Saving the last remaining grassland habitat in Bengaluru region
To a mind that’s taught to see vast swathes of land where no large trees but “mere” grass and shrubs grow as inconsequential, Hesaraghatta’s distinction as a unique habitat for…
Articles by Arathi Menon
Arathi Menon is an independent journalist based in Mysore, Karnataka.
Oh My Gaur! Living alongside the Indian bison that’s moving out of forests
It’s not uncommon in India to see cattle grazing in farms and backyards, ruminating by the road, or even causing a minor inconvenience to vehicles. Replace cattle with herds of…
The shepherd who digs ponds for animals
A nondescript village in Malavalli taluk in Mandya district of Karnataka, Dasanadoddi, is a little over 100 km from the capital city of Bengaluru. With narrow tarred roads snaking through…
Green Highways Mission remains halted despite a green light
If the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways’ (MoRTH) highly ambitious plan is to come to fruition, we will soon have tree-lined highways designed to not just please commuters aesthetically…
Nilgiris district collector says, environment before development
When it comes to taking crucial decisions, J. Innocent Divya, an administrative officer of the mountainous Nilgiris district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, goes by the mantra…
There’s more to Kodagu floods than heavy rains
For the people of Kodagu, August could well be the cruelest month of the year. In the last three consecutive years, incessant rains in the first two weeks of August…
Rare Gunther’s toad sighting highlights farms as biodiversity hotspots
“Forests are protected areas in name only. Sometimes we see better protection of biodiversity in the adjacent agricultural lands,” said C.S. Saneesh, a research fellow at Spatial Interaction Ecology Research…
Can Sharavathi river survive another hydropower project?
River Sharavathi already accounts for 40 percent (1,469.2 megawatt) of hydropower generated in Karnataka with seven dams and five tunnels but the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) is now planning…
All forest fires may not be bad fires
It’s the forest fire season and the officials at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka have stepped up the ante on fire preparedness. With fire watchers assigned to look out…
Much ado about a highway
T. Balachandra, Conservator of Forests and Field Director, Project Tiger, Bandipur, is a worried man. Close on the heels of a massive protest in neighbouring Kerala, over the rumoured closure…
