Articles by News Desk

Management of liquid waste (sewage and septage) is a huge challenge for urban local bodies in India. Despite efforts in various directions, the scourge of manual scavenging – cleaning of sewer networks, septic tanks and other onsite sanitation systems by human labour – is something that has not been completely eradicated from our cities. Manual scavenging is, in fact, one of those sad dichotomies that continue to haunt our cities, which are, on the one hand, adopting sophisticated technology to upgrade the quality of urban life in many ways, and on the other, grappling with the social and health ramifications…

A one-day workshop on “Human Eye and the Colourful World’ for high school teachers of science will be conducted by Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium on July  12, 2018.  This chapter, from class X text book, will be discussed in detail while clarifying conceptual understanding, suggesting interesting activities to teach optics in general and the said chapter in particular. Common misconceptions and textbook errors, if any, will also be discussed. Eligibility: Science Teachers of Classes VIII to X Date& time: 10.30 am to 3.30 pm, July 12, 2018 Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, Sri. T. Chowdaiah Road, High Grounds, Bangalore-560001 Interested teachers must…

Saahas and Daily Dump, two well known initiatives in the waste management space in Bengaluru were recently recognised for their work. Saahas was awarded the Swachh Best Practice Award by Swachh Bharat Mission and Daily Dump the Swachh Entrepreneur Award. Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred the awards and released the Swachh Survekshan 2018 Report and launched the Swachh Survekshan – 2018 Results Dashboard, accessible here. More details of the award can be read here. The following note has been shared by the Saahas team. Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) has selected Saahas Zero Waste, a Bengaluru based startup, to receive the Swachh Best Practice Award…

Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's maiden budget has revived the pod taxi at a cost of Rs 1445 crores (five stretches totaling 29.8 kms at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore per km) and the elevated corridor project at an estimated cost of  and Rs 15,825 crores for Bengaluru. However the proposal has come under fire by citizens and experts alike, who termed it unscientific and can't solve the traffic woes of Bengaluru city. At a citizens' meeting called by Citizens for Bengaluru, on July 7th, 2018, the volunteer group to come out of the Steel Flyover Beda movement in 2016,…

Some plastic items go off the banned list As Government issues notification for ban of plastic items with effect from January 2019, it has also issued orders exempting a number of plastic items such as plastic bags that constitute or form an integral part of packaging, in which goods are sealed prior to use in manufacturing / processing units. The order issued by Environment and Forest Secretary Md Nasimuddin said no industry or person shall manufacture, store, supply, transport, sell or distribute throwaway plastics. The exemptions include plastic carry bags manufactured exclusively to meet an export order at a plastic…

Elevated roads, transport authority and soapnut-based detergent industry: Six elevated corridors have hit the headlines once again, with the H D Kumaraswamy-led Co-alition government affirming the commitment to this decades-old plan in the state Budget presented on July 5. Other decisions include a 100-crore aid for BMTC, and formation of Integrated Road Transport Authority (IRTA). Source: Deccan Herald BBMP discusses lake encroachments and waste management: The BBMP council meeting held on June 28 discussed the necessity of buffer zone for lakes to construct buildings, which is contrary to the NGT's order in 2014 on no construction zone within 75 metres…

Following SC order, Delhi passes doorstep ration delivery, stops tree cutting In a much awaited court ruling on the power tussle between the Delhi government and the Centre represented by the Lieutenant Governor (LG), the apex court of the country said that the LG is bound by the aid and advice of the council of ministers of the democratically elected government in all matters, except land, public order and the police force. Barely a couple of days after the verdict, the Delhi government headed by Arvind Kejriwal, overruled all objections and passed the long-proposed doorstep delivery of PDS supplies to…

Waste pickers of Bengaluru working with Hasiru Dala, a nongovernmental organisation working on empowering waste pickers, submitted a memorandum to U T Khader, Minister of Urban Development and Housing, Karnataka, R. Sampath Raj, Mayor of Bengaluru; Sowmya Reddy, Member of Legislative Assembly, Karnataka, representing Jayanagara and Manjunath Prasad, Commissioner of Bengaluru. This was done on the occasion of Hasiru Habba, an annual gathering of waste-pickers in Karnataka, where more than 1000 waste-pickers participated. The gathering was organised to celebrate the work done by waste-pickers and informal waste collectors to keep our cities clean and healthy. The memorandum shared by Hasirudala…

On the occasion of World Environment Day 2018 that had the theme Beat Plastic Pollution, environmental groups led by the Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT), Bengaluru, got together to conduct Waste and Brand Audit in eight locations in Bengaluru. The audit was part of a pan-India activity coordinated by GAIA India, where ten member organisations and partners conducted clean up and waste and brand audits in 18 states of India. In Bengaluru, the Waste and Brand Audit took place on 20th to 22nd May 2018, with over 120 volunteers worked in partnership with groups like HasiruDala, Bangalore Eco Team,…

Chennai Corporation to acquire lands to widen roads The Chennai Corporation will acquire land worth ₹2,829 crore from residents for widening of roads in congested parts of the city. The land to be acquired is estimated at 18.8 lakh sq ft, which is around 786 grounds. Meanwhile, the Chennai Smart City Limited has put on hold a proposal to develop two bridges across Anna Salai. At a board meeting on Tuesday, the proposal to develop a bridge connecting Thyagaraya Road and Eldams Road was not cleared. Another bridge connecting Thanikachalam Road and Chamiers Road (Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar Salai) was also…