Amid rapid environmental degradation, conservationist fights for yesteryear’s ‘Garden City’

Friday July 28, 2017 , 5 min Read

In less than a decade, Ravindra TC has afforested over 300 hectares of land, maintaining the survival rate of plantation to 90 percent.

With constantly deteriorating environmental condition in Bengaluru, the city is fighting major challenges like water shortage and climate change. Several activists and social groups have been untiringly attempting to restore the green cover of the yesteryear’s ‘Garden City’.

But despite several efforts, Bengaluru still deals with serious issues like rising temperature, increasing rate of pollution and the spread of various psychosomatic diseases caused by environmental degradation. In summer, the temperature in the city rises up to 40 degree Celsius, while just decades back the maximum temperature never rose above 20 degree Celsius.

While recent scientific studies suggest seven trees for each person for a healthy life, the situation in Bengaluru is not salutary. The lack of proper plantation and the steadily disappearing biological diversity has further impacted the eco habitat in the city. However, amidst incessant concerns among environmentalists, experts and civilians, players from several sectors have been contributing their bit to restore the green cover in Bengaluru.

Techie-turned-conservationist, Ravindra TC eyes for a greener Bengaluru

Emerging as a successful role model among many other conservationists, Ravindra TC has been carrying out his tireless efforts to afforest Bengaluru and make it the ‘Green City’ once again. In less than a decade, the IT graduate hailing from Shimoga of Karnataka has afforested over 300 hectares of land, maintaining the survival rate of the plantation to 90 percent. Initiating with the primary objective of cultivating and supplying herbs in the market, Ravindra broadened his goals to environment and ecology preservation, promotion of indigenous variety of trees, and providing easy solutions for plantation and afforestation. Starting off with his organization IndusHerb, a section of which focuses completely on afforestation and eco development, Ravindra has been working hand in hand with a network of NGOs like Adanya Chetana, United Way, The Art of Living Foundation and other government and private agencies along with a team of 120 gardeners. Ravindra believes that providing green solutions for cities can help reduce pollution and improve aesthetics, thus providing a better living for all.

Dealing with the massive impact of industrialisation on Bengaluru’s environment

With the steady growth of industrialisation in one of India’s key IT hubs, pollution caused due to busy traffic, industrial sewage and e-waste, has always been a complaint among many Bangaloreans. To maintain the perfect balance between development and ecology, environmentalists suggest the need for more bio diverse plantation and aromatic avenue plants. With this objective in sight, Ravindra and his team have developed a few ‘theme parks’ across the city to encourage the plantation of native species.

To compensate the damage that has been done to the environment, Ravindra came up with innovative solutions like building up vertical gardens. He has also contributed to build such eco-friendly vertical gardens around several other establishments, e.g., the recent green cover around the two Yeswanthpur flyover pillars.

Rejuvenating the lakes and rivers of Bengaluru

Recent news headlines have called Bengaluru, once known as the ‘Lake City of India’, as the ‘city of burning lakes.’ While there used to be more than 800 parks and lakes in the city, it has now been left with just 190 lakes, which also are on the verge of death. To conserve the water bodies and fight the escalating threat of water shortage, Ravindra TC suggests strong afforestation strategies as a sustainable solution. Several efforts have been made to revive ground water and ponds by planting trees, thereby helping various water conservation projects. With five rivers originating from the Nandi hills, Ravindra also focusses on intensifying afforestation in that region for river rejuvenation.

Attempts to make an aesthetically beautiful Bengaluru

Bengaluru used to be the hub of several species of migratory and native birds, but the decreasing green cover poses major threats to the city’s winged visitors. Ravindra pointed out that the simple plantation of exotic plants is insufficient to attract more birds and butterflies in the city. Citing the lack of maintenance of good variety of plants for afforestation projects, he built up his own team of gardeners to promote plantation of indigenous trees and saplings. He has been associated with the beautification and rejuvenation of at least 30 parks and 15 lakes across the city, including Uttarahalli, Kaikondrahalli, Kowdenahalli, Rachenahalli, and Munekulala lakes.

Need for a big vision, better planning, knowhow, and field expertise

Ravindra has been inspired by veteran environmentalist Yellappa Reddy who stresses on the need for a better understanding of afforestation and points out that an amateur attempt towards conservation can be severely counterproductive. Reddy suggests a detailed study of urban eco development programme, which includes waste and resource management, rejuvenation of water bodies and a specific knowledge on plantation, for better execution of afforestation projects and the ecological upgradation of Bengaluru. He points out that lack of planning and reckless exploitation of resources has been detrimental to the city’s environment and infrastructure.

While Bengaluru faces the increasing threat of pollution amidst a disturbed ecological balance, conservationists like Ravindra TC are fighting to restore the city’s greenery. However, Ravindra’s work is not restricted just to Bengaluru or Karnataka. Through his Indus Herbs venture, he plans to take his projects out of the state and has also been invited by environmental and agricultural groups of Sri Lanka.