With over a three million titles on display, 340 stalls from leading publishers and distributors, this 10 day long Bangalore Book Festival (BBF) is open to public from 9th Nov till 15th Nov ( i.e. today) is claimed to be indias largest book festival….

Open to public from 11am till 8pm.
More photos here..

The proceeds of the sale will be used to promote education of underprivileged children by providing classrooms, mulitimedia education aids, salaries for teachers etc. Hosur Round Table also funds environmental projects through Kenneth Anderson Nature Society.

A primary school in Kodekarai a remote village in the Melagiris is being adopted by Hosur Round Table by sponsoring the salary of 2 teachers for a year. Thirteen class rooms have been constructed at various remote villages in the last few years and two multimedia education kits (projector, P.C and education material from classes 4 to 10) have been donated recently.

The cracker gift boxes are carefully chosen for quality and they are manufactured by Standard Fireworks. The detailed contents and prices of gift boxes are provided at the bottom of this email. The prices are the best you will get and money goes for a great cause.

Please do support this endeavor by placing your order at this link:

Order Form:

click here

Delivery can be arranged at Bangalore as far as possible at your address or at a convenient pick up point.

I request you to please forward this email to other groups, office bulletin boards, resident associations etc that you may be a part of.

For further details about the various types of firecracker boxes, contact:

Sanjeev Kumar S.R,Vice President,Kenneth Anderson Nature Society.

Mob: 09362321000

For details about the various gift boxes, click

here

Date: 10:00 am – 11:00 am, Sunday, October 11, 2009

Venue: GKVK Main Gate on Bellary Road

Program: Protest against proposed 80 feet link road through GKVK campus

Issue
Proposed construction of a major 80 feet link road through GKVK campus entailing cutting of 3000 trees and destruction of several research plots

Current Status

GKVK has transferred the land to BBMP. BBMP has felled hundreds of trees and has initiated civil works. Court has issued stay order on further felling of trees. Forest department has filed a FIR and is investigating the issue. However, BBMP is still planning to carry on with road work. We have now lost hundreds of trees, but the land still remains. We can atleast regrow the trees and we can prevent a road from running through a green patch and destroying it. If we lose the land, we lose the battle fully and we’ll have a road running through an urban green patch, impacting the rest of the green patch negatively!

Why is it of concern?

q GKVK is a unique habitat with rich bio-diversity providing the much needed green space and shelter to several species of birds, insects, animals and many rare plants.

q Deforestation will potentially affect ambient temperature, rainfall, and the surrounding water table.

q Pollution resulting from the fuel emissions of subsequent traffic on the proposed link road would negatively impact the bio-diversity of the campus as also the health of the neighbourhood children and residents.

q The research character of the campus would be adversely affected with the advent the road, commuters, establishment of commercial enterprises, and generation of waste material alongside such a major link road through the campus.

Community Demand

q Environmental Impact Study (EIS) must be done in compliance of legal requirements for forest areas and a serious evaluation of alternatives must be undertaken in consultation with stakeholders and environmentalists before taking a decision.

Action taken so far

q Signature campaign for petition to Karnataka Governor

q Petition to BBMP on April 10th, 2009

q Save GKVK Candlelight Vigil on August 25, 2009

q Petition to the Karnataka Governor on August 28th, 2009

q Save GKVK March on September 5th, 2009

q Memorandum to the Karnataka Governor on September 5th, 2009

q Submission for intervention to the Director General of Forests, Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi.

q Save GKVK Candlelight Vigil on October 2, 2009

Must SAVE this lung space – the GKVK campus – one of the last remaining green cover in North Bengaluru!

Contact: 95 35 10 30 50 Email: SaveGKVKadmin@gmail.com

in collaboration with

Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology

invites you to a workshop on

Urban Lakes as Ecological, Cultural and Public Spaces

A Workshop for Decision makers, Media, NGOs, Teachers, Students and the Public

Date: Saturday 26th September 2009

Time: 9.30 am – 4.00 pm

Venue: Marigowda Hall, Lalbagh, Near Double Road Entrance, Bangalore

The urban built area of Bangalore once had over 300 tanks (now also called as lakes). These water harvesting systems were built over hundreds of years by various generations, and formed an intricate network of water use serving agriculture and drinking water needs. In addition these water bodies have become critical sites for a variety of flora and fauna, especially local and migratory waterfowl.

Over time, these tanks have disappeared due to poor urban planning, lack of concern and reliance on drawing water from faraway rivers. The cultural underpinnings of water conservation that was so innate to life and living in these regions, slowly eroded with the disappearance of these lakes. As the city grows more dense in population and buildings, the critical importance of lakes as social, cultural and ecological spaces is being felt.

Presently less than 60 of these tanks exist in built Bangalore, and most are heavily polluted or drained. As a direct result of encroachment of lakes and its canal networks, Bangalore’s neighbourhoods get easily flooded even in a short rain frequently resulting in loss of life and property.

In this workshop we will understand the traditional methods of use and management of tanks and community relationships that kept these practices alive. We will appreciate the dynamic ecology of lakes and their role in supporting livelihoods of communities dependent on fishing, horticulture and farming. We will focus our concerns on how lakes have transitioned into cesspools of urban waste, sewage and decay. We will examine how critical lakes are to building water security for ever growing Bangalore. We will examine the role of the Rule of Law and Community Action in reviving these critical water bodies. We will also examine current policies of protecting and conserving lakes and examine their efficiency, especially ongoing efforts at privatising lakes. As an overall process we will try and evolve a series of good practices to ensure our lakes are retained for our generation and generations to come.

This workshop is for decision makers from the government and corporate sectors, academicians, media persons, legal professionals, political leaders, etc. Needless to state, anyone is welcome with prior registration.

Proceedings of this workshop will be widely circulated with the help of mass media and also electronically.

For More Details and Registrations contact:

Divya Ravindranath or Bhargavi S. Rao, Environment Support Group, 1572, 36th Cross, Ring Road, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bangalore 560070 Tel:91-80-26713559/60/61 Email bhargavi@esgindia.org/divyarrs@esgindia.org Website: www.esgindia.org

Lalbagh requires all Participants to pay the entrance fee of RS.10/- at the gates

Phone:
919880969064
Email:
sujay.kotian@gmail.com

Young artists and photographers come together and display their Art works and photographs flowing in the lines of “Wild” life and what is left of it.

Artists: Abhijna Anand, Arjun Srivathsa,Prashanthi Nerallapalli
photographers: phillip ross, Ramnath Chandrasekhar, Vivek Vellanki

Display and sale of all exhibits, along with handicrafts by MOGHIYAS [ tribal folk of Rajasthan].

proceeds of the sale will be donated for wildlife
CONSERVATION- specifically the critically endangered CROC-GHARIAL and the CAT in peril-TIGER

India represents a uniquely diverse subculture that is built by its people, its history, its religion; and the land itself. Yet preceding all its history is the strongest factor that represents the basis for its culture- its wild nascence.

FERA- the exhibition brings to you, various dimensions of this very essence, with “Symmetry” portrayed in the works of Prashanthi Nerallapalli. With origin of the Earth, it was symmetry in the elements that brought about life; it was symmetry in elements that created the land and the water; it was also symmetry in its abstract form that created religion; and it is this symmetry in culture that India still strongly presents its ancient tradition of old; for even today, its people and wildlife are intertwined within this very symmetry.

Being created by symmetry and having supported life on it is “The Land.” The land that supports its wildlife is displayed in classical landscape artwork by Abhijna Anand. It is a manifestation, on canvas, of the glory of the Himalayas, the pride of the mighty rivers, the blissful solitude of the grasslands and the peace of the evergreen forests.

With this came “Life,” represented in the artwork and photography displays of Arjun Srivathsa, Ramnath Chandrashekar and Phillip Ross. Life, in India is a tradition heavily represented by the wild denizens of the forests. It is ‘the tiger,’ upon whom goddess Durga ascends; ‘the elephant’ representing the union of man with god; ‘the serpent’ associated with Shiva- the destroyer. The Essence of FERA brings many more such displays that portray the wild heritage of India.

However, within such wild and cultural traditions, we see forewarnings in the “The Reality,” of today. With issues ranging from water conservation to rural life that gradually modernizes, to create a major conflict between man and the wild, FERA displays the reality through the photography displays of Vivek Vellanki. Eyes are drawn to the threats faced by our culture; the land; the people and the wildlife.

With its various sub-themes, FERA hopes to spread the message of conservation through artworks and photographs which of course are eventually converted into real time conservation efforts.

Event Coordinators:
Sujay Kotian
Natasha Ballal
Vishnupriya Shankararaman
Vishnupriya Hathwar

Steps
Approach the contractor/workers cutting the tree. Ask them if they have the approval of tree officer, BBMP for cutting the tree.

If they dont have the order
Ask them to stop. Tell the that they are not authorised to cut trees and that they can be arrested for cutting trees without required permission. Please call the relevant tree officer.( Details in latter half of mail.)
Tell them the details – what’s happening and where. Ask her/him to come immediately and get the work stopped. If tree officer does not answer her/his phone, call their office number. If you dont get through to that, call the cops from the police station under whose jurisdiction the said road is located. Alert local residents and try and gather support (this could be counter-productive sometimes, they may want the tree to be cut) . And yes, pls take pics of the trees being cut.

If they have the order
Please have a look at the order and see what it says.
Does it have a BBMP seal? Does the order explicitly state that the full tree needs to be cut? Is it signed by the tree officer? Note – some times the tree officers permit the branches to be cut, but people use that to cut the whole tree. If permission is granted only for cutting branches, only branches can be cut, not the trunk. In case they have what appears to be a order, but the order looks fishy/incomplete, call the tree officer on cellphone/landline and inquire if permission has been granted.

In case they do have the order to cut trees and it looks like they have been granted permission, just double-check with the tree officer anyway. Call the tree officer on cell-phone/landline and speak to her/him confirming if an order has been passed to cut the trees in that location.

If they have the order and it looks like its genuine and the order allows felling of trees
If at the end you realise that the tree officer has granted permission to cut the trees, there is not much you can do at that moment to stop it. Ask the tree officer if trees are being replanted in the same area, to compensate for the trees being cut. If trees are not being replanted in the same area, thats a violation of the act.

Later, you can also file an appeal with the tree authority, BBMP against the
tree officer’s order.

Tree Officer Contact Details

Tree officer North (Zones – North, East, Mahadevpura, Bytarayanapura)
Suresh – 9845174447, 22485317

His office is in the BBMP main office, hudson circle.

Tree officer South (Zones – South, West, Bomannahalli, Raja Rajeshwari Nagar)
Venkateshappa – 94806 83842, 2657 8423

Office – in the BBMP southern zone office, Jayanagar 2nd block, close to Ashoka pillar.

The various sessions are as follows:

-

Historical view of lakes in Bangalore
-

Current status of Lakes in Bangalore
-

Criticality of lakes for water security in Bangalore
-

Urban Lakes as functional eco-systems
-

Legal and Policy frameworks that govern lakes

The workshop aims to bring together Decision makers, Media, NGOs, Teachers,
Students and the general public.

You are also invited to use the workshop as an opportunity to display your
photo-exhibits, charts, models, and other forms of visual representations on
lakes, bird-life, other aquatic life, livelihoods and so on. We are sure
that the sharing of your work will deepen the discussion at the workshop.

If you are interested in the same and want to discuss further details,
please contact Divya Ravindranath,Researcher, Environment Support Group at

*divyarrs@esgindia.org*

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) invites submissions for its sixth annual arts awards for young photographers, writers, musicians and bands. There are five awards to be won – one for music (Rs 50,000), two for photography (Rs 25,000 each), and two for creative writing (Rs 25,000 each).

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS was founded in 2004, in memory of Angirus ‘Toto’ Vellani who was intensely passionate about music, literature, films and the arts. Toto’s untimely demise spurred his family and friends to create a non-profit foundation that would encourage the young to give expression to their artistic ideas. The annual TOTO awards are intended to recognize excellence in the fields of photography, music and creative writing.

All submissions must be original and must be received before October 24, 2009. Young persons from all over India between the ages of 18 and 30 are eligible to apply. Full details about eligibility and the application process for each award category can be found at

http://totofundsthearts.blogspot.com

OR can be obtained on request from

totofundsthearts@yahoo.com

Applicants are requested to send it their submissions only after checking the details pertaining to the application process. For enquiries about eligibility and other details contact:

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA)

H 301 Adarsh Gardens

8th Block, 47th Cross

Jayanagar

Bangalore 560 082

Email: totofundsthearts@yahoo.com

Here are the names of the films which will be screened at Arathi. Water is becoming a
very crucial issue for all of us and for which we all need to be concerned
about.

Kindly make a note of the film to be screened on Saturday at 4.00pm Living
Water: In the beginning where the Directors of the film will be present and
will take up the discussion afterwards. So please come and be part of
viewing this film in large numbers.

There will also be an inauguration of the International Film Festival at
4.00pm on 4th September 2009 at Alliance Francaise. All are welcome to
attend the Inauguration.

For any further queries, contact Latha Paul, General Secretary,YWCA of Bangalore City, on

9739047011.

YWCA, Koramangala

Friday 4th September, 2009

10.30am

*Holy Water (23min/Sweden/ India)*

Dir: Lotta Ekelunnd

As the cola companies deplete and pollute the essential ground water of the
communities, strong feminine voices rise in protest. And while they are
successful in shutting down a cola plant, the film debates the larger and
ever-more-pertinent question of our age- Whose water? And to whom does it
rightfully belong?

10.50am

*A Sea Change (85min/USA)*

Dir: Barbara Ettinger

The oceans of the world are in great turmoil and in the last few years, the
waters have increasingly turned acidic, corrosive and dangerous to all forms
of life. Fearing for the near future into which his grandson and a new
generation will grow into, Sven Huseby, retired professor and all-round
jovial gentleman, sets out on a journey to uncover the roots, the effects
and the damage of the environmental catastrophe and then, towards solutions
and hope. Evocative and charged with the spirit of adventure and discovery,
‘A Sea Change’ was awarded the prestigious Dumosa Award for Best Coastal
Film.

12.15pm

*Umiaq Skin Boat (31min/Canada)*

Dir: Jobie Weetaluktuk

Umiaq Skin Boat is a beautiful and poetic 30-minute film about a group of
Inuit elders in Inukjuak, Quebec who decide one summer to build the first
traditional seal skin boat their community has seen in over 50 years. Umiaq
Skin Boat bears witness to the resilience of the Inuit spirit in rapidly
changing times.

1.00pm – 2.00pm

LUNCH

2.00pm

*Sujan Bandhu, a boatman’s journey (19min/India)*

Dir: Viplab Majumder

The river, like life, inspires us to keep moving and that is the story of
this protagonist of ‘Sujan Bandhu’. More than the documentation of his life,
the director feels it is the documentation of life itself.

2.20pm

*Chilila Bank$ (60min/India)*

Dir: Akanksha Joshi

In a canvass spread over four decades, a banyan tree, on the banks of the
lake Chilika, silently whispers tales of the lake and her fisher flock. From
the times when there was no export bazaar to the time when there may be no
lake.

3.20pm

*Woman of Dorfak (20min/Iran)*

*Dir: *Mohammad Nami

Dorfak with a height of 2705 meters is the largest crater of Iran located
east of Roodbar. The slope of the volcano is a suitable summer quarters for
the people who come from humid villages and jungles for animal husbandry. On
the top of the mountain there is no drinking spring water. The task of
providing it is entrusted to the girls and women of Dorfak.

3.40pm

*Discussion*

**

*Saturday 5th September, 2009*

12.30pm

*Jala Tarangani (12min/India)*

*Conceived & Produced by the Students & Teachers of **Christel House India**
*

Weaving notes of instruments like the flute and the guitar with the sound of
the water and the students of Christel House India learn to make music in
this delightful film and in the process discover a reason to celebrate and
care for water as a wondrous element of everyday magic and also a scarce
natural resource of immense importance for the well-being of the planet.

12.40pm

*Barren Dreams (28min/Bangladesh)*

Dir: Anwar Chowdhury

In the midst of the Jamuna, lie the conjoined islands of Patilbari-Dighalkan
di, formed as a result of erosion. ‘Barren Dreams’ evocatively and with a
quiet dignity captures the lives of the children on these islands as they go
about their daily routines. In the midst of hardship, the film locates a
certain hope in these young hearts and in that perhaps, lies a better future
for us all.

1.10pm

*Waterworks (22min/Bangladesh)*

Dir: Anwar Chowdhury

Artist Farida Zaman describes the influence of her childhood memories of
boats, fishing nets, fishes, fishermen on her life and paintings. Her
country’s rivers, the life around them and her nostalgia for peace and quiet
of the rural countryside inevitably find their way into her work.

1.30pm – 2.15pm

LUNCH

2.15pm

*Heather and Goliath (10min/USA)*

Dir: Thea Mercouffer

A rousing account of a biologist with the Army Corps of Engineers, a
satirist and a bunch of boaters stand up to the authorities, and change the
course of history for the embattled LA river.

2.30pm

*Source to Sea: The Columbian River Swim (90min/USA/Canada)*

Dir: Andy Morris

Chris Swan swam 1243miles in 13months, all across the Columbia River,
braving not just cold and exhaustion but pollution and encroachments which
threaten to turn the once thriving and glorious water body into sewage,
displacement and extinction. Andy Morris’s remarkable ‘Source to Sea’ is not
just a rousing paean to human endeavor but also spans the ancient story of a
river and the life and culture that thrives in and around it. It is through
these epic narratives that the film arrives on the essential connect between
man and the elements; one we are in the danger of forgetting. Winner of the
Best Environmental activism/ Social Justice Award and Most Inspiring
Adventure Film Award.

4.00pm

*Living Water: in the beginning (23min/India)*

Dir: Vinay Silva & Divya Bhatt

*Living Water explores the wisdom of God manifested through water. It
reflects the struggle of earth and mankind as we endeavour to understand
water, its all encompassing utility and its preservation. The film implores
that ‘Preservation is Communion’ is the key.**

**What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul
!!!!*

*(Director will be present for screening and discussion)***

4.20pm

Discussion

**

*Sunday 6th September, 2009*

12.30pm

*Deeply Superficial (26min/India)*

Dir: Veneet Raj Bagga

‘Deeply Superficial’ is the chronicle of many meanings the waters of the
river Ganga holds for the people of this diverse country. Mired in these
meanings is a strange irony- where the river is venerated as holy and pure,
the condition of its water and surroundings is tragic and full of filth. The
film seeks out the people working to save the river and implores that each
one of us can contribute our bit to retain and preserve the essence of our
rivers for generations to come.

* *

*1.00pm*

*Walk with Water (Nira Nadige) (18min/India)*

Dir: K. Murali Mohan Kati & Manjunath H.

A sobering look at the city of Bangalore in the throes of the water crisis.

**

*1.20pm – 2.00pm*

*LUNCH*

**

*2.00pm*

*Call of the Thirsty Jholapuri (54min/India)*

Dir: Nafisa Barot

In simplest of terms, ‘Call of the Thirsty Jholapuri’ spells out the need of
the hour in pursuit of a better tomorrow. Dramatizing a fable of a village
girl who completes her education and returns to her village to unite the
people in the river basin through a Prem Setu (Love Bridge), the film calls
for a more gender just, equitable, peaceful, sustainable future.

**

*3.00pm*

*Sharing Paradise (58min/USA/Indonesi a)*

Dir: Amelia Hapsari

The fishing community of the rustic Indonesian Island of Balobaloang is
facing a crisis like they have never faced before, a thoroughly modern one.
For a community that stills bides by traditional practices, their waters
have increasingly come under siege by fishermen from neighboring islands,
who even after depleting their own island’s fish reserves, continue to
engage in dynamite bombing and cyanide fishing. Director Amelia Hapsari
gathers the Balobaloang community around her and together their voices shape
the narrative and the story of ‘Sharing Paradise’.

**

*4.00pm*

*Secret Life (12min/Poland)*

Dir: Joanna Hoffmann

The video refers to the contemporary quest for life and its definition. In a
poetic way, it combines micro and macro scales, scientific images with
everyday surrounding and experiences. It touches the subject of water as a
source of life.

*4.15pm *Discussion

17 – 29.08.2009, 9.00 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.
Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan

Inauguration on 14.08.2008, 6.30 p.m.
All are welcome!

The objective of the intensive 3-week workshop for Bangalore photo enthusiasts, conducted by German photographer Stefan Koppelkamm, whose exhibition Ortszeit/Local Time has just concluded at the Bhavan, was to define the personal criteria that determine the “quality of life” in a city. The focus was more on the routine and normal, rather than the unusual. Social aspects of the city (neighbourliness, the presence of smaller stores and cottage industries, etc.) that are not immediately discernible to outsiders were more important than outstanding architecture or excellent design.

The 15 participants – a mix of professional and amateur photographers – started their field work in the last week of July trying to visualise the intrinsic qualities of “their” places. In the second part of the workshop the group discussed the different projects and made their selection for the exhibition.

The places portrayed in this exhibition are as diverse as the city itself: They include bustling markets or shopping centres such as Russell Market or Avenue Road, secluded and peaceful areas such as the Mughal Fort and the Someshwara Temple in Ulsoor, Charles Correa’s Bimanagar township from the early ’70s and the L&T South City, a recent project on the periphery of the city which is contrasted by quarters like Malleswaram or Cooke Town, where the architectural heritage is threatened by land speculation and the building of freeways. Two of the photographers portray their favourite hangouts, one a small café in Indiranagar, the second one the famous Koshy’s in St. Marks Road.

For more details, visit

http://www.goethe.de/ins/in/bag/kue/en4905386v.htm

In the case of Avenue Road which is actually threatened by plans to widen the road, the exhibition might hopefully be a strong visual argument against the destruction of this unique architectural and socio-economic ensemble.

Featuring photos by:
Aniruddha Ghosh
Apurva Mathad
Archana Venson
Arnab Dey
Dayaprasad Kulkarni
Deepti Jois
Jyothy Karat
Kusum Dhar Prabhu
Mallikarjun Katakol
Peeyush Sekhsaria
Rahil Arora
Rajeev Malagi
Rajesh Pandey
Ravi Shankar Kolara
Swarna Kumarswamy