Articles by Gangadharan B

In September 2025, the Karnataka government issued a notification modifying the buffer zones around Bengaluru’s stormwater drains and lakes. The new guidelines prescribe just 15 metres for primary drains, 10 metres for secondary, and only 5 metres for tertiary drains—much lower than the earlier mandates of 30/15/10 metres. The notification follows the proposal to amend the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA) Act, reducing buffer zones around lakes. Lake buffers, which were at 30 metres, have been proposed to be reduced to a range between 0 and 30 metres, based on the lake's size. This move has been criticised…

Every day, India throws away enough plastic to fill 65 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Around 60% of this comes from the packaging industry—chip packets, bottles, polythene covers, and multi-layered wrappers. Managing this mountain of waste is a challenge, and the government hopes to address it with the Draft Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2025. You can read the amendment notification here. The changes mostly address Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Simply put, it makes companies—manufacturers, brand owners, and importers—accountable for collecting and recycling the plastic they generate. The new rules also set targets for including recycled plastic in packaging: from 30%…

In many parts of Bengaluru, cows foraging through heaps of garbage is a common sight. One such long-standing blackspot is in Jayachamarajendra Nagar (JC Nagar) near Benson Town. Neela, who runs a grocery shop right opposite the dump, says it has been there since she moved in three years ago; others claim it has existed for over a decade, while some residents say they’ve seen it all their lives. The locality, a low to middle-income settlement with narrow lanes, does not receive door-to-door garbage collection. Instead, a tipper truck waits at a fixed spot where residents must bring their waste…

Amidst the urban sprawl of HSR Layout, Swachagraha Kalika Kendra (SGKK) stands out, looking nothing like a traditional park. At the entrance, a striking archway made of old plastic bottles and scrap materials makes a statement on creative reuse. Stepping further in, visitors to the park are greeted by a thriving community garden, where vegetables are grown organically.  SGKK is not just a park; it is a place for learning and community action, and inspires people in the locality to adopt sustainable waste management practices. The park stands as a microcosm of what the city could become—greener, more conscious, and community-driven.…

Despite the promise of inclusive healthcare under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, transgender and gender-diverse individuals in India continue to face systemic barriers due to flawed implementation and policy gaps. In an earlier article, we highlighted the struggle of the transgender community to access gender affirmation procedures. Here, we explore the disconnect between international guidelines, legal mandate, and the reality on the ground, and how gender-affirming healthcare can be made safer and inclusive. SOP that is not based on international guidelines The policy framework and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Ayushman Bharat scheme for transgender persons are not backed by…

Arvinda dreams of becoming a psychologist. But the 21-year-old transwoman from Hyderabad had to discontinue her education in 2023, after finishing her polytechnic diploma, so she could work and raise money for her sex reassignment surgery.   That's the price she had to pay for living as her true self. Arvinda now earns ₹25,000 a month after taking a job at a BPO, of which around ₹12,000 goes towards repaying the loan she took to cover her medical expenses and afford other gender-affirming healthcare, including regular hormone treatments.   “I had to take a loan just to be who I am,”…

Meenakshi (name changed), migrated from Tamil Nadu to Bengaluru 18 years ago and now lives in a steel shed in Laggere. During rains, she collects the water leaking through her roof in pots to prevent flooding in the house. The situation is the same with almost all of her neighbours.  “I used to cover the roof with tarpaulins but they wear off soon. And I can’t afford to change them often,” Meenakshi said. She complained that the shed gets unbearably hot during summers and chilly during rains. “I spend most days of summer outside the house as it would be…

Namrata (name changed to protect identity) migrated from West Bengal to Bengaluru 15 years ago in search of a better livelihood. She is a domestic worker, and her husband is a waste picker. Though their livelihood has improved, the quality of life is still poor. The informal settlement in Belagere, where Namrata has been living for the past nine years, floods after each rainfall. “Water rises to our hip level, and we cannot sleep most nights if it rains,” she said. Also, stormwater drains run on two sides of the settlement. Wastewater from the drains mixes with floodwater, causing children…

Beyond Bengaluru's municipal boundaries lies a troubling pattern of neglect. Many lakes that are under the control of gram panchayats are slowly being lost to unchecked encroachments and poorly executed rejuvenation efforts. In a recent series, we discussed their deterioration and mismanagement, a trend experts point out, is widespread among lakes outside Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits. In this interview, environmental activist and Friends of Lakes member Nagesh Aras dives into the root causes of this mismanagement. He highlights the urgent need for governance reforms and scientific guidelines to restore these lakes. Governance and mismanagement Why do lakes under…

Aruna runs a tiffin stall on the footpath along Hosur Road, close to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS). Her setup is temporary—just a foldable cot to lay out her dishes, partially shielded by a blue tarpaulin. The stove and dosa tawa sit exposed to the elements. “When the sun is out, the heat becomes unbearable, and when it rains, we can’t make dosas at all. That directly affects our earnings,” she says. Every day, she spends nearly two hours setting up and packing down this makeshift stall, even though the tarpaulin sheets offer little protection from…