Welcome to Bangalore Environment Trust

List of Trustees Zafar Fatehally People familiar with the world on birdwatching need no introduction to Mr. Zafar Futehally, whose main interest in life is Ornithology and Conservation. His contribution to the world of birdwatching and conservation in India is immense, and the list of his achievements and responsibilities held in these areas is long: he was the Editor of “Newsletter for Birdwatchers” since its inception in 1959, until 2004. Currently, he is Editor Emeritus, “Indian Birds”. Mr. Futehally was Honorary Secretary, Bombay Natural History Society, from 1963 to 1973, and was the Founder Trustee of the World Wildlife Fund in India. He was Vice President, IUCN from 1959 till 1966. He is a member of the National Committee on Environmental Planning (Government of India), and a Steering Committee Member of Project Tiger. Mr. Futehally has been honoured with the Padma Shree award, the Rajyotsova award, the Member of Honour (WWF) award, and the Order of the Golden Ark by the Prince of The Netherlands. Mr. Futehally is a Founder Trustee, Bangalore Environment Trust.

Captain Subburao Prabhala Capt, Prabhala is a Founder Trustee of BET. He is a leader in professional and military electronics, with more than 25 years of experience in the electronics industry – he was the Chief Executive Officer of Spectrum Infotech, a leading avionics development company addressing the Indian defence industry, which he started after retiring as Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL). Capt. Prabhala is a member of the Board of Directors of several companies, as well as Senior Member, IEEE.

G Govardhan Mr. Govardhan is a Diploma in Electrical Engineering, as well as a Diploma in Radio Engineering. He retired from Bharat Electronics in 1988, as Additional General Manager. Mr. Govardhan is the Trustee and Administrator of Bangalore Environment Trust (BET), a post he has held since 1988. He is also the Chairperson, Swabhimana, which was initiated by BDA and BCC. He is also the Founder member and past Trustee of Citizens Voluntary Initiative for the City (CIVIC). Mr. Govardhan is a member of various initiatives of the Government of Karnataka, and has been instrumental in filing writ petitions against various issues like Balbavan, Sports Complex, Jayanagar Temple, Stray Dogs menace, Diamond District, etc. Mr. Govardhan also finds the time to provide personal assistance every evening, at the Little Sister’s Home for Aged. Mr. Govardhan received the State Award “Parisara Prashasthi” in 1996 for his contributions towards society.

Vijay Thiruvady Mr. Vijay Thiruvady spent his early years in Delhi. His academic interests were pursued in St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and School of Architecture in Ahmedabad. In Delhi he had exposure to the world of nature and environment through association with a number of people and institutions. In college, Mr. Thiruvady participated and got his blues in tennis and hockey, in addition to taking part in a number of treks from Kashmir to Sikkim. Professionally, Mr. Thiruvady has been in the Oil & Gas and Petrochemical Industry for the last 30 years, having worked for and represented in India, Tata Consulting Engineers, John Brown Engineers & Constructors Ltd, UK, AMEC UK and John Zink Company. Thiruvady was also involved in the setting up of John Brown Engineering India of which he was a Promoter/Director. The main thrust in his professional life was to bring in and market technologies and the engineering capabilities of the various companies he was associated with. These activities continue today, though in a smaller way. Mr. Thiruvady has always been interested in various aspects of nature and more specifically horticulture. He has a farm in the outskirts of Bangalore, conducts Green Heritage Walks in Lalbagh and, of course, participates in the various activities of Bangalore Environment Trust as a Trustee – currently, these include the preparation of a Heritage Tree Register/book and studies of Devarakadus/Gundutopus and large wooded institutional areas in Bangalore.

A. N. Yellappa Reddy Mr. Yellappa Reddy is a Graduate in Agricultural Science and a Post Graduate in Soil Science. He is a member of the Indian Forestry Services, and has 4 decades of service in the IFS in Karnataka. Mr. Reddy has served as Administrator of Forests for 20 years. He was also in the Research Wing of the Forestry Services for 10 years, and has also held the post of Chief Conservator, Forests. He retired as the Secretary, Department of Ecology and Environment, in Karnataka. Mr. Reddy has written a book titled ‘Sacred Plants’ – this book is about the plants used in various rituals, and gives the logic and the aromatherapy science behind this usage. Today, Mr. Reddy is the Governing Council Member, Foundation for Ecological Security of India. He is also Member, Karnataka High Court Lok Adalat, as well as the Chief Advisor, Bangalore University Bio-diversity Park. Mr. Reddy is a very active membet of BET, and he brings with him immense years of experience, knowledge and contacts that BET leverages very often in its endeavors.

Hiroo Advani Mr. Hiroo Advani was Executive Vice President, Blue Star Ltd., after which he was a franchisee of a US based executive search firm in Bangalore. Mr. Advani was very active in the Corporate world, from which he retired in 2004. Mr. Advani is a B.Com from the University of Bombay, and has undergone the Management Development Program for Senior Managers from the Administrative Staff College of India, as well as several programs on various management subjects ranging from Organizational Development, Performance Appraisal, Customer Satisfaction to Total Quality Management and Train the Trainers. Mr. Advani’s hobbies and interests range from Indian history to a wide range of music, and international travel. One of his passions is reading and learning about the environment, and contributing to the conservation of the environment through BET and the Koramangala Initiative. Mr. Advani is a member of the Willingdon Sports Club in Mumbai, and the Coonoor Club in Coonoor.

D.T. (Subhash) Devare Mr. Devare holds Post Graduate qualifications in Sociology, Business Administration and Law from Pune University, and has an overall Corporate experience of 25 years in the field of Human Resource Management. Since August 1999, Mr. Devare has been an independent HR Consultant and Trainer based in Bangalore. He handles a variety of HR Interventions for his clients, and conducts training programs in management and soft skills. During the period 1993 to 1995, Mr. Devare was the President of National HRD Network, Bangalore. He was also an active member of the CII-HR panel during this period. Through his hobbies (gardening and traveling) he has developed a deep interest in issues concerning the environment, particularly the protection of greenery. Since 2007, Mr. Devare has been actively involved in BET activities such as the Tree Transplantation project, amendments to the Tree Act, etc.

Mohan Bopaiah Mr. Mohan Bopiah is the Principal Architect/ Planner of Bopiah & Associates, a firm of Architects & Planners set up in Bangalore, having executed many projects in various parts of the country and in the U.S. Mr. Bopiah has a Bachelors degree in Architecture with Honours from the Indian Institute of Technology, at Kharagpur and a Master’s degree in Architecture from the College of Environmental Design of the University of California at Berkeley, following which he worked with the firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Washington. D. C as an Urban Designer on the City of Baltimore. This was followed by a long stint as a Professional Officer working on environmental policies for the Comprehensive Development plan for Greater London with the Department of Planning & Transportation of the Greater London Council in London, England. Prior to returning to India to set up a firm in Bangalore, he had a short stint in Iran for two years working in Teheran on Master Transportation plans for various cities there. Recent work has included a number of software research and Development facilities for a well know IT company in various cities in India and Interior projects in the U.S. Mr. Bopiah has been a Trustee since inception of BET and has an interest in the Environmental aspects of city growth. His interests include photography, music and travel.

Sudarshan Nityananda Sudarshan Nityananda holds a BE degree from the College of Engg, Guindy and an M Tech in Computer Engg from IIT Bombay . He has over a decade of experience in designing large scale electronics and computer systems for the defence sector and over twenty five years’ experience in sales and technical marketing of real time scientific computer systems, automatic test equipment and in management of large datacom network integration projects. He has worked with several leading technical organizations such as Bharat Electronics, TIFR Bombay and Crompton Greaves Ltd. Currently, Nityananda is a training consultant in telecom and networking technologies. He is interested in environmental issues impacting Bangalore , especially the preservation of the city’s tree wealth and is actively involved with the Bangalore Environment Trust. He also has great interest in and admiration for the State of Uttarakhand and its people and has gone on trekking holidays there in areas such as The Valley of Flowers, Deoria Tal, the Mussoorie hills , the Binsar Sanctuary etc.

Ms. Urmila Devi Kotda-Sangani Ms. Urmila Devi worked for 8 years in the garment export industry in the 1980s as Manager of Lark International Ltd.Bangalore, a company headquartered out of the US. Ms. Devi is currently running the International Music and Arts Society Bangalore, a registered not-for-profit organization founded in 1974 to promote the Arts. Ms. Devi’s hobbies include reading and travelling, and she has a great interest in the conservation of the environment. She has been a Trustee of BET since its inception. Ms. Devi is also Member of the International Music and Arts Society Bangalore, Bangalore International Centre and the Bangalore Club. She has a BA from Bangalore University.

Dr. Sadanand Hegde Date of Birth: 28th March, 1947. A Postgraduate (M.Sc.) in Botany (Cyto-genetics) and a Doctorate (Ph. D.) from Karnataka University Dharwar(1975). Worked on the Taxonomy, cytology and chemotaxonomy of Orchids of Western Ghats as a Research Fellow of INSA in Agril University, Bangalore and Research Fellow of CSIR In KU Dharwar. Established the first Orchidarium in K.U. Dharwar. Served in the Government as Scientist and held positions of responsibility(1976 – 2005): Served in the Government as Scientist and held positions of responsibility(1976 – 2005) Served as Scientist/Orchidologist in Botanical Survey of India, Yercaud, Tamil Nadu and Dept. Environment & Forests, Arunachal Pradesh. Undertook survey of Plant wealth of India especially Orchids of Western Ghats, Nilgiris, The Himalayas, Northeastern States. Established TC lab for Orchids and standardized protocols for seed germination, meristem culture from apex, roots, buds and node of orchids for about 65 species and hybrid orchids. Discovered and described 8 new species of orchids and discovered several new records to India. Registered six new hybrid orchids and bred 16 new hybrids of orchids. Renades Arunodaya developed by me is the first inter generic hybrid registered in 1991 from India. Standardized cultivation and farming/green house technology for temperate Cymbidiums and transferred the technology to the tribal farmers of NE region, for which I was awarded Arunachal State Award and Dr. T.N. Khooshoo Environmental Lecture Award and Gold Medal. Guided five research students for Ph D. under Guwahati University and Arunachal University. Served as Director, Orchid Research & Development Center and State Forest Research Institute, Arunachal Pradesh and developed Orchids as a supplemental crop for the tribal Farmers of Arunachal and other Northeast States, besides handling all aspects of R & D in Forestry & allied subjects. Functioned as the State Nodal Officer for National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, Arunachal Praadesh, Functioned as Editor and Publisher of “Arunachal Forest News” vols. 5 (1 & 2) up to 20 (1 & 2) a biannual bulletin and OSA Newsletter and Souvenir. Functioned as Member Secretary for the State Medicinal Plant Conservation Prioritization and Development Functioned as Expert Member to NEC, Shillong & NEDFi, Guwahati. Member Expert Group, GB Pant Institute for Himalayan Environment and Development, Almorah. Member of Expert Committee for Ex Situ Conservation, MoEF, GOI and IUCN/OSG, for Indian Sub Continent. Served as consultant for Orchids for West Bengal Forest Corporation,Orissa Forest Dev. Corporation, Govt. of Sikkim and NE States time to time, Besides other NGOs and Farming groups. Served as Member of QRT for NRC Orchids, Pakyong. Publication (Numbers only): a) Book- 4(four); Booklets – six. b) Research papers & reports – 150 c) General articles – 6 (six). d) Compiling & editing of Souvenir of Festival of Flowers-3 (three) and compiling of proceedings of International Festival of Orchids. Awards: TOSI Award for outstanding research contributions to Indian Orchidology, 1994. Arunachal Pradesh State Award 1995 for devoted service, Bharat Excellence Award 2003. Verrier Elvin Award for The Book “Orchids- Conservation, Culture & Farming” 2004. Dr. T. N. Khooshoo Environment Award – 2004 and Gold Medal by DBT, GOI & TOSI. Outstanding Achievement Award on Indian Orchid Research – 2011 by NRC Orchids, ICAR, GOI. Retired from active govt. service in 2005 as Director, Forest Research Institute, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. After retirement engaged himself in the activities of the Orchid Society of Karnataka as its President, to create awareness on orchid conservation, cultivation, propagation and developing it as a floriculture activity in the State. Promoted a group of farmers for growing and marketing orchids in and around Sirsi, Uttara Kannada Dist by helping establish “Kanflora” Society. Served as Head, Tree Care Division of Taurus Group of Companies, promoting Urban Forestry and transplantation of trees, besides, helping Bangalore Environment Trust in creating awareness on Environmental concerns – especially transplantation of trees and rejuvenation of lakes in & around Bangalore.

V. Balu Joined Indian Administrative Service in 1965. Was Deputy Commissioner (Collector) and District Magistrate for five years in three districts (Shimoga, Gulbarge and Bangalore from 1971 to 1976) in Karnataka. Trained in International Training Institute, Sydeny and Agricultural College, New South Wales in Agricultural Extension. Director of Sericulture in Karnataka from 1976 to 1980 and negotiated successfully a sericulture project with World Bank for US$ 70 million. Chairman and Administrator of Upper Krishna Project with 2 million acres of irrigation command area and Divisional Commissioner of Gulbarga district for 3 years from 1980 to 1983. Secretary to Chief Minister for 3 years from 1983 to 1986 when Shri RamaKrishna Hedge was te Chief Minister. Concurrently, Secretary, Environment, Ecology and Science & Technology. Secretary to Central Silk Board and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles for 4 years from 1986 to 1990. Negotiated successfully with World Bank a National Sericulture Project for US$ 300 million. 1990 to 1992 - Managing Director of Karnataka Power Corporation with 3000 MW installed capacity. Chairman and Managing Director of Mysore Sugar Co. and CMD of Karnataka Electric Factory. Director, Asia of International Energy Initiative - 1992 to 1996. Promoted Co-generation in Sugar Factories and other forms of Green energy in the Region. Chairman & MD of National Textile Corpn, New Delhi 1996-98. Revenue Commissioner and Addl. Chief Secretary & Resident Commissioner of Karnataka Government in New Delhi till 1999. Additional Chief Secretary of Government of Karnataka, Bangalore till retirement in April 2001. Have widely traveled in all the states of India and Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burma, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Switzerland, Thailand, United States, U. K., Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Consultant to Commonwealth Secretariat, London, UNDP and FAO. Have prepared project reports and implemented projects in Zambia and Nepal. Currently Chairman, Bio-Diesel Society of India, Chairman, International Sericulture Alliance, Vice-President of Silk Association of India, Nominee Director of Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) in many sugar factories in India. Secretary & Treasurer of the Renewable Energy Action Forum (REAF), TERI, Bangalore.

Aroon Raman From 1996 to 2007 Mr. Aroon Raman was Managing Director of Raman Boards Limited, a company manufacturing high voltage electrical insulation materials for power transformers. He divested this company in 2007 to ABB to focus on his core interest areas of research and innovation into wet-laid composites for which he has set up a new company in Mysore. Mr. Raman has been active in CII as a past Chairman of the Mysore Zonal Council and has been a member of CII Karnataka State and Southern Regional Councils. He was formerly a member of the Mysore Agenda Task Force and is also involved in several citizen’s initiatives in Mysore City and with NGOs in the greater Mysore Region. Mr. Raman is interested in reading widely especially in history, popular science and biography. Of late he has taken up writing on issues with respect to socio-economic development in particular as also trying his hand at fiction writing. He is fond of travel, trekking, tennis and golf. On the environment side, he is currently focusing on a project in Mysore city that seeks to complete a record of Mysore heritage – structures, precincts, and living traditions. Mr. Raman has a Master’s Degree in Economics from the Centre for Economics Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Dr S Raje Urs Qualification: M.Sc, PhD Designation: Director, Retd. Central Sericulture Research & Training Institute, National Silkworm Seed Organisation, Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, Bangalore. Address: 535, 2A main, 16 A cross, HSR Layout, 6th Sector, Bangalore - 560 102. E Mail: srajeurs@yahoo.com Phone: 25721560 Mobile. 9448388912 Date of Birth: 07-06-1950 Expertise: Over 36 years of experience in Sericulture R&D, Training and Extension. Published over 35 research papers. Possess expertise in drafting, implementation & monitoring of large Sericulture projects focused on rural development, skill development of rural folks and improvement of methods and practices to increase