Vardhini Suresh, Namratha Murali, M Soubadra Devy

Deccan Herald |  March 28, 2024

In the early 90’s, during the IT boom, Bengaluru witnessed a seismic shift from a garden city to the Silicon Valley of India. The rapid urbanisation resulted in the depletion of green spaces within and around the city. The natural scrubby vegetation, once scattered as small pockets within the city, was replaced by parks with manicured lawns and turfs. These parks are landscaped to mimic the natural vegetation of temperate countries. They necessitate high inputs of fertilisers and pesticides, which leave them devoid of any fauna, which could support biodiversity if managed in an environment-friendly manner.