Articles by Nikita Malusare

At the beginning of the year, BBMP finally started the process of formation of ward committees (WC). But many WCs remained only on papers. High Court intervened again on 27 August and asked the government to finalise rules for the committee soon. The state Urban Development Department (UDD) has issued draft rules. Environment Support Group (ESG), an NGO that has, for many years, campaigned to establish local government or 'Nagar Palike,' organised a discussion to suggest revisions to the draft rules formulated by the state government for the formation and functioning of WC. An open discussion was held on 4…

Metro Phase II work takes off, with KIADB starting the land acquisition process. File pic. Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board  (KIADB) conducted the first hearing for the owners of properties to be acquired for alignment of Metro Phase II on 4 September, 2013. The properties notified were for Ragigudda and Silk Board stations, on RV Road- Bommasandra line. Metro is all geared up to start the Phase-II work by January 2014. To achieve this target, the process of identification of properties was already initiated by KIADB officers deputed to the Metro, in the last few weeks. In the first hearing,…

Chalet Hotels Private Limited, promoted by K Raheja Corp Group, has sued Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), for revoking the No Objection Certificate (NOC) given for the construction of  Raheja Vivarea, near HAL surroundings. The hearing of WP 37571/2103, Chalet Hotel V/s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, took place on 28 August, 2013. Revoking of NOC for Raheja Viverea by HAL has led to a law suit. File pic - representation purpose only. Earlier, residents of Koramangala, under the banner of Koramangala Infrastructure Task Force, had written to Defence Minister A K Antony urging him to take action regarding what was supposedly an…

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has started with its homework, in a bid to merge the elevated road from Jayadeva junction to Central Silk Board with Metro’s R V Road - Bommasandra line. The preliminary research and other procedures are underway. The flyover planned to be extended till Central Silk Board at a cost of Rs.150 crore has already been announced in the maiden budget of the Congress government. “The project is still in the preliminary stage. A feasibility report and DPR is yet to be formed, which needs to be assigned to a consultant,” says BBMP Executive Engineer,…

Bhargavi Rao addresses the gathering on Puttenahalli lake premises. Pic: Nikita Malusare. Cracked footpaths; unattended garbage on the street; destruction of roads due to delayed Metro work; high water prices - all these have left Bangalore in chaos. With the sun peeking out from clouds every few seconds and cold wind sending shrivels in the body, many Bangaloreans joined the discussion on Puttenahalli Lake premises, on the issues that concern a Bangalorean, but are ignored as the city tries to catch up with development.   Born and brought up amid the greenery of Bangalore, Bhargavi S Rao, Trustee, Environment Support…

Residents affected by the realignment of Metro track near Jayadeva Hospital claim to be harassed by the land acquisition and survey officers, even before the Phase-II is officially finalised. One of the residents, Anil Kumar (45), Freelance Consultant in Strategy and Project Management, has been living opposite to Jayadeva since 1986 with his mother who is affected by Parkinson’s disease. He says, “Two officers named Venkat Raman and Gopal Swamy, who claimed to be the survey supervisors from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) visited us in order to verify and procure copies of property documents, Khata certificate and latest…

On 1 August 2013, within a month of state budget being presented, tenders have been called for five signal-free corridors. It has stirred a hornet’s nest again with speculations about land acquisition and traffic problems while the work is on. The last date for submission of tenders is 4 September 2013. These five corridors cover approximately 55 km inside the city. They are: 1) Identified stretches of Hosur Road, including Central Silk Board Junction to Vellara Junction2) Identified stretches of Outer Ring Road (ORR), from Mysore Road Junction to Central Silk Board Junction (13.4 Km);3) From Government Soap Factory junction…

The celebration is in the air on the eve of 67th Independence Day. It’s a time when we feel proud about our freedom and pay homage to the martyrs who sacrificed their life for the country. Some of us also celebrate the spirit of freedom by philanthropic acts like volunteering for good causes, helping the lesser privileged and donating whatever we can. Blood donation is one of the things people do during this season. Blood donation involves no money transaction. Willingness to save a life is all that you need. Due to increased dengue cases in Bangalore, the demand for…

A scene that steals your heart. Pic: Nikita MalusareThe 17-feet-high, 40-feet-wide vertical garden, with 5000 pots. Pic: Nikita MalusareFlowery carpets welcome you to the show! But no - you will not want to walk on them! Pic: Nikita MalusareVegetable grown in pots, put up by Horticulture Department. When are you going to set up your own vegetable garden? Pic: Nikita MalusareYes, that's an EGG PLANT! Pic: Nikita MalusareTake home some seeds, and grow a piece of Lalbagh at your own balcony.. Pic: Nikita MalusareThese water-rich plants are a gardener's delight.. Pic: Nikita MalusarepotTry figuring out what flowers are these! Pic:…

August 6 was World Organ Donation day - a day to celebrate the spirit of organ donation, the process of giving life to another human by donating an essential part of one’s body; to become useful even in one’s death, to leave behind something that will light up another life. How does one donate his/her organ? Well, except for kidneys, not while one is alive. Donating organs while alive, or transplanting organs of a live human is illegal. Transplantation of Human Organ Act - 1994 mandates that the organs be removed only from a dead body of a donor, with…