. Rainwater Harvesting is a simple and traditional practice of harvesting the rainwater that assists in recharging the groundwater and acts as a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>derisking mechanism.</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It can build resilient communities as the competition for the resources with increased population becomes more fierce. When we say innovative ways we don’t have to invariably think about technological changes as Mr. Avinash Krishnamurthy aptly puts it: “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Technology is taking science out of our lives, and we must understand that Sustainability is Science</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”. This highlights the significance of Nature based solutions and simple techniques like RWH that can be implemented easily. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">Virtual Tour of RWH Theme Park</span></h1><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-20c0e027-7fff-c431-6e35-67defd885549"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Every house will have a roof having a small gradient from where all the water will go to the downward pipe i.e catchment area. The three basic components of RWH are catchment, conveyance and storage. Conveyance is the pipe which conveys the water to the filtration unit. There are two types of filter: one is a </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">wall mounted filter </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and another another one is a </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">centralized filter</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. You can either utilize this water or let it recharge the groundwater. Wall mounted filter is better for small houses. While collecting water in the wall mounted filter the principle of <b>first flush</b> should be taken care of which means the first 5-10 mins of rainfall should not be collected as it contains more impurities and contaminants. The water in the wall mounted filter will filter the rainwater from physical impurities and not from chemical impurities. After the water is filtered it can be stored in a tank called a </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sump tank.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The stored water can be used for secondary purposes other than drinking and cooking. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In big buildings like vidhana soudha, HC wall mounted filters are not feasible. For large buildings the alternative is a centralized filter. In any filter there are two chambers. First one is the first flush chamber which is designed according to the volume. Second chamber has the <b>sand bed filter</b>; it will filter both chemical and physical impurities. Once the sump fills up to its brim, water will overflow and will recharge the wells and percolate down into the groundwater.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These recharge wells are 25 feet deep. In residential buildings minimum depth should be 10 feet because we will have a foundation that go upto 6 to 7 feet deep. In order to bypass that foundation it’s better that we go 10 to 15 feet deep. Covering it with 40 mm aggregate will prevent the silting because if silting happens it will lose its previousness. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3baf855f-7fff-b8f9-b0ca-5f83a53ae486" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>V wire technology</b> is not advisable. In a Strata there is a rock which you can’t recharge, a borewell is drilled to bypass the rock strata and on top of it you will have filter media and a feeding channel, overflow water will come here and the water will be directly injected into your aquifers. It is not advisable because of easy contamination of the groundwater and considered as the unscientific way of Groundwater recharge. </span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p></span></div></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><span><div><span><p style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-65fd6ab0-7fff-f83a-cf1a-575cfc11f50f" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 539px; overflow: hidden; width: 496px;"> <img height="434" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/3EIk6i4T6IIRINNzo6ic6GF1RIKThC9SusizSgQOhaArWdkVowxUkHz87BkYxwSWhD5Us5tmEJC2WQFuQrd0ap-8XK6Dv_9p6rb-qXXaEpF2GHljt2rwes7veH2-fRr9suqDvwz2QtUa1t1hRpno4d4=w425-h434" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="425" /> Stormwater Drain</span></span></span></span></p></span></div></span></div></blockquote><div><span><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6215ccb5-7fff-75aa-d612-87b8e100542a" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/AMeMjMo-2i8Iddl2apuSWhOdSDA_6mApRe9dKINA-oHz69cwR1965qfD6nyP-jG0oUdXvoFJ143VrOlfELzov1X0CviSjcH4aBW0nGOlGEg5C78I7HmrE0-F75CBJ4868G1LWIipThOa5sMCmF-g9zE" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></span></p></span></span></div><div><span><div><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none; clear: right; display: inline-block; float: right; height: 381px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 453px;"><img height="381" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Nmg1wujJu7xS_-1FyAC_xgPK7AhmtB_xArue1Byz1BO6V8rQM4GSE_PpXgQmMg7MoDLewo4BUEAscJFOLFuXxKeksEhgC84iOhy3LFcC5HgdYPD7eIZHGGXkTQUzk1KRuJyAdHmn_tiipkHvOBmlQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="453" /></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-127f2b88-7fff-55cb-624e-a7327d10e4e8" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Water Wise Gardening </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was indeed a meaningful and a valuable experience. Theme parks like these are an innovative way that assist in wide outreach to the citizens. Combining it with the mandatory legislation allows citizens to understand the need and potential of RWH in sustainable management of the Groundwater. Though in physical terms we are talking about something that is beneath the ground, its sustainable management and care would </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">result not only in the availability of enough water but it will also provide avenues to stride up the ladder to make Bangalore a more progressive city. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6ae5491b-7fff-f6fe-97f7-99d5d9a23a48" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;" /></span></p></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #999999;"> Gallery</span></span></h1><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none; clear: left; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 424px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; width: 318px;"><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-7186d512-7fff-05af-cf1b-67306837c326"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 575px; overflow: hidden; width: 431px;"><img height="418" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/7wwvkZjGGn6RZVEjDx5YIzlo15ivMyGJskhyiucj0LIX5kbzMZQavkE70doFByHSh1vs_bowEePIkF5klEN1UYQSr-uwrhmrPj7reBjIft9FtGmvzt_kMVch6qqusyvAH6mo8ua-zFQ9oU16HA7uN1U=w431-h418" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="431" /></span></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-adbba759-7fff-b306-e351-274828df9752" style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Mrks_2HIo0lgRo2ZnVxqJbd1dctbK6n9juRzVXd8QvgyOOsuPCP4ynwoUKwVuCEa54ZahSDOskQ-NB6CKZU5hcl2qlQH5SlFXc7Dmq210latpiS2NRNxo4PgP-tbwNF2ud8BfdGvs_B4w9SXZaVeTq8" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></div><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-371b9327-7fff-1190-5984-be752b74ee8d" style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 832px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="832" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/wp-59LSrkf-ucuAZi2FhXIaOK66Ij9zCgtB_cyNPw5fMRHgxuioS4dm3F4yOVtMCzD9pD1ErRzLX4xJnxqVOzkRdmsd8YhchIViT7899HrJubi76ssZqwMihOs3-0AHzlh_H-kim-UU53w5YIsc" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-93de0173-7fff-833e-f5f6-20c62a155601" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-93de0173-7fff-833e-f5f6-20c62a155601" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-93de0173-7fff-833e-f5f6-20c62a155601" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /></span><br /><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ac544735-7fff-0ee3-11cc-0698d2515692" style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-bcf074dd-7fff-c962-b003-79c7d73bf2de" style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 831px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="831" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/YVH0UoSt4u22IvVvsOmqcAIye-Ac0X3_uy-NAfOOCRymCOMtBLzjfVcAojoSKEAzZwWR05ep-PScituEqhseYCqdzLotP_Uac2VZm-dwTdO8mgstVfVrnBmFBEcpCW1PSL47LSN5OKa4H958bpENvPA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-818a456f-7fff-def5-88de-c018ea98a81f" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/qvACoUoJlDt36XRBEKag6BDbTWSbkExKifk9bPGBCAOphZCMlpdvOlmvnoNW6LAlB6qkdsH5s70j3IjXUnsJOiGTRuq9vjIctrYxecR58m57aNYituWzWWlKx9b0WA_MobkN78-zP9DQWe1pLG0" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trees planted according to Zodiac Signs </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-53741a49-7fff-6c61-b507-f873465edb8f" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 832px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="832" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/kEs8qWlFQ0pXnSujzSXE5yALECjYHA4N_8H-CwUYesK63r7sZc8jtsURsFtsVoXuCj-11aV4gOq7KfeA2I1OsZzBLhFc8GZU8rLsMKVvYqjSN2ocIh0ZhJ1mT4wCZCAQU5ZDJpJFEsRusg4OnH4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e78139dd-7fff-14a1-37ca-84e16f5a9837" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 285px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="285" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PnGRnshcZplFQguqPQMDJ8nrPgFeBhtZFb1fvn9QunE7lJgdwJkSiI2PvY7nX9frY9RIMXBDTMgPUtlb6e3TS94yJda3e97zabLUpWVAJh38mzCyT0ugh_rwLm_yXfRnzY-iRzJ31rDdXRxuys2XzHQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2f55923e-7fff-574f-2e82-9e7e1a2a87cb" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 657px; overflow: hidden; width: 493px;"><img height="657" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/0jf1WJQp9p_ix_cL0lida7TwWPX8yhbCstUVCfFb3pHsrGqYhDqW-86k92xJsqwkYMWN-YOAa3md_NVUCZX8PJ60kfPXXFPudlFN0X5YiDJLUwKSyHR_TuImO9PSvKcijD9WosnQY5YfH7idwn_oE_Q" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="493" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-625ed011-7fff-ad70-61a6-67eebdf70fe9" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 586px; overflow: hidden; width: 440px;"><img height="586" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/TxFUjLjGYwmuDkIiQCW6ct37pfqLs8GaTR5ekCu36xgRhO6qRZqgZ32f9NDFsyIUDZW0ivf24fQj2PMLbHunIiHvoYbcIYS9ICIxSuI8HnIP7WwVq2nJ3ZMPpxXLpwCal8I_hICSMvrMK4my3g6V1UQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="440" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Pervious Pavers: These pavers will allow 5-10% of rainfall to percolate down into the earth. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-25e10270-7fff-4723-3f0d-ab551d188969" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 722px; overflow: hidden; width: 542px;"><img height="722" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/C5NR73xyvkZxQGMi_t2OfxbwjnsoNhvDS3lX2kgIyUr8nIr4TO91gF7skzz233_SjJJZylm_akcGvwnDQ9kVGVG0HiFBCpjW7r4Y4Rq9Yu1wL5OnjGr5WIHh5eOfOG6v-BqEE2KqYv0Ior5UDwQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="542" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-5b7c746b-7fff-d977-00bb-bfb51473f1df" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"></span>"Every drop of water counts"</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-62454408019628985092022-07-13T07:49:00.001-07:002022-07-13T07:50:17.074-07:00O Mittur Lakes Monitoring <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;">On June 30 and July 1, 2022, a visit to O Mittur Panchayat in the Kolar district was made. The four lakes we visited as group four were Chikkakere, Hosakere, Shakti Kunte, and Doddakere. The goal of this project was to monitor lakes using standardized protocols. These protocols included requirements for measuring the size of lakes, their elevations, the crops that were cultivated in the command area, the quality of the water, and the socioeconomic state of the community. Shubha Ma'am, Suma Ma'am, and Asha, the founder of the non-profit organization Grameena Abhivrudhi Sangha, who served as our translator, guide, and mentor, were present during the survey, along with the locals who live close to the lakes.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chikkakere Lake</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:The 25-acre Chikkakere Lake (Tank No.365) is situated in the Kolar district's O Mittur (Urukunte Mittur) settlement. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af7b9684-7fff-6748-a910-7cc31d7c3a03"><span style="color: #695d46; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 186px; overflow: hidden; width: 349px;"><img height="186" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/1NmCr5_s3xEfcLXvhpIRO-uXDU29MRCkZjOF_PsNdcRuu9rud1inCyYjtLT8osckDYKPuu1Om38rocA1-FfFM4hnOOxCphjQtuxgzivEK2YebOwLQPlatF386eeWxOtr-qhvjFdF1VYV5hM8vx8" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="349" /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hosakere Lake:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hosakere lake (Tank No.124) , spread across 30 acres is located in Kottur village.</span></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-08ed307e-7fff-70f6-5c26-d937dfea4e6e" style="text-align: start;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="text-align: start;" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-49bdbbe4-7fff-1919-3330-7867385d70bb" style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #695d46; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 184px; overflow: hidden; width: 360px;"><img height="186.62857142857143" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/N0sKr-SI0BU_8rR6mXIQRkt5czk4lOmQH4GyGTYyqtSc5l5C3coJZI5XdFkHn43c-Wb2IHUC75qchbe5vmSW0--oXW4cN_4uewyRkOZnEwvEjIpXXCjn3qEdJcHnZLv-vAMUVKyHYuVTHYloPt4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -2.6285714285714286px;" width="360" /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shakti Kunte Lake :</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Shakti Kunte lake (Tank No. 46) which is 300 years old is located in the Bandahalli village of Kolar district. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-64e86781-7fff-6838-e6e0-42612389cfee" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 208px; overflow: hidden; width: 355px;"><img height="208" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iTavDtukuxIJZEL9-qj_515pNuVNHUAWL_SL7U7XcwKdir227kLnHFPUTmaEnnEo3zwjqwQXJS6Be3BhCZ-abXiUbDyUz59zU83kujfCwJl22nbhxASXwHklGHCLyxLdDi0Rjl3IoetUU2kiedI" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="355" /></span></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-82ca4247-7fff-b9da-6ed0-0e24033e34b0" style="text-align: start;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Doddakere Lake : </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Doddakere lake ( Tank No.62) in the Avala Marakalagatta village is approximately 10-12 feet deep.</span></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; font-family: -webkit-standard; height: 194px; overflow: hidden; white-space: normal; width: 364px;"><img height="194" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Qqtv-maaQ9JyzuBRoTPn9gBYbZU4nGoN72EnmNrQn_TeLncicsxTx5Bw-xNSD1rchoKo5N4LG62ZcO8rJcqgbus2JJ7k8OA32lAwIi0B7QD7WPuZx1oksOVVMGDFz8u06N2_zCCEkWMe3jtkK0s" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="364" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-60f47faa-7fff-2e1a-26f9-d03b4c574bf1" style="text-align: start;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Observations made about the lake's characteristics included:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-30c623ca-7fff-1287-9abe-904d31549575" style="text-align: start;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="text-align: start;" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444;">The common theme that was seen while keeping an eye on the four lakes is that the water inside the lake is used for livestock management and irrigation rather than for drinking. The majority of farmers in all the communities depend on agriculture for their primary source of income, but they also engage in allied agricultural activities, particularly in the summer when water stress is most noticeable.Currently most of the villages have borewells for drinking water purposes.Two significant issues that continue to plague Hosakere and Doddakere Lake are desilting and bund leaking.In Chikkakere Lake, the Kaluves (feeding channel) is inoperative. Since the Raja Kaluve (feeder canal) is clogged with silt, a suction pump is used to push water straight from the lake.Kalyani or stepped temple tanks are present adjacent to Chikkakere Lake.A sacred idol that can be seen nearby under a peepal tree close to the Chikkakere lake serves to further underscore the location's religious significance.The cost of the Hosakere Lake bund leak is estimated to be between 10 and 12 lakhs. Desilting should be carried out under the panchayat's supervision, but this has never happened.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7d38beee-7fff-3e60-bb2f-c2f9f5fa37d4" style="text-align: start;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="text-align: start;" /></p><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); white-space: pre-wrap;">Societal issues</span></span></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">Regarding pay inequalities, certain societal problems were also noted. Many of the people we spoke to held the view that men get more money because they put in more work than women do, including Shivananda, a farmer in Kottur. Concern should be expressed about the speed of immigration, which makes it impossible for immigrants to live comfortably in cities and forces them to live in subpar housing.</span></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; font-size: small;">As it is uncommon for women in the village to own cars and drive, there are mobility issues for women as well. Asha from Arohana expresses her enthusiasm to learn to ride a scooter. Women's empowerment is hampered by this restriction on their freedom of movement.</span></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-81ce2e2c-7fff-d2dd-9091-df94db11af5f" style="text-align: start;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="text-align: start;" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Biodiversity significance:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Numerous biodiversity species have been found over the entire region. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lantana Camara, Pongamia Pinnata, Eucalyptus, Morning Glory, Peepal, Tamarind, Neem, and water lettuce</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are a few of the plant species that have been spotted in and around the Chikakere lake. While certain types of plants are good for the environment, others are not. As an illustration, Eucalyptus trees are charged with a number of offenses, such as ruining watersheds, causing erosion, igniting fires, and blocking indigenous vegetation</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-align: right;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 142px; overflow: hidden; width: 266px;"><img height="230.36199258874794" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/RS56AwxE3A74IV5LFw-baoSfvUq52RCjpInW5BPWmlkCpb4APMoN6HaxRztKxgWbJEdcHtl3ZeAKXNoTVlFOEsgrGoN50Y2lelkwW7S-9TikQS2vbXy3k31uwGXbimF3vrz_eTSDBVASZp7mdaQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -88.36199258874831px;" width="266" /></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 142px; overflow: hidden; width: 245px;"><img height="180.0328022071607" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/n-NezfeluW1AUAFnyNboCgdpYGo5-JBMrA58nrxHPtCNwrctE3awyyyohtS8EEeA9126UDvdJxNZDO3hYqPmocGUoQPtR7Awssb-CzFu9FWk5W68ZWplXvfR5lr884U9-32ZFSsqBTJ0fnkvhek" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -10.406674941387395px;" width="245" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><b> Morning Glory Pongamia Pinnata <span id="docs-internal-guid-e2be6c33-7fff-fc75-f794-f282c492d38b" style="text-align: start;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">The lantana plant is a species of High Concern for India and one of the top ten most destructive invasive plants in the world. It interferes with the nitrogen cycle in the soil and challenges native plants for space and resources. Pongamia has several benefits to both people and animals. The production of this honey may be used by rural communities to boost their incomes and carry out apiculture. The leaves have a number of medicinal applications as well. The oil from the seeds can be used as a natural treatment for skin and rheumatic ailments. </span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 173px; overflow: hidden; width: 245px;"><img height="225.42647304814503" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_keBJPzmLrfndzLGhM8pMSyQL87kLm3czbtSXJlbZ8a0wfAtRSzPNxI-meAziiwjwzwzN06Bz8-IyEs5vXuKl73eP0RbG-2DtNtxLhsC7GaBDmJk8xfsZS6MOguN5UEAh4o21HgoD5PS_M1ZPaA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -37.56371953288134px;" width="245" /></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 175px; overflow: hidden; width: 201px;"><img height="233.41051648375424" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/dGUDCLs7IN3mU5p4PW9-mpbfXkB85x3nicDi3fLTXyrnMm6ybcN3QlTGO0MUah0ZgsFSAeX3D7Pix59q0aLExzpkskZfOXTG6hhdwqMdgNDHAXqahd_68zDsSrwRo-JVp8m7-ws0jgLF-0HLeTk" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -58.41051648375425px;" width="201" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: start;"><b> Eucalyptus Lanta Camara <span id="docs-internal-guid-7caab8a3-7fff-1578-4034-9463560682a5" style="text-align: start;"></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-align: left;">Detailed Report Link:</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-align: left;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/19ApjHuv1iv9C6eZ3ZUeDuOuAbapoo1vRF_TjC0hLtGk/edit?usp=sharing">O Mittur Lake Monitoring Report</a><br /></p>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-17955993948923196602022-07-03T07:58:00.002-07:002022-07-12T09:13:02.475-07:00Sonnappanahalli: ‘A village of wells’<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the pet Dog hovering around Pommani, a resident of Sonnappanahalli Janta Quarters, we listen to her keenly as she responds to our questions and describes her neutral water narratives. Sharing her water tales she mentions how the water from the nearby well is utilized for different purposes that fulfill the needs of the villagers. As she completes her response we immediately put up more questions to not miss out anything since these intimate interactions give insights about the situation at the ground level. While surveying the well and listening to Pommani some of the interns patted the dog affectionately as cool breeze wafts over the place that caresses us. Observing her closely while she was answering our interrogative questions, when asked whether they are satisfied with the water supply facilities she responds without any woes that </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">we are satisfied and have no complaints. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But unfortunately not all stories have a happy ending as we saw how the water stress in some of the pockets of the village had forced people some 25 years back to dig deeper to pump out more water from the water supply tanker well due to increased demand and slow recharge rate of the groundwater. </span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-29f54edf-7fff-35e2-e5ef-4aaf64592781"></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-3545f839-7fff-b6a5-76b1-0f13642f4e90"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 349px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="349" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/kSsEERHl-PGS2h2xVXgb8rH6YlascQoUCe-9fFcf3f8gU16PBgcJ96LcBhJcTOVrsCF7ycnk-e1zb0l2XUtlfI2QO56dzpPX1Nuh7iOEs_D56Nz8AHUvOLr0cywr7429yjIN52aZslv70oA4hLw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sonnappanahalli, a village of wells located in Doddaballapur</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> block of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">North Bangalore, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">spread across 128.04 hectares is governed by the panchayat. We started our visit at 9:30 and reached by 10:00 at Sonnappanahalli lower Primary school. This school is a good example of integrating sustainable models of wells and rainwater harvesting systems. As we roam around and observe, small kids giggle and greet us with ‘Hello Ma’am’. The school has a huge well in the backyard along with a sump tank and rainwater harvesting system inside the school. When we think of government schools we have a preconceived notion of poor facilities and education but here at our first impression we observed classrooms donned with wooden desks and decorated with all visuals to make children learn through observation. Sonnappanahalli has a number of wells located at around every 80m, 150 m and some are located at a distance of 1km. While walking through the lanes we come across different wells and every well has its own story with unique design and periphery that defines Sonnappanahalli’s distinctive identity. These old wells dug some 50 or 60 years back are a cultural heritage that must be maintained not only to reduce the dependency on borewells but to revive the traditional practice of well digging and empower well digger communities that have </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">been engaged in this profession for years. A walk through the village reveals a picturesque view with the sky punched with clouds, tracts of agricultural lands donned with banana plantations and other crops.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-dd6de790-7fff-e37c-d46e-61cba133d6a4" style="text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 344px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="344" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CdM1L-26UJWQxtIL-57oSbMjMyOadnhF6sW5CQgnpImcdFbDpCPrP0URmIjli-1rr9YpmX8Vm2OM4TmkeI6fgOsbBZ3_eQfwPoGUK5zp-5cc3p_gjYMP08PRPZvHRXmYFfZIjyiL2j1JLX-3XQI" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3c90dcb4-7fff-a994-db75-540f0fa4cc76" style="text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 367px; overflow: hidden; width: 558px;"><img height="367" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/trVr2VyFB0Yg3wUqcVkveqZ5VvR7FvCMiinLXFO-bx_7Yr_8IpB-LVMkKchscKbbBHUYdc4Gl5-6m4I7nanvgFX97l10vtB6ELBY8z5SuwL3htW8TMM1bZ62cIjO6CGre9xko4G_07X7nGFqsxM" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="558" /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A common motif that was observed across all the locations where the wells are dug is that the water is not utilized for drinking purposes as the TDS (other factors were not taken into consideration) is very high (>500) and the water is not suitable for drinking purposes. Some wells are abandoned and the water inside the wells is not utilized at all. Apart from improving the water quality of wells there is a great potential in channeling the water in Bettahalasur quarry for human consumption. Sonnappanahalli school is a good example of integrating sustainable models. Schools can be utilized for pilot study in order to ascertain the feasibility of water conservation and groundwater recharging systems. The wells that are abandoned can be revived and maintained so that water can be utilized by the people. We must collectively revive the legacy of Sonnappanahalli Village for which we have to ensure Community participation and democratization of the decision making process so that people are conscious of the significance of these wells. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">For the detailed description of the project the link to the report and the PPT is attached below:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Report: </span></span><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/12OzLmvv9lIl6rv3kUbonoyODFlapkkC3eWQ6aFoQ3gA/edit#" style="text-align: left;">Sonnappanhalli's Larger Story Report</a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">PPT: <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1mCOwJGOL0RNQdfnOZnM2RweJNN-UucpXsx0B_uGfiVg/edit?usp=sharing/1mCOwJGOL0RNQdfnOZnM2RweJNN-UucpXsx0B_uGfiVg/edit?usp=sharing" style="text-align: left;">sonnappanhalli Larger story </a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-036e4a89-7fff-f2f3-4ffc-d58a636f9922" style="text-align: start;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="text-align: start;" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d32f5d6a-7fff-7165-3139-780e80eccb70"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514429823673087957.post-13637478358134665742022-06-27T09:36:00.000-07:002022-06-27T09:36:06.669-07:00Hosakere lake<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 22pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hosakere lake</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb733761-7fff-5e7b-8862-4270a625eeb4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hosakere lake is situated in the Pichaguntahalli village of Kolar district in Karnataka. The total area of the lake is 19.18 acres.from last 2 year lake is maximum full to its capacity in august and september. The lake was desilted in 2003( JSYS+ world bank) and in 2021 slit is added back to the fields . as they are rich in nutrients. There is always a requirement of desiltation in the 8 to 9 year in a lake but it happens here after almost 18 year.for the desiltation process the local villager came forward to help in the process. The lady with whom we had interacted had more than 20 years of knowledge in the field of lakes. The demand can be made to the gram panchayat by the people for the betterment of the village. The daily Wages in the village is 297 to both men and women in the village by Nrega scheme.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 384px; overflow: hidden; width: 622px;"><img height="394.2547977100247" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/1_dU_8xHSw6AlBSofV-VRKzFd27Ab2UbSIR-9n41qM35qefHKgGf7nEN2eQK4Xgwla3ucCBK0HE8VNI1zTUNlorEmouixI96j6DvSFF_gPXulVyHj3-ZVBj6LEkYU_jfIiMdkQm8wXYrzkajNw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -5.127398855012345px;" width="622" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@13.0891804,78.3088234,795m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m3!11m2!2suhU8YibxefEnPZZdAN3N23GxhG3e-w!3e3" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hose kere, Pichaguntahalli - Google Maps</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Downstream of the lake is Doddakere, Yalagondahalli and upstream is Talakunte. Water came from the Talakunte to the lake. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 291px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="291" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/xDnILYwraxlQ-m7vbJgIx72pyWPlt_F1zen3QqImGDQGtkjAvE34kGlmGdYdUCS8UnT1PkJTNhepnBbiFOaDWPM14pjnKBmx8Iwr5LZ4HyyGnu51IvrNzkD5_XsqETxHr0IRxjUMnyg9Egu9GA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kolar is one among six permanently drought-prone districts in Karnataka. In 15 years to 2015, only three years in Karnataka–2005, 2007 and 2010–witnessed no drought, as per a 2017 Karnataka State Disaster Management Monitoring Centre’s drought vulnerability assessment report. The district has zero net groundwater for future use, and has the highest groundwater extraction – 211% – in the state, noted the 2017 Dynamic Groundwater Resources Assessment of India. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The month with the most rainfall is September.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 240px; overflow: hidden; width: 451px;"><img height="350.9238446517681" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/HdPlt5KcPWwO4SZ2009q6NUs7NLJU0gPVxmRKzKcI_ySPqXWykVgE_8TF7m03TYHhpEIk29UihGx3UXnpygWTQ_NDJ2gQ7v5JLBhT0pxCoLPh97eg9-79rwpHucZTQRbRtfGAiR9LPDz555NEw" style="margin-left: -81.99999999999994px; margin-top: -96.97895422000428px;" width="623.9999999999999" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 167px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="167" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/GDlDWJJIKozM615ik_JgSr-uKfPygLC0B9ZJ967_ZybySkdyzZB6E5pgOyqbq1rlWLagfAYPgunDiA-wnYsfZR7DzzRPEfaKxskJWsLQVm1TfoJPFWhTdffz8SSeWFbX4CShrht5EWA6v4nZuQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 feeder channels coming from the catchment area are in use while one feeder channel is not in use anymore.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -35.6667pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 466px; overflow: hidden; width: 213px;"><img height="466" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/IJBxdswv1o0Y0LFBmC6gagZvp1gqirqURIcUE4-Mcw69I-cItp8dz5cMMyZp8pw3piFTcvNg-RzPMVuU_vj5bQUAQhtWLPZVeDkDGsY_tWhHPcgWIyg7lT3ppvio8TY39ke-cQIKDfMhRUSYRg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="213" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -35.6667pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -35.6667pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <b>Feeder channel not in catchment area </b> </span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -35.6667pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -35.6667pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 466px; overflow: hidden; width: 219px;"><img height="466" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6ciCDAooGKspf_d_sy0YOLoPYMCiRbSE8GKj2XuOiJ-6E3IZF9roitaBjhxN0ssJMUSaC5O8-F13WQLF8u8YOve8FwNbbkoE0BlYaxeaRoLaWzkQsKKt-iYcBu27mCgIeJM1Bv8DzQIg4nlByA=w211-h466" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="211" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -35.6667pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -35.6667pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Feeder channel in catchment area</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -35.6667pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -35.6667pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 465px; overflow: hidden; width: 209px;"><img height="465" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KGsW-gNhPEi5CxG93gs6weQbj0DTovzh1o-WF7V1tTXX-Xl0m_X6ztV6ixEoVc1jOKRPt8E1DGdJOrjxDt7iFhEnVjUpnk6lsC1-KUgBiljy_Bj00-Zq_mOaNDe36j6pi3ZUT8BC1-mUusmJ-g" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="209" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> Feeder channel in catchment area</b> </span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Around 48 families live around the lake. Everyone around the lake and in the village uses the lake: farmers for irrigation, herders for cattle grazing, children for swimming and women for washing clothes and No, sewage does not enter directly into the Lake. The drip pipe has been provided to the small and marginal farmers by the government and everyone has adopted the drip irrigation system. Paddy and ragi are the crop cultivated in command area, There is a shift from </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">manual cutting of paddy to machines</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. 50 people were required to cut paddy. The daily charges were Rs 400 per day for 4 to 5 hours. The machine achieves to cut paddy for over 1 acre in Rs. 4000. The machines have reduced the extra financial burden of the farmers. Crop grown in catchment areas is <b>Beans,Tomato,Green chili</b>. Sand mining was observed. Villagers extract mud to use in house foundations as well. This leaves depressions in the lake and affects the flow of water through the lake.</span></p><br /><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 315px; overflow: hidden; width: 519px;"><img height="315" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/8CuiH82IJ6i6nrSiTzXJrEHKeJhe1snbD_T7EsS7bUzijLTqPtD-kWcjMP1lCLm2zfWqYfu9YjNpQdVu3zMgHzKjjo3B8UfQFgLERim9xYt1kRykFW0jX5AlapKnv4TReaVURgiZSQdbUgrtgg" style="margin-left: -212.8938px; margin-top: 0px;" width="731.8937999999999" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Waste weir of the lake</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wells</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 307px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="307" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/aM2LBWAPT9ojLhYokVuhkppPBTWNf2M8_FgXNW-11r_IHX1vckVX2K3KG5D25rQRoPqagSKf-ZFSFGRVZIG1c-qnJ_dEtUNl11X7KqdG6bq2v_SABjab5VWQLh-RC4ZMfDlfQx3f5CTqn3oztw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This farm has a private well 10 ft in diameter and 20 ft in depth. The well has 3 ft of parapet wall around it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 307px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="307" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BCCLQixCTOfsJYy5Dy4PRQKx69omU_7eAvrJuODwgu-YBoMuuRGLtpgt758lDPS47PwAD-erWqSLqT8mXxVW7Jire8_Q5N8d3hfNXvxpo3GcqTYqpoHnbA4t-iEfWpSnxgcbaliQR0W1aDmu3A" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This farm well is 15 ft in diameter and 30 ft depth the well is completely filled with the water till the ground level and resembles </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">a pond.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 307px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="307" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bPjKUXbkjS85sFZIfabq29NgyPLfWJZ3lDAnvcQrDrJpyjT9vn2X6zRJrqGfVmdKNHuwkfPEAzErT-Ck9sa_NwDxdzTAG0YFkllVpyOA5a866xtVIoM39gyRCRtsg9a3lHfz_JtvJetUZMOeYA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Public farm well- 12 ft dia, 60 ft. This stone pitched well was built more than 50 years ago in two months with the help of 4 people.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The local language to measure the well is ‘murmuttu’ in the village. 1 murmuttu is equal to 20 feet.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Income resources</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of the villagers are agriculture, dairy and quarry. Quarry located on the east and south east side of the lake.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 218px; overflow: hidden; width: 360px;"><img height="218" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9bikIFeRMlnyt4TsaU1xgWCv7ZzT2C54goDqABQKcFuVv2gvhAI1cFQjJf6x3U3TfVazGm93irKFMJNiVSBA8Av_vecRLsuFYVKjogZCli36cS83bwshP2CKxX3hOf1NLx1an16p48xfuObgTw" style="margin-left: -57.78px; margin-top: 0px;" width="475.56" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quarry (east)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 233px; overflow: hidden; width: 383px;"><img height="233" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/MT1zYX7s83cHGXpJrF9F8S2PrJ0iMtfzgzzpvKPcRnFCV5v7_ogl22LX1g2AY-qYswpTdkCNY5bPDtTwP-cK2uFI7ATaz_7lEE8SVTaW6dRKFcWe8k3psHUVkIndooPiC05i0ElB6Sd8qAty9A" style="margin-left: -61.4715px; margin-top: 0px;" width="505.943" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quarry (South east)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-right: 49.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Biodiversity Observations:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-right: 49.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Trees:</b> Peepal, Neem, Eucalyptus, Tamarind, Lantana Camara, Babool, Knotweed, Calotropis, Alchornea</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-right: 49.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Wetland plants:</b> Typha, Alligator weed</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-right: 49.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Mammals: </b>Mongoose, dog.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-right: 49.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Birds:</b> Pied wagtail, Spot-billed ducks, Jungle myna, Bee Eater, Silverbill, White-rumped swallow, Gray heron, Pond heron, Purple herons, Pied kingfisher, Black drongo, Black-headed ibis, Red-wattled Lapwing, Paddyfield Pipit, Little cormorant, Shikra</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-right: 49.5pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reptiles/ Amphibians: Rock Agama, toad, frogs</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-right: -2.043307086614135pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Insects: </b>Butterfly, Damselflies, Dragonflies, spiders.</span></p><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="659.2697999999999" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/f_4ZFFeVws5RIy-ObFRcDgafBG2RSLcjPUDpZ7qZFp4LZMj0XZA-8SOvvpzyADdEPOve9W_32iVPXYX2KjKTLNhpb7Rk4jaGOgcz975cymKMX5XD1Bfq52zw8eNTudWkXp86MTtOFh4lH21LOQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: -8.667px;" width="302" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><h1 style="text-align: center;"><b>Bean</b></h1><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 642px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 302px;"> <img height="659.2697999999999" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_-D2wKZEbK2N_-hDnI3QV9gJJAmuJQAES0xp9VAXHe8-ly-pnxyRlD_eY7DiCM7Uf6t5qyFsacQbqTw2kjr61dF6Gn8FdoRKFKfdsLHsETDn8qO6SoAHFBz4kL79AGx16REDRQB3IHyOEWJuiA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -8.667px;" width="302" /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><h2 style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Lantana camara</span></h2><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> </span><img height="548" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8NISLT2QDXub3bodsZY73ztmbSnA17OKq8svBNuIdstyQ6-NcyvGFcTCvdz3Pf4Oio0iL2OTUyRzh8TlXE6LWCDF_AEtfJjak_yLX2Xu_OWADuXUjsJxSelBl6A_YyJpM3RAuMxj2lWI-nXZUQ=w273-h548" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -7.209px; white-space: pre-wrap;" width="273" /></div><div><span> </span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"> <b>Rock gam</b></h2><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> </span><img height="544.257" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Q5Ew7K2jUGygdSeaVKWWeQ_Uhe85W0gZfqt1LdyDEOQRxEQokaICsxmpSyLZzyVgby7M_T37vbVYsyTIbapfS9yrTvqbaMuQg6ekXFGDfWi8uYwzZCXwejSaQ2h6rht5MPrvfQrEqKbEao0i3Q" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -7.155px; white-space: pre-wrap;" width="268" /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"> <b>Typha</b></h2><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Biomewaterinternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948874356078337997noreply@blogger.com0