Seeking a straight third term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a campaign blitz in Southern states - back to back rallies, mega road shows, fierce attacks on Opposition - the PM is leading BJP's attack for 129 seats in Southern India.

India: Former CM Sadananda Gowda may quit BJP, says 'BJP not a party with a difference'

Bengaluru, India's 'Silicon Valley', is struggling to stay afloat. Techies and tech bosses are taking tractors to work. Flood waters have entered parking spaces, homes. Can you blame the flood on climate change? Or is poor urban planning equally at fault? Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas | Bengaluru flood: India's Silicon Valley left inundated

Global software major Infosys has vacated one of the buildings in Bengaluru's&nbsp;suburb after a team member was suspected for coronavirus (COVID-19), an official said on Friday

"To ensure preparedness, we are evacuating only the IIPM building as a precautionary measure on receiving information that a team member from the building may have been in proximity to COVID-19 suspect," said IT major`s Bengaluru development centre head Gururaj Deshpande in an e-mail to all Infoscions.

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The IT giant has a huge campus in the Electronic City with over a dozen buildings housing its development centres and corporate house since the 1990s.

"Please note that this is only to ensure the safety of our employees and we will sanitise the place for our safety," said Deshpande.

Awaiting updates to share, Deshpande requested the techies to stay calm to ensure they are cautious and better prepared.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/google-employee-in-bengaluru-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-286033">Google employee in Bengaluru tests positive for coronavirus</a>

"We request you to refrain from believing in or spreading any information that is hearsay/rumours via any of the social media channels," the IT major`s Bengaluru development centre head said.

He also advised the employees to reach out to the company`s global help desk numbers in case of emergency.

"We request your support to ensure we handle this situation with utmost responsibility," Deshpande added.

The Infosys case came on a day when the Karnataka government advised all the IT and biotech firms across this IT hub to allow their employees to work from their homes for a week to avoid risking them to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/coronavirus-outbreak-29-people-test-positive-in-india-paytm-and-oyo-affected-284356">Coronavirus Outbreak: 29 people test positive in India; Paytm and Oyo affected</a>

Confirming that the IIPM building was vacated early on Friday for safety and sanitisation, an official of the company`s Phoenix emergency team said, that the development centre in the building was free and not occupied since then.

"Nothing to worry. Infosys is safe and secure. Employees will get a text message from our (Phoenix) team to report for work on the day they will be intimated," the official said during a phone call.

&nbsp;30,000 techies work in the 81-acre green campus, which comprises of glistening glass buildings in various shapes and designs, including one in a pyramid that is eco-friendly.

&nbsp;

Global software major Infosys has vacated one of the buildings in Bengaluru's suburb after a team member was suspected for coronavirus (COVID-19), an official said on Friday "To ensure preparedness, we are evacuating only the IIPM building as a precautionary measure on receiving information that a team member from the building may have been in proximity to COVID-19 suspect," said IT major`s Bengaluru development centre head Gururaj Deshpande in an e-mail to all Infoscions.

Global software major Infosys has vacated one of the buildings in Bengaluru's suburb after a team member was suspected for coronavirus (COVID-19), an official said on Friday "To ensure preparedness, we are evacuating only the IIPM building as a precautionary measure on receiving information that a team member from the building may have been in proximity to COVID-19 suspect," said IT major`s Bengaluru development centre head Gururaj Deshpande in an e-mail to all Infoscions. Infosys: We have taken a decision to evacuate one of our satellite buildings in Bengaluru as a precautionary measure, as one of our employees had been in contact with an individual with suspected COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/6XX6woISQ1 — ANI (@ANI) March 14, 2020 × The IT giant has a huge campus in the Electronic City with over a dozen buildings housing its development centres and corporate house since the 1990s. "Please note that this is only to ensure the safety of our employees and we will sanitise the place for our safety," said Deshpande. Awaiting updates to share, Deshpande requested the techies to stay calm to ensure they are cautious and better prepared. Also Read | Google employee in Bengaluru tests positive for coronavirus "We request you to refrain from believing in or spreading any information that is hearsay/rumours via any of the social media channels," the IT major`s Bengaluru development centre head said. He also advised the employees to reach out to the company`s global help desk numbers in case of emergency. "We request your support to ensure we handle this situation with utmost responsibility," Deshpande added. The Infosys case came on a day when the Karnataka government advised all the IT and biotech firms across this IT hub to allow their employees to work from their homes for a week to avoid risking them to the Covid-19 outbreak. Also Read | Coronavirus Outbreak: 29 people test positive in India; Paytm and Oyo affected Confirming that the IIPM building was vacated early on Friday for safety and sanitisation, an official of the company`s Phoenix emergency team said, that the development centre in the building was free and not occupied since then. "Nothing to worry. Infosys is safe and secure. Employees will get a text message from our (Phoenix) team to report for work on the day they will be intimated," the official said during a phone call. 30,000 techies work in the 81-acre green campus, which comprises of glistening glass buildings in various shapes and designs, including one in a pyramid that is eco-friendly.

Infosys vacates building in Bengaluru amid COVID-19 fears

In a setback to Google India, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal has upheld a tax demand on the search engine's remittances of advertisement revenue to Google Ireland Ltd.

The Bangalore bench of ITAT, in a 331-page order, upheld the tax department's contention that such payments are royalty and therefore subject to withholding tax.

Google India said it will challenge the ruling in the High Court.

The company had filed an appeal in the ITAT against "characterization of the payment made by it to Google Ireland Ltd in respect of the purchase of advertisement space for resale to the advertisers in India under the Google AdWords programme distribution agreements".

For the assessment year 2012-13, the tax department had found Rs 1,114.91 crore to have been credited to Google Ireland Ltd (GIL) without deduction of tax at source. And so, it issued a tax demand of Rs 258.84 crore.

In its submissions, Google India Ltd said it was a mere non-exclusive distributor/reseller of AdWords programme to the advertisers in the country. Distribution fee payable to GIL on the distribution of AdWords in India was not in relation to any 'transfer of any right' or 'right to use' any patent/invention and so cannot be taxed as royalty.

ITAT, however, said Google India had "access to patent, technical know-how, IPRs, trademark, the process, derivative works, brand features, etc., of the GIL".

"Therefore the payments of advertisement fees made by the assessee (Google India) after retaining a particular part of it to GIL is not the payment simpliciter towards the purchase of AdWord space which may be treated as business profit in the hands of the recipient but it is a payment of royalty," it ruled.

It went on to rule that the payment made by Google India to GIL is a payment of royalty and is an income deemed to accrue or arise in India.

A Google spokesperson said: "We comply with all tax laws in India and pay all applicable taxes. We will file an appeal in the High Court as this ruling is an inaccurate representation of our business operations in India. The order is also a clear departure from previous judgments on the issues and is not in line with India's double taxation avoidance agreement."

The ITAT held that payments aggregating to Rs 1,457 crore made by Google India to Google Ireland between 2007-08 and 2012-13 are taxable as royalty.&nbsp

The Bangalore bench of ITAT, in a 331-page order, upheld the tax department's contention that such payments are royalty and therefore subject to withholding tax

In a setback to Google India, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal has upheld a tax demand on the search engine's remittances of advertisement revenue to Google Ireland Ltd. The Bangalore bench of ITAT, in a 331-page order, upheld the tax department's contention that such payments are royalty and therefore subject to withholding tax. Google India said it will challenge the ruling in the High Court. The company had filed an appeal in the ITAT against "characterization of the payment made by it to Google Ireland Ltd in respect of the purchase of advertisement space for resale to the advertisers in India under the Google AdWords programme distribution agreements". For the assessment year 2012-13, the tax department had found Rs 1,114.91 crore to have been credited to Google Ireland Ltd (GIL) without deduction of tax at source. And so, it issued a tax demand of Rs 258.84 crore. In its submissions, Google India Ltd said it was a mere non-exclusive distributor/reseller of AdWords programme to the advertisers in the country. Distribution fee payable to GIL on the distribution of AdWords in India was not in relation to any 'transfer of any right' or 'right to use' any patent/invention and so cannot be taxed as royalty. ITAT, however, said Google India had "access to patent, technical know-how, IPRs, trademark, the process, derivative works, brand features, etc., of the GIL". "Therefore the payments of advertisement fees made by the assessee (Google India) after retaining a particular part of it to GIL is not the payment simpliciter towards the purchase of AdWord space which may be treated as business profit in the hands of the recipient but it is a payment of royalty," it ruled. It went on to rule that the payment made by Google India to GIL is a payment of royalty and is an income deemed to accrue or arise in India. A Google spokesperson said: "We comply with all tax laws in India and pay all applicable taxes. We will file an appeal in the High Court as this ruling is an inaccurate representation of our business operations in India. The order is also a clear departure from previous judgments on the issues and is not in line with India's double taxation avoidance agreement." The ITAT held that payments aggregating to Rs 1,457 crore made by Google India to Google Ireland between 2007-08 and 2012-13 are taxable as royalty.

ITAT says Google India should pay tax on advt revenue sent to parent

Every day more than 1,000 water tankers rumble past Nagraj&#39;s small plywood store in Bangalore, throwing up clouds of dust as they rush their valuable cargo to homes and offices in India&#39;s drought-stricken tech hub.

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Gleaming new apartment blocks are still springing up all over the city is known as India&#39;s Silicon Valley -- even though there is nowhere near enough mains water to supply those already living and working there.

Many rely entirely on supplies shipped in by tankers filled from giant borewells that have caused groundwater levels to plummet, sparking predictions Bangalore could be the first Indian city to run out of the water.

&quot;There is a severe scarcity of water here,&quot; said Nagraj, 30, who moved to the suburban neighbourhood of Panathur a decade ago and has seen it transformed by rampant construction.

&quot;The future will be very difficult. It is impossible to imagine how they will find water, how they will live. Even if we dig 1,500 feet (450 metres) down, we are not getting water.&quot;

Panathur lies next to Bangalore&#39;s biggest lake, Bellandur, which provides a poignant reminder that things weren&#39;t always like this.

Once known as India&#39;s garden city for its lush green parks, Bangalore was built around a series of lakes created to form rainwater reservoirs and prevent the precious resource from draining away.

Many have now been concreted over to build apartment blocks with names like Dream Acres and Strawberry Fields to house the workers who have flocked here during India&#39;s outsourcing boom.

Many of those that remain are heavily polluted. Bellandur has become so toxic it spontaneously catches fire, and emits clouds of white froth so large authorities have had to build barriers to keep it from spilling onto the road.

&quot;The city is dying,&quot; says TV&nbsp;Ramachandra, an ecologist with the Indian Institute of Science who has predicted the Karnataka state capital could be the first Indian city to follow Cape Town in running out of water.

&quot;If the current trend of growth and urbanisation is allowed (to continue), by 2020, 94 percent of the landscape will be concretised.&quot;

Already, more than half of Bangalore&#39;s estimated 10 million inhabitants have to rely on borewells and tankers for their water because there isn&#39;t enough mains supply to go round.

Most of the city&#39;s municipal water is supplied by the Cauvery river, whose waters flow through Karnataka and neighbouring Tamil Nadu state before emptying into the Bay of Bengal, and have been bitterly disputed for more than a century.

Two years ago, an order to release extra water from the river to ease a shortage threatening crops in Tamil Nadu sparked deadly protests in Bangalore that forced hundreds of companies to close.

Last month the Supreme Court stepped in, altering the river-sharing arrangement in Karnataka&#39;s favour citing Bangalore&#39;s dire need.Ecologist Ramachandra says Bangalore has enough annual rainfall to provide water for its estimated 10 million people without resorting to borewells or rivers -- if only it could harvest the resource more effectively.

&quot;If there is a water crisis, we should not think about river diversion. We should think about how to retain the water,&quot; he said, blaming &quot;fragmented, uncoordinated governance&quot; for the crisis.

As in the rest of India though, there is little incentive for citizens to save water.

Despite years of drought, the government still provides clean water to citizens at heavily subsidised rates and access to groundwater is largely unregulated.

&quot;In Bangalore 1,000 bottles of the cleanest treated water comes to our doorstep and we pay only six rupees (about nine cents)... the incentive is not there,&quot; says A.R. Shivakumar, a senior scientist with the Karnataka State Council of Science and Technology.

Despite this, Shivakumar and his family have not used a single drop of mains water in the 23 years they have lived at their home in Bangalore.

Instead they rely entirely on rainwater collected through gutters and stored in large tanks under the house, which Shivakumar designed with water efficiency in mind. Even the cement used to build it was made with recycled water.

His work setting up rainwater harvesting at bus stops, in slum housing and even along the city&#39;s metro system proved so effective that city authorities now require all new housing developments to have inbuilt systems.

&quot;This crisis will force everyone to take up measures like rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures,&quot; he told AFP.

&quot;The new generation have shown a lot of concern toward the environment and conservation measures. That will definitely take it forward. Awareness is already on the increase.&quot;

Every day more than 1,000 water tankers rumble past Nagraj's small plywood store in Bangalore, throwing up clouds of dust as they rush their valuable cargo to homes and offices in India's drought-stricken tech hub

Every day more than 1,000 water tankers rumble past Nagraj's small plywood store in Bangalore, throwing up clouds of dust as they rush their valuable cargo to homes and offices in India's drought-stricken tech hub. × Gleaming new apartment blocks are still springing up all over the city is known as India's Silicon Valley -- even though there is nowhere near enough mains water to supply those already living and working there. Many rely entirely on supplies shipped in by tankers filled from giant borewells that have caused groundwater levels to plummet, sparking predictions Bangalore could be the first Indian city to run out of the water. "There is a severe scarcity of water here," said Nagraj, 30, who moved to the suburban neighbourhood of Panathur a decade ago and has seen it transformed by rampant construction. "The future will be very difficult. It is impossible to imagine how they will find water, how they will live. Even if we dig 1,500 feet (450 metres) down, we are not getting water." Panathur lies next to Bangalore's biggest lake, Bellandur, which provides a poignant reminder that things weren't always like this. Once known as India's garden city for its lush green parks, Bangalore was built around a series of lakes created to form rainwater reservoirs and prevent the precious resource from draining away. Many have now been concreted over to build apartment blocks with names like Dream Acres and Strawberry Fields to house the workers who have flocked here during India's outsourcing boom. Many of those that remain are heavily polluted. Bellandur has become so toxic it spontaneously catches fire, and emits clouds of white froth so large authorities have had to build barriers to keep it from spilling onto the road. "The city is dying," says TV Ramachandra, an ecologist with the Indian Institute of Science who has predicted the Karnataka state capital could be the first Indian city to follow Cape Town in running out of water. "If the current trend of growth and urbanisation is allowed (to continue), by 2020, 94 percent of the landscape will be concretised." Already, more than half of Bangalore's estimated 10 million inhabitants have to rely on borewells and tankers for their water because there isn't enough mains supply to go round. Most of the city's municipal water is supplied by the Cauvery river, whose waters flow through Karnataka and neighbouring Tamil Nadu state before emptying into the Bay of Bengal, and have been bitterly disputed for more than a century. Two years ago, an order to release extra water from the river to ease a shortage threatening crops in Tamil Nadu sparked deadly protests in Bangalore that forced hundreds of companies to close. Last month the Supreme Court stepped in, altering the river-sharing arrangement in Karnataka's favour citing Bangalore's dire need.Ecologist Ramachandra says Bangalore has enough annual rainfall to provide water for its estimated 10 million people without resorting to borewells or rivers -- if only it could harvest the resource more effectively. "If there is a water crisis, we should not think about river diversion. We should think about how to retain the water," he said, blaming "fragmented, uncoordinated governance" for the crisis. As in the rest of India though, there is little incentive for citizens to save water. Despite years of drought, the government still provides clean water to citizens at heavily subsidised rates and access to groundwater is largely unregulated. "In Bangalore 1,000 bottles of the cleanest treated water comes to our doorstep and we pay only six rupees (about nine cents)... the incentive is not there," says A.R. Shivakumar, a senior scientist with the Karnataka State Council of Science and Technology. Despite this, Shivakumar and his family have not used a single drop of mains water in the 23 years they have lived at their home in Bangalore. Instead they rely entirely on rainwater collected through gutters and stored in large tanks under the house, which Shivakumar designed with water efficiency in mind. Even the cement used to build it was made with recycled water. His work setting up rainwater harvesting at bus stops, in slum housing and even along the city's metro system proved so effective that city authorities now require all new housing developments to have inbuilt systems. "This crisis will force everyone to take up measures like rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures," he told AFP. "The new generation have shown a lot of concern toward the environment and conservation measures. That will definitely take it forward. Awareness is already on the increase."

India's Silicon Valley faces man-made water crisis

Bengaluru has become one of the first cities to introduce its own identity badge.&nbsp;

In a move to build its image on an international platform, the city has launched its own identity badge &#39;Brand Bengaluru&#39; with a logo

The logo was unwrapped in the presence of Bengaluru development minister KJ George, Gandhinagar MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao, Shantinagar MLA NA Haris and Bengaluru mayor Sampath Raj on Sunday at Vidhana Soudha.&nbsp;

The tagline of the brand is &#39;Bengaluru- Be U&#39; (be you).

The logo signifies Bengaluru&#39;s cosmopolitan culture, a sense of belonging, 480-year-old history and futuristic outlook.

The logo has been selected from 1,350 entries.&nbsp;

IT-BT and Tourism minister Priyank Kharge said that the &quot;identity&quot; will &quot;tell the Bengaluru stories across the globe&quot;.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NammaBengaluru?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NammaBengaluru</a> gets its own identity. A city steeped in history, culture, art, cuisines. A identity that will tell the Bengaluru stories across the globe. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NammaBengaluruHabba?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NammaBengaluruHabba</a> <a href="https://t.co/fwUUrr2Kdp">pic.twitter.com/fwUUrr2Kdp</a>
&mdash; Priyank Kharge (@PriyankKharge) <a href="https://twitter.com/PriyankKharge/status/944858776204537856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah&nbsp;had also tweeted about the launch of Brand Bengaluru. He wrote &quot; Launching Brand Bengaluru -- the most enterprising, dynamic, progressive and global city, a city that allows you to be yourself.&quot;

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Launching Brand Bengaluru - the most enterprising, dynamic, progressive &amp; glocal city; a city that allows U to be yourself. Participate in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NammaBengaluruHabba?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NammaBengaluruHabba</a> near Vidhan Soudha today, and celebrate Namma Ooru Bengaluru! <a href="https://twitter.com/PriyankKharge?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PriyankKharge</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KarnatakaWorld?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KarnatakaWorld</a> <a href="https://t.co/zFGi1sLLfc">pic.twitter.com/zFGi1sLLfc</a>
&mdash; CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMofKarnataka/status/944823239489884160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The font was devised by bankers-turned-designers Rushi Patel and M Venkateswara Rao, founders of Nammur, a design firm.

In a move to build?its image on an international platform, the city has launched its own identity badge 'Brand Bengaluru' with a logo

Bengaluru has become one of the first cities to introduce its own identity badge. In a move to build its image on an international platform, the city has launched its own identity badge 'Brand Bengaluru' with a logo The logo was unwrapped in the presence of Bengaluru development minister KJ George, Gandhinagar MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao, Shantinagar MLA NA Haris and Bengaluru mayor Sampath Raj on Sunday at Vidhana Soudha. The tagline of the brand is 'Bengaluru- Be U' (be you). The logo signifies Bengaluru's cosmopolitan culture, a sense of belonging, 480-year-old history and futuristic outlook. The logo has been selected from 1,350 entries. IT-BT and Tourism minister Priyank Kharge said that the "identity" will "tell the Bengaluru stories across the globe". #NammaBengaluru gets its own identity. A city steeped in history, culture, art, cuisines. A identity that will tell the Bengaluru stories across the globe. #NammaBengaluruHabba pic.twitter.com/fwUUrr2Kdp — Priyank Kharge (@PriyankKharge) December 24, 2017 × Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had also tweeted about the launch of Brand Bengaluru. He wrote " Launching Brand Bengaluru -- the most enterprising, dynamic, progressive and global city, a city that allows you to be yourself." Launching Brand Bengaluru - the most enterprising, dynamic, progressive & glocal city; a city that allows U to be yourself. Participate in the #NammaBengaluruHabba near Vidhan Soudha today, and celebrate Namma Ooru Bengaluru! @PriyankKharge @KarnatakaWorld pic.twitter.com/zFGi1sLLfc — CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) December 24, 2017 × The font was devised by bankers-turned-designers Rushi Patel and M Venkateswara Rao, founders of Nammur, a design firm.

Bengaluru launches logo for identity badge 'Brand Bengaluru'

Bangalore, Silicon Valley of India, now known as Bengaluru has emerged as the best host among 45 cities of the world for digital hosting of businesses.

Bengaluru is rated highest for the digital environment of people, skills, financial environment, innovation and entrepreneurship, new technology development, and ICT infrastructure, according to a report from The Economist, published on Tuesday.

&ldquo;India&rsquo;s cities may suffer from infrastructure deficits, pollution, poverty and other ills, but when it comes to the environment for digital transformation, their executives are remarkably optimistic&quot;, the report said.

San Francisco came in the second followed by Mumbai and New Delhi, while Tokyo, Yokohama, and Berlin were at the bottom.

Citing a case study in digital security, the report&nbsp;mentioned that it was surprising to see train riders in San Francisco were unable to pay their fares, hackers had attacked the system&#39;s computers, encrypting all its data, and were demanding a ransom to return it.

The report has taken&nbsp;into consideration four broad parametres to rank cities: digital security, health security, infrastructure security&nbsp;and personal security.

Top 10 cities on the list of 45 were Bengaluru, San Francisco, Mumbai, New Delhi, Beijing, Manila, Shanghai, Jakarta, London, and Madrid.

The Economist surveyed, 2,620 executives across the 45 cities in June and July, in partnership with telecommunications firm Telstra Corp.&nbsp;

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Bangalore, Silicon Valley of India, now known as Bengaluru has emerged as the best host among 45 cities of the world for digital hosting of businesses?

Bangalore, Silicon Valley of India, now known as Bengaluru has emerged as the best host among 45 cities of the world for digital hosting of businesses. Bengaluru is rated highest for the digital environment of people, skills, financial environment, innovation and entrepreneurship, new technology development, and ICT infrastructure, according to a report from The Economist, published on Tuesday. “India’s cities may suffer from infrastructure deficits, pollution, poverty and other ills, but when it comes to the environment for digital transformation, their executives are remarkably optimistic", the report said. San Francisco came in the second followed by Mumbai and New Delhi, while Tokyo, Yokohama, and Berlin were at the bottom. Citing a case study in digital security, the report mentioned that it was surprising to see train riders in San Francisco were unable to pay their fares, hackers had attacked the system's computers, encrypting all its data, and were demanding a ransom to return it. The report has taken into consideration four broad parametres to rank cities: digital security, health security, infrastructure security and personal security. Top 10 cities on the list of 45 were Bengaluru, San Francisco, Mumbai, New Delhi, Beijing, Manila, Shanghai, Jakarta, London, and Madrid. The Economist surveyed, 2,620 executives across the 45 cities in June and July, in partnership with telecommunications firm Telstra Corp.

Bengaluru beats San Francisco to emerge on top in 'best digital environment' survey

We tend to think that nature and cities are polar opposites. Yet this is not true. As my research on Bangalore or Bengaluru &ndash; India&rsquo;s IT hub &ndash; shows, for centuries, the population of this region grew because of nature, not despite it.

In my book Nature in the City: Bengaluru in the Past, Present and Future, I take a deep dive into the ecological history of an Indian city, going way back in the past to the 6th century CE.

Inscriptions on stone and copper plates show that the starting point for a new village was often the creation of a tank, or lake, to collect rainwater &ndash; essential and life-giving in this unfavourable low-rainfall environment. These inscriptions provide fascinating insights into the close relationship that these early residents had with nature. They describe the landscape as consisting of the lakes, the surrounding irrigated and dry land, the &ldquo;wells above&rdquo;, and the &ldquo;trees below&rdquo;. This three-dimensional view of the landscape, consisting of two major resources, water (lake) and food (agriculture), nourished by nature below (in the form of wells) and above (in the form of trees) is a remarkably holistic conception of nature.

Unfortunately, in today&rsquo;s urbanised India, we have lost all trace of this three-dimensional vision.

Declining sources of water

The&nbsp;central areas of Bangalore had 1960 open wells in 1885; today, there are fewer than 50. Bangalore also lost many of its lakes, which were considered to be filthy breeding grounds for malaria, and converted to bus stands, malls, housing, and other built spaces.

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Sree Kanteerava stadium was built in 1997, where Sampangi lake used to be located before. (Others)
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The city&rsquo;s central Sampangi lake, which supplied water to many parts of Bangalore in the 19th century, was transformed into a sports stadium by the 20th century, leaving behind only a tiny pond for ceremonial religious purposes. As long as lakes and wells supplied water, essential for the activities of daily life, they were worshipped as sacred and protected as life-giving.

Rituals celebrating the overflowing of lakes during the monsoon by paying homage to the lake goddess kept the importance of lakes in the forefront of people&rsquo;s imaginations. But once the piped water began to be provided in the 1890s, these water bodies began to decay. By the end of the 19th century, wells and lakes began to be polluted with garbage, sewage, and even corpses during times of epidemics and disease.

Citizens nurturing nature

What transformed this centuries-long, strong relationship between people and nature? When Bangalore shattered its local loop of dependence by importing water from outside, people forgot the importance of their local sources of water.

Yet, as our research has shown, Bangalore still needs water just as badly for its resilience. The city has grown so large that piped water from distant rivers can no longer supply all its needs.

Thus resurgent citizen movements across Bangalore have begun to focus on protecting and restoring lakes in their neighbourhoods, which will also recharge the water below ground. In some low-income settlements, where adequate water supply is a constant challenge, community wells, once ignored, are now being assiduously protected and maintained as well.

The same pattern &ndash; of an early, close relationship with nature, followed by a break, and later a resurgent interest in the connection &ndash; is also playing out when it comes to trees. Early residents did not only focus on water but also &ldquo;greened&rdquo; this dusty, hot landscape of the dry Deccan plateau. Successive rulers from the 16th century onwards and common citizens planted millions of trees over centuries.

Each settlement was greened with a gundathope&nbsp;&ndash; a woodlot commonly planted with fruiting trees, jackfruit, mango and tamarind &ndash; which provided shade, fruits, firewood for cooking, grazing material for cattle, and occasionally timber as well.

When one tree was chopped down, another was planted to ensure continuity. New areas of the city were assiduously greened by administrators, who planted trees, and residents, who watered and cared for them, benefiting from the services they provided. This practice of greening continued during the British colonial period of governance, and later into the 20th century, after Indian independence. Because of the cool climate of Bangalore &ndash; in part due to its location on a plateau, but also because of its lakes and trees, created, planted and nurtured by local residents and rulers over centuries &ndash; the city became a chosen location for the British army, and later as a science and industrial hub in south India.

It is no accident that Bangalore, once called India&rsquo;s lake city and garden city, became the country&rsquo;s IT capital.

Soaring temperatures and rising air pollution

By the late 20th century, this relationship had begun to fray. With rapid growth, roads and other built infrastructure gained importance in the minds of planners. As a consequence, trees were disregarded and felled in their thousands for development projects in Bangalore.

Inevitably, with more private vehicles on the road, and fewer trees, the city became hotter, and the air severely polluted. Citizens soon realised this connection. So did academics. Our research, for instance, demonstrated that trees cool the air by 3 to 5&ordm;C, and reduce the temperature of the road surface by as much as 23&ordm;C, as well as significantly reducing air pollution.

Social media to the rescue

Yet citizen movements did not fade. In the early 21st century, the nonagerian Honnamma Govindayya has become an epitome of struggles to protect Bangalore&rsquo;s environment.

She fought against real estate developers who wanted to convert a local park that her children played in, taking a case all the way to the Supreme Court of India. She won and saved a tiny but very important patch of green from destruction.

Mass citizen protests in recent years have continued and gained significant victories for the city&rsquo;s green cover, including the reversal of a controversial decision to build a steel flyover, which would have destroyed thousands of trees.

Today these movements are strongly supported by social media. In the flyover case, the twitter tag #steelflyoverbeda (&ldquo;beda&rdquo; meaning &ldquo;no&rdquo; in the local language, Kannada) went viral, attracting hundreds of followers.

Social media has provided an easier way for once-isolated groups of people to connect and coordinate, and often to ratchet up public pressure on nature-blind administrators. Who knows how many would have supported Honamma Govindayya if she had a Twitter account then?

Understanding the history of nature reveals a very different picture from the preconceived idea that, at least in countries like India, where the pressures of development and growth are so large, nature and cities cannot coexist.

Today, this perspective on the ecological history of Bangalore can help city-dwellers worldwide understand why nature in the city is not just important for the metropolis&rsquo;s past, but also essential for its resilient future.

<figure>
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-cities-were-natures-haven-a-tale-from-bangalore-85411" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="blank">original article</a>.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia
</figure>

With the pressures of rapid growth and development cities in India are losing its ecological balance

We tend to think that nature and cities are polar opposites. Yet this is not true. As my research on Bangalore or Bengaluru – India’s IT hub – shows, for centuries, the population of this region grew because of nature, not despite it. In my book Nature in the City: Bengaluru in the Past, Present and Future, I take a deep dive into the ecological history of an Indian city, going way back in the past to the 6th century CE. Inscriptions on stone and copper plates show that the starting point for a new village was often the creation of a tank, or lake, to collect rainwater – essential and life-giving in this unfavourable low-rainfall environment. These inscriptions provide fascinating insights into the close relationship that these early residents had with nature. They describe the landscape as consisting of the lakes, the surrounding irrigated and dry land, the “wells above”, and the “trees below”. This three-dimensional view of the landscape, consisting of two major resources, water (lake) and food (agriculture), nourished by nature below (in the form of wells) and above (in the form of trees) is a remarkably holistic conception of nature. Unfortunately, in today’s urbanised India, we have lost all trace of this three-dimensional vision. Declining sources of water The central areas of Bangalore had 1960 open wells in 1885; today, there are fewer than 50. Bangalore also lost many of its lakes, which were considered to be filthy breeding grounds for malaria, and converted to bus stands, malls, housing, and other built spaces. Sree Kanteerava stadium was built in 1997, where Sampangi lake used to be located before. (Others) × The city’s central Sampangi lake, which supplied water to many parts of Bangalore in the 19th century, was transformed into a sports stadium by the 20th century, leaving behind only a tiny pond for ceremonial religious purposes. As long as lakes and wells supplied water, essential for the activities of daily life, they were worshipped as sacred and protected as life-giving. Rituals celebrating the overflowing of lakes during the monsoon by paying homage to the lake goddess kept the importance of lakes in the forefront of people’s imaginations. But once the piped water began to be provided in the 1890s, these water bodies began to decay. By the end of the 19th century, wells and lakes began to be polluted with garbage, sewage, and even corpses during times of epidemics and disease. Citizens nurturing nature What transformed this centuries-long, strong relationship between people and nature? When Bangalore shattered its local loop of dependence by importing water from outside, people forgot the importance of their local sources of water. Yet, as our research has shown, Bangalore still needs water just as badly for its resilience. The city has grown so large that piped water from distant rivers can no longer supply all its needs. Thus resurgent citizen movements across Bangalore have begun to focus on protecting and restoring lakes in their neighbourhoods, which will also recharge the water below ground. In some low-income settlements, where adequate water supply is a constant challenge, community wells, once ignored, are now being assiduously protected and maintained as well. The same pattern – of an early, close relationship with nature, followed by a break, and later a resurgent interest in the connection – is also playing out when it comes to trees. Early residents did not only focus on water but also “greened” this dusty, hot landscape of the dry Deccan plateau. Successive rulers from the 16th century onwards and common citizens planted millions of trees over centuries. Each settlement was greened with a gundathope – a woodlot commonly planted with fruiting trees, jackfruit, mango and tamarind – which provided shade, fruits, firewood for cooking, grazing material for cattle, and occasionally timber as well. When one tree was chopped down, another was planted to ensure continuity. New areas of the city were assiduously greened by administrators, who planted trees, and residents, who watered and cared for them, benefiting from the services they provided. This practice of greening continued during the British colonial period of governance, and later into the 20th century, after Indian independence. Because of the cool climate of Bangalore – in part due to its location on a plateau, but also because of its lakes and trees, created, planted and nurtured by local residents and rulers over centuries – the city became a chosen location for the British army, and later as a science and industrial hub in south India. It is no accident that Bangalore, once called India’s lake city and garden city, became the country’s IT capital. Soaring temperatures and rising air pollution By the late 20th century, this relationship had begun to fray. With rapid growth, roads and other built infrastructure gained importance in the minds of planners. As a consequence, trees were disregarded and felled in their thousands for development projects in Bangalore. Inevitably, with more private vehicles on the road, and fewer trees, the city became hotter, and the air severely polluted. Citizens soon realised this connection. So did academics. Our research, for instance, demonstrated that trees cool the air by 3 to 5ºC, and reduce the temperature of the road surface by as much as 23ºC, as well as significantly reducing air pollution. Social media to the rescue Yet citizen movements did not fade. In the early 21st century, the nonagerian Honnamma Govindayya has become an epitome of struggles to protect Bangalore’s environment. She fought against real estate developers who wanted to convert a local park that her children played in, taking a case all the way to the Supreme Court of India. She won and saved a tiny but very important patch of green from destruction. Mass citizen protests in recent years have continued and gained significant victories for the city’s green cover, including the reversal of a controversial decision to build a steel flyover, which would have destroyed thousands of trees. Today these movements are strongly supported by social media. In the flyover case, the twitter tag #steelflyoverbeda (“beda” meaning “no” in the local language, Kannada) went viral, attracting hundreds of followers. Social media has provided an easier way for once-isolated groups of people to connect and coordinate, and often to ratchet up public pressure on nature-blind administrators. Who knows how many would have supported Honamma Govindayya if she had a Twitter account then? Understanding the history of nature reveals a very different picture from the preconceived idea that, at least in countries like India, where the pressures of development and growth are so large, nature and cities cannot coexist. Today, this perspective on the ecological history of Bangalore can help city-dwellers worldwide understand why nature in the city is not just important for the metropolis’s past, but also essential for its resilient future. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Photo Credit: Wikimedia

When cities were nature's haven: A tale from Bangalore

A woman in Bangaluru threw her daughter from the terrace of a three story building, twice. The girl was thrown the second time because she survived the first fall.

7-year-old Ashika Sarkar died on the spot after falling the second time.&nbsp;The incident took place in broad daylight at around 3:30 pm(local time).

The neighbours, traumatised by the incident, forced the woman out of her house and tied her to an electric pole and informed the police. 
 
The girl was taken to the hospital and was declared dead immediately.

According to media reports, Swati told the police that her daughter was mentally challenged and that she intended to commit suicide after murdering her daughter.&nbsp;According to another source, police claimed that the accused said that her daughter was restless and hence she decided to throw her down to calm her.

Ashika was residing in the area in a rented house for the past one year with her mother, Swati Sarkar, who belongs to West Bengal.

Swati, a former school teacher, was separated from husband Kanchan Sarkar, an&nbsp;analyst in a renowned IT firm.

Residents claim that after being held,&nbsp;she started screaming agitatedly and justified the act by saying that she had the right to do whatever she wants with her daughter and should not be questioned.

According to media reports, Swati intended to flee the scene but was unsuccessful. She was taken into custody for interrogation by the police.

Initial investigations reveal that the couple came to the city nine years ago and have been residing in the same house since then. They had married against their parents&#39; will.

The husband decided to live apart ever since misunderstandings started leading to frequent conflicts, according to reports. Kanchan visited them once a month to give her money.

Kanchan mentioned that Swati often lost her temper&nbsp;and would harass Ashika. Some reports also claim that Swati is mentally unstable.

The landlord of the house claims that Swati was calm, composed and a caring mother.

Swati is currently in custody of the Puttenahalli police.

Residents claim that after being held,?she started screaming agitatedly and justified the act by saying that she had the right to do whatever she wants with her daughter and should not be questioned

A woman in Bangaluru threw her daughter from the terrace of a three story building, twice. The girl was thrown the second time because she survived the first fall. 7-year-old Ashika Sarkar died on the spot after falling the second time. The incident took place in broad daylight at around 3:30 pm(local time). The neighbours, traumatised by the incident, forced the woman out of her house and tied her to an electric pole and informed the police. The girl was taken to the hospital and was declared dead immediately. According to media reports, Swati told the police that her daughter was mentally challenged and that she intended to commit suicide after murdering her daughter. According to another source, police claimed that the accused said that her daughter was restless and hence she decided to throw her down to calm her. Ashika was residing in the area in a rented house for the past one year with her mother, Swati Sarkar, who belongs to West Bengal. Swati, a former school teacher, was separated from husband Kanchan Sarkar, an analyst in a renowned IT firm. Residents claim that after being held, she started screaming agitatedly and justified the act by saying that she had the right to do whatever she wants with her daughter and should not be questioned. According to media reports, Swati intended to flee the scene but was unsuccessful. She was taken into custody for interrogation by the police. Initial investigations reveal that the couple came to the city nine years ago and have been residing in the same house since then. They had married against their parents' will. The husband decided to live apart ever since misunderstandings started leading to frequent conflicts, according to reports. Kanchan visited them once a month to give her money. Kanchan mentioned that Swati often lost her temper and would harass Ashika. Some reports also claim that Swati is mentally unstable. The landlord of the house claims that Swati was calm, composed and a caring mother. Swati is currently in custody of the Puttenahalli police.

7-year-old girl dies after mother throws her off the terrace, twice

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