It’s airborne! City’s air is filled with microbes making us sick

Four types of bacteria in Bengaluru's air have become hyperactive and are triggering respiratory tract disorders among its residents; IISc wages war on dreaded dengue

Why are people falling sick in Bengaluru often these days? Have the immunity levels of Bengalureans dropped drastically? Are pollutants getting more dangerous by the day? Are new strains of virus or bacteria fast multiplying in the city? These are the questions that are being asked by medical experts and researchers in recent times.

While the brainstorming continues, a city-based environmental scientist has come up with a worrisome finding: Four types of bacteria (Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus and Salmonella typomerium) have become hyperactive in the city's air and are triggering fever and respiratory tract disorders among residents. The scientist Sivasakthivel S has set out to record the bacteria and fungi (bioaerosol) levels in the city. He submitted his findings to Bangalore University as part of his doctoral thesis titled—'Microbial diversity in ambient air associated with seasonal meteorological parameters' for which he was awarded a PhD last week.

Sivasakthivel told Bangalore Mirror that his objective was to study what kind of pathogenic bacteria and fungi are present in Bengaluru's air. "The bioaerosol level was compared with seasonal aspects like temperature and relative humidity to assess how these climatic aspects foster the growth of bioaerosols in air," he said.

Sivasakthivel's research spanning four years from 2009 to 2013 was conducted under the guidance of Prof N Nandini, chairperson, Environment Science department of Bangalore University.

Read more here.

No more dependence

As we celebrated the 69th year of independence, did you give a thought to the independence of your most-prized possession, your home? Is it possible for your home not to be so dependent on the grid – for electricity, water and the like? The good news is that you can take small steps to make your home independent in the true sense of the word.

Basic funda

If you are looking to buy a home, consider a project that aims to build a community which is independent in terms of natural resources. The place must attempt to bring about a sense of belonging among the residents towards the welfare of the community. Given the alarming rate of global warming, floods and droughts have become regular phenomena. The need of the hour is to build homes and infrastructure that can mitigate the damages caused by such natural disasters. Similarly, water and electricity are precious resources that need to be used intelligently. An environmentally-friendly home is one where a hygienic waste management system does not get jeopardised by an inefficient city waste management network, and air conditioners work at one-third the energy used by regular systems, These are houses that are well-ventilated; have floors that are friendly for residents suffering from rheumatoids and arthritis; their lush landscaping adding to the neighbourhood greenery and enhancing the quality of air, while reducing carbon dioxide in the air.

Think long-term

As a home buyer, you have every right to ask your builder to commit to the number and kind of treatment systems employed in the project and to what extent it will affect your demand for water supply. Venkat Chalasani, CEO, Samskruti Builders, agrees that it’s a good idea to discuss waste management and rainwater harvesting options. “Our projects not only segregate the waste, but also use the methane gas produced while composting the green waste. Black and grey water is purified and reused for flushing and gardening. Additionally, in all our projects,  we create enough capacity for storage tanks to collect the graded rainwater. 

Purified, potable rainwater is supplied to the community. These measures ensure all our communities are 70-100 per cent self-sustainable in terms of water,” he says. 

Decentralised waste management is  where the wet waste is handled at the individual home level through pits or smart bins and the recyclable waste is directed to the appropriate agency. It also makes perfect sense to think of energy design installations that reduce the use of power, while not compromising on comfort and convenience. This will mean the use of solar energy systems. It will mean the use of biomass gasification to convert waste into electricity.

Beware! Those carrots could make you sick

Niranjan Kaggere writes in today's Bangalore Mirror...

The fresh and nutrition- rich vegetables sold in the markets of Bengaluru have left the state government worried! In a major shock to veggielovers several vegetables and fruit sold in the markets of Bengaluru tested positive for pesticide residue, particularly organo chlorine pesticides that can take toll on your nervous and digestive system and weaken muscles! 

A random check conducted by the Horticulture department run Bio Centre in Hulimavu on different vegetables has revealed shocking details about the 'freshness' and nutrition value of vegetables. 
Fruits like papaya, vegetables including cabbage, green chilli, capsicum, carrot, tomato, bottle gourd and ginger were found to contain considerable amounts of the banned pesticide. 

Acknowledging the results of the test, Horticulture minister Dr Shyamanoor Shivashankarappa said, "In a random check conducted recently at our centre on vegetables and fruits available from Bengaluru's markets, traces of the banned organo chlorine pesticide were seen. 

"The department has been advising farmers not to use these pesticides and use only those pesticides suggested by the department." Shivashankarappa added, "Dicofol pesticide was preferred by farmers to prevent flies and pests in Bhindi (okra), brinjal, bitter-gourd, chilli and beans crops. But the demand for these pesticides has drastically come down after awareness drives by the department."
Sources in the Horticulture department said that even though the number of farmers using organo chlorine pesticide has come down, a few still use it. 

"The government has already banned pesticides with these contents. Yet farmers continue to use them. Even though it safeguards the crop from pests and insects, the residue will remain in the vegetable. 

"Proper washing in warm water will help remove the content," revealed a senior official from the Horticulture department. 

Meanwhile, a consulting physician from a leading hospital told Bangalore Mirror that a short-term exposure to organo chlorine pesticide would result in convulsions, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, slurred speech and sweating. 

"Long-term exposure due to consumption of such vegetables may damage the liver, kidney and central nervous system," he said. Senior BJP Leader and MLC Ramachandre Gowda caught the government's attention about this trend at the Legislative Council and urged the government to discourage the use of pesticides with any of these harmful contents as they are a health hazard. 

Why you need natural light!

We all need natural light to survive. Though artificial lighting helps in providing enough luminescence for us to work and live, it is the natural light that helps us stay alive. Natural light is the best disinfectant and is very pleasing and comforting to the eyes. When choosing a house, make sure you have natural lighting coming into the rooms and living areas, at least once in a while during the day. Preferably where you live most of the time. Several studies have shown that your productivity improves when you work in natural light and it improves your health. 

At Samskruti, we design homes with loads of natural lighting coming into your home and you would be amazed to see how low the power bill will be. Sunlight is one of the perennial sources of energy and it is a luxury to even see sunlight once in a while in the cluttered homes in Bangalore. We try to avoid that. Come and see our model flat and you would find how brightly lit they are and yet comfortable to stay in. Natural lighting is essential for our well being and Samskruti enables you to experience that. 

If you are already living in a home without access to sunlight, I would encourage you to check out options to see how to get sunlight in your home. May be painting lighter colors would help, may be painting a reflecting wall that allows light to stream in to your home can help. Check for options or seek expert help.

May you lead a healthy and productive life - Live the Samskruti way :)

For more information on our homes, write to us visit www.samskruti.in or call 99162 17777 today.  

Importance of indoor air quality for dentistry!

Found this on the smart living blog. 

Indoor Air Quality Assurance has been in the spotlight and already gained awareness especially among medical practitioners and healthcare providers in Malaysia. Dr. Yogesh Sharma, BDS (UM) is a dental surgeon in an established  dental specialist center in Kuala Lumpur. He shared about his opinion regarding  this matter in his article:

IMPORTANCE OF GOOD INDOOR AIR QUALITY FOR DENTISTRY.

Indoor Air Quality Assurance (IAQA) isn’t a new field in the modern science world today. The quality of air we breathe influences our health tremendously. Having a major impact on us, it has no longer become a luxury but a necessity. We assume the air around us is free from infectious disease. Why? The answer is because we simply choose to ignore them. What the eyes doesn’t see, the brain does not believe. Only when we are up against diseases such as H1N1, bird flu, SARS, and even to the feared tuberculosis, we start taking precautions and protecting ourselves from the environment we are leaving in.

As we know it, there are many diseases related to the quality of air that we breathe. On an average, we breathe about 7 to 8 liters of air per minute, 166 gallons of air in an hour, 24 000 breaths in 24 hours… in TOTAL giving us around 12,000 liters of inhaled air per day! Can you imagine in that one day, how much bacteria, fungus, and viruses we could and would have been exposed to? That’s just one day, now multiply it to the number of days you have lived. That’s about the amount of subtle damage we have gradually suffered over the years, not wondering why we kept falling sick, suffering from chronic sinusitis, headaches, unresolved coughs, allergies and lethargy. Well that is actually your body telling you how much damage you are undergoing. 

In a dental environment, indoor air quality is very crucial. Having a clean disinfected air is important in terms of creating a healthy environment free from contaminants. This is important to prevent post operative complications after dental treatment. Contaminated air in the clinic could introduced bacteria into open wounds during surgical procedures such as Wisdom tooth removal, implant placing, minor surgical maneuvers, deep scaling and others. The quality of the air inside a dental clinic could determine the outcome of many dental procedures, in terms of success rate of the treatment. It it’s very important to work in a healthy environment, for both healthcare workers and patients. As a dental practitioner, we confront hundreds of patient everyday from different countries, lifestyles and sociodemographic background. We are exposed to all sorts of infections brought in by the patients whom we are totally unaware of. All we have to depend on is a very good history taking and our 3 ply masks to protect us against any air borne diseases. Even after which, we are still unsure of the health status of these patients walking into our clinic.

Studies indicate that about 70 % of the patients treated by healthcare professionals aren’t aware of their underlying medical conditions. That puts us in a very vulnerable state; not knowing how safe the air around us that we are breathing is. The spread of infectious air borne disease in a closed air-conditioned environment such as a dental clinic could prove to be critically serious. It could spread via direct air inhalation, patients sneezing or coughing, and evaporation of the infected droplets into air usually during treatment. The infected particles introduced in the dental environment can spread from one surgery room to other areas within the clinic, via air conditioner circulation, negative pressure, air vents, or the patient and dentist himself. The sick building syndrome works on the very same concept, affecting everyone within the building radius. 

The spread of infectious disease is quite aggressive. The walls, dental chair and ceiling are easily contaminated with the microorganisms. This could harm not only the patients but any individual who enters the room. The spread of infection is unbelievable. Virulent diseases such as Hepatitis B and C could easily be contracted from one individual to another, resulting in multiple systemic diseases. Without a proper Indoor Air Quality system, cross contamination of air borne diseases between patient to staff, staff to patient, and patient to patient is merely inevitable. The implementation of state of the art technology and protocols to prevent the spread of nosocomial infection is pointless if we are still exposed to virulent air borne diseases. A good infection control system is only complete with the use of a certified IAQA system in a closed environment. 

Ever tried cleaning your air conditioner filters? The amount of dust that gets trapped inside could surprise you. Imagine if that air conditioner could suck up that much dirt from the clean air in their house, how much filtering your lungs and body has been enduring for years… without any servicing ! Similarly,  microorganisms from the air get trapped in these air conditioner filters, causing it to become a hub for bacteria growth, which later gets reintroduced back in the so called filtered air. Together with the increase in moisture level in the room, it becomes a heaven for bacteria to live in. Over time in a dental environment, molds could develop. This could affect the materials stored in the room; changing its properties and quality and thus affecting the treatment outcome.

Go outside!

Found this picture on facebook. Computer games can never give you what a real game can. More than the physical activity, sports help in developing behavioural skills, people management and develop mental health.


Encourage your children to play outside and spend time with people than online entities.

Samskruti Builders

What a lemon can do for you?

Lemon is an inexpensive, easily available citrus fruit, popular for its culinary and medicinal uses. It is used to prepare a variety of food recipes such as lemon cakes, lemon chicken and beverages like lemonade and lemon-flavored drinks. It is also used for garnishing. Lemon juice consists of about 5% citric acid that gives a tarty taste to lemon. Lemon is a rich source of vitamin C. It also contains vitamins like vitamin B, riboflavin and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium as well as proteins and carbohydrates. Lemon is generally consumed in the form of lemon juice or lemon water. Lemon water makes a healthy drink, especially when taken in the morning. Daily consumption of lemon water provides a number of health benefits.

1. Good for stomach:  Lemon can help relieve many digestion problems when mixed with hot water. These include nausea, heartburn and parasites. Due to the digestive qualities of lemon juice, symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, bloating and belching are relieved. By drinking lemon juice regularly, the bowels are aided in eliminating waste more efficiently. Lemon acts as a blood purifier and as a cleansing agent. The intake of lemon juice can cure constipation. It is even known to help relieve hiccups when consumed as a juice. Lemon juice acts as a liver tonic and helps you digest your food by helping your liver produce more bile. It decreases the amount of phlegm produced by your body. It is also thought to help dissolve gallstones 
2. Excellent for Skin Care: Lemon, being a natural antiseptic medicine, can participate to cure problems related to skin. Lemon is a vitamin C rich citrus fruit that enhances your beauty, by rejuvenating skin from within and thus bringing a glow on your face. Daily consumption of lemon water can make a huge difference in the appearance of your skin. It acts as an anti-aging remedy and can remove wrinkles and blackheads. Lemon water if applied on the areas of burns can fade the scars. As lemon is a cooling agent, it reduces the burning sensation on the skin
3. Aids in Dental Care: Lemon water is used in dental care also. If fresh lemon juice is applied on the areas of toothache, it can assist in getting rid of the pain. The massages of lemon juice on gums can stop gum bleeding. It gives relief from bad smell and other problems related to gums 
4. Cures Throat Infections: Lemon is an excellent fruit that aids in fighting problems related to throat infections, sore throat and tonsillitis as it has an antibacterial property. For sore throat, dilute one-half lemon juice with one-half water and gargle frequently 
5. Good for Weight Loss: One of the major health benefits of drinking lemon water is that it paves way for losing weight faster, thus acting as a great weight loss remedy. If a person takes lemon juice mixed with lukewarm water and honey, it can reduce the body weight as well 
6. Controls High Blood Pressure: Lemon water works wonders for people having heart problem, owing to its high potassium content. It controls high blood pressure, dizziness, nausea as well as provides relaxation to mind and body. It also reduces mental stress and depression 
7. Assist in curing Respiratory Disorders: Lemon water assists in curing respiratory problems, along with breathing problems and revives a person suffering from asthma 
8. Good for treating Rheumatism: Lemon is also a diuretic and hence lemon water can treat rheumatism and arthritis. It helps to flush out bacteria and toxins out of the body 
9. Reduces Fever: Lemon water can treat a person who is suffering from cold, flu or fever. It helps to break fever by increasing perspiration
10. Acts as a blood purifier: The diseases like cholera or malaria can be treated with lemon water as it can act as a blood purifier

What the world can learn from India!

Article by our intern Michael Duspiwa from Austria.

When people in the “Western World” talk about India, in terms of pollution, waste handling, and environmental awareness, usually the perception of those persons is really bad. This has to be understood by Indians, because the main impression foreigners get in the country is that there are less concerns about the environment in India. This article does not aim to attack a people, it should show that Western countries, which are considered as the good guys in the above mentioned terms of pollution, waste management and environmental awareness, can effectively learn and copy some habits and issues from India. 

Pollution of air and land is an essential topic for every single person on the planet, it therefore should not be considered as the matter of one nation or someone else’s issue. This is a problem, which has to be addressed and it is led into the wrong direction by Western countries, as they think they are already doing enough for the environment, and argue like: “The others should do also something.” This is not the right attempt. Of course everybody has to contribute to make the world a better place, but can someone do too much for the welfare of the society?

The idea of this article is to show that not judging the others for doing something wrong is the right way, but rather that the things done by the individuals in a better way count and matter the most. We decide about our environment by the way we live, eat, communicate and go from point A to point B every day. 

Thus addressing especially western people, the following YOU can learn from people in India:

• People in India use less wrapping for food, such as buying fruits and vegetables on the street simply involves no plastic bags and other wrappings. This is a common habit of Indians buying fruits, whereas in Europe people tend to buy everything in the supermarket, which in the end results in more waste. Just because you cannot see the garbage in Europe, does not mean it is not there
• Another issue, closely related to the food is water. Do we really need a bottle for our water, all the time? A thing I observed is that drinking water is available in one bottle for re-use, at all food stands, shops and bakeries. An Indian therefore is more used to drink water there, whereas for a European it is much more common to bring your own bottle of water everywhere, and after use throw it to the garbage
• What Indians do better than any other nation in the world is actually what they do not do, namely eating meat. This point will be examined in detail in another article, but so far it can be said that by not eating meat, India is having more food available in general which results in less starving people. This is due to the fact that for producing 1 calorie of meat, 4 calories of wheat or other food for the animal has to be sacrificed
• What I am trying to say is that not just countries like India should improve their environmental awareness and the need for environmental friendly businesses, but also the Western world has to do on a constant basis. All the time there are just talks about the others which have to be more “green”, the other countries which have to do more for the environment, but in the end it is the individual contribution to the above mentioned suggestions, which make a difference. And yes it does make a difference, if just one starts to do so

Culture of walking!

With the Indian real estate market expected to grow at about 30% over the next decade, private housing sector currently contributing to about 5-6% of the country’s GDP. And with the National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy of 2007 stating that at least 50% of the population will live in urban areas by 2041, there is a need to guide sustainable mobility and infrastructure within townships that are coming up in peripheral areas.

In a workshop organised by Embarq India, town planners, architects, mobility experts as well as developers discussed the concerns with regard to sustainable mobility and special residential zones. According to the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI), an SRZ is a notified region with special development rules to promote large scale, Greenfield, affordable housing projects for the country’s masses. SRZs would have a minimum number of dwelling units in a maximum prescribed size and each would require adequate social infrastructure.

According to Embarq, the concern is in the question: How are these developments envisioned? With townships being located in an area ranging from 60 acres to 500 acres, it is important that they encourage a culture of walking, bicycling and public transport.

Source: DNA & pic

Teach every child about food

 

It is important to teach your kids where food comes from. At Samskruti, we facilitate this by ensuring accessibility to a garden where you can grow and show your children about the food they eat. This teaches, respect, knowledge and help children eat more vegetables and is therapeutic too.

Ask our team for more details on the terrace gardens, roof top gardens and living spaces that are designed to bring ancient customs, traditions and values back to our concrete jailed lives.

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Terrace Garden

Tossing and turning? With a plant in your bedroom/balcony, you’ll fall asleep faster, have fewer nighttime awakenings and enjoy a deeper sleep. Scientist say sleeping in space with lots of oxygen in the air increases the duration of deep sleep by 10% and even helps cure sleep apnea.

Most plants emit oxygen during the day, but some work night shift, absorbing toxins and carbon monoxide and giving off more pure oxygen at night, when you need it most!

We can help you select from plants that will accentuate the look and feel of your apartment. Apart from the oxygen, plants provide a rich, aesthetic and luxurious visual comfort and feel that is also natural and healthy.

At Samskruti, we ensure your indoor air quality is better by using materials with lower emissions, ample day-lighting, free air flow and lot of other factors. This allows a lot of fresh air to your rooms and more oxygen with lots of plants in your balcony.

All apartments at Samskruti Hoysala have a private designer family area with planters and green space which allows you to breath better, feel better and live better.


Pic is from here.

Watermelon, The Healer!

Summer is fast approaching and you are already observing the first signs of dehydration. Water alone cannot quench thirst. You need to supplement that with many more interesting ingredients and nothing is more easy and simple than the watermelon!

Yes. No other fruit says summer quite like thirst-quenching watermelon. This member of the Cucurbitaceae family owes much of its health-giving powers, as well as its fetching blush, to an abundance of the phytochemical lycopene. 

"By helping counter oxidative stress, lycopene may play a role in taming certain cancers and maintaining healthy eyesight," says Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD, coauthor of The SuperFoods Rx Diet. A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women with the highest levels of lycopene in their blood were half as likely to develop cardiovascular disease as women with low amounts. 

Watermelon is also rich in citrulline, "an amino acid used to make arginine, which relaxes blood vessels to help maintain a healthy heart," Bazilian adds. And those seeds we tend to discard? They're packed with magnesium, a mineral vital for nerve function, blood pressure regulation, immunity, and bone health.

Sweet, juicy watermelon wedges are perfect fare for a picnic snack. Try pouring puréed seedless watermelon into ice cube trays, freezing, and adding to your favorite beverage. Watermelon also livens up salsas, chutneys, compotes, vinaigrettes, and spinach or watercress salads. A carved-out watermelon filled with seasonal fruits can create a colorful centerpiece. I also found a watermelon pickle in Namdari's last year! As for the seeds, try roasting them, then tossing into oatmeal, soups, or salads.

Research suggests that keeping whole watermelons at room temperature can increase their lycopene levels by up to 40 percent. Once cut, watermelons should be refrigerated to help preserve freshness and flavor.

Now you know a healthier choice for quenching thirst and not adding to your calories.

Pic is from here.

Eat Smart. Your Food Choices Affect the Climate

(Click on the image to see full size)

GHG data based on lifecycle assessment by www.CleanMetrics.com.

Go out and play!

If you think your children are glued more to the computer or tablet then it is time to worry. Encouraging more physical activity can help in reducing risks like obesity and improve better health. Playing outside the house also encourages social interaction, improves problem solving ability and confidence as they learn to negotiate, cooperate, and share.

So outdoor play area has always been an important component in all our designs. At Samskruti Indus Valley, we have a spacious play area coming up with all the modern amenities. At Samskruti Maurya, we have a 4.75 acre playgound which would cater to the 525 villas in the property. 

Water woes in Bangalore

With a population of 5,686,000, Bangalore is India's fifth largest city. As per the estimates of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), the total demand of water is 840 million litres per day (MLD). Bangalore is prominent among the World’s fastest growing cities. Due to unorganized and un-scientific growth over the last few years drinking water problem has crossed danger limits.

Bangalore gets water from three main sources. Major source among them is Kaveri River. Everyday around 810 MLD kaveri water is channeled to Bangalore. This journey of water over 120 Km, costs nearly 500 crore rupees per year for electricity alone. The other two sources for water are T.G.Halli Tank and Underground Water Resource. Around 120 MLD from T.G.Halli and 50 MLD from underground water resource is used up by Bangalore everyday. Of later however, T.G.Halli water has considerably reduced and the chances of complete drying up of resource are foreseen. According to a study conducted by the Centre for Symbiosis of Technology, Environment and Management (STEM), a Bangalore-based research group, the demand supply gap is met by groundwater exploitation. It is estimated that 40 per cent of the population of Bangalore is dependent on groundwater. 

Source: My Bangalore