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BENGALURU: How toxic is Bengaluru's air? It was ranked 63rd among 168 cities for PM 2.5 levels in 2015-16 by a report - titled 'Airpocalypse' - on air quality. Tumakuru was ranked 67th. New Delhi, which has been in the news for dizzying levels of air pollution, was ranked first.

But other cities in Karnataka, including Hassan, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Mandya and Chitradurga, emerged the least polluted, occupying the last slots in the list. Vehicular pollution was attributed as the main cause for pollution in Bengaluru.

The study covered 24 States and Union territories.

A release from Greenpeace India on Wednesday said that no Indian city complies with standards prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and very few cities - many in southern India - comply with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) standards.
PM10 levels
Data compiled through online reports and Right to Information applications from State Pollution Control Boards across India showed that air pollution levels for cities in Karnataka as far as PM10 levels are concerned were higher than the average of 60 µg/m3 prescribed under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

Surprisingly, Davanagere has the highest level of PM 10 in the atmosphere, followed by Bengaluru, Tumakuru, Raichur and Hubballi.

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Report: Bengaluru ranks poorly in air quality

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BENGALURU: How toxic is Bengaluru's air? It was ranked 63rd among 168 cities for PM 2.5 levels in 2015-16 by a report - titled 'Airpocalypse' - on air quality. Tumakuru was ranked 67th. New Delhi, which has been in the news for dizzying levels of air pollution, was ranked first.

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The Sustainable Development Goals are not legally binding, so it's up to us, the citizen changemakers of the world, to carry them out on the ground as well as to hold our countries' leaders accountable to following through on their commitment. Below we've laid out some ways you can make your voice heard and contribute to the Global Goals agenda.

Global Goals Toolkit

Talk with your family and friends. Word of mouth insight from the people you trust is essential to every movement. Ask them if they've heard of the Global Goals for 2030 and/or seen the periodic table of Sustainable Development. Let them know which goals are most important to you, why they're important, and how people and organizations around the world are working to address them.

Share content and ideas on social media. Share this blog post using the hashtags #GlobalGoals #SDGs and #SDG6. Visit http://www.globalgoals.org/tell-everyone/ to find official campaign images, facts, and photos to share on social media. You can also write your own social media post, blog, editorial to a newspaper, etc. to share your insight into the importance of all of the goals or a specific cause.

Write business leaders and your elected officials asking them to educate themselves on the Global Goals and to incorporate them into their agenda. Within your letter or email include the UN SDG Advocates open letter. ( Download here) It is a beautifully designed call to action for all sectors to play their part in achieving the goals.

Volunteer with organizations working on the SDGs. You have the power to directly contribute! If you look for volunteer opportunities, you'll find worthy organizations that need your help. OHorizons' has utilized skilled volunteers around the world to help strengthen every aspect of our organization!

Conclusion

The Sustainable Development Goals are an important opportunity to improve the quality of life for all human beings and our planet. We invite you to join us and the rest of the global community in promoting the Goals. Together, we can achieve a breakthrough in sustainable development and leave no one behind!

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Adopted by world leaders in September 2015 and implemented at the start of 2016, more than 150 countries have pledged to mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities, and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.

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High-profile earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters have made it more clear than ever that in the face of climate change, stronger buildings able to withstand such events are not just advisable but necessary. These 13 designs range from fantastical concepts for entire floating cities to real homes that have already proven themselves disaster-proof, and from large-scale billion-dollar projects to low-cost housing solutions for the poor.

Earthquake-Proof 'Coral Reef Island' for Haiti

After 2009's massive earthquake wiped out much of Haiti's infrastructure, the nation is still struggling to rebuild, and imaginative architect Vincent Callebaut has a suggestion: disaster-proof floating housing inspired by coral reefs. The Coral Reef Project consists of 1000 modular residences in dual wavy stacks, supported on an artificial pier built on seismic piles in the Caribbean. With energy harvested from the waves, hydro-turbines and sea thermal energy conversion, the structure improves the standard of living, providing green terraces for each plug-in 'pod' and simplifying delivery of supplies.

Soccer Ball-Shaped Floating Houses

From a doghouse to a 540-square-foot family dwelling, the 'Barier' is an earthquake-proof home shaped like a soccer ball that becomes a floating rescue ship in the event of a natural disaster. The 32-sided urethane-walled surface of the house distributes force, and the base acts as a ballast, ensuring that it stays upright if swept away in a tsunami.

Noah's Ark - A Floating Hotel

In the event of an earthquake or flood, this hotel would be one of the safest buildings in town. The concept, designed by Remistudio, is structured to resist seismic impact and has an entirely transparent facade to create a biosphere that could allow food production if necessary. Solar panels and rainwater collection would provide inhabitants with energy and water and the bottom half of the hotel rests in a depression in the ground, allowing it to come loose and float.

Earthquake-Proof Solar-Powered Volcano Towers

(images via: ofis)

Looking like a strange sort of man-made volcano, the All-Seasons Tent Tower by OFIS Architecture is a multi-function cylindrical tower powered with solar energy and covered in a mesh skin that filters sunlight for temperature regulation. A system of concrete cores protects the interior - filled with apartments, shops, restaurants, offices and recreational space - from the impact of earthquakes.

Harvest City: Floating Concept for Haiti

Yet another natural disaster-proof concept takes Haiti from the land to the sea, creating an offshore haven complete with agriculture and industry. Harvest City by E. Keven Schopfer is a complex of floating modules measuring 2 miles in diameter, with four zones connected by a linear system of canals. Cables secure the whole complex, which includes a harbor 'city center', to the sea bed. The design even makes use of debris from the 2009 earthquake, putting concrete rubble to work as breakwater filler.

Sticky Rice Mortar in China

Ancient Chinese construction workers found a secret recipe for mortar that has helped their buildings survive for centuries: it's made with sticky rice. Chemists determined in 2010 that a complex carbohydrate in the 'sticky rice soup' which was mixed with lime and used to fill in gaps between stones over 1500 years ago is largely responsible for the strength of the structures, which have withstood multiple earthquakes and even bulldozers.

"Analytical study shows that the ancient masonry mortar is a kind of special organic-inorganic composite material," the scientists explained. "The inorganic component is calcium carbonate, and the organic component is amylopectin, which comes from the sticky rice soup added to the mortar. Moreover, we found that amylopectin in the mortar acted as an inhibitor: The growth of the calcium carbonate crystal was controlled, and a compact microstructure was produced, which should be the cause of the good performance of this kind of organic-organic mortar."

Floating Shipping Container Houses for Pakistan

Millions of people remain homeless in Pakistan after disastrous 2010 floods - could low-cost, eco-friendly shipping container houses be the solution? The Amphibious Container concept by Richard Moreta is made with reused shipping crates and pallets, resting on a foundation of truck inner tubes which serve as a flotation device in the event of high waters. It can handle a maximum water level of 7.5 feet.

Lilypad Floating City Concept

Floating mega-cities are Vincent Callebaut's specialty, and the Lilypad Floating Ecopolis is an especially beautiful example of imagination run wild. Designed for "ecological refugees" in the year 2100, the Lilypad is an amphibious self-sufficient city able to accommodate 50,000 people along with enough plants and animals to sustain them. The lower portion includes a submerged lagoon which filters rainwater.

Low-Income Disaster-Proof Bamboo Housing

What if we could keep all of a home's key elements in a disaster-proof core, surrounded by a bamboo structure that would be inexpensive to replace if a natural disaster destroyed it? That's the idea behind this low-income housing concept by a group of Indian architects, a design that won the Design Against the Elements competition to create disaster-proof housing. Each three-story apartment complex contains an earthquake, wind and water-resistant core holding water and power lines, bathrooms, kitchens and stairways and an escape hatch to the roof. This provides a safe haven for a low cost, raising survival rates among the most vulnerable populations.

Hurricane-Proof Dome House in Florida

There are lots of cool concepts, but what about disaster-proof homes that have already been built and proven effective? This unusual-looking dome house in Pensacola Beach, Florida has survived four hurricanes including the devastating Katrina, Dennis and Ivan. Owners Mark and Valerie Sigler came up with this $7 million design after Hurricane Opal destroyed their previous house in 1995, leaving them without a residence for 14 months. During Hurricane Dennis in 2004, an NBC News crew stayed in the house and had this to say about it: "You have a one-piece concrete house with five miles of steel in it. The house did exactly what it's supposed to do."

Raised Home Escapes Hurricanes, Brush Fires & Floods

The owners of this raised house, located on an island off the coast of South Carolina, were determined that their home be able to survive brush fires, hurricanes and floods. The resulting off-grid pre-fabricated house made of recycled steel and SIP panels is engineered to FEMA flood zone requirements and built on helical foundations to withstand 140-mile-per-hour winds. All that space under the house isn't wasted - in fair weather, it functions as a screened-in shade porch.

The Citadel: Floating Apartment Complex in the Netherlands

Not content to simply talk about the dangers of rising sea levels (like much of the rest of the world), the Dutch have begun taking matters into their own hands with architecture that can withstand dramatic changes in the canals that are such an integral part of the Netherlands. As part of a new development called "New Water", Koen Oltuls of Waterstudio designed 'The Citadel', Europe's first floating apartment complex. 60 luxury apartments, a car park, a floating road and boat docks will work with the changing water levels rather than against them

Foundation (9 Boxes): Absurdist Architecture by Luke O'Sullivan

Technically, this isn't an architecture concept; it's a work of art - screenprint on wood by Luke O'Sullivan. But Foundation (9 Boxes) still offers an absurdist take on solutions to flood-proof housing, and one that makes a very simple point: build higher.

Says the artist, "'Foundation (9 Boxes)' was inspired by dystopian films, absurd architectural concepts, and natural disaster prevention. It was around the time when the housing market crashed, and I was thinking a lot about modular housing units, and façades."

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Disaster-Proof Architecture: 13 Super-Strong Structures - WebEcoist

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High-profile earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters have made it more clear than ever that in the face of climate change, stronger buildings able to withstand such events are not just advisable but necessary. These 13 designs range from fantastical concepts for entire floating cities to

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by Pallavi Pasricha (Lonely Planet Author) Jun 2018

I reach here and I am stumped. Not only is this village spotless clean but it's one of the prettiest ones I have seen in the country. I am greeted warmly and taken to the guest house, my home for the night. I walk on cobbled streets bordered with thatched Khasi huts and go past gardens that are full of colourful flowers. There are bamboo baskets outside every house, used as bins.

I reach the guest house which is entirely made of bamboo. Raised on stilts it almost seems as if I'm in a tree house with two tiny bedrooms, a living room, verandah and a machan which is connected to the verandah with long bamboo poles and jute. It resembles a typical Khasi hut and it is serene and calming just sitting there amidst greenery with a gentle gurgling of the waterfall in the background. I had my lunch and just wanted to laze there with no agenda, no mobile or internet (thank God). I'm enjoying every minute when it just gets better - it's time to go and see the Living Root Bridges.

After a 15-minute walk I'm face-to-face with one of the most spectacular natural bridges I've seen that's made by twisting the roots of the gigantic rubber trees. The roots make a pathway across a stream, making it easy for villagers to commute. These bridges are unique to Meghalaya. All around Cherrapunjee there are a number of such bridges fashioned by Khasi villagers who have, over decades, woven the roots of ficus trees across rivulets and streams. The hardy roots slowly grow to form a cantilevered and intertwined mesh that is used as a bridge over waterways. Many of these bridges can only be reached by hiking through the forest for several hours, so I skip those and choose to see this one instead.

Another interesting thing the villagers have constructed here is the Sky View, an 85 feet high viewing tower that's made of bamboo. When I reach to the top I get stunning views of not just the village but also Bangladesh on the other side. It's simply gorgeous.

After a simple meal of dal, rice, potato and red chilies I turn in early. Next day as I am leaving the children beam and wave and villagers happily see me off. That's when I realise that it's the simplicity and warmth of the people that makes Mawlynnong so special.

Getting there: There are regular flights from all metro cities to Guwahati. From here, Mawlynnong is 190km away. You can break the journey at Shillong, 118km from the airport.

The article was first published in 2014, and has been updated since.

AUTHOR'S BIO: A traveller and foodie at heart, Pallavi Pasricha has explored many destinations across the world. But that never seems to be enough and she's always ready to hit the road again. Her obsession for travel is combined with a love for photography.

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where to head for a holiday in northeast india

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A day at the cleanest village in Asia: Mawlynnong, Meghalaya

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by Pallavi Pasricha (Lonely Planet Author) Jun 2018 I reach here and I am stumped. Not only is this village spotless clean but it's one of the prettiest ones I have seen in the country. I am greeted warmly and taken to the guest house, my home for the night.

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A car mechanic from India claims to have designed an astonishing car that runs on water.

Mohammad Raees Markani, 44, has been modifying an 800 cc engine for the last five years - and now believes he has made the scientific breakthrough.

The eco-friendly car uses a mix of water and carbides.

Incredibly, A one litre mix of this concoction costs under two pence - making it more cost effective than traditional fuels.

Markani, from the state of Madhya Pradesh, said: "The car runs on acetylene gas , which is formed from a chemical reaction between calcium carbide and water.

"The gas is used for several industrial purposes including welding and portable lighting for miners. But in my case, I am using it to propel the car engines .

"I have made other changes to the engines, which helps the overall performance of the car . So basically, it is just about the water."

Markani has been a car mechanic for over 15 years.

READ MORE: Top Gear host Chris Evans races to help rescue OAP in beach drama

He never went to school and cannot read or write. So the invention has been hailed as a great leap in Indian society - and made him a local celebrity.

"This idea struck my mind while I was gas welding a part of my car in my workshop many years ago. But I did not know how to go about it," Markani said.

"Somehow, I made a start and it took five years to make this efficient engine."

Markani now has a patent for his water car and has been invited by Chinese automobile companies to to develop the idea further.

READ MORE: Dakar Rally crash: Four spectators injured after car ploughs into crowd - before race even starts

He added: "The market for environmentally friendly cars is getting bigger and automobile companies around the world are looking for eco-friendly ways to reduce pollution.

"So a car like mine can be a good alternative. It costs close to nothing to operate and it is environment friendly."

All the companies that are interested in Raees's water car project will have to meet his one condition - any plant to make new cars will be established only in his hometown in Madhya Pradesh.

Markani said: "I want things to change in my hometown. So this is where my work should continue."

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H2Go! This amazing car runs on fuel that costs less than 2p a litre

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A car mechanic from India claims to have designed an astonishing car that runs on water. Mohammad Raees Markani, 44, has been modifying an 800 cc engine for the last five years - and now believes he has made the scientific breakthrough. The eco-friendly car uses a mix of water and carbides.

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BENGALURU: This May, City's popular picnic spot Ulsoor Lake was in the news when thousands of dead fish floated up. Everyone - political leaders, the corporation officials and the pollution control board - were on the alert and promised action. But the recent rains proved their efforts weak and half-hearted.

Water from the nearby storm-water drain was to have been filtered with nets and then passed through a granite bund, before entering the lake. But in the rains, residents living around the lake say, the drains overflowed because both the nets and the bund seem to have been poorly maintained.

They say that the filtering nets and the bund have to be cleaned regularly so that the free flow of water is not obstructed. But no one seems to be bothered by it. The blockage has contributed to the overflow, and untreated sewage water and garbage found its way back into the lake.

City Express visited the lake and found plastic waste and other debris on the lake side of the bund.

The residents are unhappy about the attitude of the authorities. "The officials have been making a lot of promises but no action has been taken," says Purushottam Venkatraman, President of the Ulsoor Lake Residents' Welfare Association (ULRWA).

"The pollution control board also promised to construct a sewerage treatment plant at the lake, but we don't see any progress on that front. Recently BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Pallike) dumped few granite stones to construct a bund, but the water is seeping through it and into the lake."

Mahesh Kumar MN, a resident, says, "Sewage from the neighbourhood still drains into the lake." Simbu, a fruit vendor by the lake, says that the recent rains submerged the bund.

The local corporator blames senior officials in BBMP. "I have been trying to reach them, including to the commissioner and Chief Engineer (Project Central) Somashekar S, but none of them is responding," says Mamatha Saravana, corporator for Ulsoor Ward. City Express tried to reach the Commissioner Manjunath Prasad and the chief engineer, but both were not available for comment.

Corporator Mamatha says that she opposed the construction of the bund. "I didn't think it was an effective solution," she says. "Even though ministers including Minister KJ George and MLAs visited the lake and promised action, no action has been taken." The Minister was not available for a comment either.

A senior official at the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board passes the buck, to Bangalore Water Supply and Sewarage Board. "We are only providing the funds to construct the sewage treatment plant," says the official under anonymity. "BWSSB has to construct it, but they haven't submitted a proposal or a cost estimate yet."

BWSSB's Chief Engineer for Waste Water Management says that they have started planning for the STP. "We have to make a detailed plan and a sketch," says Ramakrishna S M from BWSSB. "The pollution control board has agreed to give `4 crore, in accordance with the progress of the work. We have just marked out the place to construct the plant." ​

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Bengaluru's Ulsoor lake in trouble once more

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BENGALURU: This May, City's popular picnic spot Ulsoor Lake was in the news when thousands of dead fish floated up. Everyone - political leaders, the corporation officials and the pollution control board - were on the alert and promised action. But the recent rains proved their efforts weak and half-hearted.

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International Business Times, India Edition

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Even as monsoon has just arrived in South India, the fear of dengue is already looming large with 380 cases reported in May in Karnataka, the State Health Department reportedly said.

Hospitals in Bangalore have stepped up surveillance systems as they are witnessing an increase in the patient admissions due to dengue.

"We are seeing a rise in cases of dengue, with at least a couple of cases in the OPD daily. There are several cases of suspected dengue and viral fever cases are also on the rise. Many patients are referred to BMCRI from other hospitals across Karnataka and other States as well. As the monsoon has been late, it will take another two weeks for the gravity of the situation to be understood," KR Ravindra, associate professor at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), told the Hindu.
What is Dengue?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection which causes flu-like illness, and rarely develops into a potentially lethal complication.

Dengue virus is transmitted by female mosquitoes mainly of the species Aedes aegypti . This mosquito also transmits chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika infection. Dengue is widespread throughout the tropics,

The number of dengue cases has risen dramatically over past several decades. Nearly half of the world's population is now at risk.

Dengue is more prevalent in crowded urban and semi-urban areas with tropical and sub-tropical climates.

Although there is no specific treatment for dengue/ severe dengue, but early detection and proper treatment significantly lowers the fatality due to the disease.

A vaccine for dengue licensed by the regulatory authorities in several countries may help prevent dengue in people in the age group of 9-45 years living in high-risk areas.

How is Dengue transmitted?
The virus is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female Aedes aegypti mosquito.

After a person is bitten by the mosquito, he or she can transmit the infection for a maximum period of 12 days. The humans become a source of virus for uninfected mosquitoes and thereby spread the disease.
Dengue Symptoms
Dengue usually persists in the form of flu-like symptoms a severe, flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults, but is rarely fatal.

A high fever (40Â°C/104Â°F) accompanied by severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands or rash are the most common symptoms of dengue. These symptoms last anywhere between 2 to 7 days.

The symptoms of severe dengue according to WHO could be plasma leaking, fluid accumulation, respiratory distress, severe bleeding, or organ impairment.

The dangerous signs could appear along with the common symptoms or even after that. A sudden decrease in body temperature (below 38Â°C/100Â°F), severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums, fatigue, restlessness and blood in vomit are alarming signals. The patient needs to be admitted to the hospital in the next 24 to 48 hours to avoid further complications and risk of death.
Treatment, Prevention and Control
Although currently there is no specific treatment for dengue yet, but adequate care by physicians and nurses can help reduce the mortality from 20 percent to 1 percent. Here are WHO recommended guidelines for effective dengue control:

disposing of solid waste properly and removing artificial man-made habitats;

covering, emptying and cleaning of domestic water storage containers on a weekly basis;

applying appropriate insecticides to water storage outdoor containers;

using of personal household protection such as window screens, long-sleeved clothes, insecticide treated materials, coils and vaporizers;

improving community participation and mobilisation for sustained vector control;

applying insecticides as space spraying during outbreaks as one of the emergency vector-control measures;

active monitoring and surveillance of vectors should be carried out to determine effectiveness of control interventions.

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Dengue crisis in Karnataka: Here's how you can protect yourself from the disease

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Even as monsoon has just arrived in South India, the fear of dengue is already looming large with 380 cases reported in May in Karnataka, the State Health Department reportedly said. Hospitals in Bangalore have stepped up surveillance systems as they are witnessing an increase in the patient admissions due to dengue.

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WHILE MULA and Mutha are the rivers that draw maximum attention, Pavana River, Ram Nadi and Dev Nadi, which also flows through the city and surrounding suburbs, are in need for a new lease of life. Just like Mula-Mutha, they too have enriching history behind them. But unfortunately like Mula-Mutha, these water bodies too have been ignored thoroughly for years and are lying polluted and untreated right now.
Pavana River
Nearly 36 kms of Pavana River stretch up to Ravet is clean portable drinking water; PCMC and MIDC are dependent on this water. However, the rest of th e24 kms is highly polluted and heavily encroached upon.

Narendra Chug, a member of Jal Biradari and technical advisor, says that there is rampant encroachment along the entire stretch of 24 kms of Pavana River. Other than that, the river also faces dumping of debris/solid wastes. "Due to non-availability of electric power, sometimes the sewage treatment plants discharge untreated sewage, which leads to pollution.
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Additional sewage collection tank should be created or existing collections tank capacity augmented where during electric shut down the sewage gets collected and that is treated after electric power is resumed. The nallahs that carry polluted water and solid waste like plastics and cloth need to be properly dealt with. Metal gratings should be provided in the nallahs to arrest solid wastes," says Chugh, who along with the members of the group Paawan Pavana, has been fighting to revive the river for eight years.

The members suggest that 24 milestones should be fixed from Ravet to Mula River Sangam, which will geographically divide river into 24 segments. Responsibility of each kilometre on either banks could be given to two river volunteers and two PCMC staff. These four 'river warriors' can jointly monitor and report progress about - Tree plantation of river banks; Encroachment and dumping of debris; testing of water quality every week, reporting of water hyacinth , among others," says Chug.
Ram Nadi
Till about 30-35 years ago, the people residing around Ram Nadi near Baner, would use its water for drinking and cooking purposes. Currently, the river paints a depressing picture covered with garbage, debris and sewage water, and one can't even touch it without gloves or go near it without a mask, forget drinking from it. Ramnadi stretches for 18 kms from Bhukkum to Baner, perennial to Mula in Baner.

"It's 100 per cent polluted; there's no life in water here. I doubt if Ram Nadi will ever be revived. It's not in the agenda of people or the administration. Even if it was the last point in the agenda, there could have been some hope. Earlier, we thought that people who reside by the river are responsible for dirtying it. However, we discovered that those who do this do not stay in the vicinity.

People we interviewed have told us that tempos of various restaurants come around midnight every day to dump waste," says Anil Gaikwad, founder, Vasundhara Swachhata Abhiyan (VSA), which was launched in October 2008 as a movement to clean Ram Nadi.

The VSA members visit the river once a week to carry out river cleaning, tree plantation and create awareness among people staying along the banks of the river. Anil Gaikwad, founder, Vasundhara Swachhata Abhiyan, says, "It was found that there are two main reasons for river pollution. Firstly, due to leakage of drainage pipes, sewage water and waste water going directly in the river. At many places waste water directly goes into the river due to lack of drainage lines.

Secondly, people throw all types of garbage into the river, and sadly, there is no system to restrict them." The Ramnadi Swachhata Abhiyan consistently went on till 2012, until it hit a roadblock due to poor response from the public. The Abhiyan was restarted on October 2, 2016. "It was found that the sapling planted between 2008 and 2012 had well grown. During last four months, about 1,000 ft river bank was cleaned manually and about 10 tonnes of plastic waste was recovered and sent for recycling.

The bio-fence was constructed along the clean area. The cleaned riverbank was isolated and shortly tree plantation will be carried out. Recently, a river walk was also organised as part of the Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival," says Gaikwad.

According to Gaikwad, though a far-fetched dream, the revival of Ram Nadi can be achieved through two ways. Firstly, the government must restrict people from throwing any type of garbage in the river. Secondly, each drop generated in the river basin must be treated at stringent world standards before going to river. "The river will declared clean only when people will restart drinking water from river without treatment," he says.
Dev Nadi
Dev Nadi originates in Baner (Survey no 36) on the left side of Bangalore-Mumbai highway and flows through nearly 20-plus survey nos. It crosses the highway and meets Mula River after covering nearly 3.5 kms. There are two big streams joining from both sides. Makarand Shende, city-based architect who has formed a group who work collectively to save Dev Nadi, says that rampant urban development has disturbed the water body to a large extent with majority of water getting collected through percolation and the aquifers getting completely destroyed by huge excavations for basements of the buildings. The streams supporting Dev Nadi, run dry except during monsoon.

In the past, the Citizens Group Baner Area Sabha, which is a part of Area Sabha Association, had filed a PIL in the high court to protect natural ecological flow of Dev Nadi and avoid any kind of concretisation. The related high court ruling dated April 26, 2012, states that tree cutting should be compensated by afforestation in green belts of 7/9 mt on both sides with the help of environment experts. According to Shende, the ruling is not followed at all.

"In fact, encroachment has happened in many places and despite continuous follow-up by Area Sabha with the PMC Tree Authority Chairman regarding initiation of the plantation programme on greenbelts around Dev Nadi, the ruling has remained only on paper.

Pointing out other parts of the high court ruling, Shende said, "While the ruling said the debris be removed with the immediate effect, dumping is going on in many parts of Dev Nadi. It (ruling) also states that PMC should maintain Dev Nadi's original width - 25 to 40 metres varying in different patches.

Currently, it is hardly five to 10 metres, due to heavy encroachment. PMC is required to relocate all sewer lines outside the drain in order to prevent ground water getting contaminated through percolation." "Basically, PMC has not adhered to any of court orders and Dev Nadi is in deep trouble due to negligence. To rejuvenate it, we all need to come together along with the government authorities to save ourselves from huge water scarcity and dying rivers," says Shende.

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Riverside view: Pavana, Ram & Dev flow with sewage

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WHILE MULA and Mutha are the rivers that draw maximum attention, Pavana River, Ram Nadi and Dev Nadi, which also flows through the city and surrounding suburbs, are in need for a new lease of life. Just like Mula-Mutha, they too have enriching history behind them.