Articles by News Desk

Across Bengaluru, lakes are being dug up, drained and desilted for development. BBMP is in the process of developing 67 lakes at the cost of Rs 200 crore. But the civic agency and the government have kept citizens out of the process. Citizen groups, residents and environmentalists across the city have expressed concern. They fear their neighbourhood lakes are being encroached upon or turned into soup bowl- shaped lakes that are not as biodiverse. There are fears that limited public funds are being wasted on unnecessary works. Lack of public consultation Lakes in Bengaluru are essentially commons, meant to be…

CMRL launches WhatsApp e-ticket service in Chennai On March 17, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) launched the service to book e-tickets through WhatsApp in Chennai. According to the news reports, the commuters, have to send a message saying 'Hi' to the number 8300086000. Commuters will then find a provision to choose the origin and destination stations, following which they will be directed to the payment gateway. The commuters will also get a discount of 20% while booking tickets through WhatsApp. As soon as the payment is done, a QR code ticket will be generated and sent to them. One…

Mumbai faces flood risks due to illegal dumping of debris along Mithi river Several hundred trucks of debris have been deposited and remain uncleared along the east bank of Mumbai's Mithi River. This has increased the chances of flooding coming monsoon in case of heavy rains. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials believe that if the debris is not cleared soon, it will slide into the river and obstruct its flow. BMC's stormwater department has sought information from ward offices to stop the debris dumping. The K/E ward has informed the department that the dumping is outside its limits. Meanwhile, the…

Siddu, DKS to take joint charge The Congress finally announced its Chief Ministerial and Deputy Chief Ministerial candidates in Karnataka on May 18th, leading Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar to tweet: “We are united to safeguard the interest of the people of Karnataka”. To 75-year-old Siddaramaiah, leader of the Congress Legislature Party, it is a dream come true for getting the second term after a gap of five years. He will be sworn-in as the 24th Chief Minister. Congress is also likely to induct 10 to 12 ministers along with him at the Kanteerva Stadium in May 20th. Both leaders…

The Urban Revamp Design Challenge – conceived by Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC) and Sensing Local, under the Sustainable Mobility Network, in partnership with the Institute of Urban Designers India (IUDI), Curiosity Alliance Foundation, and Kasturi Nagar Residents Welfare Association – is back in 2023. They are inviting proposals for reimagining two newly-identified public spaces in Bengaluru: CV Raman Nagar (Ward 117) and Padarayanapura (Ward 168). This initiative aims to blend technical expertise with citizen participation to transform certain parts of the city. About the second and first editions A common scenario experienced by rapidly urbanising Indian cities today…

There has been a spate of suicides by students in Chennai's colleges in recent months. Four students have died by suicide in a span of three months at IIT-Madras this year. The 2021 NCRB report states that one died by suicide every 42 minutes in India. Tamil Nadu had the third-highest number of instances of student suicide, which is 9.5% of total student suicides across India. Mental health support for students has been sorely lacking in institutions of higher education. Without adequate support and mechanisms to address grievances on college campuses, students are left to lonely and uphill battles by…

NGO accuses Greater Chennai Corporation of corruption Arappor Iyakkam, an anti-corruption NGO, has alleged that a decision by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to build a community hall instead of renovating a Corporation Middle School in Ward 114 Chepauk involved corruption. The school in Ward 114 was supposed to undergo repairs and renovation, according to parents and teachers. Therefore the students were shifted to a nearby GCC school which did not have enough space to accommodate more students. The stakeholders believed that the arrangement would be temporary and the students will be shifted to their school when the work on…

Coastal road to open in phases from November The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) may open Mumbai's coastal road in phases starting from November this year. However, the project may take another six months to complete after works for the approved revised design, aimed at increasing the gap between two pillars near Worli Koliwada, are pending. Officials state that these delays have resulted in an additional cost of Rs 650 crore. In 2016, fisherfolk from Worli Koliwada raised objections to the short distance between the pillars of the coastal road, citing difficulties in the navigation of fishing boats. After years of…

Low voter turnout in city, highest in state According to the Election Commission data released on May 11th, the 11 constituencies, which saw the least polling in the Karnataka Assembly elections, were all in Bengaluru Urban district. Bommanhalli had the lowest turnout (47.22%), followed by Dasarahalli (48.07%) and C V Raman Nagar (49.07%). Hosakote constituency in Bengaluru Rural district had the highest voter turnout, with 90.33% polling. However, polling stood at 73.19%, the highest in the state since it was formed. Of the total eligible voters of 5.30 crores, 3.88 crores casted their vote on May 10th. A number of…

The 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections will take place on May 10th. Here is a quick guide to help make the voting process as smooth as possible. Check voter rolls and find your polling booth information You can only vote from your designated polling booth in the constituency your ward falls under, and your name must be in the voting list or electoral roll. You can find your name and information about your polling booth in a number of ways. You can use the Voter Helpline app created by the Election Commission. You can search for your name in the electoral…