Articles by Akshatha M

KCDC is accepting more garbage than it can handle, due to  pressure from the BBMP and the High Court. Pic: Akshatha M The Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC) which was recently mired in a controversy over sale of burnt garbage packed in bags meant for vermicompost, is in trouble yet again. This time the problem lies in the inability of the firm to process the existing waste. Unprocessed garbage dumped in a large quantity in the KCDC yard is emanating stench causing discomfort to workers at the unit and residents of the neighbouring areas. Ramakrishna K, a resident of Somasundarapalya…

Bags filled with burnt and sieved garbage. You can also see the burning garbage. Pic: Shared by a citizen It has been 10 days since the issue of burning garbage near Choodasandra and filling it in vermicompost bags under the label of Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC) came to light. The action taken on the issue is little, and the individuals/organisations involved in the fraud remain unidentified. Citizen Matters had published a detailed report on how a few workers were burning city garbage in an open site at Choodasandra off Sarjapur Road in Bengaluru, and filling it in bags bearing…

High Court asked the LDA to come up with a plan for restoration of both the lakes, and hold meetings of authorities, builders and the residents. Pic: Shree D N Koramangala 1st Block Residents Welfare Association who had filed a writ petition against Bellandur-Agara Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project at the Karnataka High Court, have withdrawn the case on Wednesday. However, the division bench of the High Court has given petitioners the liberty to refile the case, after a similar case which is before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is disposed. Nitin Seshadri from Koramangala 1st Block Residents Welfare Association…

The Karnataka Composting Development Corporation (KCDC) has decided to serve a notice to Terra Firma Biotechnologies Pvt Ltd, on cancellation of the agreement for supplying vermicompost, after the issue of garbage being sold as vermicompost came into light. A citizen and a Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) official spotted garbage being burnt in a site near Sarjapur Road in Bengaluru, at Choodasandra in Chikkanayakanahalli area. They were shocked to see that the sieved fine garbage powder was being filled into bags labelled ‘vermicompost’ with the name of KCDC on it. Citizen Matters had carried an exclusive story on this…

Three major incidents of sexual assault/molestation and abuse grabbed headlines in a span of two months in Bengaluru last year. These incidents also triggered public outrage, protests and campaigns demanding justice. However, the limelight slowly faded away with the passing of time. The demands for justice have faded down, with most of the public forgetting the cases. At this juncture, Citizen Matters brings you a brief note on those cases with latest updates. The three cases that were of significance not just for the incident itself, but also due to various angles attached to it, are: 1. Case against IPS…

Sampath Ramanujam (fifth from left) and Lingaraj Urs (second from right) alongwith other members of BWRCA. Pic courtesy: BWRCA FB Page Two residents of posh homes in two Gram Panchayats in Whitefield area are gearing up to actively participate in the GP polls scheduled for June 2nd, 2015. This would not have been news, but for the notion that elite people living in gated communities pay least attention to local affairs. With only ten days left for the polling day, two members of gated communities in Whitefield area have filed their nominations to contest the election from Seegehalli and Kannamangala…

Consultation on Draft Waste Management Rules-2015. Pic courtest: ESG. The stakeholders consultation on Draft Waste Management Rules 2015 which was arranged by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) in the city on Friday, was called off as the public who were present raised objection over Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) sponsoring the consultation programme. The programme witnessed heated arguments between the public, officials from MoEF and office-bearers of CII. Leo Saldanha from Environment Support Group (ESG) took exception to the CII sponsoring consultation of a draft proposed by the government. “As per the constitutional provisions, the programme should have…

Buildings being razed down at the demolition drive at Sarakki Lake. Pic: Rahul Ravi Demolition drives on lake beds is the burning issue in Bengaluru now. The drive that commenced with the demolition of structures in and around Sarakki lake bed in mid-April has continued with Bengaluru urban district administration carrying out yet another eviction drive at Banasawadi last week. While the district administration has been hailed for its bold move to clear the encroachments, it has also been criticised for penalising people who have been living peacefully in the city for decades. Eviction drives and rumours surrounding it have indeed…

SEZ project on Agara-Bellandur lake bed. Pic: Pavithra Ashok Kumar The National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued a historic judgment on May 7th, 2015, on the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project by Mantri Tech Zone Pvt Ltd and another project by Core Mind Software and Services Ltd. Both the projects were being constructed on the catchment area of Agara and Bellandur lakes. The highlight of the verdict was the Tribunal slapping a penalty of Rs 117.35 crore and Rs 22.5 crore to Mantri and Core Mind respectively, for commencing the project before obtaining Environmental Clearance. The Tribunal has also formed an…

Uncertainty surrounding the BBMP election seems to have ended, with the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordering the Karnataka government to conduct the polls within three months. In a turn of events, senior advocate Kapil Sibal who represented the Karnataka government submitted before the Apex Court that the government will hold the BBMP polls within three months. Senior advocate V Laxminarayana, who represented the petitioners, the BBMP corporators, gave Citizen Matters a brief of what went on inside the court hall. The government advocate, Kapil Sibal clarified to the Supreme Court that the State government will not restructure the BBMP before…