Latest news with #Blue-GreenRevolution
Time of India
14 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
200-year-old well brought to life beneath Bowring Institute in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: A 200-year-old well — once a vital water source for British soldiers and their horses — has been rediscovered beneath Bowring Institute in central Bengaluru. The process to revive it has begun. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On Tuesday, the historic MotherWell, dating back to the early 1800s, gushed back to life, with clear water rising from its ancient stone walls. Concealed for decades under a building that once housed a health centre, gym and bar lounge within the club's premises on St Mark's Road, the well measures an impressive 25ft in width and 40ft in depth. The structure was unearthed after years of archival research and meticulous groundwork. The club's management restored the well as part of a broader urban water security initiative. "This well is not new. It existed even before Bowring Institute was founded in 1888," said Srikanth HS, secretary of Bowring Institute. "The British discovered it when they first arrived in Bengaluru. At that time, there were thousands of wells across the city, but only a few were known as Kapila Bavis or MotherWell — one that never went dry. This was one of them." The well once served as a primary drinking water source for colonial troops and was even linked to the water network of Kanteerava Stadium at one point. While rainwater harvesting has been practised on the premises in recent years, it was the severe water crisis during last summer that prompted the institute to go deeper — literally. "That crisis made us reflect seriously. We wanted to do more than just harvest rainwater. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now When IIT Roorkee began leading the Blue-Green Revolution nationally and selected Bengaluru as a pilot city, we saw an opportunity. Our goal became clear: Not a single drop of rainwater falling on our property should go to waste," Srikanth said. Unlike a typical open well, the MotherWell is fed by natural underground water veins that draw in water and allow surplus to percolate back into the soil — an ecological feature that helps sustain the area's groundwater table. "We've mapped seven to eight recharge points across the property. All rainwater collected here is now directed into these recharge wells that feed into the MotherWell, making it our main water source," Srikanth explained. The journey to rediscovery began as far back as 2016 when club members first heard anecdotal references to a buried well. By 2018, hydrogeologists and archaeologists confirmed its presence using ground-penetrating techniques. Delayed by pandemic Plans to excavate and restore the well were in place, but Covid-19 delayed the work. Excavation finally began three months ago after dismantling the building that had been constructed over the site. What workers uncovered astonished them. "The stone walls are nearly two centuries old, yet those remain solid and intact. We need to dig down about 25ft before we complete the project. But we already found water on Tuesday. The water is crystal clear, though it currently appears murky due to the excavation dust," Srikanth said. Full restoration may take up to 15 days. Once done, the well will cater to the institute's water needs, including drinking, cooking and showers. "We're also repairing the damaged upper portion of the well, likely sealed during construction in the post-Independence era. We want this structure to last another hundred years," he added. Beyond its practical purpose, the well symbolises a blend of conservation, community responsibility, and historical preservation. "Bowring Institute is more than a social club. We're working to offer world-class facilities, while honouring the rich legacy of one of Karnataka's oldest heritage structures. This revival is a message to future generations that heritage and sustainability can thrive together," Srikanth added.
Int'l Business Times
18-06-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Rakesh Kumar Mali: A Leader Revolutionizing Software Engineering
In today's digital-first landscape, where user experience and system resilience are key to business success, leaders like Rakesh Kumar Mali play a pivotal role in driving transformation and stand out as true pioneers—those who not only adapt to change but drive it. Rakesh Mali is one such luminary in the field of computer software engineering. With over 14 years of career in the software industry, marked by innovation, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, Rakesh has redefined what it means to be a software engineer in the modern era. From leading high-performing technical teams to architecting fault-tolerant systems, modernizing legacy applications, and contributing to academic research, Rakesh's journey is a testament to the power of technical expertise combined with visionary leadership. His contributions have not only transformed businesses but also set new benchmarks in software engineering practices. A Leader Who Delivers: Technical Team Leadership & Project Excellence At the heart of Rakesh's success is his ability to lead and inspire technical teams. Serving as a Delivery Module Lead at a major global company, he has spearheaded multiple high-impact projects, ensuring timely delivery without compromising quality. His leadership style blends technical depth with people-centric management, fostering an environment where innovation thrives. Under his guidance, teams have successfully transitioned from monolithic architectures to microservices, enabling scalability, agility, and faster deployment cycles. His expertise in designing fault-tolerant and highly available systems has been instrumental in maintaining seamless operations for mission-critical applications, achieving an impressive 99% uptime. One of Rakesh's key strengths lies in leading digital transformation initiatives—helping enterprises modernize from monolithic systems to scalable, fault-tolerant, and secure cloud-native architectures. He focuses heavily on building systems that are resilient, observable, and DevSecOps-enabled, which not only meet technical requirements but also align with business goals. Modernizing Legacy Systems: A Leap into Cloud-Native Future One of Rakesh's most significant contributions has been his work in modernizing legacy applications into cloud-native architectures. Legacy systems, often plagued by inefficiencies and high maintenance costs, were transformed into scalable, resilient, and cost-effective solutions. By leveraging containerization, Kubernetes, and modern serverless computing, Rakesh ensured that these applications could handle modern workloads while reducing infrastructure overhead. This modernization effort not only improved performance but also reduced application response time by 30%, significantly enhancing user experience. Zero Downtime Deployments: The Blue-Green Revolution In this connected world, no one wants to experience any service outage, but the application deployments have traditionally been a pain point for enterprises, often leading to service disruptions. Rakesh tackled this challenge head-on by implementing innovative Blue-Green Deployment strategies. This approach allowed seamless switching between production environments, eliminating downtime during updates and ensuring uninterrupted service for end-users. His implementation of this technique has set a new standard within his organization, reducing deployment risks and improving overall system reliability. This has achieved 99% uptime for the applications, which is an impressive milestone for any organization. Cybersecurity: Fortifying Applications Against Threats In an era where cyber threats are growing in sophistication, Rakesh has been at the forefront of application security. He led the remediation of cybersecurity vulnerabilities, ensuring that systems were robust against potential breaches. By conducting thorough security audits, implementing OWASP best practices, and integrating advanced threat detection mechanisms, he fortified applications against attacks. His proactive approach to cybersecurity has not only safeguarded sensitive data but also reinforced trust with clients. In order to ensure continuous monitoring for the application's integrity, Rakesh has integrated a software composition tool into the application pipeline that enables an automated and scheduled scanning of the various open-source libraries for any open security threat. An IEEE Senior Member & SCRS Fellow: Recognizing Excellence Rakesh's contributions extend beyond corporate achievements. His dedication to advancing technology has earned him prestigious recognitions, including: IEEE Senior Membership — IEEE is a global network of nearly half a million engineering and STEM professionals. Only 10% of members get senior grade, which requires extensive experience and reflects professional maturity and documented achievements of significance. A distinction awarded to professionals who have demonstrated significant achievements in engineering. SCRS Fellow Membership — Being awarded the prestigious Fellow Membership by the Soft Computing Research Society is a tremendous honor and a testament to years of dedication, innovation, and impactful contributions to the field of computing. This recognition not only highlights Rakesh's commitment to advancing research but also inspires him to continue pushing the boundaries of intelligent systems and computational intelligence. These accolades reflect his standing as a thought leader in the tech community. Bridging Industry and Academia: Research, Peer Reviews, Jury Member & Keynote Speaker Rakesh's influence is not confined to industry alone. He has authored research articles, contributing valuable insights to the field. His work bridges the gap between theoretical advancements and practical implementations, making complex concepts accessible to engineers and researchers alike. Asia Research Awards have recognized his dedication to academic excellence with the Best Researcher Award, which is a testament to the impact and originality of his scholarly contributions. Additionally, he serves as a Peer Review Board member for renowned publications—International Research Journal on Innovations in Engineering and Technology and ESP Journal of Engineering & Technology Advancements, where he evaluates cutting-edge research, ensuring high academic standards. His meticulous and insightful reviews earned him the Best Peer Reviewer Award, further cementing his reputation as a trusted authority in the research community. Rakesh's expertise has made him a sought-after authority in the tech world. He serves as an active jury member at the Globee® Awards, where he evaluates groundbreaking technological innovations, helping recognize excellence in the industry. Rakesh has been invited as a Keynote Speaker at the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Computational Technologies, where he presented the topic "Reimagining Logistics: The Role of Generative AI in Logistics & Supply Chain Transformation." Rakesh has also been invited as an industry expert speaker at the 5th International Conference on Intelligent Vision and Computing (ICIVC 2025) organized by The ICFAI University, Dehradun, India, which is ranked 36th in India. Rakesh presented the speech on "Smart Spending in the Cloud: Strategic Cost Management for Cloud-Native Software Development." Rakesh is part of the IEEE Senior Member Review Panel, where he evaluates the contributions of applicants worldwide in the field of computer science and technology. Rakesh also spends time sharing his hard-earned knowledge with future engineers using platforms such as and CodePath. Conclusion: A True Architect of the Future Rakesh Mali's journey is a masterclass in technical leadership, innovation, and relentless pursuit of excellence. Whether it is optimizing systems for peak performance, securing applications against cyber threats, or mentoring the next generation of engineers, his impact is far-reaching. In an industry that moves at breakneck speed, Rakesh stands out as a visionary who not only keeps pace with change but drives it. His work continues to shape the future of software engineering, making him a true architect of tomorrow's digital landscape. As technology evolves, one thing remains certain: leaders like Rakesh Mali will always be at the forefront, paving the way for a smarter, faster, and more secure digital world.
