These Bengalureans live in harmony with nature

Credit: DH Photo

With an increased focus on non-conventional energy sources, many Bengalureans are actively involved in efforts to promote clean energy. From shifting to solar energy to power their houses to harvesting rainwater, Bengalureans have set an example of how a modern city could contribute to a cleaner environment.

Sivaraman Hariharan, a resident of Kasturinagar, has been utilising solar energy to power his house for nearly four years now.

“I started back in 2018 and I am able to produce nearly 200 units of electricity a month. Though there was an initial investment of Rs 2 lakh, I am able to power my house completely and hardly utilise other power sources,” Sivaraman said.

He says that the power generated is not only sufficient for his consumption but is also helping him earn revenue.

“We hardly utilise 160 to 180 units a month. The rest of the power is supplied to Bescom’s electricity grid and I am able to earn nearly Rs 1,200 a year,” he says. Hariharan suggested that an incentive by the civic body or the government could help many users shift to cleaner forms of energy.

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Composting wet waste

Meanwhile, a group of 18 homemakers in JP Nagar Second phase have been utilising the wet waste generated at their houses and dry leaves to make compost. The group, which calls itself Women of Wisdom (WOW), has been composting the waste generated at their homes since 2019.

“We wanted to give back to society in some way. We started the initiative in 2019 by filling pit lanes with wet waste and microbes. We have utilised two pits so far,” explained Shakila, a member of WOW.

Over time, the community has been able to produce good quality compost which is now being sold to farmers.

“We have received immense support from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and other NGOs in the field. We take 25 days to fill each pit and let it compost for another 45 days. We also use cocopeat to generate microbes. This ensures that the compost is of good quality,” she added.

Catching the rain

Cauvery water is brought to Bengaluru from as far as 100 km. Realising how important it is to save water and recharge the groundwater table, many Bengalureans have implemented Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) systems in their homes.

Raghuram, a resident of Vidyaranyapura, says he can store at least 8,000 litres of water every time the city
receives moderate rains.

“With the changing rainfall patterns, Bengaluru is receiving heavy rain now. Many a time my storage sump overflows and water is then directed to recharge the well,” he said.

He added that his dependency on piped water has reduced significantly from 45,000 litres to as low as 13,000 litres. “Our water tariff would be as high as Rs 2,000. Now, we are able to limit it to Rs 250,” he said.

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He added that such measures were the need of the hour given the environmental impact utilisation of water could have.

Reva Malik, resident of Chikkanayakanahalli off Sarjapur Road, has adopted a sustainable lifestyle to reduce her carbon footprint.

Her family resides in a mud house and has been using only renewable energy sources for every purpose for two years now.

“My children were growing up, and we all talked about sustainability. Our work took us to villages and the tribal communities and their nature-tuned lifestyle made me determined to change my lifestyle,” she
said.

To switch to green energy, the family now uses an 850 VA solar energy system for charging laptops and phones and a separate EV charger and solar cooker for cooking purposes. Besides, they use oil lamps to light up the house at night.