Articles by Revathi Siva Kumar

It's a prickly, 15 acres of prime land that stretches through shrub and wild grass, unaware of the legal battles that have been waged over it for the past 20 years. Part of the Jakkasandra Lake (Meistripalya), it stretches a few yards away from the BDA Complex in Koramangala, adjoining the 7th Cross Road and Telephone Exchange. The bone of contention has been its identity. Is this undeveloped land, belonging to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) earmarked as a civic amenity, or is it meant for construction with commercial intent? The troubled land in Koramangala fourth block citizens are fighting…

In an obese, overgrown metro, some symbols still endure. One of these is the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), almost a subconscious icon that IT Bangalore has inherited from its 'garden city' avatar. Bangalore Development Authority Headquarters (courtesy: BDA) There is a mixed reaction to the BDA. There appears to be a slight inclination to appreciate its new IT-savviness. On the other hand, there are charges of corruption. And finally, more civic conscious citizens find its development plans to be grossly unbalanced, with the wrong emphasis on all the wrong areas. So firstly, is there really a new IT look? K…

Even as the IT city swells and rips out of its infrastructure, there are small bands of earnest and committed residents that are trying very hard to effect local patch-up jobs. All over the city, colony federations are beginning to take up issues, address concerns and battle for local rights. Citizens’ awareness is rearing its head, even though some may say that it has not made its presence felt in a major way. Any of the local associations is an interesting microcosm of the city’s concerns. Take the relatively new and IT-centric colony of Hosur Sarjapur Road (HSR) Layout, for…

As monsoon clouds brood over a parched city, a few harassed citizens gear up for an interesting harvest this season. Water. Since May 1st, 2007, the government has been forcing rainwater harvesting (RWH) techniques at new constructions in the metro. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), has made it mandatory for applicants of water connections to implement RWH, even though there is no formal announcement. Was this force necessary? “Certainly!” says A. R. Shiva Kumar. Principal Investigator and Scientist, Karnataka State Council For Science & Technology (KSCST), who is advising the BWSSB on these techniques. He adds that…

Every morning, Mahadev rises and soars with the soggy monsoon sun as orders surge. It’s boom time in IT city, after all. “I haven’t seen such a busy season for three years,” he smiles, as he wends his way over the half-manicured streets of HSR Layout. Mahadev is 12. He doesn’t know, therefore, that his princely wages of Rs.70 per day earned for moulding iron gates and grids is a shameful secret. That his earnings are a breaking story of sorts, though not for the same reason as those of IIM-B graduates. His salary is invisible as his employment violates…