NSS Plogging drive

May 9, 2026June 12, 2026Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Bangalore: Green Circle organized a plogging drive on May 9, 2026, in Avalahalli Village. Although this village is located among urban areas, it remains in better condition than many of its surroundings. Plogging in Avalahalli was easier compared to the nearby urban regions. Over 200 student volunteers from the National Service Scheme (NSS) at BMSIT&M, an engineering college near the village, participated in the event. Green Circle coordinated the plogging drive, which lasted for two hours, with the support of the Singanayakkanahalli Panchayat. The volunteers were divided into smaller groups and assigned different paths: some worked inside the village, others on the road leading to the village, and some along Doddaballapura Road. Wearing gloves, the volunteers collected single-use plastics littered along the roads.

They used cement sacks, typically used for construction, to gather the plastics. In total, nearly 200 kgs of plastic waste were collected, which were then handed over to a truck sent by the Panchayat. Some Panchayat workers also participated in the plogging effort. Additionally, several volunteers went door-to-door in the village to raise awareness about the harmful effects of plastics. Suvarna, an NSS volunteer, shared her experience, saying, “It is interesting to collect discarded plastics. We feel satisfied that we have done something good for Mother Earth. We wish to join more plogging drives and do our part.” Earlier, Nanje Gowda, the Patron of Green Circle, welcomed the participants, and V. Selvarajan, the Chairman of Green Circle, provided instructions to the volunteers. Other Green Circle volunteers included Kiran Taula, Sandip Mukopathya, Manjunath, Namrata, Mohd Saheel, and Jayasree. Professors Manoj and Babu Naik also joined the drive and helped coordinate the activities. Kumar Kalyandurg, Secretary, Green Circle, said, ‘Today’s plogging activity is part of our ‘Mission Clean Bangalore’ program. We will continue to highlight the need for upkeep of the environment in the coming days.’

Eco-friendly Mass marriage

April 25, 2026June 12, 2026Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

“Environment First, Efforts Must” True to this vision, Green Circle inspired a team of young volunteers from BMS IT & M in Yelahanka, Bangalore, to participate in a mass marriage event organised by People’s Trust. This annual mass marriage, now in its 23rd year, brought together 27 couples along with their families, relatives, and friends to celebrate this unique occasion. Held in a rural setting, the event was a collaborative effort by a committee of various village leaders under the banner of People’s Trust. The couples were selected based on moderate and low-income backgrounds, as per their applications for the mass marriage. The goal of People’s Trust is to minimise costs related to food and expenses that would have arisen if each marriage were conducted separately. Approximately 5,000 people attended the event, all under one roof. Each couple received essential items such as utensils, provisions, wedding garments, garlands, and Mangalya, with local donors generously contributing to make the event possible. Couples were required to pay a nominal registration fee of ₹500, and nothing more. In preparation, the village committee met multiple times over four months to ensure everything was organised.

Last year, Green Circle noted that about 10,000 one-litre PET bottles were used, with only a quarter of each bottle being consumed by guests. As a result, they recommended scrapping PET bottles altogether. However, this proposal could not be implemented for convenience reasons, but the committee discussed the issue extensively and ultimately decided to use half-litre bottles instead. Green Circle was pleased to hear this decision. On the day of the event, Green Circle extended its voluntary services to assist with the organising efforts. A total of 50 BMS IT volunteers actively participated, helping with tasks such as arranging flowers, assisting couples, and serving food. This year, there was a noticeable reduction in waste. Even the plates used were made from dry leaves, and natural foods were served during the marriage ceremony. Crowd management posed another challenge, as the number of guests exceeded expected levels. On the first day, volunteers served water in paper cups; however, due to the hot weather, the demand was so high that the cups ran out before the event ended. Consequently, on the wedding day, half-litre PET bottles of water were distributed instead. Volunteers collected leftover water from each bottle and sent the PET bottles for recycling, while repurposing the collected water to water the plants in the area. By the end of the day, volunteers felt a sense of satisfaction in contributing positively to Mother Earth. Harish Uthaiah, Managing Trustee of People’s Trust, while thanking the volunteers, expressed interest in making the mass marriage a model eco-friendly event next year, as they prepare to celebrate the silver jubilee of this initiative soon.

Saving Basai wetlands

March 23, 2025January 25, 2026Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Green Circle, Dwarka Chapter, organized a walk at Basai Wetlands to highlight the urgent need for conservation. This wetland is home to thousands of migratory birds. 20 members from Green Circle Dwarka visited Basai Wetlands. It is located adjacent to the Dwarka Expressway. They assessed the current condition of the site. Basai Wetlands is a globally recognized birding hotspot. It has been considered one of India’s Important Bird Areas (IBA) by Birdlife International for a long time. It supports around 20,000 migratory and domestic birds belonging to 295 species, according to the website ‘eBird International.’

The walk was led by Selvarajan, Chairman of Green Circle. Participants raised slogans and held placards to draw attention to the poor status of the wetlands. Romilla Gandhi, who organized the walk, emphasized the need for immediate action as the marshland is almost dried out. She urged members to help rejuvenate the waterbody and highlighted that the wetlands are only 10 minutes away from Dwarka. Green Circle intends to advocate for the wetlands’ protection with the Haryana government. Gaurav is an activist in the Basai Wetlands conservation movement from Gurugram. He noted that hundreds of bar-headed geese, wagtails, sandpipers, and godwits used to visit the wetlands during winter. These birds are now rarely seen. He pointed out that untreated and polluted sewage water now reaches this unique wetland, which once had clean water. Muralidhar, another member of Green Circle, recalled that 25 years ago, Basai was frequented by massive flocks of bar-headed geese. These birds migrated from Mongolia and China. The journey involved crossing the Himalayas in temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius during winter. Nowadays, these birds are seldom spotted.

Selvarajan stated that wetlands are crucial for the ecosystem, not only for protecting birdlife but also for recharging groundwater. He emphasized the importance of raising awareness among locals about the wetlands’ significance. Gaurav added that the ‘Save Basai Conservation Movement’ will form a core committee. This committee will highlight the wetlands’ vulnerability. It will engage with the Haryana government for their preservation. It was decided to send a petition to the Haryana government to advocate for the protection of wetlands. After the walk, Green Circle members visited Sultanpur National Park. They observed the successful conservation of the park as a birding hotspot.

Lake festival (kere habba)20.2.25

February 20, 2025January 20, 2026Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Yelahanka MLA S R Vishwanath addressed the Kere Connect Habba, a lake festival at Avalahalli Lake. He mentioned an attempt was made a decade ago. The goal was to construct a building for Chitra Kala Parishad at Yelahanka Avalahalli Lake. He added that a lot of conservation efforts have been made to protect the lake. However, a Sewage Treatment Plant is still needed to ensure the water quality. Lauding the efforts of Green Circle, he said that a bullock cart will be the future mode of conveyance. This is because fossil fuels extracted in the world are depleting at a faster rate. Rightly, a bullock cart is symbolically exhibited at the venue Green Circle, the organizers of Kere connect habba 2025. A bullock cart with the above message was provided for the kids. These kids participated in a Drawing competition. They enjoyed a ride around the Yelahanka Avalahalli Lake. Selvarajan, Chairman of Green Circle said that the lake was upgraded. It moved from the E category to the D category. This change was due to extensive conservation efforts. Vidyasagar, a member of Green Circle, added that the Rajakaluve feeding the lake has changed over the years. It has been converted into sewerage. The matter has been taken up with Yelahanka Tehsildar. The lake needs a non-mechanized Sewage Treatment Plant to filter the pollutants entering the lake. Kere Connect habba was a day-long festival of the lake. It was initiated by India Cares Foundation, Friends of Lakes, and DCS bank witnessed more than 1500 footfalls. The festival included a variety of programs. The activities included a drawing competition on the lake ecosystem and a workshop on composting. There was also rooftop gardening, cultural programs, and traditional games. At sunset, an Aarthi was also performed at the lake and a large number of participants displayed a human chain. Residents of the nearby apartments, and villages in Singanayakkanahalli and Rajanugunte Panchayats also participated in the program.

Dr Selvarajan’s book release

December 7, 2024April 22, 2025Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Book Title: ‘Our Environment, Our Concern’

In 2021, Robin Sharma, the Editor of Dwarka Express, Delhi called me (Dr V Selvarajan) and expressed his anguish about my relocating to Bangalore from Dwarka. However, he continued to interact with him to save the twenty Nilgai, which had been dislocated due to the destruction of the 200-acre natural forest in Bharat Vandana Park in the heart of Dwarka. In the last 3 years, the place has been under the artificial construction of an amusement park. While both lamented that they could not save Bharat Vandana, at least they were taking steps to relocate the Nilgai. As the discussion continued, Robin Sharma requested that I write to Dwarka Express regularly. I suggested an exclusive page called South Express which will carry articles and news items from South India. Once decided, there was no looking back. This page was added as the ninth page of Dwarka Express. While Robin Sharma was happy to spread out to South India, I treated this as an opportunity to write about the environment. Slowly, many authors started contributing useful articles on nature and the environment. When 100 editorials were over, I contemplated a book named OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR CONCERN. Coincidentally, the title was the mantra of the Dwarka NGO called Green Circle, founded by me. Dwarka Express, in which South Express is a page dedicated to South India released the Book on 7.12.2024 in a glittering function at CCRT Auditorium Sector 7, Dwarka, New Delhi. About 200 Dwarkites attended the function. The function was organized by Green Circle Dwarka Chapter in association with Dwarka Express and Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, Min of Culture, Govt of India. I owe this opportunity to Robin Sharma as South Express has crossed its 118^th week. South Express will achieve many more laurels in the years to come. The book published by Alize Publishing is priced at Rs 299 and I will contribute all Royalties earned for the cause of Green Circle, founded by me in 2001. I sincerely remain grateful to all my readers, well-wishers, and friends of nature for their relentless support. This book will be available on the Amazon website from 7.12.24. Again, my sincere thanks to Robin Sharma for this honorary assignment.

Avalahalli lake- Biodiversity Survey

September 8, 2024April 22, 2025Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

First Biodiversity survey at Avalahalli lake

“We never expected this lake to have such a huge potential!” said Deepa Mohan, leading a team of naturalists from all over Bangalore in a biodiversity survey organized by Green Circle, an environmental organization working for the rejuvenation of Avalahalli lake in North Bangalore. Adding ‘we have spotted 70 species of birds including some uncommon birds like yellow Bittern, Cinnamon Bittern, Lesser Whistling Duck, Ruddy breasted Crake etc” she said that this lake has every potential for naming it as ‘Biodiversity Hotspot’. A team of 20 naturalists specialized in flora and fauna listed birds, bees, butterflies, plants, herbs, trees and shrubs. Naturalist Rishov says, ‘the lake has a lot of plants and trees like Acacia, Asthma Plant, Banyan Bengal Day flower, Blue Ears, Casuarina/Australian Pine, Cluster Fig, Common Fig, insects like Caterpillars, Red Costate Moth, Dwarf Honeybee, Fly, Flesh Fly, Long-legged Honeybee, Grasshopper and butterflies like Apefly, Blue, Gram Blue, Lesser Grass’ Expressing thanks to the survey team, Kumar Kalyandurg, Public Relations Director of Green Circle said, ‘it is amazing to see that volunteers from far off places from South and Central Bangalore have taken pains to visit the lake to record the biodiversity in our lake. We are excited to know that such a lot of natural wealth is available in this lake area’.

Vasnathkumar, another director of Green Circle added, ‘our enthusiasm is gaining momentum. We will be working on rejuvenating the rajakaluve with doubled enthusiasm now’. Satish, a birder said, ‘for me, sighting of a yellow bittern is a great excitement, I didn’t know that this lake is so rich in its diversity’. Karthikeyan Nambiar, another participant recorded 24 varieties of trees and 17 plant species. Dr Selvarajan, Chairman Green Circle said, ‘Green Circle will undertake 3 more surveys on a quarterly basis and study the varieties here. People’s Biodiversity Register will be compiled and submitted to authorities’