Climate action begins at home, say experts in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: As the world marked Environment Day with campaigns, tree-planting drives, and discussions on climate change, experts in Bengaluru urged citizens to look beyond symbolic gestures and focus on everyday actions that can collectively make a significant environmental impact.

At the Bengaluru Climate Summit organised by Vimove Foundation here Friday, experts emphasised that while govts and corporations have a crucial role in tackling climate change, individual behaviour remains largely overlooked. They argued that composting at household or apartment level could dramatically reduce the burden on the city’s waste management system.

Narayanan Subramanian, architect, VaNashri Consulting, said his household has generated virtually no wet waste for nearly two decades by composting kitchen waste at home. Simple measures such as installing aerators on taps, reducing unnecessary water consumption and adopting less resource-intensive lifestyles can help cities become more resilient as climate pressures increase.

Plogger Ramakrishna Ganesh highlighted the role of citizen participation in environmental monitoring and local problem-solving: “Residents can use technology to document civic issues, report waste dumping, track environmental concerns and contribute data that can support better planning and governance.”

Several speakers noted that Bengaluru already has examples of citizen-led environmental efforts, from neighbourhood composting initiatives to volunteer groups that collect litter, restore lakes, and promote responsible waste disposal.

Dhruv K, a civic enthusiast, said: “Everyone wants to know who is responsible for garbage, but very few ask whether they themselves are part of the problem. While civic agencies have their responsibilities, citizens cannot ignore theirs.”

Vimove founder Vinay Shindhe told TOI: "Awareness is not Bengaluru’s problem anymore. Action is. We are highly educated and understand the issues, but climate action requires collective responsibility. Instead of waiting for govt to solve every problem, citizens must step forward, participate and become part of the solution. Climate will not wait — it will show us the consequences of what we do today.”

BDA launches Green Bengaluru portal

Bangalore Development Authority launched Green Bengaluru, a digital portal aimed at restoring the city’s depleting green cover through public participation.

Unveiled on World Environment Day by BDA chairman NA Haris, the platform covers BDA layouts, including Banashankari, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, and Shivarama Karanth Layout. The portal enables geo-tagged tree plantation with drone-based monitoring, citizen and NGO adoption of neighbourhood parks, and registration for upcoming mega plantation drives. Schools, colleges, IT companies, and residents are invited to join the movement to reclaim Bengaluru’s identity as the Garden City. Check greenbengalurubybda.in.