Author Archives: Usha Rajagopalan ("Lakeika")

A Narrow Escape for our Precious Lake

The vigilance of our gardeners is to be applauded. On 3rd Aug, at around 5.30 p.m., they telephoned to say that “black oil” was entering the lake. We replied that it may be from the two-wheeler mechanic shop across the road and asked them to get it stopped. We were wrong. Our gardeners followed theContinue reading “A Narrow Escape for our Precious Lake”

A Darter in Distress

To nurture the Puttakere we maintain a To Do list which is like Hydra’s head. Each time we tick off one task, two appear in its place. Divya, Nupur and I met at the lake yesterday, 29th June, at 1:30 p.m. to discuss, among others, trimming trees, ground cover plants, events, share updates on new initiativesContinue reading “A Darter in Distress”

Homage to Our Mentor

Mr. Bhoja Shetty, IFS (retd) (4 Sept. 1922 – 6 Mar. 2022) A fallen flower on the pathway at the lake stopped me short on 5th March 2022. I looked up at the tree and saw one big cluster of flowers way above and buds a little lower. Our mentor Mr. Bhoja Shetty who had retiredContinue reading “Homage to Our Mentor”

Writing On The (Black) Wall

Some ideas are simple and yet so effective, they take the breath away. They quite often come into being such that it is difficult to pinpoint the exact moment of their appearance or trace their evolution. There’s no such doubt about the origin of one of our best ideas – black paint the external wallContinue reading “Writing On The (Black) Wall”

Reflections on the Buddha Coconut

I hadn’t heard of a tree called Buddha Coconut till BBMP gave four saplings for our first tree plantation drive in July 2010. I hadn’t heard of some others too but we were getting them for free at a point when we, trustees, didn’t have the money to organize such an exercise. The planting siteContinue reading “Reflections on the Buddha Coconut”

Wrapping Up The Year at Puttenahalli Lake

Yet again this year, Puttenahalli Puttakere taught us the importance of perseverance and the need to stay hopeful. When it seemed as if our ‘trial by sewage’ which had begun in 2017 would never end, BWSSB came through in April 2021 and plugged the leaks in the underground drain they had laid last year. TheContinue reading “Wrapping Up The Year at Puttenahalli Lake”

Dr. V. Kurien and I

Dr. V. Kurien 26 November 1921 – 9 September 2012 I was at crossroads that December of 1982. Newly married, I had taken a short break as Editorial Assistant at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad to accompany my husband who had just joined the Institute of Rural Management at Anand. My dilemma was whetherContinue reading “Dr. V. Kurien and I”

A Pat On The Back

Sometime in August, we received an email from Earth Day Network India about a new award for municipal bodies whose ‘policies and actions make a significant positive impact on the environment.’ Having been associated with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) from 2009, we promptly filled in the nomination form and sent it. In dueContinue reading “A Pat On The Back”

We had a Zoo in Our Backyard

I grew up in a joint family with my parents, grandparents, two sisters and two brothers, and my father’s two youngest siblings. They called him respectfully as Anna or elder brother and our mother, Manni and so did we. Anna was in the Indian Forest Service in his home state, Kerala. He used to travelContinue reading “We had a Zoo in Our Backyard”