Greens raise concerns over UVCE's new academic block in bio park
BENGALURU: The biodiversity park at the Jnanabharathi Campus of Bangalore University (BU) is under threat as parts of the park are set to be demolished for building an academic block for University of Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE), the state's first autonomus institute on IIT model.
Now, an online campaign has been launched against construction activity in the area. UVCE is set to claim 52 acres of land which is under BU. 'Acres of land are being given to to multiple institutions and agencies, disrupting the biodiversity park and we have always protested against it and now history is repeating,' said TJ Renuka Prasad, an environmentalist who was part of building the bio park.
Home to a variety of flora and fauna, environmentalists refer to it as the 'lungs' of Bengalureans. 'We have planted around 30 acres with the Western Ghats species. It's a reserve of many sandalwood trees. There are 175 species of birds and demolishing such a space will have a huge impact to the ecology of Bengaluru,' said Prasad.
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New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
Greens raise concerns over UVCE's new academic block in bio park
BENGALURU: The biodiversity park at the Jnanabharathi Campus of Bangalore University (BU) is under threat as parts of the park are set to be demolished for building an academic block for University of Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE), the state's first autonomus institute on IIT model. Now, an online campaign has been launched against construction activity in the area. UVCE is set to claim 52 acres of land which is under BU. 'Acres of land are being given to to multiple institutions and agencies, disrupting the biodiversity park and we have always protested against it and now history is repeating,' said TJ Renuka Prasad, an environmentalist who was part of building the bio park. Home to a variety of flora and fauna, environmentalists refer to it as the 'lungs' of Bengalureans. 'We have planted around 30 acres with the Western Ghats species. It's a reserve of many sandalwood trees. There are 175 species of birds and demolishing such a space will have a huge impact to the ecology of Bengaluru,' said Prasad.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Time of India
MR Srinivasan, doyen of India's nuclear power programme, dies at 95 in Ooty
Udhagamandalam: , the nuclear scientist and former chairman who was instrumental in the development of India's nuclear power programme, died in Ooty on Tuesday. He was 95. Srinivasan was admitted to a private hospital in Ooty after he complained of discomfort on Monday afternoon. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He died after suffering cardiac arrest on Tuesday. Srinivasan is survived by his wife, Geetha Srinivasan, daughter Sharadha Srinivasan and son Raghuvir Srinivasan. Srinivasan had the distinction of working with Homi J Bhabha on the construction of India's first nuclear research reactor, Apsara, which went critical in Aug 1956. His career was marked by associations with the most hallowed names in India's atomic power programme, including Vikram Sarabhai, Homi Sethna and Dr Raja Ramanna. Born on Jan 5, 1930 in Karnataka, Malur Ramasamy Srinivasan finished his schooling at Mysore. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1950 from UVCE, then a new engineering college founded by M Visvesvaraya. After his master's in 1952, he was awarded a PhD by McGill University, Montreal, in 1954. Specialising in gas turbine technology, he joined the Department of Atomic Energy in Sept 1955 and worked alongside Bhabha. In Aug 1959, Srinivasan was appointed principal project engineer for the construction of India's first atomic power station. He went on to become the chief project engineer of Madras Atomic Power Station. Srinivasan held several key positions of national importance, which included director of the power projects engineering division in DAE and chairman of the Nuclear Power Board wherein he oversaw the planning, execution, and operation of all nuclear power projects across the country. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In 1987, he became chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy. In the same year, he also became the founder-chairman of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. Under his leadership, 18 power units were developed. He was awarded a in 2015 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to India's programme. V S Ramamurthy, former secretary, department of science and technology, called Srinivasan one of the earliest architects of the Department of Atomic Energy. "I consider MRS a walking dictionary of nuclear power in the country," Ramamurthy told TOI. "In the mid-1980s, MRS was the first one in the country to organise a public debate on nuclear safety, in Bengaluru. His knowledge of the power reactor scenario was fantastic, and Kalpakkam reactor is an example for which he was in-charge then," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled Srinivasan's passing. "Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr M R Srinivasan, a stalwart of India's nuclear energy programme. His instrumental role in developing critical nuclear infrastructure has been foundational to our being self-reliant in the energy sector. He is remembered for his inspiring leadership of the Atomic Energy Commission. India will always be grateful to him for advancing scientific progress and mentoring many young scientists. M y thoughts are with his family and friends in this sad hour. Om Shanti," he posted on X. TN governor R N Ravi said said Srinivasan's visionary leadership and scientific acumen were central to building the nation's self-sufficiency in nuclear energy. TN chief minister M K Stalin called Srinivasan a "pillar of India's atomic energy programme" and "a true nation builder". Srinivasan had made Ooty his home after retirement and divided his time between the hill town and Bengaluru.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Time of India
Jnanabharathi Campus to be a heritage site?
heritage site declaration Jnanabharathi Campus Bangalore University The Jnanabharathi campus is Bengaluru's biggest lung space, in 2002-2003, we planted seven lakh trees belonging to 700 species, which are today acting as the biggest carbon sink –Dr AN Yellappa Reddy, an environmentalist urban mini-forests Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar B Khandre has instructed the Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Forestry, Ecology and Environment to submit a proposal for declaring the Bangalore Universityas a heritage site under the Biological Diversity Act (BDA), step is being taken after various proposed development activities have been declared in the recent past, posing a threat to the campus's proposal highlighted that there are many large trees on theJnanabharathi Campus, and underscored the department's responsibility in safeguarding its rich biodiversity. It emphasised the need to protect the campus's green belt, ensuring its preservation for future generations and contributing to the city's environmental sustainability. 'However, efforts are being made to cut down these trees to undertake various construction works, it is hereby directed to submit a proposal in the file, if it is possible to declare this green campus of Bangalore University as a heritage site under the Biodiversity Act, 2002,' read the letter by the Minister. The Minister also clarified that the step is being taken after an appeal from environmentalists to protect biodiversity on the Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivkumar's pet project – South Asia's tallest skydeck, is also planned on 25 acres of land at the campus that is teeming with to renowned environmentalist Dr AN Yellappa Reddy, who created the forest cover and bioparks on the campus nearly two decades ago, all the proposed development projects on the campus, including the skydeck, should be scrapped and the campus should be declared a heritage site on the lines of Nallur Tamarind Grove in Devanahalli.'The Jnanabharathi campus is Bengaluru's biggest lung space. In 2002-2003, we planted seven lakh trees belonging to 700 species, which are today acting as the biggest carbon sink,' he said. He highlighted that contour bunds were also created to preserve rainwater on campus, which has led to an improvement in the groundwater table by nearly ten feet. 'The campus is home to hundreds of birds and other flora and fauna. All these measures were then taken with public contribution, and all native species of the Western Ghats are growing ex-situ on the campus. It is only apt that the campus is declared a heritage site,' he said that if taken forward, the move will ensure that the educational campus does not turn into a tourism center.'Plantation across the campus was taken up systematically more than two decades ago. A yoga center proposed a few years ago was vehemently opposed to ensure that the green cover is intact,' said Dattatreya Devare, trustee of Bangalore Environment Trust, noting that today, the native forest on the campus, along with its biodiversity, are thriving, and declaring it a heritage site is a step in the right the Biodiversity Act (section 37), areas of biodiversity importance can be notified as heritage sites, and measures can be taken for the management of such sites. Such areas are notified based on the recommendations of the State Biodiversity Nishant, a member of Bengaluru's Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC), said that the benefits of biodiversity parks on the campus and ecosystem services provided to the environment and society are unmatched. 'BMC has been looking at analysing ecosystem services that the Jnanabharathi forest provides to the citizens of Bengaluru. Theseshould be conserved and not subjected to any developmental activities. In case a developmental activity cannot be avoided, it should be done vertically. We will soon meet the BU administration to discuss the living resources on the campus and the important role they play as Bengaluru's lung space,' said Nishant.
