The city is yet again witnessing a year of water crisis. And as it happens every time — the city’s water reservoirs turn dry — the next inevitable option is groundwater from villages on the periphery.

Private water suppliers and Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board are pumping out millions of litres of groundwater every day from these places. The giant Metro Water pipelines and tanker lorries of private operators bring millions of litres of ground water from these villages to the city. As City Express travelled along these villages, we discovered how the city is unfairly drying out their resources.

The situation is rather depressing and alarming — thousands of borewells have been sunk at these villages by the Metro Water Board and private operators. The borewells are being dug deeper every year, which seems to be inevitable considering the fact that the motors run for almost the entire day.

If a borewell turns dry, it needs to be abandoned and a new one sunk. And, it is not that just a few dry borewells are being left behind — Chennai’s thirst has turned several villages barren.

Every year, more villages are being targeted. There is no regulation, or even a count of the number of borewells that have been dug and how much water is being pumped out. Even a conservative estimate gives an alarming perspective. In 2011, in a reply to an RTI question, the Metro Water Board stated that the demand-supply gap in the city was 320 million litres per day. It can now be assumed that the gap had remained the same and is being met by private players, whose only source is ground water. This year’s policy note of the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department says that Metro Water Board draws on an average, 60 million litres per day from borewells.

This means about 380 million litres of groundwater is being pumped out every day to meet the city’s needs, which comes to 1,38,700 million litres a year. This is nearly one-and-half (1.35 exactly) times the capacity of the Chembarambakkam lake, the largest waterbody on Chennai’s outskirts.

What will happen if such a phenomenal amount of water is being pumped out from the ground? Just as Chennaiites did not realise how a huge amount water is being drawn for them, the damage caused in the process also goes unnoticed. The most compelling, yet rarely noticed location is Minjur and the host of surrounding villages.

Decades of drawing water from these areas to meet Chennai’s needs has depleted potable groundwater from these villages to such an extent that the residents here are are now forced to buy water from private tanker lorry operators, or water cans.

“Once upon a time, farmers here happily leased out their borewells to Metro Water. They were happy as the board promptly paid them, but they realised the consequences very late,” says R Bhathavatchalu, who resides in a tiny agricultural village called Mettupalayam, near Minjur.

More precariously, with the depletion of groundwater, sea water had intruded into the ground in these villages. A latest study by Anna University’s Geology Department has shown that seawater has intruded up to 14 kilometres of the Araniar-Kosathalaiyar River basin, a vast area dotted with water bodies, in the northern part of the city. “This is more worrisome because reversing sea water intrusion is a very long process,” says Dr L Elango, head of the Geology Department, Anna University. The story is depressing as no lessons have been learnt from Minjur.

New borewells are being dug in newer and more interior villages. For example, in the south of the city, until a few years ago, private water tankers were pumping water from borewells in Medavakkam. As this area has dried up, they have moved further south to interior villages like Illalur.

“This is definitely not sharing of resources, but cutting off someone else’s lifeline and leave him to bleed. It is high time the city looks for scientific solutions like the Orange Country water management system,” says S Sundaramoorthy, former Engineering Director of Metro Water.

- The Indian Express, August 3, 2015

Two-year effort involving locals culminates in discovery of rare species, some believed to be extinct.

For many years, wildlife scientists, activists and enthusiasts have tried to spot and photograph the near-extinct and elusive wild water buffalo of central India in the virtually impregnable terrain of the Kolamarka area of Gadchiroli’s Aheri tehsil, with little or no success. But between January and May this year, the Maharashtra Forest Department ground staff, with help from local villagers,

not only managed to spot the buffalo herd but also managed to photograph them.The exploration has also laid to rest the speculation that only one female was left in the entire central Indian landscape – the herd was found to be having at least four females. While this development, first reported by The Indian Express, brought cheer among conservationists, it was the culmination of a silent effort by a handful of forest officials led by a young Range Forest Officer (RFO) Atul Deokar to document the flora and fauna of the area that was hitherto unrecorded,

since it lay in the ‘liberated’ zone of gun-wielding Maoists. The success of the effort has also demolished the long-held myth that no work can be undertaken in the Naxal-dominated landscape.

The exercise was aimed at documenting the area declared as the Kolamarka Conservation Reserve in January 2013. The 180-km reserve is a virtual paradise dotted with beautiful hillocks, seasonal and perennial streams,

thick vegetation and beautiful falls on Bande and Indravati rivers that separate Gadchiroli in Maharashtra from the state of Chhattisgarh.

Deokar spearheaded a small group of local villagers and his ground staff to register with photographic and other evidence,

over 65 species of butterflies, 114 species of birds, about 1,200 nests of Maharashtra’s State Animal Shekru (giant squirrel),

33 types of grasses, over 180 individual vultures of both white back and long-billed types, 19 different reptiles (still counting), leopards,

pangolins, crocodiles, wild boars, chitals, sloth bears and the mouse deer. There are langoors and red-faced macaques too. The findings have been compiled in a smartly packaged book called Treasure of Kolamarka, the first authentic account of the reserve’s biodiversity.

No tiger, however, has been cited so far despite the Indravati Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh lying close by. “After the declaration of the findings, we started drafting the Management Plan for the area. It was necessary to systematically record the biodiversity but the challenge was daunting due to the 90 per cent thick vegetation cover, hilly terrain and, of course the Naxal presence,” said Deokar, who has just completed his three-year tenure as Kamlapur RFO before being transferred to the Pench Tiger Reserve. Kamlapur, incidentally, is where Naxals had held their first Congress and the Kolamarka reserve is largely covered by the Kamlapur range.

Supported by Gadchiroli Chief Conservator of Forests P S K Reddy and Deputy Conservators of Forests (DCFs) Shri Lakshmi and Prabhunath Shukla, Deokar and his team began the campaign by getting local villagers on board through a long process of dialogue. “There are four villages in the core area, Chintarev, Chitveli, Tonder and Bangaram Petha;

and four on the fringes of the reserve, Nayangodam, Asha, Damrancha and Mudumudgu. We formed eco-development committees (EDCs) in the villages and carried out some developmental activities like reservoirs, solar lamps, smokeless chulahs, and LPG connections. A defunct borewell was also rejuvenated,” Deokar said. We selected nine volunteers to form a monitoring team and gave them geo-tagged cameras to be able to get exact GPS location of the spots where they would record evidence and take photographs.

The team would often trek upto 25 km to record the biodiversity,” he added. The villagers were happy since they earned up to Rs 7,500 per month in wages. The move paid off with the team recording and photographing, among many other things, a herd of wild buffaloes earlier this year. “It’s a very valuable record. It shows extremely pure and hefty buffaloes, including at least four females. It has given a new hope for the revival of the near-extinct central Indian wild water buffalo,” said Rajiv Mathew, a member of National Biodiversity Authority (NBA). The monitoring team has confirmed existence of at least two herds of nine and six members and an individual bull living separately. “At least four new butterflies — Common Banded Peacock, Common Palm Fly, Monkey Puzzle and Common Evening Brown — were recorded for the first time in Vidarbha,” said Deokar, who mapped all 65 butterfly species himself.

The core villages have domesticated buffaloes but chances of the wild variety getting corrupted are virtually zero, since the wild buffaloes never come anywhere close to these villages. “Yet, we have chalked out a cattle replacement plan where the buffaloes would be taken off and villagers would be provided with cows and bullocks to prevent any such remote possibility,” Deokar said. “Many conservation activities were also undertaken like chain-link fenced “vulture restaurants” away from villages where villagers would be paid Rs 250 for each dead animal they would provide for the vultures to feed. This has led significant increase in vulture numbers,” Deokar said. A separate study is now being undertaken to register plant biodiversity. The exercise, however, has not been without hindrances.

“Naxals did not generally oppose developmental works, but destroyed our protection huts. They are worried for their locations getting leaked out,” Deokar said. He, however, added that he never encountered Naxals during the three-year exercise. Recently, Naxals blasted the Decchli range office of the Forest Department by using two of the LPG cylinders meant for distribution to villagers and warned the staff not to venture out in the forest. Deokar, however, is confident that with due precaution, the incomplete biodiversity register of Kolamarka can eventually be completed. “These kinds of hazards are part of the game in this area. The two most important things to be observed and practised in Naxal areas are honesty and involvement of locals,” he said.

- The Indian Express, August 3, 2015

The Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) admission that the city's green spaces and biodiversity are under threat because of encroachments has once again exposed the state government's failure to take a final decision on the proposed Biodiversity Parks (BDPs).

The annual Environment Status Report (ESR) for 2014-15 published by the civic body on Wednesday admits that the city's expansion is affecting green spaces. "The city's green spaces are under direct and indirect pressure because of encroachments on tekadis," states the ESR.

Tekadi (hillocks) are the lungs of the city and environmentalists have repeatedly demanded that the PMC must take steps to stop encroachments.

The civic body's observations on these hillocks come in the wake of massive encroachments coming up on hilltops and slopes in the 23 villages merged in the civic limits.

After the 23 fringe villages were merged with the city in 1997, the PMC took eight years to prepare a DP, which was sent to the state government on December 12, 2005. In December 2011, the state government approved the DP, but former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan avoided taking any decision on the BDP.

The draft DP recommended that about 1,600 hectares of land in these fringe villages (mostly hilltops and slopes) be reserved for BDPs. This includes 978 hectares of land owned by private owners while the rest is government land. The civic body has to acquire the land held by individuals by paying compensation.

With politicians across party lines demanding a 4-10% construction in the BDPs and environmentalists opposing it, Chavan appointed a six-member committee headed by K B Jain, dean, faculty of doctoral studies, Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad.

The panel recommended that the BDP reservation on the hills, forest and other green areas in these villages stay. It suggested that the PMC execute the BDP as "mission development" since it will improve the quality of life in the city.

"The PMC and the state government have to take responsibility of protecting the city's green lungs. The biodiversity of Pune must be protected. During the first hearing of DP for 23 merged village, citizens had filed about 86,000 suggestions and objections, of which over 82,000 had supported the BDP," said activist Aneeta Gokhale-Benninger.

- The Times of India, August 3, 2015

di Perukku, which falls on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi, was celebrated with usual gaiety and enthusiasm across Erode, Salem and Dharmapuri districts on Monday. The festival pays tribute to water’s life-sustaining properties.

BHAVANI KOODUTHURAI Thousands of devotees took a holy dip at Bhavani Kooduthurai in Erode on Monday.

The bathing ghats were crowded for most part of the day at the confluence of rivers Cauvery, Bhavani and Agaya Ganga –considered as the Triveni Sangam of South India. There was sufficient water release from Mettur dam to enable people take a holy dip. Old and young people performed pujas in large numbers at Kooduthurai as well as on other embankments including Kodumudi. Police teams were posted in large numbers to regulate the crowd. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation also operated special services.

METTUR A large number of newlyweds and women worshipped River Cauvery in Mettur. People from various walks of life began arriving in Mettur from different parts of the district since the break of dawn. They took a holy dip in River Cauvery and offered worship at the Anaikattu Muniappan Swami Temple.

Some of them brought ‘mulaippari’ and offered it to the river after prayers. The residents of Mettur and Kolathur came in a procession with idols of gods.

They cleaned them in the river and later took them back to the temples.

A large number of people offered worship in different temples across the district in connection with Aadi Perukku. Police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel were deployed in good strength near the bathing ghats. Following the arrival of large number of people in private vehicles, the police had announced diversion of traffic in Mettur town. The buses proceeding to Kolathur from Mettur were diverted via Ponnagar, Kullaveeranpatti.

The Mettur Dam park, Anaikattu Muniappan Temple, Mettur bus stand etc overflowed with people. Police had made elaborate security arrangements. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operated special buses on different routes from Salem, Namakkal, Tiruchengode, Sankagiri, Rasipuram, Karavalli, Edappadi, Taramangalam to Mettur. HOGENAKKAL FALLS All roads led to Hogenakkal in Dharmapuri for Adi Perukku as tourists thronged the water falls for a holy dip. The Tourism Department put up a cultural extravaganza.

Cultural troupes from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh put up shows. As many as 18 stalls showcasing various schemes and programmes were put up by the departments of social welfare, ICDS, arts and culture, ‘Puduvaazhvu Thittam’, and allied departments. Little known cultural troupes from Hogenakkal also got a platform to showcase their talents. Close to 1 lakh tourists visited Hogenakkal falls. The administration expects another 50,000 tourists to arrive on Tuesday.

Reporting by Syed Muthahar in Salem,
R. Krishnamoorthy in Erode
and P.V. Srividya in Dharmapuri
The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operated special services for the festival

- The Hindu, August 4, 2015

The TOI Green Drive at Tilpat Valley, bordering the Asola Bhatti wildlife sanctuary , where about one lakh saplings will be planted on August 30 will in a way signal the beginning of DDA's Tilpat Valley biodiversity park project.

This plantation is unique because it will involve reviving forest species from various parts of the Aravalis - Gujarat to Delhi. This would ensure the rich biodiversity of the Aravalis which is increasingly getting degraded is recreated and protected in Tilpat Valley.

Tilpat Valley is also one of the deepest parts of Delhi. It can act as a water recharge zone for south Delhi, according to CR Babu, Professor Emeritus and head of the Center for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE). He is the brain behind this park being developed.

"There are a few scattered trees of vilayti keekar or prosopis juliflora, an invasive species, in Tilpat Valley now and some weeds and grasses too. The area is very important because it has gentle slopes and some flattened ridges. They can act as ground water recharge zones. We will plant 30 biological communities here," said Babu.

The one lakh saplings that will be planted on August 30 will be of 50 to 60 such native Aravali species. "Our strategy is to plant 2500 to 3000 saplings in each hectare.We will ensure that these ecological communities do not compete with each other for soil, water and other resources but co-exist. For at least two years, these plantations will need a lot of care and protection with regular watering and a boundary wall or barbed wire to keep the cattle away . Initially, water will be stored at the site in a tank but later rainwater stored in the deep pits here will be used for the dry season," added Babu.

Tilpat Valley will start providing its ecological service to Delhi in 10 years when the canopy height of these saplings reach 25 to 30 feet."There are several benefits that this park will provide--improve weather conditions; ensure greater water recharge; act as a physical barrier to dust; prevent dry weather through transpiration; act as a CO2 sink with the humus in the soil acting as a permanent store for carbon; absorb several pollutants; and, most importantly , act as a habitat for carnivores," explained Babu whose team is very excited about the possibilities.

The park can be a true wildlife habitat where animals like leopards and hyenas won't just visit but stay , believes the CEMDE team.Since Asola Bhatti sanctuary borders Tilpat, it can act as a wildlife corridor too. "Tilpat Valley used to have springs long ago. We plan to revive these too," Babu's team members said. Recreational public zones and walkways on the periphery will be developed once the park is ready.

- The Times of India, August 4, 2015

Crossing swords with the Telangana government, members of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) on Monday said the Osmania General Hospital (OGH) building was 'structurally strong enough' to stand for several decades. The experts on conservation contended that it would cost more to pull down the structure than to conserve it.

Speaking to TOI, Divay Gupta, noted conservation architect and head of Intach's Architectural Heritage Division said: "It would cost Rs 5 crore or more to demolish the hospital," adding, "If you want to repair, stabilise and improve the maintenance of the building it will cost only Rs 1 to Rs 2 crore. Thorough remedial measures will not cost more than Rs 5 crore."

While saying that the building has not gone through a proper cycle of maintenance for over 30 years, Gupta added, "The OGH building will stand for another 50 years if proper remedial measures are taken. Most are maintenance-related issues."

The committee comprising activists, engineers and conservation architects included Gupta, Sanjay Torvi, G Srinivas Murthy, Sajjad Shahid and Anuradha Reddy, among others. The experts' team carried out a technical inspection of the over 90-year old building, including its various wings, roof and foundations. Making a case against the proposed demolition, Gupta said the foundation of the hospital building was "very strong". "The foundations are absolutely fine and will stand for a long time."

Later in the day, the committee released an interim report, a copy of which is available with TOI, which stated that the heritage block of the OGH is in a "very good condition. It posed no danger to its own life or to that of its occupants." "Damages observed are mostly on the surface of the building and are within the realm of reparability", an excerpt from the report read. However, the committee pointed out that regular maintenance and repairs should be carried out. Intach members said an exhaustive report would be released soon.

- The Times of India, August 4, 2015

The East-West Metro project on Monday made some progress with the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC), the implementing agency, trying its best to convince the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) that there won't be any damage to the Currency Building.

At the end of the power-point presentation by KMRC engineers, the officials of ASI reportedly appeared satisfied with the precautionary measures adopted by the agency. However, ASI will hold internal talks and undertake a validation process before taking the final call. The NOC (no-objection certificate) of National Monument Authority (NMA) of ASI is very important for any construction within the vicinity of a nationally-protected monument under AMASR (Ancient Monument and Archaeological Site and Remains, Administration and Validation) Act.

Earlier, two nationally-protected monuments — Magen David and Beth El Synagogues — turned out to be stumbling blocks for the corridor as a station was supposed to be constructed within the prohibitive zone of these monuments.

After the corridor was realigned, it was decided that only an underground tunnel would be constructed within the prohibitive zone (100 metres) of these monuments. In the realigned route, only the Currency Building becomes an issue.

A team of engineers and architects of KMRC headed by the chief engineer Biswanath Dewanjee gave a power-point presentation on the non-invasive technology before a team of NMA officials headed by P K Mishra, director, competent authority of NMA and regional director (east) of ASI. Dewanjee during his presentation said that modern technology has enabled them to construct the corridor without causing least amount of tilt or subsidence or affecting the natural flow of groundwater.

One of the entry-exit gates will fall within 85 metres of the prohibitive zone. However, KMRC has adopted the architectural style of the Currency Building for constructing the entry-exit gate so that it looks integral with the heritage atmosphere of Dalhousie Square.

Two other structures on the ground will come up beyond 100 meters of Currency Building. During the construction of the tunnel and platform, KMRC will use various meters to monitor repercussions of the constructions. A third party will also audit the construction process.

Mishra refused to comment on the NOC. "We have to go through the report of KMRC thoroughly. As this NOC involves a lot of sensitivity and legal aspects, the decision will be taken at the highest level."

The nationally-protected monuments, according to KMRC officials, appear to be the biggest stumbling blocks for the Metro corridor in the central business district. However, KMRC officials are optimistic as they will cite instance of NMA giving similar clearance for Chennai Metro after the act was passed in 2010.

Sources said NMA had given NOC for the construction of an underground station and skywalk for the Metro rail near the tomb inside Dr Ambedkar Law College on the Madras high court premises. Some routes of Delhi Metro also fall within heritage zones. But most of these project works were carried out before the enactment of the stringent AMASR Act.

- The Times of India, August 4, 2015

Benjamine Oberoi describes herself as “a link in a chain”, whether she’s talking about ‘Casa Cottage’, her family’s guesthouse, or her numerous social projects.

Since immigrating to India over 30 years ago, the tall French woman, who now dresses in colourful ‘churidars’, sees herself as one part of a large social chain, receiving and passing on experiences and knowledge to the next ‘link’. Along with her Indian husband, Bhushan, and their children, she is committed to enjoying these cultural experiences and passing them on to others.

A love for experiencing other cultures developed early in Benjamine, when her family hosted foreign exchange students in their southern France home. After graduating, she earned a scholarship to complete a PhD in educational psychology at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, and was one of the only foreign students in India at the time.

She quickly made herself at home. “The City has always welcomed me. I’ve never had a problem fitting in here,” she says. She spent long hours getting to know people in the City, including a clever and kind hotelier.

As she grew to love the country, she fell in love with him as well. When Bhushan proposed, India was practically considered another planet by most Westerners because of the distance and lack of tourism. These factors concerned Benjamine’s parents when she married, but all fears were put to rest when they visited her later.

At first, Benjamine faced a language barrier since she could not speak fluent English, let alone a local language. “And my dear husband hired a maid who could only speak Hindi,” she reminisces. But after 30 years, she speaks both English and Hindi. “She adapted brilliantly, like a fish takes to water,” Bhushan says. She also threw herself into social work, aiding rural development and educational NGOs. She started Objectif France-Inde in 1998, an NGO that works for rural development.

In 1979, the Oberoi’s opened ‘Casa Piccola’, the first European-style cafe in the City. “We had an urge to do something different,” Bhushan explains, “to incorporate our experiences and bring them to others.” The cafe was certainly different. “That was when crepes were ‘French Dosas’” Benjamine chuckles. “We were like a link between foreign culture and India.” This same attitude led to the beginning of ‘Casa Cottage’. While ‘Casa Piccola’ brought European culture to Bengaluru, the Oberois wanted the exchange to be mutual. In 2004, they discovered a charming yet dilapidated house in Richmond Town that they decided to restore to its former old-world glory.

Today, ‘Casa Cottage’ is a heritage hotel, rated one of Bengaluru’s best guesthouses by TripAdvisor. Benjamine attributes their success to the recapturing of the social and cultural atmosphere that was an integral part of the City in times past. Both she and her husband fear this environment is rapidly becoming a casualty of development plans.

“In the past, we had more time with neighbours. And people would spontaneously get together. The City has lost a little of that cultural enthusiasm,” says Benjamine. ‘Casa Cottage’ attempts to “keep some of what is Bengaluru”, as she puts it, by maintaining a social atmosphere. She and her family are frequently found talking with guests at the cottage’s lush garden or helping them plan trips throughout the country.

Here, they have met many interesting people and expanded their horizons. After years of watching the City change, the Oberoi’s wish that maintaining Bengaluru’s heritage and environment was a greater priority. “It’s said that people now do not have much appreciation to preserve this heritage,” Benjamine says. However, she is still glad to call India home.

“Bengaluru is not just one community. I’m still very French, but I have integrated here while retaining my identity.” She even takes Indians out to rural areas to show them the projects she has done with various groups. “I can interact with different stratas of Indian society better than some Indians,” she jokes. She sees the same themes of social exchange and partnership everywhere. “I want to help people not only improve themselves but see how they can then aid their communities,” she explains.

After her time here, Benjamine advises foreigners to the City to approach their experiences with an open mind. “Be ready to have any experience and get involved. Oh, and don’t be scared,” she adds, with a smile.

- The Deccan Herald, August 5, 2015

More than 150 schoolchildren participated in a quiz based on the heritage and culture of India here on Monday. Organized by the Indian National Trust for Act and Cultural Heritage, the quiz INTACH Heritage Quiz 2015 was aimed at increasing awareness about our nation among schoolchildren.

Students from BCM Shastri Nagar, Delhi Public School and GNIPS, excelled in the quiz. Xpress Minds conducted it.

GNI principal Gurmant Kaur Gill motivated the students to participate more in such quizzes. She appreciated the huge participation and awareness about Indian culture among students.

She said that such events enhanced the knowledge and confidence of students. The whole event was a great success.

- The Times of India, August 5, 2015

The proposed demolition of Osmania General Hospital building with the purpose of reconstructing twin towers is assuming political overtones. The TRS opposed Metro Rail at many places like Sultan Bazaar, assembly as it passed through heritage structures.

The TRS government has even called for revision of the earlier plans for Metro Rail to protect heritage structures. Surprisingly, the same party and the government is now taking such a scant look at the issue of preserving the heritage monuments in the city that had four centuries of glorious history.

Across the world, the trend is to reconcile between development and preservation of heritage. But the attempts to undermine heritage in the name of development obviously triggered political storm.

A government that has come owing to a struggle for a separate state centred around the unique cultural identity of Telangana cannot take such a stand of trivialising the protection of heritage.

Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana Mahmood Ali has even remarked that spending Rs 100 crore on the maintenance of ancient structures or turning them into museums would be a futile exercise.

Adding insult to the injury, he said if Charminar becomes weak, it too would be demolished. Such an unwarranted reference to a structure that brought the state capital international name and fame is highly unwarranted and shortsighted.

Such a casual approach to heritage structures symbolise a public policy disaster. It‘s high time that the government comes clean on the matter and reviews its policy on conservation of heritage buildings in this rich state of Telangana.

The heritage building cannot be viewed as a normal construction. Many of them are marvels of architecture. They symbolise the culture, heritage and history of a particular place and periods. Destroying this heritage is nothing but disowning and defacing the history of Hyderabad.

At a time when tourism is a growth industry, demolition of heritage structures would also deprive the city and thestate an economic dividend too. The first law on preservation and protection of ancient and historical monuments was enacted in Sweden in 1666.

The United Kingdom enacted first Ancient Monuments Protection Act in 1882. France did so in 1913. The earliest Japanese legislation, the Law for the Preservation of Ancient Temples and Shrines, was enacted in 1897 and the United States Federal Antiquities Act came into force in 1906.

In 1821, Mexico passed the first law to preserve and protect the country's archaeological heritage. In the same year, Peru shook itself free from Spanish rule and in 1822 a Supreme Decree was published, forbidding any trade in ancient relics.

New antiquities laws were enacted in Denmark, Greece, and the United Kingdom in the 1930s. Two major statutes, covering the protection of the cultural and natural heritage respectively, were promulgated in Italy even by the Fascist regime just before the outbreak of World War II. A 1927 law covers the cultural heritage of Bolivia.

In India, the legal regime dates back to 18th century. The Governments of Bengal, Hyderabad, Madras and Mysore enacted similar laws. The Article 49 in the Directive Principles of State Policy, makes it obligatory for the State to protect every monument or place or object of artistic or historic interest… from spoliation, disfigurement, destruction, removal, disposal or export, as the case may be.

In K Guruprasad Rao versus State of Karnataka and others , (2013), the Supreme Court has rightly observed, “the protection of ancient monuments has necessarily to be kept in mind while carrying out development activities.

The need for ensuring protection and preservation of the ancient monuments for the benefit of future generations has to be balanced with the benefits which may accrue from… development related activities. “

Therefore, one would certainly appreciate the efforts of Telangana government to shift the hospital to set up much better facilities. In fact, Chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao deserves special compliments for personally monitoring the facilities at a premier government hospital now in a miserable state.

But, the moot point is should this be at the cost of a heritage building that needs to be preserved for future generations to know that this city had such a facility way back in the history. Leave alone demolition of a heritage building, courts have even emphasized on preserving the heritage structures even while undertaking repair works.

In The Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage vs The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority on 29 April, 2010, the Madras High Court has categorically stated that the Government should issue rules to prevent persons from undertaking any repair even under the name of renovation of heritage buildings without seeking the necessary approval of the Heritage Conservation Committee.

The UNESCO's Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and National Heritage defines "cultural heritage" to include monuments, architectural works, works of monumental sculptures etc. Article 4 of the Convention requires every State Party to ensure identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission of the cultural heritage to future generations.

It’s rather surprising that the authorities are citing the availability of land, funds for retaining the Osmania General Hospital building while constructing modern facilities. A city‘s land use policy and planning should incorporate the adequate space for heritage and history. Otherwise the city would be lifeless.

In fact, hundreds of acres of government land got alienated over the decades . Even today vacant government lands face a similar threat. The governments even sell their land to garner resources. The often given argument is that there is no need to retain so much land with the government.

Even international and national funding is available to preserve heritage buildings. Corporates can be roped in to undertake such efforts under Corporate Social Responsibility.

As directed by the Madras High Court with regard to Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, the government should immediately list out the historical monuments and heritage buildings in the city along with an appraisal of their present status.

The heritage buildings in Hyderabad like OGH have suffered historical neglect. The OGH was not maintained like the Assembly building. The reason is simple the former caters to the poor and the vulnerable. But, this historic neglect cannot justify wrong measures like demolition.

Writing in Seminar magazine, Faith Singh, Trustee, Jaipur Virasat Foundation, said, in conservation it is said that benign neglect is preferable to wrong intervention… The management of culture and cultural assets including historic built environment is too specialised and idiosyncratic for government administrators to decide on and deliver.

- THE HANS INDIA, August 5, 2015

Tucked away in a tiny, remote corner of Jaunti village on the outskirts of Delhi, a Mughal-era hunting lodge is heading for a slow-but-sure death. Dated back to the 1650s, around the same time the Red Fort was built, this shikargah in northwest was said to be one of the favorite haunts of Emperor Shah Jahan, who used to lodge here frequently during his hunting escapades. Though rated ' A' in terms of archaeological value by Intach, it has now turned into a cattle shed and the complex has been encroached upon by villagers from all sides.

Close to Rohtak Road, Jaunti is surrounded by villages like Chatesar on the north, Garhi Rindhala on the south, Ladpur on the east and Kanonda, Khairpur and Mukundpur in Haryana on the western side. With a population close to 5,000, the village also has a medieval-era water tank. However, the growing needs of the villagers and sheer disregard of the government have led both the structures to a stage of near collapse.

The villagers consider shikargah as the village qila, but see no use of it other than for storing dung cakes. According to sources, 69 families live in and around the complex, and have extended their premises to accommodate growing families and cattle sheds. "This is the way I have seen this qila for the past 15 years since I came to live in the village. Once in a while, a tourist comes specifically to see the building," said Kamya, a villager who lives in one of the houses around the shikargah.

Historians say the shikargah was originally an imposing structure and similar monuments can be found in other parts of the city as well. "The hunters would leave Red Fort early in the morning and reach here before sunrise. Sometimes they camped in the shikargah for the night during summers. During early winters, they left the fort in the evening to reach their destination before nightfall," said a historian. Hunting was said to be the Mughal rulers' favourite pastime. Babar, the founder of the empire, was considered a skilled hunter and Akbar, Shah Jahan's grandfather, had the knack of taming wild animals, especially elephants.

From the dilapidated structure, one can make out the original design. Constructed of brick masonry, it had an extensive enclosure and wide courtyards. Now, new houses have been built in the courtyards and a number of cows and buffaloes can be seen tied at a corner.

The main building is double-storeyed and the original entrance is blocked by one household. Yet, there is a secondary narrow access to the upper floor where one can see remnants of a central vaulted compartment with domed pyramidal roofs at each end. Here, piles of dung cake can be seen in one corner. Portions of the sandstone slab ceiling have collapsed.

A series of damaged dalans are on the path leading to the basement, believed to be the tehkhana (underground chamber). Locals believe there was an underground passage which led to the water tank, but no evidence has been found. Historians say the shikargah was originally surrounded by a battlement wall, portions of which still remain.

Both the shikargah and the tank are considered historically significant, but a roadmap to conserve the structures still remains on paper. Local MP Udit Raj, who has adopted Jaunti under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, said an elaborate plan was being worked upon to promote the village as a prime tourist spot.

"We went to court against the families living in and around the shikargah, but they have got a stay. Even if the villagers still live around the monument, we plan to conserve and develop it. Intach has been approached for conservation and Delhi Urban Art Commission is preparing an overall redevelopment plan. The monument should be protected and we intend to carry out repairs and develop Jaunti so that even school students can come here for rural village projects. A heritage trail is also being designed and we also plan to introduce recreational activities here," he said.

- The Times of India, August 5, 2015

In a major initiative to boost tourism in the area, particularly to attract more footfalls at the world famous Mahabodhi temple, Bodh Gaya, the seat of Buddha's enlightenment and a Unesco world heritage site, the Government of India has approved on arrival e-visa facility at Gaya International Airport for visitors from 87 countries including Europe, USA, Japan, South Korea and Thailand.

The facility is likely to be introduced before the onset of tourist season 2015-16 beginning October this year. Participants at the Kalchakra 2016, the most important Buddhist ritual conducted by his Holiness, the Dalai Lama, will benefit from on arrival e-visa facility.

Immigration system at the airport is being designed to meet the logistical requirements of on arrival e-visa. However, visitors from neighbouring Pakistan will not be in a position to avail on arrival e-visa facility as thorough background check of visitors from the country is conducted by the Indian Embassy in Islamabad before granting visa to Pakistan nationals.

Sources also said that even Pakistani-origin American and European country nationals including those from Britain and France etc will not be entitled to on arrival e-visa facility. Pak origin nationals of other countries too figure high on the radar of security agencies.

Only recently, a Karachi-born Thai national allegedly committed fraud at Bodh Gaya and made a successful exit from the country taking advantage of the foreign national tag and reluctance of local police to act against offenders from outside the country.

Confirming the on arrival e-visa facility at Gaya International Airport for the passport holders of 87 different countries, Gaya airport director Dilip Kumar said, "Gaya airport is the only one in eastern India selected for this facility."

However, the director did not reveal the exact schedule of the introduction of the facility. According to him, immigration officials are engaged in readying the mechanism for implementation of on arrival e-visa scheme. However, he said the facility will be soon available.

- The Times of India, August 6, 2015

Come August 21, and lovers of music and dance will have a reason to celebrate. For that's when the first International Ethnic Folklore Festival will be in town, heralding a week of culture (and offering much food for the soul).

The International Ethnic Folklore Festival (IEFF) seeks to bring together the cultures of the world. Indeed, through this event, the organizers hope to introduce 'a key to cultural understanding', a welcome artistic distraction in these troubled times.

The week-long festival will combine dance recitals and performances of traditional music, besides hosting workshops and discussions. And performing will be 10 international folklore groups and a handful of national ensembles - altogether, around 250 international and 100 Indian artistes are expected to take part. The IEFF is being supported by the embassies of the participating countries.

Behind the IEFF is Shrustii Multicultural Centre, a non-profit organisation working to promote Indian folk, classical and theatre ensembles on a global stage, and at the same time looking to maintain the standard of these age-old traditions. Thus, by extension, the IEFF will endeavour to present a platform for the world's cultures to congregate, and, hopefully, to ponder ways of preserving these many heritages.

Making up the line-up will be visiting ensembles from Peru (Ritmos Del Tiempo Ballet Folclorico Peruano), USA (Mariachi Garibaldi & Ballet Folklorico), Mexico (Compania de Danza Folklorica Mexicana), Poland (Szamotuly and Promyki folk dance groups), Bolivia (Ballet Folklorico UCATEC), Egypt (Assuit Folk Arts), Lithuania (Skalsa), Singapore (Rhythm Masala), Israel (Amaka - The Jewish Yemenite Folklore dance Ensemble), Indonesia (Nona Asri Group), Greece (Karagouna) and Sri Lanka (Ranranga Dance Academy).

Hopefully, the rain won't play spoilsport across the seven days. So make sure to book these dates for a feast of performing arts.

- The Times of India, August 6, 2015

The Queen Mary High School building, located in the fag end of the Old Town area, is said to be the oldest government building in the city. Once the most important building of the town is now among the many neglected and run-down ones.

Officially, the building is recorded to have come into existence in 1870, as it was then the office of the District Collector. But according to Edward Paul of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), who has studied extensively the history of the Old Town, the building was in existence prior to the East India Company rule, probably hinting at the Dutch occupation of the town.

According to him, a 1758 map of the town indicates the existence of the building. And prior to the district collector occupying the building, it was the arsenal for the East India Company. “This part is documented in the Company gazette,” he says. The building was originally ‘L’ shaped. But time and neglect has totally dilapidated one part of the building and what stands today, where the Principal’s office is located, is just the front portion of the once grand edifice.

As per Mr. Edward, the arsenal also housed a foundry for manufacturing cannons. That part was razed to ground many years ago and probably the post office was built on its ruins. The building also housed Andhra Medical School, a pre-cursor to Andhra Medical College. Even what is left of the edifice is crumbling with every passing day. The Hudhud cyclone that struck in October 2014 completely destroyed the tiled-roofing and the teachers fear that the building may not be able to take a sustained monsoon.

“The building is a heritage building and it needs to be protected and restored. But unfortunately, the authorities concerned have least concern for such heritage buildings,” says Mr. Edward. To declare the building as a heritage structure, a heritage conservation committee has to be formed and based on its recommendations, Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority has to declare the building as a heritage site.

The committee became defunct about a decade ago and the new proposal is pending with the Government. Once declared as heritage site, the restoration work can be taken up scientifically and the threat of it being taken over can be minimised, says Mr. Prasad of INTACH. It’s a heritage building and it needs to be protected and restored --Edward Paul, INTACH

- The Hindu, August 6, 2015

The 900-year-old brick-and-mortar structure, located in Qutabpur area of Rewari, boasts of an impressive mixed architecture combining Jat-Rajput, Mughal and Portuguese influence.

According to conservation architect Tapasya Samal, who has been awarded the research grant, in the possible second part of the project, the "cultural landscape associated with Maharaja Hemchandra, including Rewari's cannon and brass industry, more edifices and battlefields, will be taken into account".

Born in Rewari, Hemchandra rose to become Chief of the Army and Prime Minister to Adil Shah Suri of the Suri dynasty. He fought Afghan rebels across North India from Punjab to Bengal and the Mughal forces, winning 22 consecutive battles. He defeated the army of Emperor Akbar and Bairam Khan, winning the throne of Delhi and India in 1556, but was killed in a battle with Akbar a month later after a stray arrow hit his eye.

INTACH's Haryana Chapter convener, Dr Shikha Jain, said: "Hemu's Haveli is a unique historical structure as it bears the imprints of various eras and rulers. Some monuments, such as the Taj Mahal, were built in one stretch of time and under one reign. But Hemu's Haveli was added to by its successive owners, over centuries." On the architectural features of the mansion, Samal elaborated: "It is a two-storey structure with 10 rooms, verandahs and a large central courtyard characteristic of Rajasthani havelis. The first floor liberally uses lakhori bricks, which were prevalent in Mughal times. Meanwhile, the semi-circular arches betray a Portuguese touch."

Sudhir Bhargava, a descendent of Maharaja Hemchandra, and adviser in the project, shared "Delhi does not have a European structure this old, but this structure bears a clear Portuguese stamp. Also, Maharaja Hemchandra has not been given his due in Indian history. Purana Qila does not even make a mention of him though his coronation took place here in October 1556 after defeating Akbar's army. The government should take it over for conservation."

- http://indiatoday.intoday.in/, August 7, 2015

The festive season is the best time to take off on a much-awaited trip and with the Pujas just a few months away, the Travel and Tourism Fair 2015 kicked off in Kolkata from 31 July to 2 August.

The travel mart provided an opportunity for travel buffs of Bengal to take a peek into the latest domestic and global hotspots that are riding high, the new destinations on offer and the special offers from an array of hospitality groups across the country. There was a plethora of travel groups flaunting interesting tour packages in the sphere of heritage, adventure, pilgrim and village tourism.

Inaugurating the travel fair, Ajit Ranjan Bardhan, principal secretary, Department of Tourism, West Bengal said, “The West Bengal government has given priority to tourism and we have begun our new branding exercise to position the state in a better way. The new tourism policy of the state government will augur well for the tourism industry of the state.

” West Bengal Tourism promoted its new branding — Experience Bengal: The sweetest part of India. Lataguri Resort Owners’ Association was present to offer a boost to all the well-known hotels and resorts in and around Lataguri in the vicinity of Garumara National Park.

Tourists stay in Lataguri and make a tour of Samsing, Bindu, Jhalong, Suntaleykhola and Rocky Island. These days, tourists are wending their way to Lava, around 92 km from Lataguri and the destination is famed for Lava monastery, the second largest monastery in Asia. During the Puja season, Dooars’ destination has around 15,000 tourists’ footfall every day.

There was Jammu and Kashmir Tourism to showcase the state as a complete tourist destination. Farooque Ahmed Shah, Director, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism informed, “Our state enjoys old relations with Bengal and the highest number of tourists visiting the valley are from Bengal.

We want to boost Jammu as an independent tourist destination. Ladakh is widely known for heritage tourism and we have developed ski points in Ladakh. Our focus is on adventure tourism and there are a number of golfers and heritage tourists touring the state.”

Nearly 1.5 lakh Indian tourists travel to the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal annually. The earthquake-hit country is taking giant strides to restore its tourism potential. Surendra Thapa, deputy consul general of Nepal in Kolkata stated, “The great Himalayan tragedy has resulted in around 50 per cent slowdown in the flow of tourists to the country. Kathmandu is well known as the home of the living goddess and provides a perfect holiday experience.

There has been partial damage of public properties across 11 districts of the country. The best-known trekking trails like Annapurna, Mt Everest and Kanchenjunga have escaped from the ravages of the tremors. There are 43 heritage monuments in Kathmandu and 20 heritage sites in Bhaktapur that have suffered partial damage.

Changu Narayan will reopen for tourists once the restoration work is over.” Thapa also added that Kashta Mandap in Kathmandu’s Durbar Square and Vatsala Devi temple in Bhaktapur has been restored. Nepal Tourism Board has doled up Rs 10 crore for the restoration work of the heritage sites.

- The Statesman, August 7, 2015

It may not get worse than this. The Union ministry of water resources said in Parliament recently that the groundwater levels in some three-fourth of 630 observation wells in Tamil Nadu had declined over a 10-year period starting 2014. The study undertaken last year showed the state led in this with twice as many wells showing groundwater depletion than the national average.

Most water experts say the real story behind the present water crisis in the state is groundwater depletion rather than just of lack of water in reservoirs. "Our urban water problems are going to continue to mount and certainly more citizen efforts will be required to ensure that the right options are selected," said Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator, South Asia Network on Dams, River and People. There have been isolated cases of success such as in Chennai, Salem and Madurai.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of volunteers in Salem, Mookaneri Lake was the first to be restored, along with a few more like Ammapet Kumaragiri tank. "The volunteers are laying hands on Ismail Khan tank, Chathiram Theppakulam and Gundukkal tank, while Pallapetti tank is the next in line," said Piyush Manush, an activist.His band of volunteers is planning for the next stage.

Water warriors like Piyush are however only a handful. Scaling up has been a problem unlike in say Rajasthan where Rajendra Singh and his Tarun Bharat Sangh goaded people to set up structures to store water, benefiting 2,000 villages. A rainwater harvesting programme in Chennai mandated by the then AIADMK government in 2003 saw much initial success.

But, today , lack of maintenance of systems and improper design -in addition to citizen apathy -has prevented the effort from realising its full potential. Some residents have taken the judicial route, such as in Porur, and the courts do seem to offer solace. Bound by red tape, well meaning officials often goad activists to take the legal route to create pressure on their own departments. Sometimes, court orders have forced different departments to synch up.

TN is yet to see a landmark judicial action, however. In Pune, for instance, a citizens' action group waged a legal battle to save River Mutha. The local body dumped debris on the river which over the years lost its water-carrying capacity , leading to flooding.A Supreme Court bench has enforced a six-month deadline for action by the local body - August of this year.

Environment Support Group of Bangalore that took up protection of lakes in Karnataka says any relief that the courts give can get life only when there is active participation of citizens. "The high court directed that district and state-level lake protection committees should be set up.The state dithered, and it took a contempt case on our part to push the state to set up these committees," Leo F Saldanha of ESG said.

- The Times of India, August 7, 2015

The MCG's proposal to takeover maintenance of the Aravali Biodiversity Park from 'I am Gurgaon', an NGO, and build a night safari has come as a shock to environmentalists.

On Thursday, most councillors supported mayor Vimal Yadav's proposal to takeover the operation of the park and also develop a night safari across the 350-acre land located near Guru Dronacharya Metro station on MG Road.

"Most of us are of the opinion that the MCG is capable of maintaining this park and therefore we will pass a resolution in this regard at the next House meeting," the mayor said. The idea was first discussed at a House meeting in January 2014.

However, the NGO has questioned the MCG's proposal. "In the last two months, we had visits from the environment minister and principal secretary of town and country planning, and forest secretary, who have applauded the work done by us at the Aravali Biodiversity Park.

The question of undoing the work so far to create a night safari by councillors surprises me. Perhaps the councillors are not aware of the significance of the Aravalis and its flora and fauna, as well as the laws governing the Aravalis," said Latika Thukral of I am Gurgaon.

Another environmental activist, Chetan Aggarwal, said, "The NGO has done a remarkable job in restoring the native species. Before deciding anything, the authorities should first compare the NGO's record with that of its own horticulture department."

- The Times of India, August 7, 2015

Artist Sukhnandi Vyam Pardhan depicts myths and customs of the Gond people, with a twist.

Sukhnandi Vyam Pardhan was nine years old when he made sculptures on the walls of his home in Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district. This marked his first brush with art. Born into the Pardhan community — which belongs to the Gond family,

the largest tribal group in India — Vyam grew up in a place where painting is less of an individual discovery and more a shared tradition. Inspired by the age-old myths, customs and songs that characterise the life and culture of the Gond people, painting emerged as an act of preserving and celebrating that heritage.

For Vyam, whose first solo show in Mumbai, “Sacred Roots”, opens on August 11 at Artisans’, Kala Ghoda, painting also carries the hope of sharing his tribal art with a world larger than the one that gave form to it.

Acknowledged for his work with wooden sculptures, the Bhopal-based artist now focuses more on the medium of painting. The conceptual and narrative nature of his art, however, remains consistent in both. Of the 40 paintings that have been curated for the exhibition, many are interpretations of the same, larger mythology or ritual and yet each tells a story that is distinct from the other.

“The tales, rituals and songs that my paintings are about all originate from my Pardhan Gond community, but I take only certain elements from the longer story and work with that. Even with that selected element, I do not represent it literally but with some imagination and interpretation of my own,” says the artist, who uses the combination of a pen and acrylics to create works that are vivid in detail and colour.

The nephew and student of the late Jangarh Singh Shyam, Vyam was introduced to the practice of tribal art by the very first Gond artist to have gained international recognition. “It is because of him that I learnt art, and I have come from painting the walls in my village to the forefront of sharing my work with art lovers across India,” says the 32-year-old artist, considered an emerging talent in indigenous art. The strength of Vyam’s art is rooted in its hybrid thought process, where ancient oral histories meet with independent vision.

Trees with feet of their own, leaves with embedded eyes, and raindrops rendered as fish form are a few of the images that depict Vyam’s personification and animism of nature through intricate patterns of lines and dots. Each painting — with its representations of nature, deities, animals and seasons — is replete with context, raising the issue of its readability when left to the urban viewer alone. But the same issue — when addressed in the context of a gallery — captivates the attention of the audience, enforcing them to seek an understanding of the work, and ensuring that indigenous art is appreciated for reasons beyond the aesthetic.

“When it’s found in craft bazaars, it loses its value and is treated as something that is simply pretty and handcrafted, whereas it goes much beyond that,” says Radhi Parekh, director of Artisans’, which promotes the less-exposed names in art, craft and design. Artisans’ will also host a lecture series by speakers from the Talking Myths Project, a group dedicated to documenting traditional tales from the Indian subcontinent. Like most art where evocative imagery holds the power to transcend the stories they represent, Vyam’s paintings possess similar strength.

What Parekh describes in his works as “the obvious reverence for the natural world, and the affinity and intimacy with it,” is a relationship that requires no context. Vyam’s ability to generate that experience speaks for the presence of the artist’s individual expression and voice within a tradition of art often deemed as lacking one

- The Indian Express, August 7, 2015

To showcase the heritage sites in the city, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has proposed to identify a road and earmark it as heritage walk road. The Heritage Conservation Committee, headed by Arun Patankar, has given a tentative approval to the proposal.

The city has a number of heritage structures and buildings most of which are located in Mahal and Civil Lines. Barring a few, the sites get no visitors. The local chapter of the Indian Institute of Architects (IIA) with the help of Vidarbha Heritage Society has been organizing a heritage walk in Mahal since the last two years.

On the same lines, municipal commissioner Shravan Hardikar suggested the heritage walk road which was discussed in the meeting of heritage conservation committee held on Friday. Hardikar told TOI that the concept will be implemented after preparing a detailed report. "The NMC will study about the feasibility of the concept and then implement it," he said.

The committee also directed the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) to deposit funds collected against the head of heritage conservation while approving the building plans in a bank account to be opened by the committee. The civic body and agency have been collecting heritage cess of 2% of the total developmental charges for the last many years but the amount has remained unutilized.

The committee has kept the High Court's proposal to increase the height of its compound wall towards east and west direction in abeyance. This was due to the absence of concerned engineers from state's public works department and lack of submission of required documents. Similarly, the NMC's proposal seeking the committee's permission for the installation of a Shivaji Maharaj statue in the centre of Gandhisagar Lake was also not okayed.

The committee also did not give the NMC a go-ahead for erecting a tall national flag post. The civic body had proposed to erect it at Futala lake. Now, the site has been changed to Kasturchand Park. The committee decided to inspect the site on August 17 and then take a decision.

- The Times of India, August 8, 2015

Bengaluru is the cleanest state capital, according to Swachh Bharat ranking done by Union urban development ministry. Mysore city in Karnataka has been ranked at the best among all the 476 cities.

Karnataka has done exceptionally well with another three cities making it to the list of top 10. West Bengal has also done well with 25 cities and towns from the state finding place in the top 100 cities.

These rankings are based on the extent of open defecation and solid waste management practices in these cities. The city of Mysore leads the cities with minimal open defecation and extensive adoption of solid waste management practices.

Southern cities seem to have done better than other parts with 39 of them finding place in the top 100, followed by 27 from the eastern part, 15 from the western, 12 from the northern India. Seven cities from Northeastern states have also made to the list. Only 15 of the capital cities surveyed figured among the top 100 performers while five were ranked beyond 300. Patna came at the bottom at 429.

The top 10 ranked cities are Mysore, Thiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu), Navi Mumbai, Kochi (Kerala), Hassan, Mandya and Bengaluru from Karnataka, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), Halisahar (West Bengal) and Gangtok (Sikkim). Damoh in Madhya Pradesh came at the bottom of 476, preceded by Bhind in MP, Palwal and Bhiwani, both in Haryana, Chittorgarh (Rajasthan), Bulandshahar (UP), Neemuch (MP), Rewari (Haryana), Hindaun (Rajasthan) and Sambalpur in Odisha at 467th rank.

All the 476 class-1 cities in 31 states and union territories, each with a population of above one lakh were surveyed for assessing total sanitation practices covering a set of parameters including the extent of open defecation, solid waste management, seepage management, waste water treatment, drinking water quality, surface water quality of water bodies and mortality due to water born diseases etc.

- The Times of India, August 8, 2015

A mob desecrated the statue of 19th-century educationist and social reformist St John Don Bosco on Friday morning, and threw it in the polluted Bharalu River here. CM Tarun Gogoi was supposed to unveil the edifice later in the day.

The incident follows protests by Cotton College Union Society (a local group) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), as well as residents, over the statue's installation at Martyrs' Corner, which hosts sculptures of Assamese freedom fighters and cultural icons. They question Don Bosco's relevance to the state. Police said around 150 people gathered at Martyrs' Corner around 6 am and damaged the statue.

Eyewitnesses said they pelted stones at the police and CRPF personnel who tried to stop them. DC Kamrup (metro) M Angamuthu said the project has been deferred. The State Minorities' Commission has called an emergency meeting on Saturday on the issue. "He is a revered saint and no one has the right to desecrate his statue," said member Alan Brooks.

- The Times of India, August 8, 2015

The US is sponsoring an excavation project at the famous Qutub Shahi Tombs here with a grant of $101,612, it was announced here on Friday. Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which is undertaking restoration and conservation project of the royal necropolis, received the grant from US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP).

The excavation began in September last year and has already made some discoveries from beneath the ground at the 16th-17th-century necropolis. US' Deputy Ambassador to India Michael Pelletier on Friday visited the tombs for to see first-hand some of the discoveries and was briefed by AKTC project director Ratish Nanda about the ongoing efforts. The project is to conclude in December this year.

Impressed by the discoveries made at the site, Pelletier congratulated AKTC team for their passion and dedication in preserving the Hyderabad's rich cultural heritage and bringing it to the attention of the public. The discoveries include 16th-century enclosure wall of first Qutub Shahi ruler Sultan Quli's tomb. The wall was found nine feet under the ground.

The excavation project at Qutb Shahi Tombs is the second AFCP grant that the city of Hyderabad has received. In 2009, it had supported the refurbishment of the garden tomb of MahLaqa Bai at Moula Ali with a grant of $106,200. The US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) was set up in 2001 to support for the preservation of cultural heritage in various countries. It has supported projects to preserve over 800 cultural projects in 125 countries around the world.

AKTC had commenced the restoration project at Qutub Shahi Tombe in 2013. Though it had initially put the project cost at Rs.100 crore, officials said it may exceed the figure. An official of the Telangana government said about Rs.200 crore will be spent in two to three years. The state government plans to propose the tombs along with Golconda Fort as the UNESCO world heritage site in 2018. The tombs complex is spread over 104 acres area with 72 monuments - 20 major including seven tombs and 52 minor monuments.

- The Hansindia, August 8, 2015

Proposal made by district officials is lying in cold storage of the ASI

The A.P. Tourism Department officials have forwarded proposals in 2011 to hoist the national flag atop the centrally protected archaeological monument, Kondareddy Buruju (fort), in the heart of Kurnool city. The effort is to make it the fifth highest monumental flagmast in India and the highest one in south India, at a height of 168 feet, but it is lying in cold storage with the Archaeological Survey of India.

The national flag flying on a 207 feet high flagpole at Sonepat in Haryana is the highest Indian flag in the world, followed by the flags at a height of 206 feet at Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Ladwa and Hissar in Haryana, taking the second to fifth positions in that order.

The 150-foot flagmast made of pure teakwood at St. George Fort in Chennai is presently the sixth tallest one in India. If the plans materialised, Konda Reddy Buruju would supercede the fort at Chennai and relegate it to the sixth place. The 100 foot high flag poles at Leisure Valley Park and O.P. Jindal Park in Gurgaon in Haryana and the ones at Delhi and Raigarh in Chhattisgarh follow.

The Tourism Department proposed to erect a 38 foot anodised aluminium flagpost with internal halyard in a sturdy pillar atop the Kondareddy Buruju, to make it a monument with the national flag flying at a height of 168 ft. It was proposed in line with the vision of the State government to draw domestic, national and international tourists to heritage spots. Kondareddy Buruju dates back to 1530 to 1542 AD, built during the regime of Vijayanagar ruler Achyuta Raya, who succeeded Sri Krishna Devaraya.

The then District Collector Ram Shankar Naik had also forwarded proposals received from Hyderabad-based Ankush Environmental Protection Organisation to erect a permanent flag pole for hoisting the national flag and maintaining it. The flagpost, a sizeable national flag and other necessary materials costing Rs. 1.11 lakh in 2011, Kurnool District Tourism Officer and INTACH district convenor B. Venkateswarlu told The Hindu .

The then District Collector Ram Shankar Naik, tourism and INTACH officials extensively corresponded with the Director-General of Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi, in 2011, but approval from the DG of ASI is yet to come. No senior ASI official had visited the fort to study the proposal so far.

The Britishers tried to hoist their national flag atop Kondareddy Fort in 1839, but local warriors averted it by their resistance. Neither did the Indian national flag, a symbol of national pride, fly on it so far, after so many years of Independence.

- The Hindu, August 9, 2015

In the days leading up to the 50th death anniversary of Chandigarh's master architect Le Corbusier, residents and tourists who want to take a quick tour of the city and explore its heritage will be able to do by hopping on to a bus. The vehicle will take them to the important sites of the city, with a guide explaining each one briefly.

Chandigarh's department of tourism, in addition to its guided tours of Capitol Complex and Architecture Museum that have already begun, will start the city tour-on-vehicle soon. "This would serve those who don't have much time to spend in the city and cannot spend hours at each site. We will give them a brief history and significance of each of the heritage sites associated with Le Corbusier," tourism director Kavita Singh told TOI.

Singh added that more such tours were in the offing and guides were being trained with the technical know-how. "In the long run, we will also introduce pre-recorded audio devices that can be worn and heard while going through the museum and other sites," she added.

As a UNESCO team prepares to visit Chandigarh in September to assess the Capitol Complex's nomination for a heritage tag, Singh said such tours held a higher relevance. "In that context, it is even more important for residents to know and preserve their heritage and show enthusiasm for it. They can give us feedback and suggestions on where we are lacking and how to attract more people to Chandigarh," Singh added.

Giving the example of heritage sites like Taj Mahal, which are opened only for viewing, Singh said, "We need to show people that living heritage can be preserved too" the heritage buildings where people live and work," she added.

- The Times of India, August 9, 2015

A larger bench of the Madras high court will hear two petitions, which sought directions to the authorities to regularize encroachments near water bodies in Menambedu, Korattur and Kolathur villages near Chennai.

The petitioner, T K Shanmugam, said the PWD had issued notices evict to people living near the lakes. These eviction notices were issued in a phased manner between November 2007 and July 2008.

Encroachments near Kolathur lake in Kolathur and Korattur lake in Menambedu village and Korattur village were sought to be removed. As many as 2,300 families near Kolathur lake and 900 families near Koratur lake had been issued with eviction notices.

All the houses had come around the water bodies with proper authorization and most residents possessed registered sale deeds for purchase of land. Both the water bodies were "neither used for drinking purpose nor was any cultivation carried around the lake."

The eviction notices were in contravention to the verdicts of the Madras high court, which held that the government could grant pattas in places where water bodies had fallen in disuse. The authorities were taking coercive action against the encroachers, and some houses had been demolished. So the court could grant an interim injunction restraining the authorities from evicting the encroachers.

The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T S Sivagnanam said the matter required to be referred to a larger bench as it involved the question whether the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Protection of Tanks and the Eviction of Encroachment Act, 2007 diluted the earlier observation made by the high court and the apex court pertaining to protection of water bodies. It also appointed Naveen Kumar Murthi as amicus curie to assist the court. The matter has been posted to September 2 for further hearing.

- The Times of India, August 9, 2015

Insects are going to have a major contribution to food and feed security says Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan, senior fellow at Bengaluru based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE).

Insects comprise at least 85% of biodiversity and play the most important roles in the sustenance of the biosphere said Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan who added that loss or reduction of any important taxa of the insects can cause a cascade effect on the ecosystem. "Insects are going to be major contributors to food security in future. In fact in many nations insects are already on platter. In India we have not yet focused on insects from this perspective," he said addressing scholars and members of the Forum of Environmental Journalists in India (FEJI).

Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations (FAO) is conducting various researchers are working on food security and the organization feels that population growth, urbanization and the rising middle class have increased the global demand for food, especially animal-based protein sources.

"The traditional production of animal feed such as fishmeal, soy and grains needs to be further intensified in terms of resource efficiency and extended through the use of alternative sources.

By 2030, over 9 billion people will need to be fed, along with the billions of animals raised annually for food and recreational purposes and as pets. Moreover, externalities such as land and water pollution from intensive livestock production and over-grazing are leading to forest degradation, thereby contributing to climate change and other environmentally destructive impacts. Solutions need to be researched and explored," states the FAO document on food security.

The organization is also working on concept of insect farming. "Insects are everywhere and they reproduce quickly, and they have high growth and feed conversion rates and a low environmental footprint over their entire life cycle. They are nutritious, with high protein, fat and mineral contents.

They can be reared on waste streams like food waste. Moreover, they can be eaten whole or ground into a powder or paste, and incorporated into other foods. The use of insects on a large scale as a feed ingredient is technically feasible, and established companies in various parts of the world are already leading the way in this regard," states FAO.

FAO predicts that insects as feedstock for aquaculture and poultry feed are likely to become more prevalent within the next decade. According to the International Feed Industry Federation, global compound animal feed production was 720 million tonnes in 2010. Insects can supplement traditional feed sources such as soy, maize, grains and fishmeal.

Insects with the largest immediate potential for large-scale feed production are larvae of the black soldier fly, the common housefly and the yellow mealworm - but other insect species are also being investigated for this purpose. Producers in China, South Africa, Spain and the United States are already rearing large quantities of flies for aquaculture and poultry feed by bio-converting organic waste.

- The Times of India, August 9, 2015

These trail-blazing business owners from the district are shattering the widely-held belief that going green might compromise with quality. The businesses range from dhabas to hotels, where owners have adopted small scale environment friendly measure or gone completely green.

Those who visit the district make sure to take a stop at Bhajan, a dhaba situation in Gajraula. Apart from offering delicious food, the place has been certified by the government as India's first 'green dhaba'. Kunwar Vikram Jeet, MD, Prem and Vikram Group, worked on the concept of a green building for a couple of years before Bhajan materialised. Speaking on the topic, he said, "The basic concept was to create a farm which would house a dhaba. The project was visualised by my father, and my generation's belief in introducing people to exactly what they eat, took it forward."

He took the help of Tanu Bhatt, an architect who helped realise the dream of a 'green dhaba'. Elaborating upon the architectural principles used in the building, Bhatt said, "We have reduced the carbon footprint in every way possible. The structure has been built with old,

recycled bricks. For the walls, we first built a one-brick thick straight wall, left a gap of around one and a half cm and then built another one-brick thick straight wall. This way, excess heat or cold get trapped in the vacuum, resulting in a difference of almost 5 degrees inside the dhaba as compared to the outside. Consequently, we spend less on heating and cooling the building." Least use of cement and linter are some other concepts used.

To this Vikram added, "We also have an organic gas plant connected to the dhaba. All the waste from the place is recycled in this plant, which we use in our kitchen (cooking gas) and farm (manure), making us completely self-sufficient. Although the entire project was a costly affair, the general public's response has been unbelievable. People travel from far and wide to have a meal at the 'green dhaba'.

" Questioned about lack of such efforts by others, he said, "I agree that high costs are undoubtedly a factor, but I believe that people are inherently lazy. They understand the concept but adopting it takes effort, which they find hard. Also, government support needs to be encouraging, which right now it is not."

Enterprises in Moradabad have also taken up environment friendly initiatives in different forms. Hotel Holiday Regency in the city is a great champion of saving water and rain water harvesting. Speaking on the subject, Mahesh Chandra Agarwal, MD, said, "We have built five rain water harvesting wells, each of which has a capacity to store around 30,000 litres of water. In addition, we have built a water treatment plant that filters all the collected rain water." Elaborating on contamination of water, he said, "People neglect to put a filter plant and let the rain water directly seep into the ground water. Consequently,

the ground water is getting contaminated. Incomplete rain water harvesting is more harmful than helpful." Agarwal also uses other small methods to save water. "We refill our swimming pool only a couple of times during a year. We maintain the quality of water with filter plants. In fact, if the fire department needs water for putting out fires, even they take it from our pool.

I agree these are small initiatives but every step counts," he said. He feel that steep costs and gross neglect by city residents are some of the reasons such projects are not more popular. "All of it is doable but requires a little effort and research. We are so inconsiderate that we pile up our streets with garbage. In such a scenario, even if a few people take up the green baton, things will improve, albeit slowly," said Agarwal.

Although high costs involved might stop small business owners from going all out with their green efforts, it does not stop them from making small steps in being eco-friendly. Sumit Agarwal, owner, Loveena restaurant in the city, makes sure that his staff conserves water and does proper waste disposal. "We have built water storage tanks. My entire staff is extremely conscious about not wasting water.

In fact, we even make sure that all the waste is supplied to live stock owners so that it can be used as fodder," he said. Upon the disinterest amongst people towards taking a green initiative, he said, "The two major aspects working against this is lack of awareness and carelessness. We need to understand that being a small or big business does not matter, what matters is our efforts."

- The Times of India, August 10, 2015

IIT-Gandhinagar has discovered some rich remains of the Harappan civilization and medieval period in Bhagatrav, an archaeological site in Hansot taluka of Bharuch district in Gujarat.

The team has found a respectable number of lead pieces, many geological samples having rich iron contents, stone beads, evidences of production of glazed ware (pottery) in Bhagatrav. The discoverer of the site, late S R Rao, had hypothesized the site to be a port site, contemporary to Lothal.

The excavation, carried out from April 7 to May 24, was in association with Gujarat state archaeology and partially funded by Archaeological Survey of India. "We have excavated numbers of leads which were probably used to make surma during the Indus Valley Civilization and as alloy in metal production," said Dr Alok Kumar Kanungo, excavation director of the site and assistant research professor (archaeology), IIT-Gn.

He said: "The team also discovered stone beads and glazed ware crafts that were probably traded to parts of coastal regions." Dr Kanungo said it will be interesting to work on the relationship of present day Khambat and this site of Bhagatrav on the basis of the finds, cultural sequence and contacts of Harappan people with the rest of the world .

- The Times of India, August 10, 2015

To preserve and showcase the cultural heritage of Himachal Pradesh, a separate and comprehensive gallery is being set up at the state museum in Shimla, which would house contemporary art and crafts. To begin with, the museum authorities intend to acquire Thangkas, Chamba Rumals and metal crafts for the gallery.

Artists and craftsmen from the state have earned worldwide reputation for their skill. Displaying their works in the museum would not only bring them recognition, but also incentive and encouragement, said a senior official from the art, culture and languages department.

An expert committee of seven members will be constituted under the chairmanship of curator, Himachal State Museum, to acquire works to be displayed. While the committee will initially focus on Thangka paintings, Chamba Rumal and metal art for acquisition, later crafts such as woodcraft, stone craft, contemporary paintings and miniature paintings will also be acquired.

Officials said that interested artists and craftsmen can apply on a prescribed form with their respective district language officer before September 30 this year. He said that the state government also intends to construct indoor auditoriums at all district headquarters, where such a facility does not exist, for organization of various cultural events and a budget provision of Rs 25 crore has been made for the same during this financial year.

Himachal also has a large number of architecturally-significant historical monuments and old temples and to preserve them, the government recently offered a grant up to maximum of Rs 50,000 per case for their repair and restoration. Apart from it, for regular upkeep and maintenance of temples, a revolving fund of Rs 5 crore was constituted during 2014-15 and an additional budget of Rs 5 core has been provided in 2015-16.

- The Times of India, August 10, 2015

Describing the iconic Mount Everest Hotel in Darjeeling as a part of the history of the hills, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) on Monday said that it will “oppose any form of dismantling of the iconic heritage architectural structure”.

In a written statement forwarded to The Hindu, GTA chief executive Bimal Gurung said: “Construction (of a new structure) must be undertaken without dismantling the aesthetic value of the place.” The announcement of sale of 100-year-old property was made by chairman of East India Hotels P.R.S. Oberoi last week. The hotel was bought by consortium of local businessmen.

Constructed in 1914 by Arathon Stephen, the five-acre property had hosted M. A. Jinnah in 1917 and in later years, a number of actors from Bollywood including Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Sunil Dutt.

The property changed several hands before on September 1968, it came under possession of East India Hotels. It suffered a fire in October 1978 and the hotel had been closed since 1984. “The Hotel is so deeply integral to the lives of the people of Darjeeling that the dismantling of the place would not be the right solution. It has a history of its own which is woven with the history of Darjeeling,” Mr Gurung said in the statement.

He added that as a young boy from the gardens, he used to stand in awe and admire the place. When contacted Brij Mohan Garg, one of the new owners, refused to admit that the property is a heritage structure. He also pointed out that since the property is 100-year-old, very little of the structure can be put in use.

Constructed in 1914 by Arathon Stephen, the 5-acre property had hosted Jinnah in 1917

- The Hindu, August 11, 2015

India’s largest ever quiz contest – the INTACH India Heritage Quiz 2015, now in its 2nd edition, was organized by INTACH on Tuesday, 11th of August 2015 at DAV Public School Chandrasekharpur. Last year, this program saw a participation of 10,000 students from 1245 schools across 100 cities from all States and Union Territories.

The Quiz Series is an initiative by INTACH- the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, which aims to interact with students and teachers across India through a direct awareness of the country’s heritage. This mega event is being conducted by over 40 quiz masters.

76 teams from 17 leading schools of Bhubaneswar each comprising 2 students from classes 7 to 10 battled it out in a written round consisting of 20 questions. The team from DAV Public School CSpur comprising Nisith Kumar Pati and Shrutashraba Mishra topped the Bhubaneswar Round.

They got a slot in the Odisha Zonal Final along with a team each from Guidance English Medium School and Ruchika High School. The Odisha Zonal Final was conducted immediately thereafter where the city champions from Sambalpur, Mayurbhanj, Cuttack and Rourkela joined the 3 teams from Bhubaneswar.

The zonal final which saw exciting question formats like visual stills and progressive clues being used, ended with the team comprising Saswat Das and Sibasish Das from DPS Kalinga (Cuttack round winner) emerging as the zonal champions. Final Positions 1st: DPS Kalinga 2nd: DAV Public School Chandrashekarpur 3rd: Ruchika High School Quizmaster Mr. Raktim Nag of Xpressminds Edutainment conducted both the rounds with elan.

State Convenor AB Tripathy and State Advisor Anant Mahapatra gave away the prizes to the Zonal winners, who will participate at the National level in Delhi. Speaking to media personnel, H. Balakrishnan, Convenor of the Bhubneswar Chapter of INTACH, said that such events are regularly conducted by the Chapter to kindle the young minds and sensitize students about our heritage, art and culture.

- http://www.orissadiary.com/, August 11, 2015

Banks of Vaigai river are now dotted with Oleander plants giving them a green look. While a group of youth took the initiative to plant Oleander plants on the Vaigai north bank at Shenoy Nagar, residents of New Bangajam Colony have planted tree saplings on Vaigai South Bank Road.

The youth and residents plunged into beautification work of Vaigai river underlining the fact that they no more need to wait for the government to take up the task. Moreover, various plans by NGOs and government bodies to conserve Vaigai river remain only in papers. Recently, the district administration had formed a committee consisting of an NGO, representatives from educational institutions and various government bodies for the purpose but plan of action is yet to be structured.

For people involved in the initiatives, it was not a one day effort. The fully blossomed Oleander flower dotting on the verge of Vaigai at Shenoy Nagar is testimony to the sustained effort taken by them for several months. P Thangarajan along with his 20 friends from the area took a small effort to beautify banks of Vaigai river.

"Many passersby stop at the stretch to take a look at the flowers. Even residents have stopped dumping garbage there because of the presence of flowering plants," said K Deivendran, one among the group taking care of it. Residents of New Bangajam Colony have fenced tree saplings to save them from cattle. Residents and youth spare a couple of hours either in morning or evening to water the saplings.

M Ponraj, an auto spares seller, was one among those who mobilized people for the cause. "The initiative took shape after the sad demise of former Pressident APJ Abdul Kalam. I attend one of his meetings in Madurai where he emphasized the importance of saving water bodies and planting trees," he said. A water tank on the river bank would be helpful to water the plants, he added.

"If there is a water connection nearby, we are ready to plant saplings on the bank starting from Kuruvikkaran Bridge to PRT Bridge, a one and half km stretch," Ponraj said.

- The Times of India, August 11, 2015

“An art restorer is like a doctor, who diagnoses the illness plaguing a work of art and helps it overcome the condition and live a healthy life.” Narayanan Namboodiri thus sums up his niche area of expertise - conservation and restoration of art. In a career spanning nearly three decades, the former art restorer at the Eastern Regional Centre for Restoration of Paintings and Other Objects of Arts, Victoria Memorial, Kolkata has breathed life into several works of art that covet historical significance.

Namboodiri, who now works as a freelance art conservator, consultant and subject expert, was recently in the city as part of a restoration project. “Curative restoration is the last resort and is only done if the art work will not survive otherwise. The thrust is always on conservation; preserving the art work in its original form,” says Namboodiri.

The work can be laborious and prolonged as the art conservator is to avoid steps that cannot be reversed. “The methods adopted should always be reversible and the intervention as minimal as possible. There should not be any new addition to the painting or object from the side of the conservator,” he adds.

Namboodiri had his initial training in art at MS University of Baroda. When he realised that college education was beyond the means of his poor father, he decided to follow his heart.

Fervently mastering brush strokes and working to fund his studies at Baroda, he found out that passion could fuel perseverance. Eventually, he was selected for an art restoration course in 1985 at the National Museum, Delhi, which also brought along a memorable experience. A young Sonia Gandhi, wife of the newly sworn-in PM, had taken charge of the restoration work at the Museum. A trained restorer, she initiated a project to collect and restore the paintings from the colonial period.

Namboodiri remembers the quite authority of Gandhi when it came to helming the Museum. “She was never bossy and the instructions were always minimal, more to set direction than to impose. But, her knowledge of the subject was evident which motivated us to perfect our work,” he says. He gives credit to her for bringing restoration into the ambit of activities that merit cultural and national significance in India.

The stint at the National Museum also gave him the opportunity to work at Victoria Memorial, where he was part of many important conservation and restoration projects. One of the major paintings he restored was ‘Lord Curzon Visiting Burdwan’, by Dutch painter H V Pederson.

“The painting was stored away in the archives of Burdwan University and was in a very poor state. Only when it was finished and the figure of Lord Curzon emerged did the historical value of the painting dawn on us,” he says. The paintings salvaged by Namboodiri today adorn important public spaces in the country, including the Raj Bhavan and the High Court. He has also helped restore and conserve palm leaf engravings in Kerala.

“Paintings and art objects mirror the times in which they were created. It is important to preserve them for posterity. The work of a restorer or conservator is to pass on these fragments of history in the best shape possible,” he says.

- The Indian Express, August 12, 2015

Nisha Singh, one of the few councillors who had objected to the proposal to convert the Biodiversity Park into a night safari, wrote to MCG commissioner Vikas Gupta and mayor Vimal Yadav on Tuesday, urging them not to act in a hurry on taking over the maintenance of the area.

The MCG had, in its house meeting last week, proposed to take back the maintenance of the park from the NGO 'I am Gurgaon' and hand it over to its horticulture department.

In her letter, the ward 30 councillor wrote, "As is evident, 'I am Gurgaon', and through it thousands of citizens of Gurgaon, have helped rebuild a forest in the midst of a greed-ravaged and concretized Gurgaon. When we could have developed Gurgaon 'around' our water bodies we chose to build it 'over' them, and we have dead water bodies symbolic of our so-called system."

"On one hand all the natural drains and 'johads' have been systematically destroyed and continue to be destroyed, on other hand BDP is being revived and preserved by environmentalists and ordinary citizens to make up for the loss," she wrote.

She has also suggested that representatives of 'I am Gurgaon' be invited to the next House meeting to share their work.

- The Times of India, August 12, 2015

The Andhra Pradesh government’s plan to attract world tourists to Amaravati, the new capital area, by showcasing its robust Buddhist heritage has sparked hope, setting off a clamour among various sections to bring back its treasured artefacts, currently on display at a gallery in London Museum.

Josephe Hotung Gallery in the British Museum displays masterpieces of Buddhist sculptures from Amaravati. A stunning collection of over 120 pieces depicting the famed Amravati sculptures are on display after over three decades of oblivion in the basement of the museum. Excavated by the British almost 140 years ago, the sculptures were shipped to the U.K. from Madras in 1859.

With the A.P. government spelling out its latest plan to set up a ‘Monastery Boulevard’ in Amaravati to enable Buddhists from across the world build monasteries on the lines of Bodh Gaya in Bihar, people here feel that it’s time Andhra Pradesh staked claim to the Amaravati relics that reflect its hoary past.

Veeranjaneyulu Jasti, chairman, Amaravati Development Authority, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has urged the Centre to do the needful to bring back the sculptures. He says half of the Hotung Gallery has been devoted to Chinese bronzes, jades, paintings, ceramics and Buddhist sculptures, while the second half has Amaravati structures which include “the greatest collection of Indian religious sculptures outside the sub-continent.”

A copy of Mr. Veeranjaneyulu’s letter has been forwarded to the Director-General, Archaeological Survey of India. State plans to attract world tourists to new capital region

- The Hindu, August 13, 2015

FilmIt workshop being organised by INTACH will see experts teaching students the technicalities involved in making short films

The annual FilmIt workshop, the film making training course for school students, being held by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is back in the city. The Hyderabad edition of the workshop will feature technical experts, including Vinod Sreedhar and Shreya Kakria, who will train the students about technicalities involved in making short films. The duo is expected to give an impetus on the use of latest technology in editing films to the students, said INTACH, Hyderabad on Wednesday. 2,500 films made so far

“FilmIt is an exciting multi-cultural project which helps students to make short films on their city’s heritage across nine cities of India, including Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. A total of 2,500 films have been made by students on the heritage of their city,” says Anuradha Reddy, Convenor, INTACH Hyderabad. Films on heritage

According to the well-known historian, films have been made on saving water, saving animals, caring for monuments, living heritage, customs, traditions, endangered traditional games, heritage homes etc. “This is fifth year of FilmIt in Hyderabad. This is aimed at creating a generation of young people who care for their city’s heritage. Around 300 films have been made by the schools of Hyderabad,” Ms. Anuradha said.

INTACH’s Heritage Education and Communication Services (HECS), INTACH New Delhi along with The Helen Hamlyn Trust, UK has been encouraging students to make films based on heritage for close to eight years. The programme was flagged off in the form of content and technical workshops in Delhi on July 30.

The FilmIt workshop will be held between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Meridian School on Thursday, August 13. FilmIt workshop being organised by INTACH will see experts teaching students the technicalities of making short films

- The Hindu, August 13, 2015

On this Independence Day, there will be 'carnage'. Not of the blood and gore variety but the one that is filled with wit and old-fashioned humour. In its second edition, Aadyam will bring 'The God of Carnage' to Tata Theatre in NCPA on August 15 and 16.

Aadyam, an initiative by the Aditya Birla group in association with The Times of India, had introduced Mumbai to five new plays by acclaimed productions when it made its debut in February. In its encore that will continue till October, the theatre initiative started with the modern-day adaptation of 'The Merchant of Venice' last week. This week, 'The God of Carnage' will show an altercation between two kids at a playground that turns into a full-blown war between their parents.

When the parents meet to discuss the matter of the playground fight, the usual rules that apply to social engagement are forgotten and the gloves come off. The play, featuring Sohrab Ardeshir, Shernaz Patel, Zafar Karachiwala and Anu Menon, question the society we live in, the concepts of "maturing" and "adult behaviour", and how various modes of parenting affect children. The play will be staged at NCPA on August 15 at 7.30pm and on August 16 at 4 and 7.30pm.

The idea behind Aadyam is to reach out to wider audiences, and help shed the notion that theatre-going is restricted only to a certain section of people. The initiative aims to craft a holistic experience for each play that extends beyond stage and takes theatre to newer audiences. While it has made its debut with theatre, the initiative plans to soon branch out to other performing arts

- The Times of India, August 13, 2015

Filling a lacuna in works in English exploring Puducherry’s history during French rule, the book,Pondicherry that was once French India, was launched officially at the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage office on Tuesday.

Authored by Puducherry resident and historian Raphael Malangin and published by Roli Books, the book looks at Puducherry, once seen as the ‘Gallic Gateway of India.’ It explores key events in the rise and fall of French rule in this coastal town, important personalities and how Puducherry’s history has led to it being the unique cosmopolitan place that it is known as.

The launch was organised by INTACH and People for Pondicherry’s Heritage, with the organisations stating that they wanted the book to promote an understanding of this town’s history and heritage and help residents feel proud. It was attended by Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Parida, MLA K. Lakshminarayanan, and patron of the Historical Society of Pondicherry V. Nallam. During an interaction at the event, Mr. Malangin said research for the book began in 2004 and has been a long, though not a continuous process. There remained little to connect Puducherry with its past as a Tamil town in the 13th century.

The town, during the 18th century, was ‘mainly a colonial creation,’ said the author. He also revealed that the French picking Puducherry in India to set up its businesses and administration was more ‘by accident.’ Things did not go too well for the French in Surat, Gujarat, where they first tried to set base, he said. The year 1761 was significant for Puducherry when the British razed the town to the ground, Mr. Malangin said.

Mr. Lakshminarayanan suggested that the book could be translated into Tamil and a concise version be introduced in schools. Mr. Parida said that administrators need to ‘have a sense of history’ to function well and be sure of not repeating mistakes of the past. “Preservation of heritage buildings and history is something we owe to future generations,” he said.

Dr. Nallam called on the government to reserve a budget for the preservation of heritage buildings. The book explores key events in the rise and fall of French rule, important personalities and how Puducherry’s history has led to it being the unique cosmopolitan place it is

- The Hindu, August 13, 2015

The city's grappling with a water crisis that shows every sign of growing worse, but several corporate houses are stepping in to give Metrowater's rainwater harvesting campaign a fillip.

Rain Centre, an NGO that helps residents set up rainwater harvesting structures, said it has received proposals from various corporate houses to set up rainwater harvesting systems in open spaces and in charitable institutions as part of their corporate social responsibility activities.

The centre, with help from corporates, recently set up rainwater harvesting systems in an old age home in Chetpet and on the premises of the Theosophical Society. "With water increasingly becoming a concern, corporate houses are expanding their corporate social responsibility activities by making conservation of water a key focus area," Rain Centre's Sekhar Raghavan said.

Raghavan said the centre is looking provide rainwater harvesting solutions at charitable institutions that have adequate open space to accommodate the systems. In the past four months, the centre has set up rainwater harvesting systems in four places. Asian Paints manager Pratyush Unnikrishnan said his company had pitched in to set up rainwater harvesting systems as a way to compensate for the water that industries like his consume. Asian Paints has so far helped Rain Centre set up rainwater harvesting systems at seven locations in the city.

"Ours is a semi-water intensive industry," he said. "At a certain point we realised that we need to give back to society and the environment what we take. So we decided to expand our corporate social responsibility activities from education and sanitation to include water conservation." Experts say setting up rainwater harvesting systems do not benefit only the institutions in which they are set up but also help replenish groundwater in the areas the institutions are located.

"In Madras Seva Sadhan, for example, collecting rainwater will not only benefit the school but will also help apartments in the vicinity. This is because the rainwater collecting units also allow a certain amount of water to percolate into the ground, thereby raising the water table," Sekhar Raghavan said. Most corporate houses involved in funding rainwater harvesting systems also provide the money to maintain them for up to two years.

In 2003, when the state was reeling from an unprecedented water crisis, the AIADMK government made it mandatory for every building in the state to install a rainwater harvesting system. Partly as a result of this, there has been a 50% rise in water level in Chennai over since then and the quality of water had improved significantly. A recent audit by Rain Centre, however, found that owners of several of these systems had allowed them to fall into disrepair.

With levels in the reservoirs alarmingly low and groundwater levels dipping, officials are looking to the sky for support. Meanwhile, corporate participation is helping many individuals and institutions get through the crisis.

Famed artistes to inspire corporate world

Can the corporate world learn the value of excellence from the world of arts? A unique initiative by the India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) hopes to make this exchange possible. While corporate bodies’ engagement with the world of arts is largely confined to funding cultural organisation as CSR initiatives, a programme by IFA hopes to go beyond this.

IFA has partnered with corporate houses in Bengaluru to offer a unique initiative, Catalyst-Arts, An Inspiration for Excellence. Initially, IFA will be working with Biocon Foundation, Titan Company Ltd. and Sasken Communication Technologies Ltd. on this unique programme. Under this, IFA will bring a range of talented artistes from the world of theatre, literature, visual and performing arts to share with its employees what it takes to pursue excellence in their chosen fields. This initiative is championed by art patrons such as Abhishek Poddar,

Director of Sua Explosives and Accessories; Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson and Managing Director Biocon Ltd.; and Vinita Bali, former Managing Director of Britannia Industries Ltd., who are also connoisseurs of art. The artistes, who are partnering with IFA include actors Nandita Das and Feroz Khan, internationally renowned photographer Raghu Rai, Bharatanatyam exponent Malavika Sarukkai, renowned Kathak dancer and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas, art historian B.N. Goswamy, noted architect Romi Khosla, theatre personality Arundhati Nag, Indian contemporary artist Jitish Kallat, artist Atul Dodiya, renowned painter Bose Krishnamachari, and journalist Shekar Gupta.

According to Ms. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the diverse dimensions of arts allow corporate world and its workers to fine-tune their sense towards discerning the true substance of things, besides enliven office spaces with conversations and presentations by the artistes sharing their creative journey’s and their pursuit of excellence.

Though three corporate companies have associated with the project at this stage, more companies have shown interest in the initiative. “We are planning to take this beyond Bengaluru in the days to come,” said Mr. Abishek Poddar. In a time marked by intolerance, young people from the middle class working in corporate companies, who are getting distanced from their roots, will be greatly benefited by this endeavour. Arundhati Nag, Theatre personality

- The Times of India, August 13, 2015

Furious over the government's "deliberate attempt" at dragging the Osmania General Hospital (OGH) issue, heritage enthusiasts have now sought an immediate plan to resolve the crisis and initiate restoration of the decades-old structure before the building starts to crumble.

While they feel that the iconic structure is still fit for use as a medical institution going by the multiple expert committee reports tabled before the government so far they suggest that the building, if not a hospital, could well be converted into a popular "public space". This, as long as the architectural uniqueness of the structure is not distorted, they add.

"If the authorities, after thorough inspection, feel that it isn't possible to continue housing a healthcare facility there, then the OGH can be turned into a museum. At least that way the building will remain intact and not disappear overnight, taking away with it a slice of Hyderabad's rich history," said activist Sarah Mathews, one among a host of heritage enthusiasts who have been fighting tooth and nail to save the over 90-year-old teaching hospital from being reduced to debris.

Incidentally, while the Telangana government hasn't, of late, made any fresh attempts at pulling the listed heritage site down and has even submitted in court that a decision on OGH is pending, conservation experts aren't too confident about the fate of the structure. They maintain that repairs at the hospital needs to be taken up soon even if that means tweaking its usage.

"It is a practice all over the world. Heritage buildings, both in India and abroad, are often turned into either culture centres or libraries when they are no longer fit to be used for the purpose they were built for in the first place," said Divay Gupta, noted conservation architect and head of Intach's Architectural Heritage Division, from New Delhi.

He, however, added: "I do not think that the OGH building is in such a state where it should be written off or cannot continue to offer medical facilities. But if at all the hospital needs to be shifted out for whatever reason it can always be retained in other ways. Demolition isn't a necessary measure at all."

Meanwhile back home, heritage expert Sajjad Shahid didn't seem to be comfortable with the idea of turning the OGH either into a museum or a culture centre. "That way the building will lose its relevance. And anyway, the structure is still strong enough to house other support services administrative block, student's laboratories, classrooms, staff rooms related to the hospital, if not wards for patients. We have to ensure this so as to ascertain that the structure is not wiped out from the minds of people," Shahid argued.

- The Times of India, August 13, 2015

In an endeavour to preserve monuments of historical importance, the authorities here would take steps to handover these to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by District Collector P. S. Muhammed Sagir here.

It was decided to submit relevant sketch and reports pertaining to the select monuments including forts besides compiling reports on memorials under the possession of individuals in the Manjeswaram, Kasaragod, Hosdurg and Vellarikkundu taluks, official sources here said. A special team led by District Survey Superintendent would gather information about all the monuments over 75 years in existence and to complete the survey works within two weeks.

The DTPC has been asked to take urgent steps to conserve the forts. Barring the Bekal fort which is looked after by the ASI, other forts at Manjeshwaram, Kumbla, Shiriya, Povval, Chandragiri, Bandaduka, Kasaragod and Hosdurg are virtually deserted.

- The Hindu, August 13, 2015

Scientists at the city-based National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) have found a more environment-friendly solution for household and big Ganapati idols made from plaster of Paris that are taken for immersion on Anant Chaturdashi.

The liquid solution called 'Jal Abhishek', for sentiments' sake, can dissolve the idols and the residue can be used as a fertilizer. Pune Municipal Corporation can thus ensure that idols handed over at hundreds of immersion tanks are disposed of with dignity.

Five idols were immersed in the solution and they dissolved in an hour at a recent trial in Kasba Vishrambaug ward office. Mayor Dattareya Dhankawde, civic officials and nearly 100 representatives of Ganapati mandals were present.

According to NCL officials, a solution made of ammonium bicarbonate, a common rising agent used by bakeries, can dissolve idols made of plaster of Paris (PoP) which would produce sludge and calcium sulphate, a widely used fertilizer.

"About 20% ammonium bicarbonate, in the powder form, will be dissolved in water to make this solution. Plaster of Paris is made of gypsum and will react with this solution to form calcium sulphate which can be used as a fertilizer and sludge or calcium carbonate that can make chalk," said senior NCL scientist Shubhangi Umbarkar.

The focus was on using a chemical which would not harm the environment. "We experimented with baking soda which is sodium bicarbonate, but sodium sulphate, the by-product, was unusable," added Umbarkar.

The project is the effort of one and half years, involving the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Cummins India and the NCL to stop pollution of the city's water bodies on immersion day. After last year's Ganeshotsav, over three lakh idols were immersed in rivers and tanks, according to civic officials.

"We had been trying to identify a bio-degradable material to make idols in order to save our environment and our water bodies. However, the limited availability of the identified raw material challenged us to look for a more sustainable solution.

Through efforts from NCL scientists, we have a solution to dissolve PoP. The liquid generated from the process can directly be used to water the city's green spaces and the solid can be used to make chalk," said S Ravichandran, head of corporate responsibility, Cummins Group in India

The civic body will have a pilot project for this year, Suresh Jagtap, head of the solid waste management at PMC, said. "We will take it to the people so that there is increased acceptance among Ganesh mandals."

"Our efforts have borne fruit. It will be presented before the standing committee and the cost and other factors will be worked out. The civic body will transport idols from the tanks to the centralized place where the process will be followed," said Ketaki Ghadge, medical officer at PMC.

Mahesh Suryawanshi, treasurer, Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Mandal said, "We encourage the use of eco-friendly Ganapati idols, but will now spread awareness about this solution."

- The Times of India, August 14, 2015

To cut red tapism and bring transparency in conservation and protection of historical monuments and buildings, Madhya Pradesh archaeology department is going to adopt new technology and digitalize its working.

To begin the digitalization process archeological department is introducing e-tendering for awarding work to contractors. Curator of Indore Museum Prakash Paranjape said, department has been working on this for long time, now they are giving training to contractors about e-tendering process.

At the end of the training, department will certify the contractor, which will make them eligible to work with the department. "This will also help in cutting cost of tender and other expanses," said Paranjape. He said during training they teach them nuances of conserving monuments without any loss or any change in its old beauty.

Department has organized a three-day workshop for civil contractors in which city-based architect Himanshu Bharadwaj and Shreya Bharadwaj showed technical details of restoration work of historical monuments. Chief engineer of PWD PK Shrivastava from Bhopal said, PWD had already started e-tendering in 2008, which has been started by archaeology department this year.

"E-tender will simplify the process and ensure transparency," said Shrivastava. At the end of the training, department will certify the contractor, which will make them eligible to work with the department. A 3-day workshop has been organised

- The Times of India, August 14, 2015

he Andhra Pradesh government’s plan to attract world tourists to Amaravati, the new capital area, by showcasing its robust Buddhist heritage has sparked hope, setting off a clamour among various sections to bring back its treasured artefacts, currently on display at a gallery in London Museum.

Josephe Hotung Gallery in the British Museum displays masterpieces of Buddhist sculptures from Amaravati. A stunning collection of over 120 pieces depicting the famed Amravati sculptures are on display after over three decades of oblivion in the basement of the museum. Excavated by the British almost 140 years ago, the sculptures were shipped to the U.K. from Madras in 1859.

‘Monastery Boulevard’ With the A.P. government spelling out its latest plan to set up a ‘Monastery Boulevard’ in Amaravati to enable Buddhists from across the world build monasteries on the lines of Bodh Gaya in Bihar, people here feel that it’s time Andhra Pradesh staked claim to the Amaravati relics that reflect its hoary past.

Veeranjaneyulu Jasti, chairman, Amaravati Development Authority, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has urged the Centre to do the needful to bring back the sculptures. He says half of the Hotung Gallery has been devoted to Chinese bronzes, jades, paintings, ceramics and Buddhist sculptures, while the second half has Amaravati structures which include “the greatest collection of Indian religious sculptures outside the sub-continent.” A copy of Mr. Veeranjaneyulu’s letter has been forwarded to the Director-General, Archaeological Survey of India.

A.P. Deputy Speaker Mandali Buddha Prasad, has used every platform to drive home the point that not enough is being done by successive governments to preserve the rich culture of Andhra Pradesh. A reference of the London Museum, which showcases A.P. heritage, often finds place in his public speeches. He feels that since the Amaravati relics are safe and are well taken care of by the British, they should be left undisturbed. “Moreover, if showcased from that platform, the sculptures will be accessible to viewers from across the world.

“We would do well to focus on the enormous wealth of artefacts that would come into our share after the State bifurcation,” he says. E. Siva Nagireddy, who has worked with the Department of Archaeology and Museums in undivided Andhra Pradesh, echoes similar views: “We should feel happy about the great care that goes into the maintenance of these precious artefacts. From there, they find wider range of visibility and so we should leave them untouched,” he says.

Centre should do the needful Veeranjaneyulu jasti, Chairman, Amaravati Development Authority State plans to attract world tourists to new capital region

- The Times of India, August 14, 2015

Raj Bhavan is reluctantly preparing to embrace the intrusion of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras after a series of thefts showed that even 150 cops aren't enough to keep an eye on every nook of this 27-acre heritage zone.

Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi is due to meet officials of the state public works department and Calcutta police on Friday to finalise the CCTV installation plan for the 212-year-old heritage building and its sprawling compound.

Sources in Governor House said Tripathi was forced to consider installing CCTVs in Raj Bhavan after officials noticed energy-saving LED bulbs - they cost several times more than CFL bulbs and tubes - disappearing from various sections of the main building over the past few months. "The fact that these thefts have been taking place despite heavy deployment of police personnel is cause for concern. This is the reason why it has been decided that CCTVs would be installed in the heritage building," said a source at Raj Bhavan.

He said governor Tripathi was at first reluctant to install CCTVs in Raj Bhavan because it would be a departure from tradition. But officials convinced him by saying that security needed to be tightened, more so because the 84,000sq ft of floor space houses many antiques and paintings.

"Another reason why we need CCTV coverage is the security of the governor himself. Recurrence of theft in a high-security zone is tantamount to a breach of security," said a senior official who requested anonymity. While no official complaint has been lodged yet, Lalbazar has been kept informed about the thefts, sources said.

"We are aware that LED lights have been going missing from the Raj Bhavan compound. But since no complaint has been registered, it is difficult to quantify the number of such instances over the past few months," a police officer said. The meeting scheduled for Friday is meant to finalise how many cameras would be installed and where so that proper surveillance is achieved without compromising privacy.

"This is a very sensitive subject. Electronic surveillance is the way forward given the breach of security inside the Raj Bhavan compound. On the other hand, installation of CCTVs could lead to a breach of privacy. Both aspects need to be balanced," said a senior officer in Lalbazar. Built between 1799 and 1803 and modelled on the Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire, the ancestral house of Lord Curzon, Raj Bhavan is a magnificent piece of architecture complemented by sprawling gardens that includes a patch where medicinal plants are grown.

The structure was completed on January 18, 1803, and 23 governors-general and, later, viceroys lived there until the capital shifted to Delhi in 1912. Governor general Lord Wellesley, the first occupant of the building, took up residence in Government House, as it was then called, in 1803, even before the last of the workers had vacated the mansion.

The residential suites are in the four corners of the second floor while the main suite - the Prince of Wales suite used by visiting dignitaries - is on the northwest corner of the first floor. The central area on the ground floor is called the Marble Hall and comprises the Throne Room, Banquet Hall and the Blue Drawing and Brown Dining rooms.

The northeast corner of the first floor houses the Council Chamber, in which major government decisions used to be discussed during British rule. The second floor has the governor's apartments and the ballroom.

The Throne Room, which got its name from the practice of receiving royalty in that section of the heritage structure, has crimson velvet draperies. The silver throne with lion arms that is kept there belonged to Hastings.

A low gilded stool of oriental pattern, said to be Tipu Sultan's seat on elephant back, stands in one corner. The walls flaunt striking paintings, including a life-size portrait of Indira Gandhi by Bikash Bhattacharjee and oil paintings of Jawaharlal Nehru and Bidhan Chandra Roy by Ashesh Mitra. A small but historically significant item is the urn that contained the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi before Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, the then Governor of West Bengal, immersed them in the Ganga at what is now called Gandhi Ghat.

Since Mamata Banerjee became chief minister, Raj Bhavan would be the second landmark building in Calcutta to be brought under CCTV surveillance. Cameras were installed at Writers' Buildings, sections of which are currently being renovated, after the change of guard in 2011. Additional reporting by Monalisa Chaudhur

- The Telegraph, August 14, 2015

We've all heard about tree houses, but what about tree-temples? Well, such a rare heritage tree-temple does exist in our very own Visakhapatnam district in the tribal village of Kasipatnam near Tyda, enroute Araku Valley.

Encapsulated within the centuries old roots of a banyan tree, an even more ancient Shiva temple stands erect, its ageing bricks and tales of locals bearing testimony to it dating back to at least 300-400 years.

Located nearly 110 km from the city amid serene and verdant hills and near a little river, the Kasipatnam Ramalingeshwara Temple draws around 15-20 people daily from nearby villages. According to locals, on festive occasions such as Nagulachavithi, Karthikamasam and Mahasivaratri, hundreds turn up to offer prayers to the siva lingam. Strangely, the thick roots of an ancient banyan tree have locked within it the little temple that has a conical-shaped dome and structure made of small bricks.

The nearly 85-year-old Doddi Ramulamma, who has been looking after the temple since childhood, said, "My family has been serving the temple since it was discovered. My forefathers served the temple and this tradition was passed on from generation to generation.

To fulfill the basic requirements of the temple and my family, I sell printed entry tickets (priced Rs 10 per visitor) provided by villagers. My husband, two sons and one daughter are all dead but I have two grandchildren. During Shivaratri and Nagaulachavithi, lots of people from various places come to visit the temple."

People living here believe that prayers of devotees who visit the temple never go in vain. A popular instance being that of Pitala Govindraju from Gajuwaka. The childless man offered prayers to the temple and soon was blessed with two children. As an act of gratitude, he added new structures to the temple, such as steps and tiles on the interior walls of the sanctum sanctorum.

Though nobody knows the exact date of the temple's construction, tribals believe that it came into existence naturally. However, some of the little educated among them say it was built more than 400 years ago going by the bricks used in construction and the aged banyan tree, which grew around the temple, pointed out another local Doddi Dharma.

Prior to cyclone Hudhud, the tree was huge and even more sprawling but due to the impact of the cyclone, most of its branches were broken. Though the structure of the ancient temple was resilient enough to withstand the ravages of time and that of the cyclone, it deserves conservation as an archaeological and natural heritage site.

However, the state department of archaeology is clueless about this temple. AP State Department of Archaeology and Museums assistant director K. Chitti Babu said, "Such a rare tree-temple deserves protection but we haven't seen it yet. We will visit the temple at Kasipatnam and try to ascertain its age from statues, deities and inscriptions."

Meanwhile, Intach (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) member and environment activist Sohan Hatangadi, who had earlier visited the tree-temple, suggested the involvement of APTDC (AP Tourism Development Corporation) and state archaeology department along with locals for preservation of the temple and tree.

"It's a unique example of a combined natural and manmade heritage site, which is easily 300-400 years old or even more. APTDC should put up signages at the site, while Intach can document the temple. Since it's a religious place, locals should also be involved in the form of a cooperative to take care of the temple and generate revenue for the family looking after the temple.

Also, some cleaning, light fencing around the tree-temple, garbage disposal and parking provisions away from the temple should be made. The side road through the village leading to the temple should also be repaired. One should ensure that the centuries-old heritage site doesn't turn into a picnic spot for revelers in the name of tourism. Rather, the archaeological and natural heritage site needs to be preserved the best way possible," suggested Hatangadi.

- The Times of India, August 14, 2015

Says damage to the building can be repaired

The final report of Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) experts, who had inspected the heritage structure of Osmania General Hospital (OGH), states that the option of demolition of the building is not worth considering.

The damage observed is mostly on the surface of the heritage building and can be repaired under expert supervision, the report said. On Friday, INTACH members said the cost of restoration and conservation of the OGH heritage building would not exceed the cost the government would have to bear if it is demolished.

- The Hindu, August 16, 2015

We've all heard about tree houses, but what about tree-temples? Well, such a rare heritage tree-temple does exist in our very own Visakhapatnam district in the tribal village of Kasipatnam near Tyda, enroute Araku Valley.

Encapsulated within the centuries old roots of a banyan tree, an even more ancient Shiva temple stands erect, its ageing bricks and tales of locals bearing testimony to it dating back to at least 300-400 years.

Located nearly 110 km from the city amid serene and verdant hills and near a little river, the Kasipatnam Ramalingeshwara Temple draws around 15-20 people daily from nearby villages. According to locals, on festive occasions such as Nagulachavithi, Karthikamasam and Mahasivaratri, hundreds turn up to offer prayers to the siva lingam. Strangely, the thick roots of an ancient banyan tree have locked within it the little temple that has a conical-shaped dome and structure made of small bricks.

The nearly 85-year-old Doddi Ramulamma, who has been looking after the temple since childhood, said, "My family has been serving the temple since it was discovered. My forefathers served the temple and this tradition was passed on from generation to generation.

To fulfill the basic requirements of the temple and my family, I sell printed entry tickets (priced Rs 10 per visitor) provided by villagers. My husband, two sons and one daughter are all dead but I have two grandchildren. During Shivaratri and Nagaulachavithi, lots of people from various places come to visit the temple."

People living here believe that prayers of devotees who visit the temple never go in vain. A popular instance being that of Pitala Govindraju from Gajuwaka. The childless man offered prayers to the temple and soon was blessed with two children. As an act of gratitude, he added new structures to the temple, such as steps and tiles on the interior walls of the sanctum sanctorum.

Though nobody knows the exact date of the temple's construction, tribals believe that it came into existence naturally. However, some of the little educated among them say it was built more than 400 years ago going by the bricks used in construction and the aged banyan tree, which grew around the temple, pointed out another local Doddi Dharma.

Prior to cyclone Hudhud, the tree was huge and even more sprawling but due to the impact of the cyclone, most of its branches were broken. Though the structure of the ancient temple was resilient enough to withstand the ravages of time and that of the cyclone, it deserves conservation as an archaeological and natural heritage site.

However, the state department of archaeology is clueless about this temple. AP State Department of Archaeology and Museums assistant director K Chitti Babu said, "Such a rare tree-temple deserves protection but we haven't seen it yet. We will visit the temple at Kasipatnam and try to ascertain its age from statues, deities and inscriptions."

Meanwhile, Intach (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) member and environment activist Sohan Hatangadi, who had earlier visited the tree-temple, suggested the involvement of APTDC (AP Tourism Development Corporation) and state archaeology department along with locals for preservation of the temple and tree. "It's a unique example of a combined natural and manmade heritage site, which is easily 300-400 years old or even more.

APTDC should put up signages at the site, while Intach can document the temple. Since it's a religious place, locals should also be involved in the form of a cooperative to take care of the temple and generate revenue for the family looking after the temple. Also, some cleaning, light fencing around the tree-temple, garbage disposal and parking provisions away from the temple should be made. The side road through the village leading to the temple should also be repaired.

One should ensure that the centuries-old heritage site doesn't turn into a picnic spot for revelers in the name of tourism. Rather, the archaeological and natural heritage site needs to be preserved the best way possible," suggested Hatangadi.

- The Times of India, August 16, 2015

The port city had the honour of hosting the State Government’s official Independence Day celebrations on Saturday. The day also marked completion of 102 years of the Collectorate building in Maharanipeta. The building was tastefully decorated with lights to suit the occasion.

Construction of the building in gothic palatial architecture started in 1865 and was occupied in 1913, incidentally on August 15, and the date later coincided with India attaining Independence.

On completion, it must have been overlooking the sea. It was from here the district, then called Vizagapatam and extended up to the border with the present Odisha, was ruled by the British officers.

The single-storey E-shaped structure resembles a castle, with turrets and arched verandahs. Ashlar rubble (finely cut stones) was used in the construction and large halls with large windows opening into wide verandhas on both sides were provided.

The main entrance is through a staircase to the first floor and there are staircases in each wing. All are made of wood and still strong. The ground floor roof is made of Madras tiles and supported by steel and rock structures while the first floor roof is made of wooden rafters and covered with tiles.

The outside elevation of the buildings was more or less retained, but many changes have taken place inside the halls to meet the modern day needs. Some verandahs were closed to suit the needs of offices like the treasury. All these changes were made not taking the architectural aspect into consideration, regrets INTACH.

A part of the building’s roof was replaced with concrete slab some years ago as it started leaking. But the roof was covered with tiles to retain its old look. INTACH is of the view that some of the changes have been made without taking the architectural aspect into consideration

- The Hindu, August 16, 2015

Tradition fused with high tech, the new Asean Cultural Centre brings all the marvels of Southeast Asia to Bangkok. The Asean Economic Community is almost upon us, and what better way to get the hang of the new arrangement than having a little fun dressing in an elegant Vietnamese ao dai – well, the women at least. The guys can join in for some virtual merit-making at Myanmar’s gilded Shwedagon Pagoda or a taste of the Indonesian dish tumpeng.

And everyone can enjoy a Cambodian apsara dance and learn how they cultivate rice at the beautiful Banaue terraces in the Philippines, a World Heritage site. Exploring the fascinating art and culture of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations could take a lifetime, but an hour or two spent at the new Asean Cultural Centre in Bangkok amount to a well-spent sampler of wonderful places, traditional food, charming languages and other valued treasures.

Touted as “the first living cultural centre” in Southeast Asia, the 15-million baht (US$425,700) repository officially opened on August 3, a day before the annual Asean Community Day. It’s at the Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Centre near the Democracy Monument, and operates under the auspices of the Culture Ministry’s Office of Contemporary Art and Culture.

Spread over 600 metres are interactive digital exhibitions and artefacts that constitute an education in Southeast Asian history, art and livelihoods. “This centre will become a cultural platform for Asean-member countries where people can acknowledge and enjoy the similarities and diversity of our cultural identities,” Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn said at a ceremony.

“I hope it will achieve its objective of promoting one Asean community through greater awareness and common values.” Asean Secretary General Le Luong Minh and the culture ministers and other representatives of all 10 countries were on hand for the ceremony, bringing souvenirs of their homelands for the centre. In one room is the Asean Cultural Collection, including an elaborate headdress long worn by Robam Tep Apsara, lead dancer of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, which in 2008 was listed by Unesco as “intangible cultural heritage”.

From the Philippines comes the hegelung, a two-stringed lute from the Tboli community of Mindanao. Indonesia has set up a miniature tongkonan house, boat-shaped with an oversized saddleback roof, as found among the Torajan people of South Sulawesi, and the rice-barn known as an alang, a symbol of family prosperity.

Elsewhere are displayed 10 of Thailand’s national treasures from the National Museum. The oldest are two Sukhothai-era samples of Sangkhalok porcelain, 700 years old. From the Rattanakosin Period are a golden standing bejewelled crowned Buddha, a nilapat mask, a copper niello-enamelled pedestal tray and a mother-of-pearl-inlay tulum tray.

For all the great age of the exhibits, the centre leans heavily on high technology to spark interest and imagination – digital formats and eye-catching animations – but tradition is deemed sacrosanct and everything has been set up in consultation with experts from the 10 countries. “History and culture can be sensitive, so we are very pleased to have received the help and advice of Dr Sunet Chutinotranon, the Chulalongkorn University expert on Southeast Asian studies,” Thai Culture Ministry Permanent Secretary Apinan Poshyananda explained.

It’s a largely virtual world, nonetheless, including the chance to “try on” the national costumes of our neighbouring countries, stand next to their landmarks and learn about their food. The first of six designated zones is called “The Melting Pot of Asean Culture”, where a curved wall digitally displays each nation’s story, complete with an animated elder telling his grandson (in English and Thai) how all this came to pass.

A huge dome fashioned from the Asean logo is the “We are Asean” zone. The regional bloc’s flag sits above as visitors learn about the group’s founding in 1967 and the significant events, religious beliefs and artistic traditions of each member-country, all the information projected on the curved wall.

A virtual window leads to the “Asean Streets” zone, where suddenly you’re strolling down Singapore’s shop-filled Orchard Road or standing in front of Wat Phra Kaew. The space is full of artefacts, photographs and works of art and literature – and Augmented Reality Interactive Technology. “Asean National Costumes” deploys the Kinect Interactive Technique to dress visitors in any or all of the 10 traditional outfits and have their picture taken as a keepsake.

And Augmented Reality Technology comes to the fore in the “Asean Dishes”, much fun and very educational. You pick a plate bearing the country’s flag and watch the dish prepared in front of you – Indonesian tumpeng, ambuyat from Brunei and Burmese lahpet, made with fermented tea. Reminiscent of a modern urban park with trees and artificial grass, the Asean Park E-Library is stocked with e-books on Asean history and culture, ready for browsing.

There are more than 200 titles, mostly in English, such as “Celebrating the Source: Water Festivals of Southeast Asia”, “Do’s and Don’ts of Cultural Practice in Asean” and “The Cultural Traditional Media of Asean”. Projected on the wall are descriptions of the region’s World Heritage sites, like Wat Chaiwattanaram in Ayutthaya, Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay and the Borobhudur Temple in Indonesia.

The Knowledge Lab is a separate glassed-in section where designers, culture experts and anyone else who’s interested can share ideas for future activities. Also on view will be temporary exhibitions. “I hope the opening of the Asean culture centre will underscore the motto of Asean – ‘One vision, one identity, one community’,” General Tanasak remarked.

- The Statesman, August 16, 2015

With India renovating Jewish heritage sites in the country, India's envoy to Israel has appealed to young Jews of Indian origin to utilize the ease of travelling to the land of their forefathers and to contribute in strengthening bilateral ties by connecting to their roots.

"We want to tell the world proudly about the rich Jewish life in India with your efforts we are working to preserve the Jewish heritage in India. We hope to have a package tour to Jewish heritage sites in Mumbai and elsewhere by early next year," Ambassador Jaideep Sarkar told more than 3,500 Indian— origin Jews gathered here from all over Israel to celebrate the 3rd National Convention of Indian Jews in Israel.

Earlier this year, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis during his visit to Israel had said that his government would take initiatives to preserve the Jewish heritage sites in the state as it looks to promote tourism.

"The state government is planning to celebrate the year 2017 as 'Visit Maharashtra year'. By that time we would create lot of circuits for tourism. I feel that if we could preserve the erstwhile Jewish heritage, lot of tourists could come there," Fadnavis had said. The Paravoor and Chennamangalam synagogues in Cochin were recently renovated and could emerge as major attractions for the 25,000-strong Cochini Jews living in Israel.

Encouraging the members of the community to pass on their rich tradition to generations to come, the Indian diplomat told the gathering about various schemes launched by the Indian government like e-visa, and 'Know India programme' for children of Indian origin.

He also urged them to consider the option of taking advantage of quality education at affordable prices available in India in the field of science, engineering and medicine which is recognized the world over.

"The important thing is to continue what you began so well and pass on the spirit and idea behind the convention to the next generation. The house of Indian Jewish unity has a strong foundation. Now we have to build upon it," Sarkar told the members of all the four Indian Jewish communities who attended the event earlier this week.

There are about 85,000 Jews of Indian origin living in Israel from four different communities — Bene Israel from the Maharashtra region, Cochini Jews from Kerala, Baghdadis from the Kolkata area and Bnei Menashe from Manipur and Mizoram.

- The Times of India, August 16, 2015

In a move that would easily cheer the mining industry in the state, the Supreme Court-appointed six-member expert committee to determine capping of iron ore extraction in Goa has nearly doubled the extraction limit. The panel has recommended highest extraction of 37 million tonne per annum (MTPA) of iron ore in the state.

Capping committee report, which is in the possession of STOI, states that "the earlier assessed extraction rate of 20 MTPA should be enhanced to 30 MTPA. And after reviewing the macro environment impact assessment (EIA) of the enhanced extraction rate by the state, the same may be further enhanced to 37 MTPA as the upper limit predicted by our sustainability model."

The committee stated that the systematic increase in the extraction rate needs to adhere to its probable EIA and other scientific, logistical and social implications. The higher ore extraction rate (37 MTPA) can be sustained over a longer time horizon. Such increase should be gradual and should take in to account the impact of enhanced mining and creation of modern mining and other infrastructure.

The committee also recommended that the ecological restoration of the old dumps and grassing of all the existing dumps should be undertaken to prevent sedimentation of surface water bodies and deposition on fertile agriculture fields. "Recharging of ground water should be undertaken for revival of springs. Bioremediation technologies should be used to remediate polluted water bodies and soils," the Supreme Court appointed panel said.

The report also highlighted the urgent need to strengthen the department of geology and mining in terms of manpower and infrastructure to ensure sustainable mining through effective monitoring and implementation of environmental management measures. "A multidisciplinary autonomous centre at the national level should be established to manage the past, present and future dumps and also to evolve appropriate technologies for sustainable mining on the long run," the report says.

Mining in Goa had come to a halt in September 2012 following the tabling of the Shah Commission report on illegal mining in Parliament. Before mining came to a halt, the state exported over 50 million tonne of iron ore annually. On April 21, 2014, the Supreme Court in its judgment in the case fixed a cap of 20 million tonne on iron ore extraction till the expert committee submits its report.

Following the verdict, the state government decided that the extraction of 20 million tonne would be on pro-rata basis in the 89 mining leases it has renewed. The Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) had granted consent to operate to 57 mining leases to mine 13.79 million tonnes of iron ore under the Air and Water Acts.

- The Times of India, August 16, 2015

As renovation works at the Majestic Srirangam temple near completion, the temple authorities are awaiting orders from the state government to fix the dates for 'kumbabhishekam'.

The works began in the middle of last year after a celebration. According to sources, kumbabhishekam can be held with small gopurams and is currently being worked out with the help of the HR&CE officials.

According to a senior official from the HR&CE, "The work on all the small gopurams and temples in the Sri Ranganathasamy temple has been completed and a detailed final report on the pace of work has been sent to the state government."

The temple has a total of 53 shrines, of which at least 35 have small gopurams over it. The painting work on the gopurams in the temple, especially the Rajagopuram, has been completed. Further cleaning work is underway in the Garuda Mandapam, Renga Vilas Mandapam and Kambathadi Mandapam inside the temple, apart from the renovation of the doors in various shrines. The final touches are being given. The temple renovation is taking place at a total cost of Rs10.45 crore, covering the entire temple.

All the parts are being refurbished ahead of the kumbabhishekam ceremony. The temple structures which were buried for several years have been unearthed and experts from the archaeology department were roped in to ensure that the sculptures were restored with the same stability. There are five Nel Kalanjiyam, or cylindrical structures constructed using bricks during Naicker rule, in the temple premises. The structures which were used to store wheat were also restored.

- The Times of India, August 16, 2015

Though Delhi is considered a hotspot for theatre with multiple groups and NSD calling it their home, industry insiders say that with expensive auditoriums and cheap or free tickets, theatre is not a profitable business here.

While a film can boast of massive box-office collections, its less fortunate sibling, theatre, continues to strive on philosophical quality rather than raking in the moolah. In Delhi, theatre companies earn negligible profits but don't shut shop, because at the end of the day -art ki koi keemat nahi hoti hai. Theatre and profits don't go hand in hand

Explaining the theatre economics, a National School of Drama (NSD) official says, "If a theatre company charges `2,000 per ticket to book an auditorium with 500 seats, it will earn `10 lakh per show. It would, however, have to shell out around a lakh for the auditorium, and another two lakhs on paraphernalia. From the remaining seven lakhs, it has to pay the artistes, pay for advertisements and hoardings, etc. So, even a relatively popular play would earn peanuts."

Each production at NSD costs around `5-10 lakhs, and even after staging six shows in its biggest auditorium, (Abhimanch, which has 330 seats) it generates around `50,000 only. The 20-odd productions at Shri Ram Centre of Performing Arts (SRCPA) earns `30,000-60,000 per show from ticket sales. The money made also depends on how much is being spent on the auditorium. While NSD charges `2,000 for Abhimanch auditorium, the price could be 40 times more for booking the Siri Fort Auditorium.

Free shows must be banned: Theatre fraternity While NSD runs free shows for plays by first and second-year students, for the productions by its third-year students, it charges a paltry `30-50 per ticket. Of the 250 plays that are staged annually at the Shri Ram Centre, around 60 are free shows. Though considered important and a necessity to promote theatre, free shows are seen as a nuisance by Delhi's theatre fraternity.

According to industry experts, there are three kinds of people who come to watch free shows. For more interesting Bollywood news and pictures, follow us on Pinterest>>>timesofindia Delhi buys `6 crore worth of tickets online annually

According to Karan Arora, head of business development, BookMyShow, the gross merchandise volume (total sales for merchandise sold via a particular marketplace) of stage plays in Delhi was `1 crore in the financial year (FY) 2011-12, and rose to `5.5 crore in the FY 2014-15. With about 150 groups associated with the system, the rise could be attributed to the portal's attempt to collaborate with more groups.

It sells tickets for about 100-250 plays staged in NCR each month. While more than 90% tickets for popular shows are sold through this portal, the figure drops to around 60-70% for not-so-popular shows. "Unlike films, tickets for plays sell faster, as plays are showcased for a limited time. Hence, there is a sense of urgency to buy play tickets," says Karan. The first being the people who are genuine theatre aficionados, second are those who just come for the heck of it and the third are those who have a fondness for theatre but don't want to spend money.

Waman Kendre, director, NSD, says, "Paid shows are seen by people who really love theatre and know how to maintain decorum while watching a play. From what I have observed, it is usually during a free show that you find people who have little regard for rules and regulations. Despite the narrator repeatedly requesting that phones be switched off or put on silent, someone's phone will definitely ring."

A miffed official of an auditorium in Mandi House says, "All shows should be ticketed. It filters the non-serious viewers from the serious ones. The collected amount can be donated to a good cause, rather than letting people come in with their toddlers and disturbing the actors on stage."

Delhi has the purchasing power, not the time A BookMyShow official says, "People don't bother about the price when booking tickets for IPL matches or a stand-up comedian's show. It all boils down to the content. It's not like Delhi doesn't have the money to spend on theatre. When someone like Naseeruddin Shah comes here for a show, tickets sell like hot cakes."

The fact that most plays are staged only in the evenings, also brings down theatre earnings by a huge margin. Veena Soorma, chief operating officer, SRCPA, suggests, "If an office-goer can't come to watch a 6pm show straight out of office, corporate houses should make arrangements for getting theatre troupes to perform in their office halls. Not only will the employees get a recreational break, but theatre artistes will also earn something."

Vishal, a budding theatre artiste, says, "Nobody depends on theatre for his/her bread and butter. People take acting classes and get into ads and TV soaps. At this stage in my career, I cannot afford to book an auditorium. Even if I do, who would come to watch a play directed by a nobody?"

- The Times of India, August 16, 2015

It is an irony that the very agencies that are supposed to protect heritage buildings seem to be on a mission to damage such structures. Kochi corporation, which had earned the wrath of Art and Heritage Commission of Kerala for constructing structure violating heritage norms a couple of months ago, has partially pulled down a 150-year-old heritage building in Fort Kochi.

Rather than taking measures to preserve the outpatient block of Fort Kochi taluk hospital, corporation dismantled its tiled roof and replaced it with iron truss work thereby destroying its heritage nature. The structure was built by the British around one-and-a-half centuries ago and the hospital building figures in the list of heritage structures.

According to V J Hyacinth, former councillor, the wooden planks of the roof of the OP block were removed as part of the renovation work. "The wooden planks as well as the tiled roof, which gave the building a traditional look, were removed. Now, they have erected iron truss in place of the titled roof. Nobody knows where the invaluable wooden planks have gone,'' Hyacinth said.

But, T K Asharaf, health standing committee chairman and councillor of the division where the hospital is located, says that they haven't done any damage to the building. "The building is an old dilapidated one. But we haven't pulled it down. We just changed the roof. That's all,'' Asharaf said.

Historian P G Laljee said that the hospital was one of the most important hospitals in the state. "The 150-year-old hospital had an air conditioned operation theatre. British nurses had served the hospital even after Independence,'' Laljee said. Sub-collector S Suhas said the issue has not been brought to his notice so far.

It was just a couple of months ago that Art and Heritage Commission of Kerala took a dig at Kochi Corporation for constructing a stage in Vasco Da Gama Square, which also is a heritage zone. "Then the corporation officials constructed the stage without securing permission from the commission. It has asked the officials to pulled down the new structure,'' said K J Sohan, chairman, standing committee for town planning.

A few months ago, tourism department had started renovation of Fort Kochi-Vypeen ferry station violating heritage norms. Tourism department, which is another agency to protect the heritage of the area, had started renovating the building using modern building materials.

Then the corporation issued a notice to stop the renovation works of the heritage building. "For any works on heritage buildings, the agency concerned should send three copies of the plan to the civic body. Then, the corporation would send it to the commission with tourism secretary as the chairman and chief town planning officer as the member secretary.

The commission can reject the proposal or effect required changes in the plan so as to protect the heritage nature of the structure. In the case of the OP block of Fort Kochi hospital, the corporation officials have started renovation work without securing the permission from the commission,'' Sohan said. He wondered how the corporation officials dared to violate the heritage norms. There are also allegations that the archaeological department renovated Bastion Bungalow, a 20-year-old heritage building built by Portuguese, using modern building material.

- The Times of India, August 17, 2015

Yelahanka United Environment Association (YUVA) was formed in 2013 when a group of residents came together to save the Allalasandra lake in Yelahanka from degradation. The association has expanded its activities in Yelahanka and is now promoting non-motorized transport as well. YUVA has listed seven issues it wants the new BBMP council to address. What do you want the incoming corporators to do? Write to us on Facebook or Twitter at the handles below

1 Drinking water
The BBMP should interact with the water board and the state government as it involves various ministries. Conservation methods like rain water harvesting must be made compulsory at all places. Give incentives to buildings that don't use BWSSB water and reuse water. Revive lakes and formulate a comprehensive plan to improve ground water. Sewage flow into lakes needs to be stopped.

2 Power supply
Electricity supply is not consistent and the problem is severe on the outskirts of Bengaluru.BBMP should bat for alternative sources of power and hold talks with the power department and incentivize alternative methods such as use of solar power systems

3 Cleanliness & health
Ensure all the streets and localities are garbage free by involving resident welfare associations. Allocate enough money in the budget for maintenance of government hospitals and upgrade of their equipment. Outsource complex departments and subsidize treatment costs

4 Curb corruption
Improve transparency in all BBMP matters relating to public. Citizens should not face any difficulty in doing transactions with the government. Ensure severe punishment for officials caught taking bribes.

5 Public transport
The chief minister should take ownership and resolve this issue with active involvement of the local government. The BBMP should have a panel of experts from various departments to study and give recommendations. The investment must be made by the government to solve this

6 Check pollution
We need a dedicated panel for studying, recommending and implementing environment programmes. The pollution control board seems helpless and blames other departments instead of enforcing the law.The best it does is to issue notices but it is not solving the basic hygiene issues

7 House for all
Housing is a big problem for people migrating from rural areas to Bengaluru. The industries need to be provided basic facilities so that they flourish and create more employment

- The Times of India, August 17, 2015

Flagging direct correlation between development activities and disaster in ecologically sensitive regions, a home ministry's body - National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) - has urged the government to carry out 'Disaster Impact Assessment' of proposed hydro-power projects in such fragile zones before giving its clearance.

It said the comprehensive 'Disaster Impact Assessment' of proposed hydro-power plants should be made mandatory along with the existing practice of 'Environmental Impact Assessment' (EIA) for project clearance.

Though the NIDM, in a recent study, elaborated how largescale deforestation and developmental activities had contributed to the Uttarakhand disaster in 2013, it specifically noted the vulnerability of the state due to existing hydro-power projects and suggested that the government should look for alterative sources of renewable energy like solar, wind and bio-mass in the Himalayan region than depend on hydroelectricity.

At present, the environment and forests ministry through 'environmental appraisal committees' carries out EIA for projects including hydro-power before giving its green clearances. The assessment is used as a tool to identify environmental, social and economic impacts of a project prior to decision-making.

The EIA, made mandatory under the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986, is carried out for all mining, industrial, thermal power, river valley, multi-purpose dams, irrigation, hydro-electric, infrastructure and nuclear projects.

But there is no concept of 'Disaster Impact Assessment' which can be an important guide and preparatory mechanism for crisis management. The DIA can be made on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the potential impacts that may result as consequence of a disaster.

The NIDM's suggestion to have DIA of hydro-power projects assumes significance as it clearly sees such projects as recipe of disaster. It noted that in the June 2013 floods, the muck dumped by the 330 mw Srinagar hydro-electric project might have intensified the factors responsible for causing damage downstream.

The study, carried out by experts of the NIDM, also pointed out that "hydro-power projects are blamed for disturbing ecological balance in the sensitive fragile zone of Himalayas, leading to more landslides and other associated risks".

Though the institute left the question whether the government should at all go for hydro-power projects in Uttarakhand to the expert committee of the environment ministry that has been examining it under direction of the Supreme Court, it supported the concerns of environmentalists who have been opposed to dams and big reservoirs in ecologically fragile regions.

In its 184-page study on 'Uttarakhand Disaster 2013', the NIDM study said, "The impact of hydro-power projects on environment, ecology, biodiversity and economic and social life of the region has always been a matter of concern. In this context, the observation made by the Supreme Court of India is very significant."

Taking note of experts' views, the Supreme Court had in August 2013 stayed construction of all hydro-power projects in Uttarakhand in the wake of the disaster and also restrained the environment ministry from granting clearance to such projects until further orders.

- The Times of India, August 17, 2015

Following in the footsteps of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), an amendment has been planned in the Delhi Archaeology Act, 2004 based on categorization of monuments. The current regulations have a 50m controlled zone for regulated monuments and 100m for those identified for protection. Sources said this would be revised after all monuments are categorized and the controlled zones would be decided thereafter.

Currently 19 monuments in the capital have been notified as protected monuments by the department of archaeology (see graphic). Another 250 have been identified across the city and each monument is being surveyed, documented and studied before steps for preliminary and final notification are taken. Many monuments are in stages of preliminary notification or being surveyed for land records.

As most of these monuments have been neglected for decades or vandalized and encroached upon, conservation is another time consuming task for which Intach has been roped in. "Conservation work in being taken up in phases. There are 16 monuments identified for conservation in phase-II. Many buildings like Bara Lao ka Gumbad, Mehrauli tombs and Gol Gumbad were conserved in phase-I," said an official.

Going by ASI norms, even Delhi will categorize all monuments under their jurisdiction for protection by the state. Regulations for controlled development will be decided on the category they are placed in. Category A will be the more important monuments like Turkman Gate and Quli Khan's Tomb, while B and C graded ones will have lesser stringent rules related to development around them.

"The plans are still being framed to amend Delhi Archaeology Act, 2004. An initial draft has been prepared and is being reviewed by the department of law. The final draft will have to be approved by the CM," said a source.

Unlike ASI, the rules for development around Delhi government protected heritage monuments are hardly known. "These include mostly those smaller monuments overlooked by ASI for protection. Many of these are in danger of vanishing or have been encroached upon so badly that their original character has been completely disfigured," said an official. ASI rules specify 100m and 200m of prohibited and regulated zones, respectively. The protection levels for state monuments is exactly half, but equally applicable.

- The Times of India, August 17, 2015

Finally, the Mamata Banerjee government has initiated the process of bestowing heritage tag to the house where Vande Mataram creator Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay lived during his stints as deputy magistrate and deputy collector. The house is in ruins and desperately needs restoration.

Even as Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) has sanctioned Rs 5 crore for it, but work can't be started unless the building is included in the heritage list. Ten years ago, the house-owner, Pranab Mukherjee, sold the house to a developer. Just then, locals and an NGO, Howrah Citizen's Forum, put up stiff resistance and stalled demolition of the property.

On Tuesday, at the behest of the chief minister, a Heritage Commission team visited the premises to start the tagging process. Basudeb Malik, OSD, heritage commission, told TOI, "Although the house doesn't have much architectural significance, it is associated with a great man. It must be protected from falling apart, at any cost. We are looking for substantial records to prove that the creator of Anandamath had lived here."

Chattopadhyay wrote the iconic novel became synonymous with the struggle for Independence and banned by the British. The song, Vande Mataram, originally a Sanskrit stotra personifying India as Mother Goddess, was first published in this novel. Bipin Chandra Pal named his patriotic journal after Vande Mataram in August 1906. Lala Lajpat Rai also published a journal of the same name.

Chattopadhyay is also regarded as a proponent of Bengal's literary renaissance for his versatile writing. Efforts have been on to have Chattopadhyay's stay in Howrah (between 1881 and 1886) officially recognized and commemorated. But confusion has been prevailing over his residences at 218 Panchnantala Road (about 2 km off Howrah Station) and 212 Panchanatala Road, in the same locality.

Pranab Mukherjee (63), who lives on the first floor of 218 Panchantala Road, that threatens to fall apart any day, said, "We had no idea that the building was associated with Bankim Chandra. If the state government wants to take it over, me and my brother and sister who co-own the house, should be compensated.

" Chunks of concrete keep peeling off the house, forcing the other two Mukherjee siblings, Prodyut and Protima, to move out. In 1964, they had bought it from one Jaladhar Mitra, who, in turn, had bought it in 1936. Locals have turned the 17-cottah land in front of the house at 218 Panchanantala Road into a park and named after the litterateur. Mukherjee alleged, "The land was part of the same property, but the local club has encroached it." Howrah mayor Rathin Chakraborti said, "We have sanctioned Rs 5 crore for the restoration. Now we are waiting for the government to announce the heritage sttaus."

Howrah Citizen's Forum coordinator N Sarkar said, "During his first stint as an administrator in Howrah in 1881, Bankim Chandra would travel from Kolkata to his workplace.

He later shifted to the rented house at 218 Panchanatala Road, and lived there during his second stint in Howrah in 1883. This tenure was his longest among the three." For the third time, Bankim joined as first class deputy magistrate and deputy collector after being transferred from Bhadrak in Odisha on July 10, 1886. He travelled to Howrah every day but had not vacated the rented house at Panchanantala.

- The Times of India, August 17, 2015

The government has appointed retired IAS officer Ramanath Jha as chief of the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee. The appointment surprised many as generally a retired state chief secretary heads the committee. Experts stated that Jha's keen interest in the subject helped him get the job.

Jha, who was commissioner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), had retired voluntarily before he could become chief secretary. He is also a supervising officer for the revision of the draft Development Plan (DP).

Jha's biggest challenge will be to balance his work at both offices. During preparations of the earlier draft DP, many heritage structures were marked for development, and the heritage committee had protested against it. Experts said having the same man at the top for both panels will help avoid the earlier blunders.

Jha told TOI that he will ensure a fiasco is not repeated. He said he will study the subject (heritage) and understand the situation before commenting on his priorities.

The extension of the term of the previous heritage committee, headed by former chief secretary V Ranganathan, expired on Tuesday and the government announced a new committee under Jha.

The DP planner faced criticism for missing out many significant heritage structures and centuries-old community zones like gaothans and koliwadas, in the earlier draft DP. Some were marked for slum clusters, while some top grade 1 heritage structures were not marked in the DP.

Several controversies related to the earlier draft forced Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to seek a revision a few months back. Subsequently, civic chief Ajoy Mehta appointed Jha to supervise the revision.

Architect P K Das said, "It's good if he has been appointed chief of the heritage committee to protect heritage structures while revising the draft DP." Rajiv Mishra, member of the heritage committee, said, "His attitude was very encouraging and positive towards the subject."

- The Times of India, August 18, 2015

The ‘Parallel Dimensions’ exhibition at the British Council uses printmaking and ceramics, apart from paintings and drawings, to delve into individual narratives, societal structures and the intrinsic relationship between humans and the natural world.

The display, which brings together the diverse works of Ananda Moy Banerji, Kristine Michael and Sujata Singh, is in line with the British Council’s ‘Reimagine Arts’ initiative that was launched in 2013 to build new cultural avenues between the UK and India. All three artists have been trained in the United Kingdom at different stages of their careers.

Ananda Moy Banerji completed his education from Camberwell College of Art under the Charles Wallace India Trust and is currently Vice-Principal of the South Delhi Polytechnic for Women in the Capital. Banerji’s works examine social and political structures that dominate the relationship between communities and individuals using formal elements such as line, colour and spatial composition.

Kristine Michael, studied at Aldermaston Pottery (Dartington) and the V&A Museum, and teaches at the British School here at present. Kristine’s work, which is influenced by symbolism, is seen to be heavily inspired from nature and looks at how different groups of animate beings relate to each other creating new relationships and interpretations of feminine mythologies.

Sujata Singh, on the other hand, focuses on the human form for its figurative, pictographic and iconic qualities. She uses her art as a metaphor for the minutiae of the everyday as well as historical cultural narratives. Ms. Singh specialised in illustration at a time when image-making was being re-invented through a variety of media and techniques. Her subject is not limited to politics, satire, food, popular culture and fiction, but also explores classical Egyptian, Greek, Assyrian, African and Eastern art museums — all of which have impacted her work.

Parallel Dimensions, which will continue at The Gallery in The British Council till September 30, serves as a medium to demonstrate the potential of diverse media and techniques of art making.

(The writer is an intern with The Hindu)

- The Hindu, August 19, 2015

The Cabinet has to take a decision on the issue,says official

The VUDA Board meeting here on Tuesday resolved to send a proposal for the formation of Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Development Authority (VMDA). “The decision has to be taken by the Cabinet and it is premature to spell out the details like increase in purview,” VUDA Chairman and Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, R. Karikal Valaven, told reporters after a marathon meeting.

The meeting discussed the proposal for an international convention centre, for which INCAP had already floated tenders. The proposal for construction of an IT tower in collaboration with the Software Technology Park of India had acquired importance in the changed circumstances and it would materialise, he said.

The board also discussed proposals for international-level development of infrastructure and social infrastructure. Decisions had been taken to enable VUDA to proceed with its Master Plan, particularly in view of the Visakhapatnam being selected for development as a Smart City with USTDA collaboration. Consensus on the plan of action for improving happiness index of people was evolved.

All new projects under public private partnership mode and others proposed but not started would be studied by INCAP for technical and financial feasibility, Mr Valaven said.

INCAP would also weigh the proposal for international schools proposed in 50 acres of site in Visakhapatnam and Tirupati for economic viability after which financial bids would be called. Earlier allotment of five acres each for two international schools would be cancelled.

The board discussed the proposal for affordable housing and the availability of land. The next board meeting would take up issues like how to go about it, identifying beneficiaries etc. Mr. Valaven said that timelines were given for all the ongoing projects. The Harita housing project would be handed over to the allottees by September 1.

For the new Ravindra Bharati-like auditorium, funds would be provided from VUDA and the Culture Department. An in-principle decision was taken for a 14-km outer ring road for Srikakulam. Vacant Land Tax would be levied on market rate or government rate, whichever was higher, he said. VUDA Vice-Chairman T. Baburao Naidu said that the Telugu Heritage Centre atop Kailasagiri had been completed.

- The Hindu, August 19, 2015

Pouring cold water on the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation’s plan to install pillars of structures belonging to the Buddhist era at vantage points in the city, the Department of Archaeology and Museums has ruled out the possibility of handing over the stone relics to the VMC.

Antique monuments are meant to be preserved for future generations and not for display in open spaces, say senior officials of the Museums Department. “Moreover, rules do not permit us to hand over the relics to other government agencies,” they maintain.

A few weeks ago, the VMC Commissioner G. G. Veerapandian inspected Victoria Jubilee Museum and examined the Buddhist era pillars. He asked the officials to take necessary steps for installation of the pillars at important places with prior permission of the Museums Department. The move aims at adding attraction to the city, assert the municipal officials.

According to the Museums’ authorities, a couple of 3-feet high pillars belonging to third century A.D. were recovered while carrying out excavation works by the officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at Alluru in Krishna district. Another pillar was handed over to the Department by residents of Reddygudem mandal in the district. They discovered it while carrying out de-silting works in a lake in the village.

Five more Buddhists era pillars that were found in Pangidi village in Mylavaram are preserved at the museum. Made of limestone, the pillars contain Buddhist inscriptions, according to Assistant Director of Archaeology and Museums Department S. Bangaraiah. “As of now, we have not received any requisition from the Corporation. If we get a letter, we will forward it to the head office in Hyderabad for perusal,” he explained.

Another official said the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation lacks mechanism to maintain historic structures after placing them at vantage points. “There should be proper shelter to protect these monuments during summer and monsoon seasons,” the official argued. Senior officials of the department say antique monuments are meant to be preserved for future generations and not for display in open spaces

- The Hindu, August 20, 2015

With increasing human population and rise in agricultural land use in India's Western Ghats, a number of bat species are findings it difficult to adjust with the changed landscape brought about by deforestation, says a new study.

The researchers found that while bats do not favour tea plantations, some species can survive in coffee plantations. To assess the impact of rainforest fragmentation and plantations on bats, a team of researchers from National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, and University of Leeds in Britain surveyed bats in the souther Western Ghats.

The researchers found that several species are having difficulty in the transformed landscape - but also found hopeful signs that remaining forest fragments and wildlife-friendly agriculture could offer a lifeline. "The Western Ghats region is the eighth most biodiverse place in the world but has the highest human population of any of the biodiversity hotspots,” said professor John Altringham from University of Leeds in Britain.

"Historical land use change and development has left only six percent of the original habitat in the region. By looking at bats -- which are excellent bioindicators -- we are able to learn not only what these changes in the environment mean for bats, but also for wildlife in general," Altringham pointed out. The researchers used geographic information system (GIS) computer modelling to look at the relationships between the presence of 10 different bat species and the features of the habitats in which they were found.

The bats were located by a combination of capture and recording of echolocation calls. The researchers used the information gathered over three years to build 'habitat suitability models', to predict what areas would be good habitat for each species across the entire study area.

"Most species preferred forest fragments and the rivers associated with them. No species favoured tea plantations, though a number could make use of them,” lead researcher Claire Wordley from University of Leeds pointed out. "Two of the bat species we studied, the lesser woolly horseshoe bat and the lesser false vampire bat, were never seen in tea plantations,” Wordley noted.

"Further deforestation would be a serious threat to these species, but the good news is that they are, for the moment, surviving in small forest patches, riverine habitats and in coffee plantations,” Wordley said. The study was published in the journal Biological Conservation.

- The Indian Express, August 20, 2015

In 1993, Kashmiri separatist Firdous Syed got to meet Lieutenant-General Hamid Gul, who had formerly headed the Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Intelligence directorate and who had retired the previous year. (Firdous quit militancy in 1996; I wrote a book on him 15 years ago.) Gen.

Gul was given importance beyond the normal for retired personnel; one of the lesser known things that made him stand out was a paper he wrote in the early 1980s, approximately four years before he was appointed ISI director-general in 1987. It dealt with the Central Asian states of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

The ISI was at the time directing a Mujahideen resistance against the Soviet Union and its client Afghan Army. Since Independence, Pakistan has debated whether it is a part of South Asia or of Central Asia. Gen. Gul noted that Central Asia’s Fergana Valley was the seat of power for the first Mughal emperor, Babur, from whom the subcontinent’s Muslims derived their social, political and cultural heritage. Gen. Gul said Pakistan ought to conceive of an alliance with the Central Asian states centered on the Fergana Valley.

Others were dismissive as the Central Asian republics were part of the superpower Soviet Union, unlikely to part with its territory. As it happened, the USSR suffered several crises and had to withdraw from Afghanistan, marking the first time the Pakistan Army (or, precisely, the ISI) had won a war. The USSR broke up and all of its republics became independent. Suddenly, Gen. Gul was no longer a fantasist but a visionary.

In March 1987, Pakistani ruler Gen. Zia-ul Haq promoted Gen. Akhtar Abdur Rehman, who as ISI chief from 1979 was the man responsible for managing the successful jihad in Afghanistan, to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. To replace him at ISI, Gen. Zia appointed one of his former battalion commanders, Gen. Hamid Gul. Gen. Gul was an ideologically entrenched Pakistani, being a “Punjabi-Pathan”. His forefathers were Pushtuns of Swat’s Yousafzai tribe who came down from the mountains to settle in the plains of Punjab. (Imran Khan is a “Punjabi-Pathan”.) He was a tank commander in the biggest tank battle since World War II, at Khem Karan in India’s Punjab during the 1965 war; it in a nutshell tells you everything you need to know about him.

As ISI chief he went on the offensive against India, be it in Khalistan or Kashmir. Militancy in Kashmir was probably inevitable, but Gen. Gul’s ISI gave it a lethal edge — training Kashmiri boys in the large-scale manner that Afghan Mujahideen were trained — so much so that in 1990-91 India was shaken. A year after Gen. Gul took over the ISI, his mentor Gen. Zia was killed in a plane explosion. There was an election, and four months after she became Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto met her counterpart Rajiv Gandhi in Islamabad for the December 1988 Saarc summit. She apparently complained to Rajiv that the ISI was beyond her control.

As part of the two leaders’ efforts to improve bilateral relations, a meeting was held between their spy chiefs — perhaps the first such meeting ever. Gen. Gul and Research and Analysis Wing chief Anand K. Verma meeting is ironic considering one of the few (and far between) of such meetings involved the most hardline ISI chief of all time.

Benazir had Gen. Gul sacked from the ISI in October 1989. Media accounts blame his ill-advised launch of a conventional war on Jalalabad by the Mujahideen, who had till then only engaged in guerrilla warfare. His role in cobbling together a right-wing opposition to Benazir — to which he cheerfully admitted in a 2012 TV interview — called the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, comprising religio-political parties and led by Nawaz Sharif (it won the 1990 elections after Benazir’s dismissal), may have also been a factor.

There is a reason that never gets talked about. As chief, Gen. Gul headed the ISI investigation into Gen. Zia’s assassination. The story is that he was close to a breakthrough when he was sacked. Not only he, but the colonels and majors working on the investigation were also quietly shifted out.

Gen. Gul may have retired in 1992, but he did not drop out of sight. Pakistani liberals on social media have, after his death, mocked the fact that he spent 25 years on TV talk shows (they were angry over his anti-democratic actions that damaged Pakistan’s social and political fabric). Though the fact is that there has been for years, particularly after 9/11 and during the US military’s Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, constant talk of rogue elements in the ISI. They have been blamed for aiding the Taliban fight the US forces, and undermining American efforts.

It is said that there was an entire rogue ISI. And that Gen. Gul, hardliner among hardliners — he said 9/11 was a Jewish conspiracy — was its head. For many people he continued being a spymaster. If the regular ISI is a “state within the state”, then the rogue ISI was/is a state within that “state within the state”; a “deeper” state, perhaps.

When Firdous met Gen. Gul in 1993, he had many questions about the direction of Kashmir’s militancy. But instead of providing answers, Gen. Gul merely encouraged him to continue fighting India. To Firdous, Gen. Gul was nothing more than a “fauji”, that is, a simplistic thinker.

Nonetheless, after Gen. Gul died on Saturday night, there was a spontaneous outpour of praise for him in Pakistan. The Urdu press was unanimous in praising him as a nationalist and patriot; even liberals in the Urdu media, like Nazir Naji of Roznama Dunya, who is unapologetically anti-Taliban, called Gen. Gul a patriot.

His funeral was attended by former Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani as well as current Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif — who is supposedly against terrorism. No wonder. They were mourning the passing of the man who was, more than Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the ideologue of modern Pakistan, led by its deep state. The writer has written, with A.S. Dulat, the current bestseller, Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years

- The Asian Age, August 20, 2015

The old municipal office building, which now houses the All India Institute of Local Self Government, is in an excellent condition. The building, constructed in the late 1930s, is a relatively modern structure with a curious mix of both, modern and colonial styles of architecture with the European arch and the flat cantilever occupying equal space.

Situated opposite the old harbour, the structure is spread across 6,000 square feet and made entirely out of cut stone. A break away from the old world Madras terrace, the old municipal office was one of the first buildings along with the Andhra University physics department to have a self supporting, steel and concrete enforced roof.

The building earmarked the beginning of modern architecture in Vizag. However, the plan of the building was typically functional and open. Built up equally on the ground floor and the first, the building boasts of a dome in the central hallway, which also houses a staircase leading upstairs, six big halls with annexure rooms and spacious open verandahs.

"The roof of the building is steel framed RCC and is a rather interesting one, in the sense that there is an inbuilt self-supporting arch within the roof which enables it to dip from one perpendicular (90 degrees) steel beam to another. It was probably the earliest of experiments in building the modern RCC roof, at least in Visakhapatnam," said P Rama Krishna, a civil engineer and architect.

BS Mahesh, history buff, said the building was built at a time when Burra Hume Sastry was the municipal chairman of Visakhapatnam. "Much of the furniture that it then boasted of was nationalised and resourced from some of the old families of Visakhapatnam," he said.

Surprisingly, the building has not found a place on Intach's list of heritage structures. "The building has never found a place on the heritage list. Though it is a cut stone structure and quite an old one, it was not considered old enough to be listed," said PV Prasad, convener of Intach's Vizag chapter. However, he said the building has been well maintained is still thoroughly functional.

"It is surprising that such a beautiful building, which earmarks the break away from the traditional architectural style, has not been registered as a heritage structure. It is high time that it is listed," said Rama Krishna.

Today, the building is cut off from the general public and entry is strictly restricted as it houses a national institute. The stone structure, which suffered some damage during Cyclone Hudhud, was immediately repaired and spruced up.

- The Times of India, August 20, 2015

Till the 1960s, there was a large baoli with four levels in southwest Tughlaqabad that—although not lined with as many arches as Agrasen ki Baoli near Connaught Place—would have counted among the city's more substantial specimens of mediaeval baoli architecture.

An expanding village swallowed it whole at some point in time. The baoli would have been completely forgotten but for the documents and plate camera images left behind by a Japanese team that surveyed more than 400 monuments over six months during 1959-60. Fifty five years later, another Japanese team is revisiting those monuments to document the changes they have undergone over the years.

And so far, the findings have been disappointing. In less than 10 days, the five-member team has traced about 80 of the locations but found that many of the striking mosques and tombs that stood there have disappeared completely, while many others are barely recognizable today.

"Our aim is to compare how the monuments and the urban setting around them have changed in the past 55 years," said Prof Naoko Fukami, director of the Japan Society for Promotion of Science research station in Cairo, who is leading the team as part of a research project entitled 'Urban Development and Heritage Preservation of Historic Delhi: Re-evaluation of Mission for Indian History and Archaeology, University of Tokyo, in 1959-60 and 1961-2'. The 1960 survey team had selected 400 monuments from the list compiled by Maulvi Zafar Hasan in the early 1900s. "Now we want to see how these 400 monuments have evolved since then,'' she said.

The Japanese team is working with the Delhi chapter of heritage conservation body Intach, which is helping them get permissions from ASI, the state archaeology department and other agencies for visits. It has covered Chirag Dilli, Tughlaqabad, Siri Fort, Hauz Khas and Malviya Nagar and will survey Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, central Delhi and Old Delhi before the project concludes next year. The 1960 team included three historians and a senior professor.

"We found that monuments tend to disappear more in unplanned colonies and villages," said Fukami. "In Chirag Dilli, a new mosque has come up in place of a Lodhi-era mosque. Only some portions of the old wall are visible. Many other monuments have been altered and defaced.'' The team's research will be compiled in three volumes and serve as reference material for future projects. Intach officials said the project shows how Delhi's heritage is disappearing rapidly.

"So far we've had the Zafar Hasan list of 1912 which is not very well detailed, and then we came out with the Intach Built Heritage listing in 2000. This survey from 1960 shows how the monuments have evolved through the decades and is a new reference point for us,'' said Intach convener Prof AGK Menon. Intach's director (project) Ajay Kumar said, "Currently, we are working on unprotected monuments and the survey provides new resource material for us. The findings are a matter of concern.''

- The Times of India, August 20, 2015

For the first time the state tourism department and FICCI organized a special workshop for women to be trained guides for heritage walks in the city. In the first batch close to 30 participants were part of the elaborate three-day workshop conducted at City Heritage Centre in Sankhedi Sheri at Manek Chowk.

On day one, former tourism department officer Kirti Thakker introduced participants to Ahmedabad's rich heritage, its pols and community living of the Walled City. While heritage walk expert Girish Gupta gave a detailed presentation on 'Kranti Yatra', a special walk that chalked the unique history of Mahatma Gandhi's association with the Walled city, where he used to visit for the first 15 years of his movement in India, was carried out.

Apart from Kranti Yatra, the participants were introduced to the main 'Mandir se Masjid tak' walk of Ahmedabad. The two-hour walk introduces citizens to Ahmedabad's architecture which is truly secular in spirit. "Islamic structures, tall Hindu temples, grand Jain derasars, hundreds of havelis, unique minarets, pol houses, and stunning stepwells co-exist here," Gupta said. "Scores of structures, which blend Hindu, Jain, and Islamic influences, exemplify the liberal outlook of the city.

- The Times of India, August 21, 2015

She has been walking tirelessly around Writers' Buildings to study how some blocks of the heritage structure are being pulled down, hoping to take back knowledge to help restore heritage sites back home.

Moe Moe Lwin, a heritage activist from Myanmar, is documenting and photographing heritage buildings here, focussing on those that have similarities with landmark buildings in Yangon.

British architects, who were stationed in Kolkata, planned and designed many buildings in Yangon during the Raj. The most renowned among them were Henry Hoyne Fox and John Begg. Most of these buildings, which were built after the British annexation of Upper Burma in 1886, were modelled on those that had come up in British Kolkata. Yangon was also planned keeping the Kolkata experience in mind.

But Lwin said that very little has been done to preserve the British-era colonial heritage in Yangon. Natural disasters and government apathy have had a combined impact on buildings like the President's House, built in 1895 and which served as the British governor general's residence. "The building was pulled down. The government said it was damaged, but we don't believe that. It could have been restored," Lwin rued.

"While walking along Strand Road here, I think about our Strand Road along Yangon River. Similarly, Kolkata's Dalhousie Square reminds me of our Dalhousie Road and Park. We too have a water tank in the centre and the most important state-owned ornate colonial buildings are lined up there," the activist said.

Yangon Heritage Trust was formed in 2013, right after the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Yangon and promised to extend India's help towards restoration of the historic Gandhi Hall there.

"As Kolkata is the reference point when it comes to the buildings of Yangon, the West Bengal chapter of Intach is acting as a partner in the project. Our Metropolitan Building has a twin in the Rowe and Co. building there. So, we have easy examples to fall back on as we plan to restore landmark buildings there," says G M Kapur, state convener of Intach.

- The Times of India, August 21, 2015

Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot, is facing huge crisis due to developmental demands. New and innovative methods using geospatial technology can help manage this challenge better, if stakeholders have access not only to the data but also to appropriate tools for informed decision making.

“If you learn spatial analysis, you can live anywhere as a spatial consultant and make a living,” said Prof T V Ramachandra, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

He inaugurated a one-day workshop on ‘Biodiversity Awareness, using Open Source Geospatial (FOSS4G) Tools,’ at the Centre for Continuing Education, IISc. The workshop was jointly organised by OSGeo-India, Hyderabad, APN, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, and the Energy & Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc.

Dr S N Prasad from OSGeo Foundation, India, mentioned that open source geospatial tools can give a bigger perspective and help in micro-level management of biodiversity. Prof M D Subhash Chandran, Centre of Ecological Sciences, IISc, spoke about Western Ghats and conservation issues related to them. Dr R Prabhakar, director, Strand Life Sciences and Senior Fellow, Ashoka Trust for Research in Environment and Ecology, took the participants on a virtual tour of the India Biodiversity Portal (www.indiabiodiversity.org).

India Biodiversity Portal is a participatory system to aggregate and disseminate biodiversity information under open access for India. Dr Rajasri Ray from the Centre of Ecological Sciences, IISc, who spoke about ‘Sacred Groves’, explained how religious and cultural values of a society affect the local biodiversity. She extensively used open source geospatial tools in her study for depicting biodiversity information on maps. According to her, sacred groves are important for conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem.

Dr R C Prasad and Gowtham Gollapalli from the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, spoke about ‘Scope and potentiality of open source tools and technology in biodiversity conservation.’

- The Times of India, August 21, 2015

On any given day, art museums in the world's biggest cities, be it New York's Museum of Modern Art, Paris' Musee National d'Art Moderne or London's Tate Modern are chock-a-block with people queuing up to see their exquisite collections.Thousands of miles away ,

the empty halls of Bengaluru's National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) are a stark contrast, in spite of the fact that the museum hosts well-curated exhibitions -recent, memorable ones include an exhibition of Jamini Roy's works, a photography exhibition of the works of French Orientalist painter and photographer George Gaste, and a show of Amrita Sher-Gil's works. Rehana Shah, NGMA's deputy curator and officer on special duty , wonders what it would take to get people to visit. "It is set in such a picturesque space, the exhibits are well-curated and the entrance price at Rs 20 is a pittance," she says.

"But frankly , on a weekday , we see 40-50 people while on weekends it's about 70-90 people. We hold interesting workshops and discussions, but we have more people coming to our cafe than visiting the museum or attending events," says Shah. Is it just about being seen?

KM Chandrashekar, programme officer, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is equally irked by empty seats at events held by the organisation, be it classical dance and music shows or lec-dems with prominent artistes. "The response to most of our shows has been poor, so much so that for a music workshop that we held recently , even prominent names from the musical fraternity who had confirmed participation failed to turn up!" A classical dance recital that the centre organized in the heart of the city failed to register more than 30 people, and the north-eastern cultural festival held on their campus drew just 300-350 people over a weekend. That their events are free evidently doesn't seem to matter.

"What surprises me is I see people shelling out Rs 1500 for an event featuring a prominent artiste, but a free event that features a lesser known art or artiste equals empty seats. I wonder if art today is about being fashionable, where you only go for shows featuring big artistes while ignoring those that feature upcoming names. It's no longer a case of art for art's sake," Chandrashekar rues.

"I don't think the issue is about whether an event is free or paid. I think it really is about the event, and also, what other entertainment options are available to the public that particular week," says Lakshmi Shankar, co-founder of Atta Galatta, a regional language book store in Koramangala that uses its space to host a range of cultural events through the week. Jagriti Theatre's co-founder Jagdish Raja echoes that thought.

"The price of the ticket really doesn't matter. People will go for an event if they really want to. Of course, if the condition of the roads are anything similar to Varthur Road -where you have the BBMP , BSNL or some other civic organization digging it up every other day, things can get a little difficult when it comes to getting bums on the seats," Raja wryly says.

About the nature of events themselves, while comedy and music are sure-fire crowd pullers, theatre, book readings and art shows are (almost) no-shows, agree organisers."Theatre that challenges and provokes thought is not necessarily the most attractive form of entertainment," says Raja. "In fact, in an audience survey we'd conducted, 67 % of the participants told us all that they wanted to watch was warm, family-centric comedy."

Start young So is dumbing down content, be it art, music or theatre, the only way to get a viewer interested? Is only hosting stand-up comedy shows and Bollywood music nights the way out? UA Vasanth Rao, general manager of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, feels `accessibility' is the key .

"Rangoli Metro Art Centre's Vismaya gallery registers nothing less than 300 footfalls over the weekend. I think that is because people feel welcome here unlike other galleries that, unintentionally , have an intimidating ambience," says Rao.But other experts feel venues like Rangoli's Vismaya may show high footfalls, but most people are just walking through without engaging. Dr. Premilla Baid, owner of Gallery Sumukha believes so.

"The thing with public spaces like metro stations and bus stops exhibiting art is that you have very few people who walk in to enjoy it. Most of them are just casual visitors. As an art gallery owner, I count very few people coming to see our exhibits. On opening days or previews, we have about 75-100 people.

And then, the number of people who come in over the weeks slows down," says Baid. Chandrashekar, however, feels the real solution lies in "inculcating an awareness and love for our country's art and cultural heritage in young minds. Parents and schools need to expose their kids to everything from classical music concerts to art exhibitions. They are our future and it's important that they know their country's legacy and stay connected to their roots.

" PG Padmanabhan of SPICMACAY, a movement that works towards just that, says, "Our programmes get overwhelming response from students, but the main challenge is convincing people -particularly school authorities and corporates-about the impact music, dance, art have on young minds. The benefits are intangible but long-lasting, and people need to understand that."

- The Times of India, August 22, 2015

Conservation skills of ASI have come in doubt after a huge copper and bronze chandelier gifted by Lord Curzon in 1909 and hanging at the royal gate of the Taj Mahal fell on the ground early this week, damaging it. Though tourists were milling around, no one was hurt. ASI officials now say they are looking at fixing and re-install it at the same place.

A CISF official who was an eyewitness to the incident said the incident took place around 5.30pm on Wednesday. "There were a few tourists moving in the vicinity, but fortunately it did not fall on them. Had it been the case, it would have resulted in a major tragedy, the official added. According to an ASI official, the six-foot high and four-foot wide chandelier was a gift from Curzon and installed at the royal gate. "It is believed that when Curzon visited Agra and Fatehpur Sikri in 1905, he ordered installation of this chandelier. He also got a Dak Bangla built at Fatehpur Sikri Fort during that time, the official added.

ASI superintending archaeologist Bhuvan Vikrama said, "An inquiry is being done to know the cause of its fall. Anybody's involvement has already been ruled out and it seems the chandelier fell because of natural wear and tear. We will do a study to see if it can be reinstalled at the same place.

MK Pundhir, medieval archaeologist from the Centre of Advance Studies in History at Aligarh Muslim University, said, "Curzon had gifted two chandeliers to Taj Mahal. One was installed in the central octagonal chamber enshrining the cenotaphs exactly over them in the main mausoleum. The second one was installed at the Central hall of the Southern gate. This bronze lamp was designed and built by Mayo School of Art in Lahore. It was installed in 1909.

Curzon, a stickler for details himself, had commissioned the large lamp in the interior chamber, which still hangs there, modelled after one in a Cairo mosque. The then viceroy visited Egypt and examined hundreds of designs before he approved the design of the lamp which had hung in the mosque of Sultan Beybars II.

But after the lamp itself suddenly disappeared and anxious enquiries in several countries could not help in locating the lamp, Curzon requested the director of the Arab Museum at Cairo, to make a replica of the original lamp. After two years of labour, the bronze lamp artistically inlaid with silver and gold was made, with an inscription in Persian: "Presented to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal by Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India, 1906.

"Curzon had great interest in ancient monuments and a lot of attention was given to preserve them during his time. It was during his time the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act was passed in 1904. A great attention should be given to preserve the relics, Pundhir added.

Earlier on May 6, a huge block of red sandstone slab, part of Saheli Burj's eaves on the eastern gate of Taj Mahal, fell on the tourist's queue shelter located below, damaging it partially. The weight of the block was approximately 40 kg, and had that slab fallen a little later in the day, it would have caused injuries to many tourists.

- The Times of India, August 23, 2015

A team of experts from the Paris-based International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) will pay a three-day visit to Bihar from August 26 to August 28 to inspect the ruins of ancient Nalanda University to examine its case for inclusion in the Unesco list of World Heritage Sites (WHS).

The expert team will examine the details of 200-page nomination dossier sent by the Union ministry of culture through the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on January 23 this year.

ASI Patna Circle's superintending archaeologist H A Naik told TOI on Sunday that the team would visit Nalanda ruins on August 26-28. It would meet Bihar chief secretary and other state government officials on August 28 evening.

ICOMOS is a professional association that works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places around the world. It was founded in 1965 and offers advice to Unesco on WHS.

In 2008, Bihar government had made a presentation on Nalanda at Prime Minister's Office. In view of the state government's sustained efforts for its inclusion in the Unesco's list of WHS, several ASI officials have made frequent trips to the ancient ruins.

The ancient seat of learning, said to be one of the world's oldest universities, construction of which began in 6th century AD flourished under the Gupta empire. Its end came in 12th century when it was ransacked, looted and burned in 1193AD by the invading Turk army led by its commander Bakhtiar Khilji.

ASI officials are also putting up an exhibition for the visiting team titled 'Nalanda Ruins: Revealing the Past' (1915-1925). Twenty-one black and white photographs will present the history of discovery of the site, said an ASI official.

The Nalanda ruins site is protected by ASI and is recognized as a national monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Site and Remains Act, 1958. In 2009, the excavated site had been included in the tentative list of world heritage nominations from India. Without this nomination, the World Heritage Committee can't consider a monument's case for being declared a world heritage site.

Nalanda is an archaeological site which has not been much disturbed by the forces of urbanization, industrialization or modernization. This ancient site was exposed during the excavations conducted by the ASI between 1915-37 and 1974-82. Naik said the announcement regarding possible listing in the Unesco WHS list would be made in the last week of June, 2016.

- The Times of India, August 23, 2015

Somewhere in the midst of Amrit Lal Nagar's world of story-telling there lay a quest to scan through layers of earth and dig out the past. So strong was the passion that he had pledged to become an archaeologist in his next life.

"His interest in history and archaeology was child-like...thousands of questions haunted him when he came across an artifact," recalled Rakesh Tewari, director general Archaeological Survey of India who has been witness to the archaeologist streak in the author.

Tewari shared that Nagarji accompanied him several times to the excavation at Hulaskhera, a 3,000-year-old site situated 25 km from Lucknow. "He even camped with us in 1984-85," said Tewari, recalling, "Each time some piece of antiquity was found, he asked questions pertaining to its significance and age."

The interest compelled Tewari to get inquisitive. "I asked him why he found my work fascinating and he said he would love to be an archaeologist. But, he added, it was not possible in his current life, so he resolved to become one in his next life," stated Tewari.

Hulaskhera was excavated by Tewari along with R C Singh, Hemraj and R K Srivastava in the period between 1979 and '86. Nagar also wrote and edited articles in an archaeological journal called 'Dhyanam' published between 1980 and 1986.

Nagar's daughter Achala said his love for history and archaeology reflected in his work. "'Ekda Naimishshaaranye' (1972) for example is said to be inspired by his interpretation of archaeological findings at Laxman Teela," she said. Tewari puts 'Ankhon Dekha Gadar' and 'Gadar Ke Phool' in the same category. (With inputs from Falguni Tewari and Yusra Husain)

- The Times of India, August 23, 2015

Hamlet Avataar is developed by The Seoul Factory for the Performing Arts and InKo Centre, India, with support from Arts Council of Korea. During the course of this production, both the audience and actors grapple with what seems like conflicting binaries - namely the good and the evil, masculinity and femininity, day and night, through ourselves and our avatars, in the real world and in the imaginary world.

By confronting, questioning and engaging with the inevitability of opposites, the production examines the critical role of theatre to provide a balm to the soul, to brave existential angst and find a positive meaning in the here and now.

Two acclaimed Indian artistes are included in this co-production - contemporary dancer Astad Deboo and singer Parvathy Baul. Other performers include Seong-Hyun Hwang, See-yeon Koo, Sun Lee, Do-yeop Lee, Chung-Gun Kim, Mi-Sook Lee, Shin Woon Park, Yoo-Jin Baek, Soyi Kim, Sung-Hee Pak, Hyun-jeong Jo, Nam Kang, Seong-Young Lee, Yeore Kim and Tae-hun Kim.

The play is scheduled to take place on August 25 and 26 (7.30 pm) at Ranga Shankara, 36/2 8th Cross II Phase, JP Nagar.

- The Times of India, August 23, 2015

Films about the city’s past were screened and other awareness events were held as part of Madras Day celebrations.

Visitors to the Marina Beach on Saturday received free copies of heritage maps of Chennai, watched films about the city’s past and participated in heritage awareness events as part of the Madras Day celebrations.

The Madras Day celebrations commemorate the founding of the modern city on August 22, 1639. INTACH-Chennai Chapter in association with the Chennai Corporation organised an event on the Marina beach on Saturday, highlighting the heritage of the city to visitors and tourists. A film “The story of Madras…Chennai, The first city of modern India,” made by INTACH-Chennai Chapter with narration by historian S. Muthiah attracted a number of visitors to the beach near Gandhi Statue.

The film traced the city’s history, highlighting its built heritage which memorialises all that Madras has contributed to the subcontinent. The events on the beach focused on creating awareness on heritage of the city in the context of the larger canvas of India.

The free copies of the heritage map distributed to visitors covered heritage buildings in most of the Chennai Corporation areas such as George Town, Triplicane, Chintadripet, Royapuram, Egmore, Park Town, Adyar, Perambur, Kasimedu, Washermenpet, Chetpet, Arumbakkam, Kodambakkam, Chepauk, T.Nagar, Nungambakkam, Santhome, Mylapore and Guindy.

The heritage buildings in the heritage map of the city included Fort St. George, Chepauk Palace, Museum Complex and Madras High Court. The narrative of historian S. Muthiah traced various aspects including how the Jews handled the diamond trade in the city, reasons for Kerala architecture in city’s heritage buildings and the key role played by The Hindu in the Indian national movement.

- The Hindu, August 23, 2015

Celebrating Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh is a tribute to the legendry architect on his 50th death anniversary. Prof Rajnish Wattas, talks about the need to make people aware of city’s unique heritage.

Celebrating Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh is a tribute to the legendry architect on his 50th death anniversary. Professor Rajnish Wattas, former principal, Chandigarh College of Architecture, in an interview with Parul, talks about the need to make people aware of Chandigarh’s unique heritage Commemorating the legacy of Le Corbusier,

50 years after the world renowned urban planner and architect, must be a moment of reflection, a time to look back and look ahead. What is the philosophy of the various events planned for the 50th death anniversary (August 27, 1887-1965) of the legendary architect? The entire architectural world is planning events, commemorating the 50th death anniversary of Le Corbusier.

His works are all across the world and his biggest work is in Chandigarh. Corbusier’s impact on the world of architecture is unparallel, as he was a multifaceted personality— a theorist, thinker, trained artist, painter. He created new urban theories, and was among the first to use concrete in a novel way in his buildings, defining the material as the molten rock of the 20th century.

Corbusier ushered in modernism in India, and his buildings have no Colonial hangover, and nowhere in the world has anyone made a city like Chandigarh. Yes, this is an opportunity for us to look at the heritage of Chandigarh, which is a world and living heritage. So, the Department of Tourism, Chandigarh; Chandigarh College of Architecture; and Department of Urban Planning, Chandigarh, have planned a series of events, with international appeal, to celebrate his legacy with a series of lectures, seminars and other events. The aim is to showcase the heritage of Chandigarh and the contribution of Le Corbusier to the development of a modern way of living in India. The target group is not just the architectural fraternity, but the citizens of Chandigarh,

who need to be made aware of the uniqueness of this modern heritage and why it needs to be protected. What are the various changes that the citizens look forward to in the coming weeks, as part of the commemoration? The Heritage Conservation Committee is an apex body chaired by the UT Adviser. It’s a watch dog, concerned with every heritage project, by the order of the Government of India. I can proudly state that the administration and other departments are in complete sync with each other, direction-oriented and strongly supporting each other to make this event a complete success, also keeping in mind that we are seeking UNESCO transnational inscription for the city.

Quick and informed decisions have led to the complete cleaning and sprucing up of the Capitol Complex. The wild plantation has been cut, and the barbed wires and barricades, between the High Court and Assembly Building, which were a huge eyesore, have been removed. Corbusier had made complete drawings for depicting the solar hours in the form of an S, as he was deeply interested in how the path of the sun affects human life.

This was meant to depict day and night and the engineering department has completed making it, which people can now view on the geometric hill. Also, the mobile tower in UT, which was disrupting the view of the mountains, has been removed, and all this has been done without any tampering with the authenticity of the property. Incomplete and long-pending tasks have been taken care of. The citizens of Chandigarh will be treated to many creative, intellectual and spectacular events as part of plans of celebrating Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh. The emphasis is on getting the public involved in every way. What is the philosophy? Heritage conservation is a failure if people don’t understand the heritage and value of the city they are living in.

I have become the Raju guide of Chandigarh architecture, by taking people from all walks of life for heritage walks, starting with the Capitol Complex, and the response has been tremendous. Corbusier has not been understood by people, as no one has explained to the layman his philosophy and the architecture of Chandigarh. His architecture is timeless, and aspects such as play of light and shadow, angles of the sun in creating buildings, scale of forms and space, and hills as settings make him a legend.

People can appreciate and value their city only if they know and love its essence. Sensitisation of people and making them aware of their heritage is the need of the hour. So, all events, be it photography and painting competitions, quiz, exhibitions, cultural programmes, lectures, exhibitions, or Chandigarh Samvaad, are focused on involving the people of Chandigarh, and making them an integral part of each plan, with entry to all events being open and free of cost.

We hear that one building that Corbusier planned as the crowning glory of the Capitol Complex, the Governor’s Palace, will also be introduced to the people of Chandigarh. On October 9, in the trench, under the Open Hand, people can look forward to the lighting of the Open Hand, Assembly and High Court buildings. This spectacular event has been planned after interactions with foremost experts in the field. We expect people from across the world to be in Chandigarh, so optics are very important. From twilight to sunset, people can come to the piazza meant for the public, enjoy a photography exhibition, and also a slide show about the Capitol Complex, and yes, a view of the full-scale façade of the Governor’s palace to show people how it would look.

We won’t be creating all the four sides, but it will give a perfect idea to what Corbusier had in mind when he designed it, though it could not take shape, for many reasons. An international symposium will be the culminating event of the series of activities to go on to celebrate Corbusier’s birth anniversary falling on October 6, as well as Chandigarh’s official inauguration on October 7, 1953. Tell us about the mega four-day event. International and national Le Corbusier scholars and experts such as William Curtis, Michael Richard, Rahul Malhotra, B V Doshi, Raj Rawal and S D Sharma will be here to enhance awareness on Le Corbusier’s architecture and urban planning in Chandigarh.

It’s a world-class event, for which extensive research and planning was required, and I have designed the sessions keeping in mind that the public of Chandigarh will be part of the event at Tagore Theatre, and many experts I emotionally blackmailed to be here. The brief objectives of the symposium are to explore broadly Le Corbusier’s global contribution to modernism, the synthesis of his myriad talents, reflected through his work, especially in Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. This will weave the creative thread running through his inspirations, influences; his inventive, bold and imaginative responses to the varied cultural, geographical milieus that he worked in, and the adaptations made to meet those challenges.

It will also be a forum to seek expert advice regarding the multiple challenges/issues that Chandigarh faces today, in conserving its precious modern architectural heritage on one hand and to balance the same, with its burgeoning, vibrant growth as a ‘smart city’ of the future. How do look at Chandigarh now and in the coming years? What is needed to preserve its heritage? The city was designed for five lakh people, and we are almost 12 lakh now, but the city is holding on well. I am optimistic about its future. It’s vibrant and growing. Chandigarh will become like central Paris, its safety walls will be settlements around, which will take pressure of its growth.

What we need to look at urgently is the traffic situation, we need mass public transportation so that the pressure of cars on the roads is eased and we also need to make it a pedestrian-friendly city. A proactive administration and people who are custodians of the city and value it can keep its heritage intact, and this is one moment in the history of Chandigarh that we can understand what we’re sitting on.

The city is a synergy of many elements, and I have faith in the younger generation of the city, which is both responsible and responsive. I have grown in the city; I came here in ‘67 to study architecture, and now, for me, the most fulfilling task is to spread the message of Chandigarh and Corbusier to audiences and forums around the world. The city is a source of constant joy and happiness.

- The Indian express, August 24, 2015

Sundarji Nandori, 70, of Chatroda in Maliya Hatina in Junagadh is a happy man these days as his daughter-in-law, Priyanka, does not have to go out to collect drinking water. All she has to do is pump it out from an underground water tank that has a capacity of storing 15,000 litres.

Farmers of the region are bracing themselves up to deal with a post-scanty rain period with roof water harvesting.

Priyanka, 30, who is from Kalyan in Mumbai, says that she had never faced a water crisis in Mumbai. However, when she came to Chatroda after marriage, she had to deal with drinking water shortage. The groundwater was salty and could not be used for drinking.

"We were approached by the Coastal Salinity Prevention Cell (CSPC) and Aga Khan Trust. We decided to go in for rooftop water harvesting. A tank with 15,000 liter capacity was constructed and the rainwater was channelized into the tank. During every monsoon, the tank gets filled to capacity and the water collected is adequate to meet the needs of our five-member family," said Priyanka.

Not only the Nandori family, but entire Chatroda village has resorted to rooftop water harvesting. Mansukhbhai Mandavia, a volunteer in the village, says there are around 150 houses in the village and all residents have taken up the roof-water harvesting. "Earlier, almost every second house had people suffering from kidney stones and infections. Hence, when they saw the benefit of roof-water harvesting, they wholeheartedly welcomed it," he said.

- The Times of India, August 24, 2015

The deficit rainfall so far this monsoon can spell trouble for fauna of Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary here. The authorities expected the natural water bodies in the sanctuary to get filled to the brim this rains, but it has not been the case.

"If this trend continues, there won't be much water left in the sanctuary by next summer. The torrential rain during Phailin in 2013 and Hudhud in 2014 had helped revive the water bodies. Less than average rainfall in subsequent phases has affected groundwater recharge," said divisional forest officer (DFO), Chandaka, Manoj Kumar Mohapatra.

Met office sources said Odisha recorded a rainfall deficit of 16% till August 20. "The city received less rainfall compared to the state average," said director of India Meteorological Department, Bhubaneswar, Sarat Chandra Sahu.

According to wildlife officials, the dried-up water bodies will force elephants to move out of the sanctuary as the scarcity will also impact the bamboo plantation. A total of 23 elephants were found in the sanctuary during 2012-13 census. This year, the number has dwindled to eight, official sources said.

Spread over 193 sq km, the sanctuary boasts of 23 natural water bodies. Of these, Deras and Jhumka reservoirs are spread over nearly 10 acre each. "These two reservoirs are frequented by elephants, deer and leopards. There is very little water in them," said the DFO. The poor rainfall may also hit the boating facility, a senior forest officer said.

- The Times of India, August 24, 2015

A holiday is today as much about the accommodation as much as it is about travel experience and discerning travellers, who are increasingly flocking to Goa and are expected to drive up the number of homestays in the state, especially in the hinterland, Highland Group chairman Devadas Naik said.

The government has a key role to play in facilitating the growth of eco-friendly homestays in the hinterland, he said. According to a Homestay.com 2014 report, the global homestay market is estimated to be valued at $15 billion. While the homestay numbers are near negligible in Goa, as tourism evolves, the growth in this industry is expected to pickup, say travel pundits.

As per industry reports, the year-on-year growth in the number of homestays in India itself has grown from 17 to 1,663. In comparison to the 67% share of resorts and hotels in accommodation, homestays consist of just 5% nationally.

To charm and entice travellers, operators are going to great lengths to recreate the charm of the Goa of old, very often going back to the Indo-Portuguese era to borrow some charm.

Besides incorporating elements of art and solid wooden furniture, homestays are also specializing themselves in authentic Portuguese cuisine. "International vacationers have discovered the old world charm of Goa and there is a growing need for more places that offer a unique experience," Vivenda Dos Palhacos owner Simon Hayward, said while explaining the growth in homestays in the state.

"Homestays have always been there, in Siolim, in Loutolim and even in Aldona," Naik agrees. "But with niche tourists coming in, those looking for peace and quiet to get their creative juices flowing, the number of homestays will increase."

The Highland Group, which is a major player in the residential homes sector, has made its first attempt into the luxury homestay segment. The company's first foray into the tourism sector was through its mid-tier resort in Candolim.

"Homestays offer people the comfort of their home while also giving a traveller a different experience," chief operating officer, Trail Blazers Tours India Aloo Gomes Pereira said. "The demand for homestays from the niche tourist segment is strong and it will grow."

With the per day tariff at a steep 10,000 per night per room, Highland Heritage is aimed at affluent travellers especially writers, designers, couples or foreign tourists and it discourages families.

The two-villa heritage home is placed amidst lush greenery, forests and vast landscaped gardens, a trait is shares with the growing list of exclusive luxury homestays like Birdsong, La Casa Siolim, Casa Ideal, Bluewaters House and Capella. According to data collected by HolidayIQ.com, there are around 60-70 luxury homestays in the country

The increase in homestays, a natural part in the evolution of tourism is expected to give birth to more innovators who will drive alternative accommodation choices and experiences, Naik said.

- The Times of India, August 24, 2015

Before he became the Sultan of Delhi, Ghiyasuddin Balban had built a palace for himself in 1240. Today, the Kushaki Lal or Lal Mahal is counted among the earliest surviving Islamic palaces in India. Unfortunately, only a tiny portion of the original building exists, and that too might disappear unless the agencies supposed to protect it wake up.

Located in the congested Nizamuddin Basti area, the monument had once housed Moroccan traveller Ibn Batuta who wrote about it in his memoirs. But in 2008 it was partially razed. The Archaeological Survey of India and municipal bodies had raised a furore back then, but didn't do much to protect the remnants of the building apart from restricting access.

Sources say ASI maps dating back to 1945 show Lal Mahal as a protected monument, standing in the same enclosure as Bara Khamba. Conservationists said it was the first building to have used the true arch in tehkhanas (basement chambers) as seen in archival pictures.

"It was considered worthy of protection in 1910 by ASI. Historian Zafar Hasan had also said in his 1912 report that the monument's historical, archaeological and architectural value has significantly increased over the last century," said a conservationist.

The palace had a central domed chamber with attached pavilions in each of the four directions and outer decorative canopies with the entire structure sitting on a tehkhana (mostly used in summer). But the prominent chhatris and red sandstone platform were partially demolished in 2008.

A year later, portions of the tehkhana were also demolished along with outer buildings. Even Zafar Hasan's report said "the entire structure, which is raised on a chabutra, is much dilapidated and is, at present, occupied by villagers".

It remains unclear how much of the original monument still exists, as inspections haven't been done, but a domed structure and portions of a parapet can still be seen, which brings hope that the main building still stands. "Additional buildings and shops have been constructed outside the main building of the monument. This land used to be vacant earlier as per pre-1947 ASI maps,'' said a conservationist.

A parliamentary committee on tourism and culture strongly recommended to the ASI to aquire Lal Mahal and protect it in 2013. But ASI continues to claim that Lal Mahal is not a protected monument, and so, not in their jurisdiction. As a result, no action has been taken even though locals say fresh constructions have been happening at the site.

Sources further said that twice in the 1960s and 70s efforts had been made to acquire Lal Mahal but on both counts efforts didn't bear fruit. The nearby Bara Khamba, though, was made a centrally protected monument.

- The Times of India, August 24, 2015

W ater sources and heritage sites in Bidar are no more neglected, thanks to an increased awareness among the people of the city. A visit to the public well at Ramachandra Nagar, which was contaminated due to open defecation and waste disposal until a few months ago, will give you an idea.

The residents now know the consequences of using polluted water and keep a constant watch. Other wells scattered across Bidar are also assessed for their water level and quality, and efforts are on to ensure necessary treatment. All these activities are anchored by Team Yuva, an association of the city’s youth, that is striving to build a proactive society.

It all started three years ago when Vinay Malge, a member of the Team, realised the need for improving the communication skills of the youth of the region. He teamed up with like-minded friends and decided to guide and empower youngsters by giving them proper exposure and training. The Team, which consists of people from different professional, social and economical backgrounds, was launched on December 2, 2012.

Now, the Team has over 60 members of whom 25 reside in Bidar and get involved in day-to-day activities, while others who live in different cities support the cause in their own way. Some promote the efforts through social networking, while others support by sharing their knowledge and experience. Influenced by the Team’s activities, a large number of college students participate in its activities as volunteers.

The Team believes in being apolitical in nature and stresses majorly on social work. It has been conducting workshops for rural students of Bidar, Aurad and Bhalki taluks to help them get good results in the SSLC exam. It also organises programmes to create awareness on the harmful effects of open defecation and the need to maintain clean surroundings.

The members are also making people aware of Bidar’s historical significance and the city’s potential to grow as a tourism centre. “Heritage monuments are the strength of Bidar and their conservation would have a positive impact on the social and economic status of the city. We are working towards developing a model tourism destination, where all stakeholders sustain and prosper,” says Vinay.

They have initiated a cleaning drive at many historical places of the city. They have also collaborated with the Archaeological Survey of India to convey the significance of these monuments to localites and tourists. One of their initiatives is to conduct heritage walks for the public and the school children, to enable them to appreciate and protect the city’s rich culture and architecture.

Team Yuva is also a big supporter of the district administration’s effort to revive the ancient karez system, a tunnel-shaped underground water supply set-up, which taps into natural springs and supplies water to man-made water reserves. Acknowledging the Team’s efforts, the district administration has assigned it the task of monitoring the revival work.

They are conducting heritage walks along the karez to help people explore this unique system of underground waterways. “Geologist Govindan Kutty has been guiding us in this effort,” acknowledges the Team. Team Yuva has shown a constructive way of utilising the youth power in achieving a benevolent goal. It can be reached at [email protected].

Chandrakanth Masani (Translated by Anitha Pailoor)

- The Deccan Herald, August 25, 2015

To solve the pressing crisis of water scarcity in the state, water conservation experts called for revival of traditional water harvesting structures. In a national workshop on 'Community-based water management in Rajasthan: A Forgotten Glory or Future Hope' ideas on water harvesting and conservation that could be useful in the state were discussed.

Inaugurator of the three-day conference, minister for rural development and panchayati raj Surendra Goyal called for concentrated efforts to save every drop of water. "Water is life for all but it is becoming a scarce resource," said Goyal. He added that water harvesting cannot be done alone by the state government since it requires people's participation.

While throwing light on Rajasthan's rich history of water conservation, director general of Indira Gandhi Panchayati Raj and Gramin Vikas Sansthan, Rajeshwar Singh said it is pitiful that the people of the state forgot the old methods of water conservation and started depending heavily on modern resources which has resulted in the fall of underground water level. He urged the people's representatives in the panchayats to help revive the old glory of water harvesting.

In the state, per capita need for water is getting reduced each day. In 2011, the per capita water need was less than 700 cubic meter and if this trend continues things would worsen by 2040. State government started the efforts to conserve water in the year 2007 with the active support of the European Union. Integrated Water Conservation Programme was started in 11 districts. The state's water policy also laid stress on greater importance for water harvesting.

Social scientist and the director of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, S Parsuraman said the demand for water has increased manifold due to rise in population. "Time has come when the society will have to decide on judicious water allotments to various sectors like people, agriculture and industries," he said. "Water sources are reducing and demand is growing. If water conservation is not given its due, the people will fight for water," he added.

- The Times of India, August 25, 2015

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report has ascertained damage to one of the city's greatest iconic structures, Victoria Memorial Hall (VMH), caused by National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) engaged for the conservation of the historic building.

In the report, ASI has expressed disapproval at the way NBCC caused damage to the structure for installing AC machines on the ceiling. It also expressed shock on how the balustrade window and bronze panels on either side of the entrance got damaged.

The report also said that the 18 holes with perforation of .35X.20X.50 meter on the wall to fix iron joist had sown the seed of long-term damage. The ASI report on the conservation of VMH revealed that NBCC workers damaged the 'original decorated stucco panel'. The report also said if these iron joists are fixed in the perforation, it will affect the ceiling roof and the adjacent rooms as they weigh 28 tons collectively. The report ascertained that the structure can't bear the load of iron joists.

Dr P K Mishra, the regional director of ASI who led the team of experts to VMH, refused to divulge details. "It is a confidential report submitted to the chairman of VMH Board of Trustee and Governor of West Bengal and curator and secretary of VMH. It is not something I am authorized to discuss in public."

The means of installing false ceiling, the report said, is "against the ethics of conservation norm of ASI as well as those of John Marshal's manual, which is believed to be the Bible for heritage conservation in India". The team members have wondered why NBCC could not think of using light material or equipment of modern nature with air-conditioner of modern technology without damaging the original structure and stucco works.

Significantly, NBCC has caused similar damage to Indian Museum by putting iron joist replacing the wooden rafters. ASI experts then found that the joists had done a long-term damage to the historic structure. ASI team fear that iron scaffolding erected on the floor without any resistant materials like base plate or cloth may also damage the floor.

ASI experts have found "complete carelessness and negligence" in erecting bamboo scaffolding. The report described it as a "criminal loss". The scaffolding was tied with coir rope to the marble balustrade window. This damaged the coping stone and marble balustrade. The bronze panels on both sides of the main entrance were damaged due to wrong application of chemical. "The originality of the bronze panel has been lost and hence the damage is quite irreversible," the report said. The report questions the skill and expertise of the persons engaged in the conservation.

ASI has asked for the old photographs of the bronze panels to ascertain the extent of damage. They have also sought the report of Jadavpur University's professor of construction engineer Subhajit Saraswati, who had apparently vetted NBCC's scheme of erecting false ceiling.

- The Times of India, August 25, 2015

Five-year-old issue refuses to boil down

ver since the Central government notification came five years ago on the protection of certain monuments of public importance and the subsequent regulation on building activity around them, people in the city’s southern suburbs have been waging a non-stop battle, demanding that the notification be revoked.

Residents say they continue to suffer as the stalemate still persists following the notification of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act (AMASR) 2010. At a meeting organised by Struggle Committee of Federation of Civic and Welfare Associations of Pallavaram on Saturday, members expressed angst about the notification, saying they were unable to develop or sell their property.

“It has been almost five years since the construction and repair work in residential areas under Sembakkam and Pallavaram municipalities came to a halt owing to this new rule.

We passed a resolution seeking the State government’s intervention in resolving this issue at the earliest,” said V. Santhanam, federation president. Following the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) notification, local bodies received a circular on regulation of construction activity around the monuments. While some of them included ancient temples and other monuments, people are confused about the term “megalithic cairns and cists showing clear structural postres.” No government agency till now had come forward to clarify on what the term meant, they said.

Members of civic groups have welcomed initiatives by Sriperumbudur Lok Sabha MP K.N. Ramachandran; Animal Husbandry Minister T.K.M. Chinnaiyya and the Kancheepuram district administration to issue pattas (land-ownership documents) under survey number 56 (regulated area). At the same time, they also want the State government to apply pressure on the Union government to withdraw the amendment in the AMASR Act.

They also said that after the issue was raised by Mr. Ramachandran in Parliament, the struggle committee members met Shripad Yesso Naik, the then Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, and top officials of the ASI in New Delhi in October last, seeking re-examination of the ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC). More recently, Sembakkam Region Residents’ Welfare Association met Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma and submitted their case.

“I have briefed the Minister about the problems faced by more than one lakh people in these regions and the necessity of withdrawing such notifications in the interest of the residents. Necessary orders from the ASI to alleviate the sufferings of the people are expected soon,” Mr.0 Ramachandran told The Hind. We seek the State government’s intervention in resolving the issue at the earliest

- The Hindu, August 25, 2015

Rush to ready Nalanda for expert visit

Preparations are going on at a war footing at the Nalanda ruins ahead of the visit of a Japanese expert from International Council of Monuments and Sites (Icomos) on August 26-28.

Icomos is a professional association based in Japan, which offers advice to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) on World Heritage sites.

Japan-based professor Masaya Matsui is coming to Nalanda on behalf of Icomos for a site inspection on the basis of a dossier submitted by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for inclusion of the Nalanda ruins in the coveted list of World Heritage sites.

ASI eastern region director P.K. Mishra told The Telegraph from Calcutta: "I had visited Nalanda ruins last week and issued a number of directives to ensure a good assessment by the Icomos expert during his site inspection this week. Fungi between bricks on the walls are being removed, new signage and wooden barricades are being placed at different monasteries and hallways and overall cleanliness is being ensured."

Mishra added that Masaya would be accompanied by a team of senior officials from the ASI New Delhi headquarters, including B.R. Mani, former (retired) additional director-general, and those from Patna circle of the ASI.

Sources claimed that Masaya would arrive in Patna on Tuesday evening and would go to Nalanda the next day. Unesco included the Nalanda ruins in its tentative list of World Heritage site in 2009. As per documents submitted by the ASI to Unesco, an inscribed seal written "Sri-Nalandamahavihariy-Arya-Bhikshu-Sanghasya" identifies the site as Nalanda Mahavihara. Union ministry of culture, through ASI, sent the nomination dossier for Nalanda ruins to Unesco's World Heritage Centre in Paris on January 23.

"Icomos seems satisfied with the nearly 400-page dossier submitted by us. As per the procedure followed for inclusion in the World Heritage list, the dossier is first scrutinised through a spot inspection, which is being done this week. Later this year, a team from Unesco's World Heritage Centre would visit the site, followed by another visit probably in March-April next year. The final result with regard to inclusion in the World Heritage list would be declared in June next year," said a senior ASI official.

The state government too has taken up several measures to ensure good assessment of Nalanda ruins during the upcoming site inspection. Sources claimed that review meetings have recently been held at the level of chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and art, culture and youth affairs department principal secretary Vivek Kumar Singh to take stock of the Nalanda ruins situation.

"Duties and responsibilities have already been assigned to different departments during a review meeting held recently under the chairmanship of the chief secretary. This was followed up by another review meeting held a few days ago under the chairmanship of the principal secretary of our department. Most departments have completed the work assigned to them," said Atul Kumar Verma, director, state archaeological directorate.

Atul added that the state government had recently earmarked an area of around 300 metres around the Nalanda ruins as buffer zone. Declaration of buffer zone is a mandatory criterion for any world heritage site. Minimal construction and other human activities are permitted in the buffer zone. "A master plan for development of the areas around Nalanda ruins is also being prepared by the state urban development and housing department," he said.

The Nalanda district administration too has claimed to have taken several measures ahead of the Japanese expert visit. "We are fully prepared for the site inspection.

Makeshift shops near the entrance of Nalanda ruins have been reorganised to ensure that they do not encroach the approach road. Besides, separate vending zone is also being developed, where these shops would be shifted. Parking of vehicles is now also prohibited on the approach road and it would be done in a dedicated parking space. We have undertaken plantation activities as well to increase the green cover," said Thiyagarajan SM, district magistrate, Nalanda.

- The Telegraph , August 25, 2015

Even as he expressed his desire to develop marinas in Goa, Union minister of shipping, road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari said his ministry was not against fishermen and was working towards the welfare of the fishing community.

Gadkari urged the community to embrace development and work with the state government on issues surrounding tourism activities and marinas.

"We want to discuss and see how we can encourage more fisheries in coastal India and to make fishing more economically viable. We want to encourage fishermen and make policies that are beneficial for them," Gadkari said, "We want their earning should be double. All fishermen will have special place in marinas. I want them to cooperate with the government."

Gadkari was responding to a question from a mediaperson on the fishing community's resistance to the proposed marinas at Sancoale and Nauxim in Goa. He was speaking on the sidelines of the 16th meeting of Maritime States Development Council (MSDC).

"Their development is our first priority and that is why I ask them not to be afraid," Gadkari added. He further said the issue was about land acquisition and biodiversity and both Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar and state chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar were working to resolve the issue of the marinas' location.

"Once the land issues are settled we will have good marinas being set up in the state," said Gadkari, adding that he hoped the seaplane and amphibious vehicle tourist attractions bear fruit soon. All these projects have been criticized by the fishing community at various parts of the state. Stressing that the government was not against the welfare of anyone, he urged the traditional fishing community to support the state on developmental projects.

- The Times of India , August 25, 2015

Astinder Kaur Kohli, a social science teacher at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, will be given the national award on Teachers’ Day by President Pranab Mukherjee. She will be awarded a medal, certificate and cash prize of Rs 50,000. Astinder Kaur had also received the best paratrooper award in 1976, best crafts woman award by the Director Technical Education in 1993, Tara Chand Saboo Award for teaching underprivileged children in 2011, state award for excellence in teaching in 2012, award of honour for teaching underprivileged children by the Chandigarh Management Association in 2010 and the Global Youth Peace Icon Award in 2014.

Seminar Legal Players, a Chandigarh-based law firm, held a seminar, “Cyber Security: An Educational Seminar”, at St Anne’s Convent School, Sector 32, Chandigarh. Speaking during the programme, Prasang Raheja advised students to use technology safely and within limits. Dr Rajiv Bhalla spoke on types of cyber crimes and asked to use the technology as per law. Tarun Kanjolia stressed on Facebook and Whatsapp security features and the advised the students to use these while using the applications.

Teej celebrated The Holy Wonder Smart School celebrated Teez on its campus with great fervor. Students from junior classes wore traditional attires. Dances and giddha were performed. Songs were also sung by the students. The director of the school, Ashween Arora, said the festival was a glimpse of our rich cultural heritage, which seems to be taking a backseat these days. The function concluded with giddha.

ATS Valley School holds robotics workshop ATS Valley School held a robotics workshop. Giving information, Sandeep Sehgal, head of school, said, “ATS Valley School will now include robotics in the Class IV curriculum. The programme has been designed by ThinkLABS and RoboLAB, a year-long robotics programme that aimed at the technology enhanced learning in classrooms. The focus is on the promotion of robotics.

House assembly The Sky World School organised an open house assembly. Students from the kindergarten win spoke on many topics such as weather, shapes, family. The aim of the assembly was to increase the confidence of the students. School principal Santosh Bhandari said, “It needs skill to speak in front of the audience. This confidence built in a young age goes a long way in shaping their personalities.”

Workshop The CII – Young Indian Club of The Millennium School, Mohali, organised a workshop on basic life support, wherein a team of experts from Fortis Hospital, Mohali, including Dr. Arun Kumar, senior consultant, ICU, Dr Parvinder Chawla, consultant, internal medicine, and Dr Sukhdeep Dhatt, consultant, nuclear medicine, held an interactive session with students and staff members to help them in identifying cardiac arrests.

Exhibition Shemrock Senior Secondary School, Sector 69, organised a science and maths exhibition on its campus for students of Classes VII to X. This year, the exhibition was dedicated to former Indian President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

World Photography Week Oakridge International School observed World Photography Week on its campus. Children were motivated to click photographs of the tricity.

Investiture ceremony Ashmah International School, Sector 49, organised an investiture ceremony on its campus. The student council was selected through a formal process. Students told about child labour To generate awareness against childlabour, Sri Guru Harkrishan Senior Secondary Public School, Sector 40, held a special morning assembly. The disaster management club’s students came up with a PowerPoint presentation, depicting an increase in child labour, its causes and consequences. Books donated Students of Gurukul Global School donated books among unprivileged children. Dr Rita Kalra motivated the students to read books.

Workshop Sri Guru Harkrishan Model School, Sector 38-D, Chandigarh, held a two-day workshop on parenting adolescents and adolescent health under the Mission Kishore Uday. the event was organised by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics.

International Equanimity Olympiad Satluj Public School, Sector 4, Panchkula organised the International Equanimity Olympiad, an examination of excellence in humanity, morality and ethics by the Satyug Darshan Trust.

- The Tribune, August 25, 2015

A last-ditch push to raise sub-critical numbers of another vanishing instance of our natural heritage may call for different agencies — forestry, veterinary science, policing of poachers, political will and public support — to work together. A communication from the Centre for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, University of Copenhagen, highlights a paper in Oryx, the journal of conservation efforts worldwide, which raises the question of whether the endangered pachyderm can be saved at all?

A multinational team comprising Rasmus Gren Havmøller, Junaidi Payne, Widodo Ramono, Susie Ellis, K Yoganand, Barney Long, Eric Dinerstein, A Christy Williams, Rudy H Putra, Jamal Gawi, Bhibha Kumar Talukdar and Neil Burgess, from Denmark, Malaysia, Indonesia, the USA, Switzerland, the UK and Assam in India, report in Oryx that Dicerorhinus Sumatrensis, the Sumatran rhino, is on the verge of extinction despite decades of efforts. The Sumatran rhino is one of five related species, two native to Africa and three to Southern Asia.

While the two African and the Indian and Javan rhinoceros emerged as species 14 to 10 million years ago, the Sumatran rhino is the remnant of a group that emerged 20 million years ago. In contrast, the elephant dates about six million years ago and Homo sapiens, or modern man, dates only from to 1.8-0.2 million years ago. The Sumatran rhino, hence, represents the oldest of the mega fauna of prehistory. Now that we have tools to follow genetic trails of the evolution of species, allowing a species of such antiquity to slip into extinction would amount to losing the earliest milestones along the march of vertebrates.

The differentiating characteristic of the rhinoceros is its horn, the African and Sumatran species having two of these and the Indian (Unicornis) and Javan one. The horn is made of keratin or the material of hair and nails and is the chief defence of the rhinoceros, to be used when provoked, as the animal is a vegetarian, living on leaves and grass. But rhino horn is prized, both for ornamental use and, what is more pervasive, because folklore has it that it has medicinal properties, and this has proved a greater threat to the survival of the rhino than any natural predator.

The rhino has, hence, been hunted and poached and while there has been loss of foraging territory due to human settlement, being hunted for its horn has been the greater reason for the species’ decline in numbers. All sub-species of the rhinoceros are threatened, but the Javan and Sumatran variety are in the greatest danger. Asian rhinos once ranged across Pakistan, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Malaysia, Sumatra and possibly even China.

As rhinos do not live in herds, encroachment of grazing territory can lead to reproductive isolation and decline in numbers. But the real decimator was relentless hunting, to harvest the horn. So-called medicinal value is ingrained in traditional Chinese medicine to treat conditions like fever, convulsions, rheumatism or gout, and there is then some belief that the horn can cure snakebites, hallucinations, “devil possession”, and is useful in cancer or for “detoxification”.

Even for the use of the powered horn for ordinary ailments, however, there is no medical evidence of effectiveness. China is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora and authoritative bodies have moved to dispel the notion of rhino horn having any medicinal value.

But such is the power of belief that all of science and social organisations working to save an invaluable part of the earth’s biodiversity are beating their collective head against a wall. Vietnam is the greatest market for rhino horn, which is growing with the prosperity that has come in recent decades. An article in The Economist said that “parts from some endangered species are worth more than gold or cocaine”. Rescue plan

In the paper in Oryx, the authors review the population status of the Sumatran rhino, the threats it faces and the status of the emergency plan that was developed at a meeting of conservation organisations in April 2013 in Singapore and adopted at Bandar Lampung, Indonesia, in October the same year. While head count of the rhino is always challenging, the current estimates, based on camera traps and partial footprint surveys, show that these animals have disappeared from most places except for small pockets, almost all in Indonesia.

The Way Khambas National Park was estimated to have 35 rhinos in 2012, which is a strong recovery from the low of seven to 16 in 1996. But the whole of peninsular Malaysia has been found to display no sign of any survivors. Numbers of 21 and 17 rhinos have been confirmed in the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park and the Leuser Ecosystem, and all together the count is placed at around 100.

This low number is itself a threat to survival of the species for, as the paper says, the remaining individuals are isolated, which makes breeding events rare. Attempts to breed rhinos in captivity have not been successful, both for the reason that being solitary animals they do not live well together when the female is not ready to breed, as well as for the reason that many of the females in the trials had cysts and tumours in their organs of reproduction, a condition that arises from infrequency of pregnancies.

The authors of the paper believe that reproductive health would be an area to monitor for the effectiveness of breeding efforts. In a separate communication, Rasmus Gren Havmøller, of the Natural History Museum of Denmark, Centre for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Copenhagen, clarifies that the Sumatran female rhino has a gestation period of 15-16 months, which suggests it would breed every three-four years. But this may be an ideal since there is little information on what the reproduction rate actually is, he says.

A key recommendation of the 2013 summit was, hence, that all rhino populations, even in different countries, be managed as a single group, a “metapopulation”, combining separate conservation efforts in a “unifying global strategy”. This was the approach that has proven successful in saving the Indian rhinoceros in Nepal and Assam, in India.

“A very effective management strategy that includes strict protection and moving individuals between populations and repopulating populations in suitable habitats” employed with the Indian rhino was able increase a depleted host of “probably no more than 200 individuals in total in the early 1900s till today’s number of more than 3,300”, says Havmøller. The population in Assam has grown by 26 per cent in just eight years from 2006, he says, which holds out the hope that proper management could save the Sumatran rhino, too.

But implementing such measures of creating an Intensive Protection Zone, surveying the current known habitats, managing habitat and captive breeding and mobilising resources would take great administrative ability and political will. Christy Williams, co-author and coordinator of the WWF Asian and Rhino and Elephant Action Strategy, recalls that Project Tiger, which saved the tiger in India, owes a lot to the late Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister.

The condition of the Sumatran rhino is more precarious than that of the tiger, whose population was 1,400 in 1973. And apart from physical conservation measures, there is the need for forceful action to contain poaching. “Similar high level intervention by President Joko Widodo of Indonesia could help pull the Sumatran rhinos back from the brink,” says Williams.

- The statesman, August 26, 2015

Visitors to the Residency were in for a surprise on Tuesday when they saw schoolchildren managing the Archaeological Survey of India protected monument. The students sold tickets, managed public entry and guided foreign tourists around the 18th century monument.

The 'change of guard' was part of ASI initiative to promote community participation in maintenance of heritage monuments. The first of its kind initiative in any ASI protected monument in the city was inaugurated by Lucknow commissioner MK Gupta.

"People's connect with any monument adds life and quality to its existence. Another aim of the effort is to increase interaction between heritage and children so that they develop interest in the job," said ASI Lucknow circle head Navratna Kumar Pathak.

In the coming days, ASI plans to include history students, NGOs and resident welfare associations in a similar initiative. Pathak added that the experiment may be introduced in some more monuments later.

The students of Delhi Public School, Jankipuram, who managed the monument, found the experience exciting. Siddhi Kumar, who donned the role of a curator, said, "The change from a visitors to a host was challenging but extremely interesting." Shubhangi and Tanvi, who were in charge of the Residency museum said, they would share their experience in the school magazine.

Visitors, too, appreciated the change. British tourist Tony Servente said, "Children have a very different approach to everything. Professional guides can never match their energy. While this is quite common in Europe, I have seen it for the first time in India."

- The Times of India, August 26, 2015

Earlier civilisations moved where water was. Water was conceived as the source of all things, eternal and primeval. But now water moves away, from where humans decide to dwell. Today, water reservoirs are disconnected from catchments,

rivulets and natural drains with disregard. To mitigate the problem of water crisis in times to come, we would have to work towards keeping the entire system alive, said Vaishakh Palsodkar, geohydrologist and water management expert, at the national workshop organised by the department of panchayati raj with the support from the European Union.

"In terms of climate change variability, the number of rain days may have reduced but that has made no difference to the quantum of rain. What we experienced a few years back was steady constant rain compared to these short spells of downpour," said Palsodkar.

Hence, what needs to be done is to check surface runoff to preserve water. "Earlier, we didn't need drains as the water gradually percolated in the soil. The need of the hour is to channelise rainwater through well laid out drains and channels. Ironically, all rainwater channels are lined with concrete and at least should be unlined. And our lakes and ponds that earlier were the only source of water need to be cleaned of the sewage. Till that is not done, the silt accumulated will never let re-charging of ground water," said Palsodkar.

And all this can be tackled only through collective efforts. "While a multi-sectoral responsibility is needed here, panchayati raj institutions (PRI) can play a vital role. What is positive now is that most of the officials at the panchayat level are educated which means they can access knowledge and information and sensitise people at the grassroots," said Aarti Upadhyaya, assistant professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Bangalore.

Measures to be taken on priority:
1 Motivate people for rainwater harvesting
2 Motivate communities for upkeep of traditional water harvesting structures
3 Involve women in planning, maintenance and use of water
4 Promote construction of tanks - both private and community types
5 De-silt/renovate existing water bodies

- The Times of India, August 26, 2015

Guru Dutt's 'Restored in India' film will play in the 'Classics' section; plans for a worldwide re-release in 2016. Guru Dutt's Pyaasa will premiere at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival. The film has been completely restored by an Indian company, which claims that this is the first time an Indian company has carried out such a process.

The 10-day fest opens on September 2 and the 1957 black-and-white classic will be screened on September 11 and 12 in the Sala Volpi auditorium. It will compete with 20 others from across the world for the 'Venice Classics Award' for the best restored film. This will be followed by screenings at other prestigious international film festivals leading up to a worldwide re-release in early 2016. READ: Film Heritage Foundation to restore classic Hindi films

The idea came to Sushilkumar Agrawal, CEO, Ultra Media and Entertainment, when he noticed the absence of Indian films in the retro section of prestigious fests and decided to restore one film from his library. The company has the negative rights of some memorable movies made by Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, V Shantaram, Homi Wadia and studios like Filmistaan, AVM and Gemini. A google search revealed that Pyaasa was among the top 100 classics. And the choice was made.

Vineet Moda, who supervised the restoration process, recalls how the original camera negative had come to them from the archives completely melted, with parts damaged or lost. Their biggest challenge was the flickering. Every frame was at a different angle and there was no stability. After several clean-ups, they managed to retrieve the actual content from the original camera negative but it lacked clarity and depth.

"The only solution was to scan both the print and the negative, use as much as was possible from the original camera negative and some parts from the scanned 35 mm prints," says Moda. The mammoth task involved 45 experts from the Ultra Studio & Digital Lab, who worked on 2 lakh frames, for over four months, using various softwares, including their own plug-ins. Once the complete film was digitally transferred, dirt, lines, scratches, splices, warps, jitters and green patches were manually removed, frame by frame. The in-house professionals used a specialised film content mending and defect removal mechanism, simultaneously removing dust and dirt, and patching up tears and scratches.

The original monaural soundtrack was then remastered at 24-bit from the 35 mm optical soundtrack. Clicks, thumps, hiss and uhm were manually removed. Their hard work created a digital transfer in 2K resolution in theatrical format. "We won't need the original negative in future," says Moda, confident that after seeing Pyaasa, Indian restorers will be taken seriously by studios abroad. For latest Bollywood updates follow us on Twitter >>> @TOIEntertain

He admits that when they started restoring the company's films, like Raj Kapoor's Chori Chori,Kishore Kumar's Half Ticket and Shammi Kapoor's Dil Tera Deewana, there was no intention of undertaking something so ambitious. But slowly, realising the potential in the field, they expanded the team. "Every country needs to preserve its cultural heritage and India has as many as 100,000 movies, not all of them in good condition," asserts Moda. For the latest in Bollywood news, like us on Facebook >>> TOIEntertain

Agrawal, who put a lot of money into the 'Restored in India' classic, says that compared to Amercian and European studios, the work done by his team is more cost effective, yet expensive. "I was driven by a passion for cinema with no commercial exploitation in mind. After seeing the results I'll take up another film for restoration. Guru Dutt has a huge following globally. There's a lot of excitement about Pyaasa and Kagaz Ke Phool. So may be it'll be another Guru Dutt classic next," he signs off with a smile.

- The Times of India, August 26, 2015

While the debate over whether Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier was a fascist rages on 50 years after his death, UT administration has called him as Chandigarh's spiritual director, who gave both human and spiritual dimensions to the city.

"Besides determining the city's urban form, Corbusier, as the spiritual director, was responsible for designing the key 'special areas' of the city, each of which contains several individual buildings," reads Chandigarh's proposal submitted to Unesco for a place on its heritage list.

"The most significant of these is 'Capitol Parc' - the 'head' and la raison d'etre of the entire enterprise. A parallel undertaking - one of almost equal significance as the Capitol, was Le Corbusier's design of the city's 'heart', the City Centre," it adds.

The report of UT heritage committee that laid down norms for conservation of Corbusier's structures adds, "His planning postulates of 'Sun, Space and Vendure' to India's sacred scripture. He created Chandigarh with love for its sunny temperament, spacious extroversion and lush greenery. The Open Hand, the official emblem of Chandigarh, signifying the city's credo of open to give, open to receive."

In time, the design of Cultural Complex along the Leisure Valley, including the Government Museum and Art Gallery and the College of Art (L-C's Centre for Audio-visual Training), as well as some other smaller works (such as the Boat Club and parts of Sukhna Lake, which essentially were seen as integral parts of the Capitol parc) were also undertaken by him, adds the Unesco nomination. Le Corbusier conceived the master plan of Chandigarh as analogous to human body, with a clearly defined head (the Capitol Complex, Sector 1), heart (the city Centre, Sector 17), lungs (the leisure valley, innumerable open spaces and sector greens), Industrial Area and educational institutions as its two arms.

The natural edges formed by the hills and the two rivers, the gently sloping plain with groves of mango trees, a stream bed meandering across its length and the existing roads and rail lines - all were given due consideration in the distribution of functions, establishing the hierarchy of the roads and giving the city its ultimate civic form. Corbusier Memorabilia His Table

The table on which Le Corbusier worked in the 1950s is still displayed in the Old Architects' Building, in Sector 19, which was later turned into Le Corbusier Centre. Corbusier drew the master plan and also worked on designing other key buildings in Capitol Complex. The table on which Corbusier drew sketches of Open Hand and held meetings with his associates is still displayed in the building. Jeannaret's House

Corbusier used to visit Chandigarh twice in a year during his association with the project and he would stay with his associate and cousin Pierre Jeanneret in house no. 56 in Sector 5. Some private houses were also designed by Jeanneret in the area. Capturing this natural scenic beauty, achieving functional efficiency suited to owners' requirements and climate responsiveness. Sketch of wife's hands

After his wife's death, Corbusier sent a sketch of her hands to some of his associates, including first Indian chief architect Le Corbusier. The sketch is also a part of Corbusier's official collection of sketches at Le Corbusier Foundation. Official Communication

Le Corbusier too had a taste of Indian red-tapism when the bureaucracy did not release his payments. In a letter dated March 7, 1958, Corbusier complained to Nehru that the secretary, capital, had refused to send a car to fetch him at New Delhi airport on his trip to Chandigarh. On his way back, the same refusal was made. The letter adds that the contract as Government Architectural Advisor had not been renewed at its expiry in February 1957.

- The Times of India, August 26, 2015

The 72.5 metre high Qutub Minar can be seen in the background, partially veiled by a blanket of mist. In another image, the words ‘I love my India’ scribbled on a wall, are lit up due to the light falling on them through the jaalis of the tomb. Shot in abstract minimalist style, these set of images present three historical monuments of Delhi in all their beauty, captured from different angles and in myriad styles.

“Like most other photographers, I also wanted to shoot the historical monuments in Delhi. But, I wanted to do so differently-in my own way, picking up unusual angles, subjects, composition and the overall style. This collection has photographs largely in abstract minimalist style. Together, they tell stories of life after death,” Dr Ahmed S Firoz tells Metrolife.

Explaining his images of the Qutab Minar, Humayun’s Tomb and Safdarjung Tomb, Firoz says that while some images have a strong interplay of light and shadows, some are silhouettes, and few are focused on a small area with aperture wide open so he could get nice bokeh.

“I have been shooting the monuments, except for Qutub Minar, for several years. It was only last year around this time that I had first gone to Qutab Minar for photography, with a couple of very old non-digital film cameras. So, its photos are of recent origin. The Humayun’s Tomb photos have been shot over the last five years or so, except for one. All photos of the Safdarjung Tomb are about three year old. It took me a couple of weeks to organise the entire series as the total number of photos was large,” he says.

On display are 19 images, both in colour and monochrome, a decision Firoz says depends on the subject. He adds that he always shoots in colour first and then decides upon the colour scheme, without binding himself to any rule.

“I do not plan much. The subject is more important to me. There are subjects where colour goes well, and is necessary. For example, I have photos in vibrant colours when it comes to macros and documentaries. For fine art photographs, whatever subject may be, I prefer black and white as they provide a better aesthetic depth and make them more abstract. A lot also depends on lights.”

“I always have a dilemma when it comes to street photographs, whether to put them in black and white or retain the original colours. But, for portraits, where expressions captured are more important, I prefer black and white,” he says.

Titled ‘Monumental’, the images also have human presence. Ask him the reason and Firoz says, “Human presence, in most cases, makes photos of static objects such as monuments interesting, sometimes filling them up with some drama.” He further says that human presence has been introduced “selectively and do not play an overwhel-ming role”. “They are part, and not the main focus of the shots. People here represent the present and monuments the past. They are part of the continuity of the cultural heritage of the city.

The people, wherever they have appeared, have brought in some elements of mystery. I also used a pigeon in one of the shots prominently. They are part of the monuments, living with them all the time. The aeroplane does also bring a sense of the modern times in contrast. You have a chance here to look at each work your own way and come with your own interpretation,” he says. Monumental is on at Delhi ’o’ Delhi Foyer, India Habitat Centre, till August 31.

- The Deccan Herald, August 27, 2015

The Storm Water Drainage (SWD) is the first project funded by Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for the city which has been completed after seven years of sanction by the Centre. However, the citizens are yet to get its benefit as was demonstrated on Wednesday when a spell of rain caused waterlogging in a number of localities.

General manager of Ganga Pollution Control unit of UP Jal Nigam JB Rai told TOI on Wednesday, "After completing the project in June we sent a handover note to Varanasi Municipal Corporation in July to complete the verification process for takeover." In reply to this note, chief engineer of VMC Kailash Singh asked the UPJN to assign some official to assist VMC in physical verification of the work with the map of project to complete the process of handover.

According to Rai, under this project the UPJN had to construct 39 drains including 24 roadside drains and 15 major drains. Out of 39 drains 37 had been completed while two drains proposed outside VMC's limit had been delayed.

"A total of 25 water bodies including kunds had been selected for rain water storage by linking adjoining areas with SWD lines. But the work could be done at eight ponds only as at other 17 kunds the locals started protesting on religious grounds. They had doubts like disposal of sewage in kunds in case of overflow in sewer lines. Due to the same reasons the VMC asked to leave those 17 kunds", he said adding, apart from it the UPJN has also constructed 11 catch-pits at old drains of city under this project.

This project was sanctioned by the Government of India in November 2008 with a budget of Rs 191.62 crores. The project started on ground in 2010 after which its budget was revised to Rs 253.73 crores in 2012-13. Rai said that 100% of the sanctioned budget had been released to UPJN.

Apart from other JNNURM projects like sewage and water supply line laying the road cuttings was also done for the SWD project at large scale in the city that left commuting difficult on all major roads for years. Besides the announcement for its completion the people also get some relief from this projects in the areas like Sigra-Mahmoorganj road as the problem of waterlogging during monsoon reduced this year.

After getting handover note from UPJN the VMC's engineering wing has also started gearing up for verification. The VMC's chief engineer said that this work will start immediately after the UPJN sends a responsible officials with details of the work done so far.

- The Times of India, August 27, 2015

The state government will undertake water conservation programme in 5,000 villages initially. Under the programme, people's participation would be sought in rainwater harvesting at a large scale.

"On the directives of chief minister Vasundhara Raje, the state government has adopted the Maharashtra's model of water conservation programme. The aim would be to cover 40,000 villages under the water harvesting programme in the next four years.

The state government has prepared a preliminary report on the guidelines to be adopted for execution of plan taking the Maharashtra's experience as the backgrounder," said Surendra Kumar Goyal, panchayat raj and rural development minister, at the concluding session of the seminar on community-based water management.

Around 5,000 villages which face acute drinking water crisis have been identified. Water-harvesting structures would be created in these villages using local resources.The programme aims at involving people's participation as has been done in Maharashtra.

Further under the integrated rural development programme 'Mission water', various departments like irrigation and public health engineering would be involved. "The basic aim would be to encourage rainwater harvesting, building check dams, anicuts, saving the grazing and pasture lands from encroachments. The panchayat raj institutions and people's representatives would be involved in successful execution of the programme," said Goyal.

Speaking on the occasion, Shreemat Pandey, principal secretary, panchayat raj and rural development, said, "Because of its typical geographical location, Rajasthan faces nature's wrath and an uncertain monsoon. But the state government is committed to find a permanent solution to these problems."

He said the water mission programme that would begin with 5,000 villages would be a landmark event which would alter the face of the state. Representatives from 11 districts and block development officers of Bikaner, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Pali, Jalore, Rajsamand, Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Churu also participated in the seminar.

The first stage of the training programme for the pradhans would be organised in the month of October. It would be followed by a similar programme for the zila pramukhs, said Rajeshwar Singh, director general, Indira Gandhi Panchayati Raj and Gramin Vikas Sansthan.

- The Times of India, August 27, 2015

But Vizag-based artist Moka Satish Kumar has demonstrated that paper can create some of the most intricate three dimensional art

Paper is possibly the last medium most people think of when they imagine sculpture. But Vizag-based artist Moka Satish Kumar has demonstrated that paper can create some of the most incredibly intricate three dimensional art works ever seen. Kumar has been creating marvels out of paper through his sculpting and embossing skills from the past decade. He has transformed sheets of paper in various sizes and textures into complex creations that mimic nature,

human forms and subjects that are purely the products of his own fertile imaginations. Through an amazing combination of cutting, folding and embossing, Kumar creates incredible scenes from the simplest of materials. So far, he has created around 50 paper sculptures, an art that has been widely appreciated by art lovers and connoisseurs from across the world for its uniqueness.

A self-taught artist, Kumar’s journey into the creative world began during his childhood years. “I used to carve shapes with thermocol sheets and clay and spend hours to perfect the shapes. But my fascination with paper art started much later,” says Kumar. He left his job in the private sector four years ago to pursue his passion with paper sculpting and involve himself full time into it.

Did a lack of formal training in fine arts create any hindrance for Kumar? “I see it as a blessing in disguise. I don’t go by any rules prescribed in fine arts theory. It has been a journey of self discovery for me, which perhaps gives me the confidence to explore paper art embossing in a way that was not done before,” says the artist.

Kumar says very few artist in India have explored the art of paper sculpting, especially embossing that creates shadows and adds depth to the piece of art. Most of the paper sculptures are made from paper pulp. But instead of paper pulp, Kumar uses imported acid-free paper that has a long life.

He draws inspiration from international artists like Jeff Nishika and Kelvinson Nicholas, whose works inspired him to try his hand at three dimensional paper sculpture. But what makes Kumar’s paper sculptures different is its unexpected attention to detail, such as an embossed layer of necklace hidden behind the dexterously crafted flowing hair of a lady. While Kumar has created many sculptures of nature, his forte lies in creating human forms. “It is the most difficult form to create.

Right from getting the perfect thin texture of hair to creating a shadow effect on the faces and facial features, it requires tremendous precision. This is one medium which requires creativity as well as technical precision for the sculpting and embossing to be perfect. This art form does not leave any room for errors. Once if you falter while fixing the artwork, there is no scope to redo it again. I have to discard the entire piece and start all over again,” he says.

He was recently given the best artist award at the All India Art Exhibition held in Vijayawada held this year. One of his earlier works titled ‘The Beautiful Indian Lady’ had earned him great recognition. He currently uses social media platforms like Facebook to reach out to art lovers. He can be contacted at 9849418968.

- The Hindu, August 28, 2015

If everything goes as per plan, the number of Western tourists visiting Hampi may go up in a few years as the state government has proposed a tie-up with Peru to develop Hampi and Machu Picchu of that country as twin heritage sites.

Under the plan, tourists visiting the ruins of th e Inca empire in Peru will get to learn about Hampi and given free entry to the ruins of the Vijayanagara empire here. This will basically help in making Hampi more popular among Western tourists. The two cities, built between the 14th and 15th centuries, have sun temples and been declared heritage sites by Unesco.

"For the first time in the world, two cities will be getting the 'twin heritage sites' tag to promote tourism. The Peruvian city gets millions of tourists and we also have to promote tourism to Hampi. Peru's director of tourism has promised to speak to the President and ensure that the agreement is inked," tourism minister RV Deshpande said here on Thursday.

Deshpande, along with chief secretary Kaushik Mukherjee and additional chief secretary of the tourism department Pradeep Singh Kharola, had recently been to Peru. After finding similarities between Machu Picchu and Hampi, they wanted a tie up with Peru for promoting the two cities as twin heritage sites.

Under the proposed agreement, international travelers visiting Machu Picchu would get a counterfoil to visit Hampi for free - only the entry ticket will be free. The entry fee for foreigners is USD5 at Hampi, and around $50 at Machu Picchu.

Mukherjee said, "While the Peruvian heritage city allows only 2000 tourists every day, Hampi can accommodate more. One of the proposals we have made is that if they agree to waive the entry fee to Hampi in the counterfoil ticket, we can give discounts to international travellers visiting Hampi first on a combined ticket to Machu Pichhu. This will increase the popularity of Hampi. How many Americans know about it although it is as old as the Peruvian city?" Times View

The idea to hyphenate Hampi and the Peruvian city of Machu Picchu as twin heritage cities is a novel way to garner interest for Karnataka's famous landmark. With both places sharing a few things in common, from historical dates to sun temples, the plan to use these similarities as a marketing pitch and pull in visitors is innovative. It helps promote niche tourism and exposes tourists to the wonders that Karnataka can offer.

- The Times of India, August 28, 2015

The groundwater of south Delhi, Gurgaon and Faridabad may be at risk of fast getting polluted by a big black lake of untreated municipal solid waste in the Aravalli forests formed by leakage of muck from a now defunct waste treatment plant.

The Bandhwari municipal waste treatment plant off the Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, the only one between the two cities, hasn’t been functional for about a year-and-half now. But continued dumping of waste at the plant has led a stream of dirty black water or leachate into the Aravalli forest, polluting the aquifers around. “If there are no industries in the vicinity, it is evident that the leachate from the plant has already polluted the aquifers around.

Since the waste is not being treated, the leachate may contain several harmful pollutants like nitrates, sulphates and heavy metals,” said Swati Singh Sambyal, senior research associate, waste management team, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). This could spark off intestinal problems, and skin diseases, she said. “If the contamination of water and the stopping of the treatment plant happened around the same time, there can’t be an excuse that these are not linked,” said Manu Bhatnagar, principal director, natural heritage, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

He pointed out that as the Bandhwari plant is situated at a higher level than that of nearby Gurgaon, Delhi and Faridabad, the contamination may soon spread downhill. A 2008 Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) report reinforces that as groundwater from Bandhwari flows outwards in all directions, it is a major recharge zone for downstream areas in most directions.

Environmentalists say there couldn’t be a worse or faster way of polluting the ground water as the Aravallis have high secondary porosity. This means large quantities of toxic water accumulating there may increase rate of contamination of ground water.

“Contamination of ground water due to waste dumping takes a long time. However, if there is leakage from the plant or waste is dumped outside premises, there are definitely chances of polluting ground water,” said KB Biswas, chairman, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).

A report by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) in 2013 showed that the Bandhwari plant operators violated several provisions of the municipal solid waste rules. “Most of the rules for disposing of solid waste were being violated. On some days of inspection, the plant was not working. We were told that this was because there was no electricity,” said an HSPCB official.

But the more dangerous news is the Gurgaon municipal corporation is planning another 92-acre landfill around the existing plant. “Before any decision on having a landfill, several legal criteria need to be met regarding the legal standards. The government should also make all information public and seek suggestions,” said Ravi Agarwal, director, Toxics Link, an environmental group.

- The Hindustan Times, August 28, 2015

At least 300 Class XI and XII students of Carmel High School (CHS) learned about alternative careers in design, performing arts and communication at a seminar on 'Career Awareness with A Difference' on the school campus on Friday. The event was organized by the Carmel Alumni Association.

Resource persons Sunita Prakash, Soma Chakraborty and Arti Singh gave a live demonstration of tie-and-dye and block printing to the students. The alumni association also felicitated school principal Sr Sujata on completion of her 25 years at the school.

Patna Women's College: St Xavier's High School students won the interschool tableau contest on 'Aadhi Aabadi Ka Sach: Depicting Women in Their Social Context' held at Patna Women's College on Friday. Carmel High School pupils bagged the second prize while the third position was secured by Delhi Public School students. At least 100 students from eight city schools participated in the competition.

At a separate event held on the college campus, RBI regional director M K Verma interacted with BBA department students and highlighted the importance of financial literacy. Students of mass communication department had an interactive session with social activist Rakesh Kumar Singh who has cycled over 9,000km to create social awareness. A parent-teacher meet and cultural programme was also organized for BA (part III) students of the college.

Rakshabandhan celebrated: Usha Martin World School students went to different city police stations (PS), including Gandhi Maidan PS, Sampatchak PS and Gaurichak PS on Friday and celebrated Rakshabandhan with police officials. They also thanked cops for their services to the society. Tiny tots of Dr D Y Patil Pushpalata Patil International School also celebrated the festival on their school campus.

Quiz held: Students of different schools and colleges took part in an inter-institutional quiz competition organized at Amity Global Business School on Friday. While students of Paramar Institute won the first prize, teams from Darbhanga House and Gyan Niketan stood second and third respectively. Questions ranged from business affairs, general knowledge and sports to films and advertisements.

- The Times of India, August 28, 2015

Heritage lovers felt baffled when the city pulled out of the Unesco World Heritage City race in May after years of preparation. It had a fair shot at becoming the country's first World Heritage City with Lutyens' Bungalow Zone (LBZ) and Shahjahanabad as its nominees.

It appears now that redevelopment plans for LBZ had a role in the Centre's decision not to push for the prestigious tag this year. The urban development ministry had questioned the nomination process last year because of doubts about the implications of the tag. It felt that "such declaration may restrict urban development in these areas because any new development will have to be in conformity with operational guidelines and accepted conservation guidelines under World Heritage Convention, 1972."

The culture ministry and the Delhi government tried to allay these concerns but the Centre postponed Delhi's participation to a "more convenient time in the future". Sources said the UD ministry did not want any hurdles in the way of the proposed redevelopment plans for LBZ that have been in the works for close to a year. "Once the plans are underway, the ministry of external affairs might be given a go-ahead to pursue the heritage tag for Delhi,'' said a source.

Officials of the conservation body Intach who prepared the nomination dossiers, however, said the heritage tag would not have affected the redevelopment plans in any way. "Our nomination dossier doesn't touch a lot of the residential areas like Golf Links and Sunder Nagar that DUAC proposes to exclude from LBZ," said an Intach official, adding, "Our nominated area is smaller than the LBZ area and confined to the bungalow area and the Central Vista. There are no changes proposed in these core areas anyway.''

Experts say the only expectation from a World Heritage City is that it would adhere to the norms outlined in its master plan. The tag does not impose any additional restrictions on the nominated areas or the rest of the city.

Unesco heritage status would have put the spotlight on the cluttered lanes of Old Delhi and the forgotten bungalows of LBZ. Delhi's dossier on ?Imperial Cities of Delhi" highlighted the contrasting lifestyles of Lutyens' Delhi and Old Delhi. It was selected by the apex world heritage committee to be India's priority submission in the culture category.

- The Times of India, August 29, 2015

Delhi's green cover is below international standards, but experts say it can do better by planting right species.

NEW DELHI: Delhi has a per capita green cover of about 22 sqm (square metres) when the global standard ought to be 25sqm to 100sqm. Every year Delhi may be recording a marginal rise in green cover, but experts say there is room for much more. This is where urban forests like Tilpath Valley, where one lakh saplings will be planted on Sunday, play a role in offering multiple ecological services to polluted cities like Delhi.

There are 42 city forests as of now covering an area of 1,650 hectares. Forest department officials say there is no better proof of the importance of the Ridge and urban forests than the Asola Bhatti sanctuary. "Asola is in a rain shadow area. Since 2000, when we handed over the area for plantation to the eco task force (ETF), the micro climate has improved. Now we have 70 to 75 rainy days in Asola. Isn't that proof enough that urban forests are very important?" said a senior forest official.

Join TOI Green Drive on Facebook "Chandigarh's per capita green cover is 55sqm. Delhi can do much more but what is important is the species that Delhi will plant. Unfortunately, in many states city forests are filled with exotic and flowering species. I hope the capital doesn't go the wrong way," said professor NH Ravindranath of the Centre for Ecological Studies (CES), Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

Ravindranath added that the carbon sequestration potential of trees is obvious with each grown tree having a potential to sequester about 100 kg of carbon, but new research now points at association between green cover and better cognitive development among children.

"There are so many studies that have proved that green cover has an impact on behaviour and psychology that these should also be taken into account. Urban forests can also be a source of food for the poor. Jamun today is one of the most expensive fruits when it should be so easily available in cities like Delhi. So should be tamarind and mangoes," add ed Ravindranath. Forest department officials said they need to focus on developing woodlots."People want good-looking flowering trees but the best services are provided by dense woodlots," he added.

According to C R Babu, professor emeritus, Delhi University and the brain behind biodiversity parks in Delhi, "The plantation in Tilpath Valley of native Aravali species will be a first step in recharging groundwater aquifers in the entire Chhatarpur Valley. It will also improve the micro-climate in the area and might bring back wildlife like leopards and hyenas." Delhi, be there @ Tilpat Valley on August 30 and help plant 100,000 trees! Just give a missed call (toll free) to 9910544533.

- The Times of India, August 29, 2015