FORT-Mysore

SAPLINGS AS THAMBOOLAM

2009-07-12T06:27:00.001+05:30

The thamboolam is a mandatory take home at all Indian festivals and ceremonies, at weddings especially. The thamboolam bag (made of plastic, cloth or some polyester fibre, rarely of paper) contains a coconut or grapefruit, a couple of betel leaves, a packet of betel nuts – all auspicious tokens.

I don’t know what others do, but when I come home with the thamboolam, I put away the betel nut packet to be passed on, throw away the betel leaves which have started wilting, and use the coconut to cook. The bag if sturdy enough, will be reused as a carrier bag, that is if one doesn’t mind being the publicity person for the caterer. I have often felt that the fancy bags are a waste - especially when I see the grandeur of the bags – so much money spent on things no one really wants.

Long before the advent of plastic, the thamboolam was packed in ordinary paper bags on which the bride and groom’s names were printed. As plastic came into vogue, thin bags were used. Little by little the bags grew in size and show…….

So I was heartened when I read this news. Mayor of Chennai M. Subramaniam introduced an innovative concept at the wedding of his son recently, one that can be emulated by all. He gave away as thamboolam 3000 saplings to his guests to take away and plant. This delighted all environmentalists and eco-conscious citizens – zero pollution, plus greening.

The saplings are all avenue trees, and he had made arrangements with a nursery for the saplings to be readied by the time of the wedding.

I loved it, and I am sure GVK, fellow blogger, who has been pushing for distribution of saplings on all possible occasions will too. Many of us can follow this trend.

Planting on pavement

2009-06-30T00:58:00.001+05:30

To prevent haphazard growth of roots of roadside trees, insert a pipe along with the root of the plant into the soil so that the water supplied does not flow horizontally. This method will control the growth of the root and ensure that the roots grow vertically downwards thereby preventing damages to the pavements and road.

From - Laughing Waters

Planting hazzles

2009-06-29T20:48:00.003+05:30

Some years back, I asked the local corporator to join me in planting a tree. He came, planted the sapling himself, posed for the photos and left. A few days later, someone had vandalized the sapling and I planted another one in its place. The reason for the vandal was that a advertisement board had to be seen in place of the sapling. This time again it was vandalized. After the third one perished, I went to the corporator who had planted the tree. I came back with an indifferent advice from him, ‘Someone wants to make money by displaying his ad. Let him make money. Why do you bother about a tree?’.

So reads an excerpt from Ashwin's blog post. Thought his observations might interest the rest of us in the group

A wedding at a tree-loving family

2009-06-22T06:39:00.003+05:30

At the wedding of his daughter in Mysore Mr K Pugglendi presented each of his guests with two fruit yielding tree saplings. Volunteers were seen asking the guests to plant them in their backyards.... Read more...

Tree-line plan for D Urs Rd.

2009-06-21T20:37:00.002+05:30

In response to our ealier post Ashwin has come out with a brief note in his official website.
Ashwin writes: As of today, 14 trees exist on the kilometer long road. Just 14! I did a quick math to find out how many trees can be planted in all. Considering the intersecting roads, electric poles and a gap of at least 15 feet between adjacent saplings, 240 trees can be planted (both sides included)...To get a sense of his plan,and view the images Ashwin has in mind for Devaraja Urs Road, access Sapgreen.

Greening D Urs Rd.

2009-06-18T06:25:00.005+05:30

I wonder at what stage is the Prasanna-Ashwin initiative to tree-line Mysore's Devaraja Urs Road. Ashwin Upadhyaya and Mr Prasanna have their commercial establishments on one of the city's oldest market areas. Their plan is to mobilise shopowners for planting suitable pavement trees that provide shade for shoppers and parked vehicles.
I don't know if the Prasanna-Ashwin initiative includes sidewalk-landscaping, such as this one in San Jose, California.Maybe there isn't much scope,considerng that pavements on D Urs Rd. are not wide enough.Or maybe they could try it out on the Coffee Day Kerbside,where we turn right, into JLB Road.

Meanwhile, I wish to share with Ashwin and Mr Prasanna some photos on the sidewalk planting done in San Ramon, Calif.

Leave behind your MEMORIES - Tree Plantation at Karur Public School

2009-05-25T15:50:00.009+05:30

If we look back into our School Life today... we wonder if our teachers still remember us..? Some are remembered because they were extraordinary brilliants, some because they were very naughty and some only because they were good at something (singing, dancing, sports etc). Today when I go to my school they remember me because I was the most naughtiest and was always on the sports ground. It feels just GOOD... because they Remember..! :)

We at NISARGA, work a lot with schools as we do Nature & Outdoor based education programs all across Karnataka. On one of such program I met Santosh who is young and so passionate to give one of the best of the best education to his students. He owns 2 schools in Davangere and they are coming up with the new school campus at Karur both residential & day school. As we were on Summer Nature Camp at Kemmangundi one of the nights we were talking about doing planatation and landscaping at the new campus. That is when I suggested instead of going for ornamental and exotic trees if he would be interested to go for Native & Fruit bearing trees and also landscaping with more Butterfly host plants. The idea is to encourage and support the population of Birds & Butterflies inside the campus which in turn justifies all our efforts in introducing the Nature & Outdoor education Curriculum (activities like Workshop on Birds, Butterflies and also Biodiversity Study etc) for the students.

Nature Study while on Trek to Hebbe Falls

As the discussion went deeper n deeper, I recalled some of my readings of GVK promoting TREE planation to mark occassions at Family or Individual. Being one of GVK's admirer, right there an Idea popped into my mind and suggested Santosh if we can ask every student to plant a sapling as soon as he gets admission and take care of it untill he stays in the school. Santosh was very excited with this and immedeately said yes to it. So we have this thing take off with this years admissions and hopefully continuing for many years to come. For me I wonder if this can be one best way to "Leave behind your MEMORIES" at your school where you spend the most important era of your LIFE.

"Wish if more Schools can adopt this IDEA"

Anybody interested to know more about NISARGA Nature & Outdoor education activities please do contact me at naturelover009@gmail.com or call me at 99800 17105 / 99025 91345.

Greenery amidst concrete jungles

2009-05-16T09:39:00.006+05:30

This huge sub-city in the capital is a 'modern' monstrosity. The USP of this sprawling residential locale called Dwarka includes - apartment blocks with ethnic names, wide roads, generous service lanes, crowded sector-wise malls, oh-so-hard water. But amidst all the concrete, we catch glimpses of green, occasionally yellow of the konna flowers (the Indian laburnum flowers blossom in May here) and varietis of bougainvilla. Here's a Vishual treat. (The konna flowers are an integral part of the Vishukkani set up in Keralite households on the occasion of Vishu).

Chamarajanagar tree slaughter

2009-05-01T16:38:00.007+05:30

The milestone on Sathy Road says Chamarajanagar is just 10 km away. From here we drove past scores of slaughtered trees all the way to the town. Amputated tree trunks on the roadside bore mute witness to an officially sanctioned havoc to green cover.
This stretch of the road close to Chamarajanagar town has apparantly been left untouched. Could it be because the timber contractor, working his way towards the town from the sixth milestone, has yet to make it here ? Whatever the reason it was refreshing to see a patch of road well shaded with roadside trees that are decades old.
If axe-men have their way, this shaded stretch may well become a memory.Giving way to a widened, if tree-less, stretch of road such this one.
Timber contractors are at work,sawing and axing freshly chopped trees into manageable pieces of firewood.
Logs on the wayside await transport to saw mills and carpentry shops.
You could do a 1000 words on the chopped tree in this picture.
But who needs words when the trunks can speak. Road-widening is cited as an explanation. What is often not so obvious is a minor fortune some people could stand to make by lobbying for widening roads rich with old avenue trees.
Telltale remains of a chopped tree on the left of the big one suggest that road-widening may well be a pretext for converting trees into high value timber. In many cases trees that got axed could have been saved, with marginal realignment of the stretch marked for widening. But then saving trees fetch no money. And these are sturdy old trees, on which there is much money to be made by bringing them under axe.

'Green' school at Vijayanagar

2009-02-13T18:09:00.009+05:30

Right across the road from the public park in Vijayanagar colony where our Ugadi plants are coming up is Ananthageetha Vidhyalaya. The school stands out for its greenary.The teachers here take as much care of trees as they do their students. The trees, on their part, provide a welcoming shade; and LKG teachers prefer to hold classes out in the open.
Friends of roadside trees(Fort-Mysore) found this school eminentally suited for trying out their pet scheme to initiate school children into backyard tree-planting. Some of us in Fort have been plugging it, with little success. This may be because we have been talking to wrong people.
Ananthageetha seemed a promising school from where we could make a start. They have planted even on public space in front of their school. "These trees are four years old," said the school founder K N Anantharamaiah, referring to their pavement plantation.

Within the school campus there are rows of teak, where students spend their lunch time. The management has throughtfully provided granite-slab benches where they have lunch.
The rows of teak gave us a context to talk about our scheme for student tree-planting. The idea is to persuade parents seeking school admission to plant a sapling to celebrate the occasion when their young ones start schooling .The sapling and their child would grow together. And children would relate to saplings planted to celebrate their schooling.
Prof.Anantharamaiah didn't need any persuasion to see the benefit in the child-sapling idea. Snag, he said, was that they had no more space in school for trees. We suggested that the children could plant them at their own backyard or on pavement close to their house. Referring space shortage the school founder noted that Ananthageetha had a strength of 320; and senior boys and girls used the public park across road for recreation, as there is not enough play-area within the school premises.

Prof.Ramaiah said they had already started admission process for the next academic year; and that our suggestion could be tried out with parents who bring children for fresh admission. He wasn't sure, though, about parental acceptance - 'we can't ensure implementation of our suggestion'. Mr E R Ramachandran of Fort-Mysore noted that the number wasn't important. Even if 10 percent of parents and students are persuaded to plant rees at their backyard, it would be worth a try. The children who do take up tree-planting could be motivated by the school. The best boys and girls from the nursery, primary and middle standards should be honoured on the school annual day. ERR came up with the idea of Friends of Roadside Trees instituting prizes for outstanding student tree-planters.

Ugadi plants - a status report

2009-02-10T17:06:00.005+05:30

This isn't just any public park in yet another residential locality. The plants you see in the picture has each a story to tell. But their collective story began on Ugadi day last year. When two green entreprenuers in Mysore - Anil Kumar and Ashwin Upadhyaya - chose to launch their company - Sapgreen - at this public park at Vijayanagara-II. The enterprising duo chose the venue, brought the saplings and requested the invitees to plant them. It was a unique way to inaugurate their company.
This was how the park looked on the inagural day (April 7, 2008) The invitees included several neighbourhood school boys who use the park to play cricket. The ground was green, because of seasonal showers during those days. When we - ERR and I - re-visited the place this morning the park looked drab and dry.
We were however pleased to see a touch of green on the tufts of the 10-month old plants, coming up in an orderly row. The tall one in the foreground, a neem , was planted to celebrate the day my grandson Sidharth started going to play-school. Sidharth goes to school at San Ramon, California; and the neem we planted to celebrate the occcasion is nicely coming up at a public park in Mysore.
Here, his grandma planting the sapling in Sidharth's name on Ugadi day. Maybe we made a big deal of his pre-schooling. But then any event in the family is a cause for celebration for us. Besides, it gives us a pretext to plant a sapling. If every other person in a neighbourhood were to mark every family event - be it your children's birthday, your wedding anniversary, your daughter's graduation day, your son's first job placement, or his first trip abroad, India visit of your children based abroad - by planting a sapling in their backyard or on pavement in front of your place, we could turn the neighbourhood green.
I persuaded tree-lover ERR to pose with his sapling, a mahagony. Among other notable Mysoreans who planted saplings on Ugadi last April were veteran journalist Krishna Vattam and Snake Shyam.

Banyan tree at Beirchaa Lake

2009-01-06T17:40:00.010+05:30

Simply delightful and awe-inspiring to see a generously canopied banyan tree at Beirchaa lake, in MHOW, Indore. The tree even offers a strong arm as a swing that extends over the embankment. The mutiple trunks and aerial roots are quite closely spaced and provide myriad ideas, glimpses and dialogues if you care to spend a few moments with them!

A search engine that plants trees

2008-12-23T12:32:00.002+05:30

Ecocho.com is eco-friendly search engine which plants five trees for every 1000searches made on its website. Ecocho uses Yahoo’s search technology to power searches made on their site and the resulting trees are purchased from advertising revenue generated on the site.

Ecocho has planted 6,571 trees at the time of posting this message. I know this. because I have made the ecocho search engine the home page on my computer.

Green-STEP: Making a difference to the environment

2008-12-21T13:36:00.014+05:30

Green-STEP is one major break through in my personal life. With the help from like minded friends and my own resolve to make a difference to the environment I created a web site titled Green-STEP. I invite readers of this blog community to our web-site. And let me tell you that the moment you pledge yourselves to these or any other green measures in your own lives, then this becomes your own web site!

Recently Green-STEP organised an awareness program on plastic bags/covers pollution problem in Malleswaram, Bangalore on 6th Dec 2008. This event was covered by an article appearing in 'THE HINDU' newspaper dated 16th Dec 2008. On seeing the response/results, for once I feel I have been in action in my own life.

'STEP' stands for 'Sharing Thoughtful Environmental-friendy Practices'. In green-STEP website we have shared information on how each one of us as individuals can take simple but powerful 'ACTIONS' to make a difference to our environment. To give you an idea about Green-STEP, it talks about following issues:-
1) Urgent need to switch to cloth bags and avoid the highly polluting Plastic Bags.
2) Reduce, Reuse and if both are not possible then recycle! Be it plastics, paper, glass, steel, aluminium, brass, copper, etc., We must recycle all these and more, even if we can afford the world cannot afford such resource wastages.
3) In case you use an automobile, read how you can save fuel by reducing the virtual capacity of your fuel tank. Save fast depleting resources of mother earth at the same time add to your own bank balance:-)
4) Never drive your bike or car all alone. Drop some one on the way from a bus stand or auto stand. What does one loose by dropping some one on the way? Nothing! But what we gain is huge, we can arrest the maddening addition of vehicles to our city roads which is infact strangulating the smooth movement for the current road users. Unless we do something to this exponential addition of vehicles to our city roads, sooner are later we will definitely hit a wall and we will not even know what hit us!

There can be many more simple and effective green-STEPS which the readers of this blog may be aware and may want to share with the entire world. Do write in to me on sriram.greenstep@gmail.com and also feel free to tell me what you feel about these green-STEPs spoken about in this web site.

A rakhi for trees; vriksha bandhan

2008-12-16T17:00:00.003+05:30

The Taru Bandhan ritual being practised in the tribal heartland of Jharkhand has helped restore and conserve hundreds of acres of forestland, writes Moushumi Basu, a Jharkhand-based journalist.

The decade-old ritual was the initiative of a village school teacher Mahadev Mahato from Dudhmatia in Hazaribagh district. In her article Moushmi Basu reckoned that Mahato has helped restore nearly 25,000 acres of forestland - “For the natives of Jharkhand, the forest is an inseparable part of their life; why not include trees as part of our family and rituals,”. Palamau, Dhanbad, Chatra, Koderma and Hazaribagh are some of the districts that have taken the initiative in propagating this unique “green tradition”. Read the full article...

Heritage Trees: Five, and counting

2008-11-24T11:17:00.006+05:30

The committee for protection of heritage trees has named a 300-year old tamarind as a heritage tree on the Gangothri campus. It is the fifth one to be identified for the heritage status by the committee, comprising 30 plus environment enthusiasts in Mysore.

The Hindu reports that among other heritage trees identified by the committe are 1) the big banyan on T Narsipur Road;2) a peepul on Manasagangotrhi campus;and 3) a silk cotton in Curzon Park. The newspaper hasn't named the fourth one.

Would the committee fill us in on the location of this heritage tree? We could also do with their photos.

On the status of the Gangotri tamarind, committee spokseman Prof.Ramalingam said a major branch of the 300-year-old tree was in a state of decay; and that the tree has perhaps only a few more years of life left in it. The professor noted that tamarind was very susiptible to lightning strikes.

There are scores of other trees awaiting heritage cerification. Wouldn't it be nice if Prof. Ramalingam and others in the committee share their thoughts on the criteria for identifying a heritage tree? This would help tree lovers to recommend trees for the committee cerification.

Meanwhile we would like to draw the committee's attention to some of our 'finds'in the city. Not all of these tress may merit heritage status.
The banyan at the Baden Powell Public School. "I cherish the memory of this tree because here I spent my boyhood evenings as a scout and this beautiful banyan was the ideal spot for we scouts of the Ramblers' Scout Group to learn roping and earn a badge," says veteran journalist, Mr Gouri Satya.
This tree at a Dewan's Rd.temple must be as old as the temple.
This tree on the SJCE campus was phtographed by tree enthusiast Gagan K. He says he has more such photos in his archive, and would post them here,if the heritage committee would care to consider them.
An aged tree vandalised with graffiti at Pinjrapole. Wonder if such matters come within the purview of the committee to protect heritage trees. the photo was mailed to us by Prashant, an IT professional.
Another photo by Prashant taken at Mysore Pijrapole.
A massive tangle of drop-roots of an aged tree on JLB Road.
This tree at Hotel Metropole, JLB Rd., may not merit heritage status. But it might be worthwhile for the committee, with the support of the hotel management, to bring out a profile of this tree, its history, and the tales it might carry, for the benefit of environment-conscious tourists staying/visiting the hotel.

Ad-lined Avenue

2008-11-08T17:24:00.004+05:30

Ads may not grow on trees; but they sprout close to them on this tree-lined avenue.
Mysore is advertised as a heritage city. One wonders what could have prompted a heritage-conscious city administration to permit this.
When the hoardings first appeared a couple of years back there was public protest.

A walk around the lake

2008-11-04T11:22:00.018+05:30

Nearly three years back I wrote about a stench from the lake and Kukkarahalli mo(u)rning walkers. Three days back we took a walk along the lake.
This stretch is more than half-way on the 3.5 km walkway round the lake; and those of us who have problem doing the whole round at a stretch could do with a bench for a stretch out,like these ones on the bund close to the main entrance.

A couple of these benches would have better use if they could be relocated on the farside of the lake.

The farside presents a picture of neglect.
This stretch is not just unpleasant to look at. It smells foul as well. A fresh coat of paint on the bridge is long overdue; the water under the bridge that hasn't been treated or cleaned for a while appears a fertile breeding ground for mosquito.

The green patch has crept into the main the water body.

Some scenic pictures. Photos don't lie, they say; but they don't tell all either. They don't smell,do they.

Better maintained spots on the lakeside;they make a visit to Kukkarahalli worthwhile.

Morning mist, Mysore

2008-10-28T08:34:00.007+05:30

Ramdass takes a power-walk

2008-10-24T11:28:00.004+05:30

A much talked about politician in Mysore nowadays is Mr S A Ramdass,MLA.He is young, energetic,and proactive,notably, after he got nominated parliamentary secretarty to CM. Mr Ramdass doesn't wait for people to come to him with grievances; he reaches out to meet them in their own neighbourhoods, by taking a power-walk.

The BJP MLA sets out daily, on a morning walk that takes him to a diffferent locality each day. The walk keeps Mr Ramdass fit, physically;and helps him stay visible , politically.It is a two-in-one idea that ought to make every other politician wonder,'why didn't I think of this'.

Mr Ramdass has a bunch of people walking with him, even at 5.30 a m. His pre-dawn walks attract media attention. Neighbourhood residents await him with petitions and grievances. Municipal officials pay attention because they believe MrRamdass has CM's ears. This is not padayatra; it's power-walk, by a man who knows how to
use his position.

Friends of Roadside Trees believe Mr Ramdass can help push the green agenda during his morning walks.

1)Mr Ramdass can plant a sapling in every neighbourhood he visits; and appeal to residents to plant saplings on roadsides and other vacant public space in their
neighbourhood.
A tree-less patch on D Subbaiah Road, Devaraja Mohalla. The lone roadside tree was planted by a school boy living across the street. A pat in the back and word of praise for the boy by Mr Ramdass during his visit to this street (behind Rotary School) would motivate others.

2)The CM's aide, who admits to being religious minded, could promote the idea of devotees offering saplings in puja at their neighbourhood temples. The saplings blessed by the deity could either be planted on the temple premises or at one's own backyard.

Related item - Celebrate life; sponsor a sapling

Landscaping sidewalks

2008-10-15T18:22:00.011+05:30

In refreshing contrast to its sister institution,the Maharani's college on JLB Road has a well-laid out sidewalk. Maharaja's college, next building down the road presents a picture of neglect,with an outgrowth of partheneum. Two government educatonal institutions, located side by side, present contrasting pictures.

Memo to college principals

2008-10-14T10:38:00.002+05:30

The department of collegiate education is reported to have sent out a circular asking principals to organise tree-planting on college campuses in Karnataka. Hopefully, we would get to see some action on this patch of green in front of the Maharaja's on JLB Road. The company that undertook to maintain this patch appears to have lost interest. The department circular is said to have asked college principals to co-ordinate their action with the horticulture and forest departments.

Coastal erosion: A green wall for protection and for profit?

2008-10-13T21:53:00.004+05:30

Let us forget the communal strife in Orissa for a moment and look at a natural calamity the state faces repeatedly. Frequent tidal waves and the soil erosion caused by them endanger the lives and properties of lakhs of people along the 480km shoreline of Orissa.

IIT Chennai and some other agencies are studying this issue and have reportedly submitted some preliminary recommendations. In the meantime, the Orissa Government has approached the Central Government for financial support for a Rs.7000 crore project to save the coastal villages from the ravages of the sea. The main focus appears to be on building protective walls along the shore.

There could be a far cheaper, more effective, eco-friendly and profitable project to prevent soil erosion. My suggestion is to try planting Morinda citrifolia (Noni) along the coast. This plant, which is endemic to India, is unfortunately on the endangered list now.

How do plants prevent soil erosion? When rain water runs off to lower levels or waves recede to the sea, they take away loosened soil with them. The stem of trees and the roots mitigate the erosive force of flowing water, thereby preventing soil being carried off. The native plants are best suited for this.

I took these photos in the coastal belt of Kerala.
Copyright reserved. Click on photos to enlarge.

Significantly, Morinda citrifolia (Noni) is also known as Indian mulberry and Beach mulberry. It tolerates saline and secondary soils, can withstand drought conditions and grow well on sandy beaches. It can attain a height of up to 20 feet and serve the dual purpose of preventing soil erosion and acting as a windbreaker. Normally stem cutting is used for propagation. The planting distance is about 15 feet apart. Once introduced, it will start growing wild.

The benefits of planting Morinda citrifolia are not confined to protection from coastal erosion. It is actually considered to be a wonder plant with immense medicinal values. India has known that for thousands of years. But the Western countries started taking note of this gift of nature only in the 1990s.

And, in less than two decades, the Noni (Morinda citrifolia) products, particularly the juice made from the fruit, have turned into a business that is worth billions of US dollars! By planting Noni (Morinda citrifolia) along the coastline the country can, apart from preventing soil erosion, capture a major chunk of the fast-growing Noni market.

Additionally, greening such a large area would help in reducing the carbon levels. And, it does not take long to feel the impact. Noni starts yielding in 18 months and has a productive life span of around 40 years!

The only negative point is that during flowering time the plant emits a foul smell.

Why not give it a try, at least in small stretches?

Urban Heat Islands

2008-10-12T22:19:00.003+05:30

Have you herd of the term “Urban heat islands”? Next time your old uncle complains of rising temperatures in Mysore, you may want to listen more closely. UHIs are urban areas that are significantly warmer than their surrounding rural landscapes. The main causes of UHIs are typical “urbanization” strategies…tarred roads, RCC buildings, loss of garden spaces/ farms etc. UHIs modify rainfall and warming patterns of not just the city, but its surrounding rural/forest areas too. See this wiki note on UHIs for more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_heat_island. You could also check out http://www.urbanheatislands.com/.

Urban tree plantations are important UHI mitigation strategies. So, what FORT Mysore is trying to promote is a very important activity which will ensure Mysore remains cooler, Mysoreans use less energy to keep their homes/offices cool, and that Mysore does not alter rainfall or temperature patterns of its surrounding rural landscapes too drastically.

There has also been a lot of talk about “Green highways” in the developed world. For example, see http://www.astm.org/SNEWS/SO_2008/bryce_so08.html. In the Bangalore-Mysore region, we seem to be taking a few steps backwards…by replacing our tree-lined highway with a cemented four-lane “hot”way.

These informative research articles might interest some of you:

http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/programs/cufr/products/1/psw_cufr746_energyconspotential.pdf

http://www.neduet.edu.pk/Arch_2Jne/Arch11/JRAP-2001/JRAP%201/Heat%20Island-New.pdf

Writings on the board

2008-10-08T11:58:00.007+05:30

The notice board says it all - about the maintenance of a green patch in front of the Maharaja's high school on JLB Road in Mysore. The writings on the board refer to corporate social (ir-)responsibility. The state of the notice board (which mercifully wipes out the name of the company that undertook maintain this space) smacks of inaction by the municipal authorities.

And,above all,it speaks of community's indifference to such violation of public space. The green patch in front of the Maharaja's high school, a heritage building on the tree-lined JLB Road,had once seen better days. The company that undertook to landscape this patch has evidently lost interest.
The municipal authorities (or is it MUDA) that take care of parks and public spaces that could do with landscaping appear to be unaware of the state of neglect or uninterested in doing anything to give a face-lift to the frontage of a heritage building.

This picture, of a sidewalk in San Jose, California, gives an idea of what is possible by way of landscaping even a narrow strip.