Award for BBMP Lakes

Based on our close association with the BBMP, Lakes, for over a decade, we had nominated them for the Earth Day Network India's Star Municipal Leadership Award, 2021. 

The  Earth Day Network India is an environmental organization that  "aims to help Restore our Earth with initiatives that focus on ways to regrow green cover, rejuvenate aquifers, restore soil, refresh air, reduce and manage waste, encourage a switch to clean and green energies, and build environmental stewardship among youth. We are inspired by the global NGO EARTHDAY.ORG™ that grew out of the first Earth Day on 22nd April 1970, and today engages with over 50,000 organizations in some 190 countries to take the environmental movement forward."

We are pleased to tell you that the Chief Commissioner, Mr Gaurav Gupta, received the Star Municipal Leadership Award trophy at a small function in his office yesterday (29th October 2021).

BBMP Commissioner Mr Gaurav Gupta with Chief Engineer Ms Suguna, receiving the award on behalf of BBMP from Ms Neela of Earth Day Network. PNLIT Trustees Usha, Nandhini and Divya are also seen. 

Ms Leela, Ms Usha Rjagopalan, Mr Gaurav Gupta, Mr Mohan Krishna, Ms Suguna

Along with PNLIT, several other lakes groups such as MAPSAS, JaLaposhan Trust, Iblur Environs Trust have also been partnering BBMP with their respective lakes. We are all very happy with the recognition that BBMP, Lakes, has received, a well deserved one indeed. 

Here are the links to a couple of newspaper reports that were carried today. 

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/lake-rejuvenation-bbmp-wins-award/article37245040.ece

https://www.deccanherald.com/city/top-bengaluru-stories/lake-developer-bbmp-gets-award-1045529.html

My Liveable City Award

A few days ago, I had the privilege of attending the "Affordable Housing, Liveable Cities Conference 2017", organised by My Liveable City, at one of the halls of the World Trade Centre in Mumbai. 

Held over two days, 21st-22nd Nov, the conference revolved around the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, an endeavor to deliver 20 urban million homes by 2022, and what it would take to make this a reality. So the place was buzzing with the finest Indian and International minds delving into finance, design, development, urban planning and policy making. If you're wondering how I am associated with any of these, well, I am not!   

My Liveable City, is an international magazine, committed to its name. The latest issue Oct-Dec 2017 has an article written by an architect Yamini Kumar, about flora and fauna in our cities. It mentions three spaces - Benthuizerplas in Zoetermeer in the Netherlands, Country Parks in Hong Kong and Puttenahalli Lake in Bangalore. You can read the article here.   

Cities are living organisms and have a character of their own. Each city has a personality dependent on its location, its history and the ambitions of its citizens.Undeniably we have a symbiotic relationship with our cities. To make our cities more liveable, we need to put more into them. We need to be more aware and involved, become more active and participative as well as be demanding of our city planners and administrators. - www.myliveablecity.com

My Liveable City (MLC) is born out of a series of discussions between a specialist in city-design and a specialist in media and their commitment to contribute to create more liveable cities in India. Shyam Khandekar has nearly four decades of experience contributing to more liveable cities in Europe and India. Shashikala Venkatraman has lived in cities across the world, and has extensive experience in media. Inspired by their commitment, they have been joined by young and talented professionals in city design, development and building from India and abroad who have been trained at the best universities around the world. A talented publishing team from India make up the balance of this team. Together they make the MLC project possible.

During this conference, My Liveable City awarded the "key" to an imaginary perfect city to three individuals/institutions. PNLIT was one of them. 

"For making our cities more liveable through their citizens' initiative to rejuvenate the environment" 

Living in Mumbai, I collected the award for PNLIT. Sincere thanks to My Liveable City, Mr Shyam Khandekar , Ms Shashikala Venkatraman and others, for the recognition. It was rather humbling, for a small citizens' group that happened to get involved with a small waterbody, in some obsure part of a metropolitan suburb, to be rubbing shoulders with CEOs from big banks/financial instituions, and renown designers/builders, from India and abroad. 

I take this opportunity to share the good work of the two other awardees. 

Mr Ashok B. Lall, Architect, Delhi

http://www.ashokblallarchitects.com/

His architectural firm, since 1981, is committed to an architectural practice based on the principles of environmental sustainability and social responsibility. He has been engaged in architectural education for a few decades, having developed appropriate curricula and teaching methods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So_tQdELO9k

MASHAL (Maharashtra Social Housing and Action League), NGO, Pune

http://mashal.org.in/

Distressed by the plight of the urban poor in search of housing and livelihood in cities, in 1985 a few likeminded architects, urban planners and social workers came together to establish MASHAL. As an NGO, MASHAL strives to usher in development of the destitute and mobilises slum dwellers to improve their living conditions. They execute schemes which integrate multidimensional, multilevel and dynamic understanding of poor people's livelihoods. Mr Sharad Mahajan, the Executive Director of MASHAL, who collected the award, said that most of the founders are now dead, and this award they received is the first in the 32 years of their existence.

Arathi, Trustee PNLIT

Certificate received from National CSR Leadership Congress & Awards

The National CSR Leadership Congress & Awards was held in Bangalore on 1st September, 2016 at Taj Vivanta Hotel.

The day-long conference focussed on trending and current issues within CSR, delivered by a high-profile panel of experts. The event culminated in an awards function in the evening. The Award highlighted those organisations and individuals that embraced the CSR and sustainability agenda and made it a key component of their procurement activities - as buyer or supplier - delivering not just a neutral impact on the environment as a consequence, but also a clear benefit. 

PNLIT was one of the NGOs invited to the event. Trustee Nupur Jain and volunteer Kalai Gautham attended the evening function. We are happy to inform you that PNLIT was one of the NGOs that was awarded a Certificate of Merit for the "Contribution to Social Cause & Empowerment". Thanks to World CSR Day & World Sustainability for the recognition.

Nupur and Kalai receiving the Certificate for PNLIT

16th July 2015 - Save the date

We are delighted to tell you that PNLIT will be receiving the  शहर GREEN करो - It's Our Turn to Lead Award at a special function at the Puttenahalli Lake premises on 16th July 2015, 11:00 a.m. onwards. The Chief Guest is Mrs. Karuna Singh, Country Director of Earth Day Network India, the organizers of the contest. 

The contest was held in 45 Indian cities to commemorate the 45th anniversary of Earth Day and six winners were announced in May. The Jury found merit in our entry on the pre-monsoon cleaning of the lake bed by volunteers on 28th March 2015, most of whom live in the neighbourhood. Sincere thanks to each one of them for the great vigour and enthusiasm with which they had picked trash from the lake bed. Pictures of the event are below. 

More than in the previous years, this cleaning drive was important because it may have been for the last time that we were able to do this. Puttenahalli Lake no longer needs to rely on the monsoon to fill up. From 17th May 2015, treated waste water from the Sewage Treatment Plant at South City has been flowing into the lake. Within a year, we hope our dream of seeing it filled to the optimum will become a reality and even more birds will flock to the lake. 

After their inspection of the STP, the Upa Lokayukta Hon'ble Justice Sri Subhash B. Adi and Dr. Vaman Acharya, Chairman, KSPCB visited the lake and met our volunteers. Their presence boosted our morale no end and made the day a memorable one for us. 

Our sincere thanks to KSPCB for giving the necessary permission and for sponsoring the lake cleaning drive. With infrastructural support from BBMP and donations from our well wishers, PNLIT has been maintaining the lake from May 2011. It is still a work in progress and we have a long way to go but awards like the one we will be proud to receive on 16th July encourage our endeavour. 

We look forward to sharing this moment with you. Do please attend. A line to confirm your attendance will be most welcome. 

Best regards

Usha for the PNLIT Team