10 small climate action ideas!

Bangalore: On 1st April 2026, a Community Organisation Programme focusing on Climate Action Initiatives was conducted by Rohan Benoy and Roshan K. Thomas, students from Kristu Jayanti College. The event was organised for 40 students from classes 6 and 7 of the Total Residential Education Program (TREP) at Sri Sathya Sai Shankar Vidyanikethanam at People’s Trust, Sriramanahalli, Rajanukunte, Bangalore. The objective of the programme was to raise awareness among young students about the importance of environmental conservation and sustainable living, especially in light of the pressing global challenge of climate change. The speaker on the occasion, Dr V. Selvarajan, Chairman, Green Circle, told the children that climate action is possible at their level if they adopt certain environment-friendly simple actions. He gave a list of 10 points and advised the students to practice the same. The other speakers included Harish Uthaiah, Managing Trustee of People’s Trust and Kumar Kalyandurg of Green Circle. Topics covered included waste reduction, resource conservation, and the adoption of eco-friendly habits in daily life. The students came away with the understanding that small actions can lead to significant impacts. They learned practical methods to tackle environmental challenges, such as minimising plastic use, planting trees, saving water, and embracing sustainable alternatives in their routines. The organizer of the program Rohan, said that this program was aimed at enhancing students’ understanding of climate issues and inspiring them to engage in environmental conservation. It fostered a sense of responsibility for a sustainable future.  Roshan adds, ‘After listening to the talk, I feel that children can contribute a lot in the form of simple climate action initiatives.’

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Digitalising trees!

Bangalore: Is there any way out to scan a tree to know the entire details about a tree? Kumar Kalyandurg of Green Circle says, ‘Yes! We could capture all data in QR code form and affix it to a tree, as a plate.’ About a year back, Green Circle Bangalore contemplated this project to geotag the trees and approached BMS Institute of Technology & Management, Yelahanka, Bangalore, to use the green technologies to conserve trees. Prof Sridevi of the MCA Dept agreed to the proposal and identified two MCA students for this purpose. BMS IT into a Memorandum of Understanding between Green Circle. As a pilot project, Green Circle chose People’s Trust campus where there are 1000 plus trees belonging to 100 plus varieties. The project was curated by Venu and Sunny, MCA students, who relied on AI data for identifying the trees. They developed the software page, which was incorporated in Green Circle Website. Dr Sanjay HA, Principal of BMS Institute of Technology & Management, inaugurated the first geo-tagging of the project by BMS Rotaract club on 11th Oct 2025. Geotagging of trees was done in several rounds. Volunteers from Green Circle, BMS Rotaractors, NSS from Presidency University, Sai Shankar Vidyashala, and People’s Trust Sri Sathya Sai Shankar Vidyaniketan Boarding Children participated in the tagging. About 1000 trees were geotagged. The valedictory program was organized at People’s trust Auditorium on 15.3.2026. About 150 volunteers participated in the program and were issued the certificates for their service. The Curators of the project Venu and Sunny were honoured with shields. Prof Sridevi Head of the MCA Dept was felicitated for the support from her department. Prof Venkatesh was also felicitated. Prof Tejaswini, in charge of volunteers from BMS, Ganga HM of SSV School, Bobji and Seethamma, Pranjal, Presidency NSS Coordinator, Chalapathi of People’s Trust, Harshita from TREP, and Vasant Kumar, Kumar Kalyandurg and Karthik from GC were felicitated. An 8-foot by 5-foot collage titled “Birds of People’s Trust”, was formally unveiled by Bobji and Harish Uthaiah. This board showcases the beauty and diversity of avian life in the premises, as the photos were clicked by Karthik and Selva. Bobji made a PowerPoint presentation on Conscious Conservation in action. Selvarajan, Chairman, Green Circle, welcomed the audience. Harish Uthaiah, Managing Trustee, People’s Trust, proposed the vote of thanks.Bangalore: Is there any way out to scan a tree to know the entire details about a tree? Kumar Kalyandurg of Green Circle says, ‘Yes! We could capture all data in QR code form and affix it to a tree, as a plate.’ About a year back, Green Circle Bangalore contemplated this project to geotag the trees and approached BMS Institute of Technology & Management, Yelahanka, Bangalore, to use the green technologies to conserve trees. Prof Sridevi of the MCA Dept agreed to the proposal and identified two MCA students for this purpose. BMS IT into a Memorandum of Understanding between Green Circle. As a pilot project, Green Circle chose People’s Trust campus where there are 1000 plus trees belonging to 100 plus varieties. The project was curated by Venu and Sunny, MCA students, who relied on AI data for identifying the trees. They developed the software page, which was incorporated in Green Circle Website. Dr Sanjay HA, Principal of BMS Institute of Technology & Management, inaugurated the first geo-tagging of the project by BMS Rotaract club on 11th Oct 2025. Geotagging of trees was done in several rounds. Volunteers from Green Circle, BMS Rotaractors, NSS from Presidency University, Sai Shankar Vidyashala, and People’s Trust Sri Sathya Sai Shankar Vidyaniketan Boarding Children participated in the tagging. About 1000 trees were geotagged. The valedictory program was organized at People’s trust Auditorium on 15.3.2026. About 150 volunteers participated in the program and were issued the certificates for their service. The Curators of the project Venu and Sunny were honoured with shields. Prof Sridevi Head of the MCA Dept was felicitated for the support from her department. Prof Venkatesh was also felicitated. Prof Tejaswini, in charge of volunteers from BMS, Ganga HM of SSV School, Bobji and Seethamma, Pranjal, Presidency NSS Coordinator, Chalapathi of People’s Trust, Harshita from TREP, and Vasant Kumar, Kumar Kalyandurg and Karthik from GC were felicitated. An 8-foot by 5-foot collage titled “Birds of People’s Trust”, was formally unveiled by Bobji and Harish Uthaiah. This board showcases the beauty and diversity of avian life in the premises, as the photos were clicked by Karthik and Selva. Bobji made a PowerPoint presentation on Conscious Conservation in action. Selvarajan, Chairman, Green Circle, welcomed the audience. Harish Uthaiah, Managing Trustee, People’s Trust, proposed the vote of thanks.

One response to “Digitalising trees!”

  1. Dr V Selvarajan Avatar

    This is a wonderful 3 in 1 program

    Like

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Green Circle gets its address!

‘It is a great moment for all our work,’ says an emotional Dr V Selvarajan, founder of Green Circle. He adds, ‘In fact, I never even thought that it would be possible. When Green Circle was formed 25 years ago, in Delhi, it was a modest beginning. I had not even Rs 1000 to get it registered’. Green Circle has celebrated its Silver Jubilee at Dwarka New Delhi on 1.11.2025. Within 6 months, a land was allotted by Singanayakkanahalli Gram Panjayat office, which was earmarked for charitable organisations. MLA SR Viswanath was in all praise for Green Circle activities for protecting environment. He recommended to the PDO for allotment of land for its office. Nanje Gowda, a member of the Gram Panchayat and patron of Green Circle, pursued the matter and obtained the documents to the effect. The Panchayat office also requested Green Circle to develop a green patch around its office. Green Circle on 14.3.2026 arranged a Bhoomi Puja in the allotted land. For this purpose, the land was levelled using a JCB and garbage was removed. GC Members Selvarajan, Ramachandra, Kiran Taula, Kumar Kalyandurg, Vasanth Kumar, Vidyasagar Arya, and other members, were present. Harish Uthaiah, Managing Trustee, People’s Trust, was a special invitee for the occasion. Nanje Gowda started the Puja. Others Prof Ramappa, Prof Venkatesh, Kantharaj, Virabatrappa, Santosh were present. Puja was conducted by CRPF temple Pandit. Kiran Taula said, ‘it is a milestone in the history of Green Circle’ Vasanth Kumar added, ‘This is only a beginning, we will soon construct an ecofriendly office. The office will be surrounded by herbal garden. We are planning to make this location a green area’. The place was named as ‘Green Circle Vatika’.

Health Talk on Air Quality

Green Circle Dwarka Chapter organized a health talk on pollution at Max Hospital on January 24, 2026. A total of 34 participants attended the event. The program began with A.K. Saigal, who spoke about the activities and initiatives of Green Circle. This was followed by an informative session led by Dr. Shubhanshu Raj Goyal, who explained the harmful effects of air pollution on the lungs. Dr. Shivangi Sundaram, a consultant in surgical oncology, then discussed the negative impacts of air pollution and its link to cancer. After the talks, a question-and-answer session was held, during which attendees expressed their satisfaction with the discussions. Raj Agnihotri and Anurag Mohan encouraged everyone to contribute to Green Circle’s future endeavours. Chitra Jain and Seema Mittal presented potted saplings to the speakers as a token of appreciation. Romila Gandhi, on behalf of Green Circle, thanked the speakers, Max Hospital, and the audience for their participation. Nearly 35 members participated.

Shipra River Bank Cleaning drive

Nainital 11.1.26 and 18.1.26

Green Circle Nainital, jointly with Shipra Kalyan decided to conduct a cleaning drive in Shipra river. The Shipra River is one of the rare north-flowing rivers, hence important to keep it clean and alive. The drive was participated in by volunteers of Shipra Kalyan and Green Circle Nainital. 12 sacks of biodegradable waste were removed. The municipality will lift the waste. Also, it was decided to conduct the same drive again on 18th January 2026

Geo-tagging Phase 3 at PT 10.1.26

Green Circle’s Geo-tagging of trees, the second phase, which tagged about 200 trees in People’s Trust campus. 40 volunteers from BMS Rotaract club participated in the program. Kumar Kalyandurg, Vasanth Kumar, Sandip, Selva and Biju joined the volunteers in listing the trees. 566 trees were QR coded. As of now, 811 trees were tagged out of 1000 trees. 20 Students of Sai Shankar Vidhyashala also joined the project. Temporary labels were fixed and will be replaced with QR plates. Venu and Sunny, who curated the project, guided the student volunteers in tagging the trees. People’s trust, Managing Trustee Harish Uthaiah thanked all for the volunteering

Pollution and its impact on health

Dwarka: An awareness program on the prevention of pollution and its impact on health was held at the Super 30 Centre, Mahavir Enclave. Romila Gandhi and Seema Mittal apprised the children about the importance of the 3 Rs—Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle—and shared simple ways to help prevent pollution. Chitra Jain and Anuraag judged the posters prepared by the Super 30 girls on environmental themes. The girls presented skits and poems and also recited slogans highlighting environmental issues and the need for conservation. Certificates and refreshments were distributed to all the children at the end of the program.

Dead Pelicans at Bangalore lake

Harohalli Lake in trouble? The lake officials don’t care to know the cause!

On the 27th, the Lake Walkers invited environmental activists to visit Harohalli Lake in North Bangalore. This 90-acre lake has significant water storage capacity. Members of the Green Circle visited the lake. They found 12 dead fish. These fish ranged in size from 12 to 18 inches. They were located along the lake’s periphery. To their surprise, they also found two dead pelicans, and one was in a dying condition. Dr. Selvarajan of Green Circle suspects that the fish died due to a deficiency of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) in the water. Another possibility he considers is contamination from untreated sewage entering the lake. Green Circle raised this issue with the Commissioner of the Greater Bangalore Authority (GBA) and the Fisheries Department. They have also contacted the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). The lake Managers perhaps been instructed to remove the dead fish and pelicans. But it is unclear whether any further actions will be taken to prevent future deaths. The next steps to prevent future fatalities remain unclear. Dr. Selvarajan poses an important question: “If authorities claim the deaths were caused by low oxygen levels due to extremely cold conditions, then why did the pelicans die? These resilient birds are usually capable of surviving harsh weather.” Another local resident emphasized the urgent need for a thorough investigation into the quality of the water, stressing the importance of finding out whether similar tragic incidents have been reported in other lakes.

A mega walk for lake 7.12.25

A Walk for Lake awareness campaign was organised by Green Circle on 7.12.25 at Avalahalli lake, Yelahanka, Bangalore. More than 1000 participated in the program. The walk started at Avalahalli lake with Yelahanka MLA S R Viswanath in the forefront along with Green Circle volunteers, Gram panchayat members, residents from the local apartments & layouts, Avalahalli village, BMS IT&M volunteers, NSS, NCC and Rotaract club. Children from Charitable institutions like People’s Trust and Vidya Gokula also joined the rally and staged cultural programs highlighting the need for saving the lake. A human chain and Aarthi were also staged during the rally. Nanje Gowda, Patron of Green Circle, says, ‘The city was once known for its numerous lakes. At one point, it boasted over 1,000 lakes; however, due to extensive urbanisation and extensive encroachment, that number has dwindled to fewer than 200.’ Residents were concerned that Avalahalli Lake could suffer the same fate as other lakes if timely action is not taken. A group of vigilant citizens, under the banner of Green Circle, launched a movement to save the lake four years ago. Navigating this task proved challenging, as the lake is surrounded by a maze of apartment buildings and a diverse array of layouts. Each twist and turn added an intriguing layer to the experience!  Green Circle decided to engage residents, authorities and panchayat members. Yelahanka MLA S R Viswanath pledged his support. Green Circle found that the lake was home to about 75 bird species. Ramachandra, Vice President of Green Circle, says, ‘We found that illegal activities, including fishing and open defecation, are rampant as the lake had neither a fence nor a security guard. The water quality was poor and polluted. The inlets and outlets were clogged. We took up the matter with the local Panchayat Authorities and BBMP (now GBA). ‘We realized that the water quality is bad because the nearby colonies throw the untreated sewage into the lake,’ adds Kumar Kalyandurg, Secretary of Green Circle. Vidyasagar Arya from Green Circle coordinated with municipal authorities to apprise them of the need to survey the feeder canal (Kaluve) that connects to the nearby Krishna Sagara Lake. Chairman of Green Circle V Selvarajan says, ‘The canal is currently not linked to the lake, which leads to frequent flooding during the rainy season. Although the Panchayat began restoring the canal, the work was delayed due to a petition from some residents against the Kaluve rejuvenation, as the route passes through their plots. The present walk is to impress the locals about the urgent need to connect the lakes. The walk for lake awareness event started from Avalahalli lake and walked alongside the proposed canal and reached the Krishna Sagara lake, from where the canal originates. The walk ended at Avalahalli lake after the MLA inspected the Kaluve and its encroachment points. Singanayakanahalli Panchayat President Amravathamma also joined the walk. Other Panchayat members included Muni Reddy, Keshavmurthy, Prasanth Reddy, Manjunath, Nanje Gowda, Kran Kumar, Babu, Sathish Reddy, Girish, and others participated. From Green Circle Selvarajan, Ramachandra, Vasanth Kumar Shetty, Kumar Kalyandurg, Vidhyasagar Arya, Sandip Kumar Mukhopodhyay, Biju, Virabathrappa, and Vidya Badri joined the walk. Nanje Gowda, patron of Green Circle, proposed the vote of thanks