This week’s highlight

Bengaluru is burning, but BBMP unable to help

Garbage burning in progress in Varthur. Pic: Keerthi Gardenia resident

In last two weeks, there have been multiple cases of garbage burning in Bengaluru being reported on social media. But the entire system seems to have turned a blind eye to this problem. The problem recurs every winter and continues in summer. But who is caring?

Read: BBMP unable to control Bengaluru’s garbage fire menace

Fedup of constantly breathing toxic fumes from burning of garbage, student Aditya Potapragada writes to BBMP:‘Killing me softly with your smoke.’

When a builder cons buyers

Here is a story of how buyers fell into a pre-launch booking trap and ended up paying far more than the offer price. Soumya Nayak shares the experience here: How a builder conned buyers with pre-launch booking.

Welfare schemes

While the government officials say there are easy, streamlined procedures for the poor to avail welfare schemes, the ground reality suggests otherwise. Read the second part of the story on welfare schemes for poor: Lost between the cup and the lip.

Read the first part of this series: Who benefits from welfare schemes?

Financial planning tips

Life for the urban citizen is fraught with uncertainty today. It is wise to be prepared for emergency situations like layoffs. Read: How to be prepared for a job loss?

Also read first part of the guide: How to stay financially prepared for a job loss?

Public consultation in govt projects

Even as the fate of contentious steel flyover is uncertain, Vivek Vaidyanathan asks could systematic public engagement prevent imbroglios while implementing the project. Read: Can we avoid steel flyovers and other faulty projects in future?

Sharing technology and tools

Random Hacks of Kindness is organising the Citizenry Day, an event to share DIYs, apps, website and knowledge among citizens of Bengaluru, on November 5th at Indira Nagar. For more info: Calling participants for Bengaluru Citizenry Day.

Blogs and columns

Dogs are often tortured and killed in cities. But controlling dog population without cruelty can benefit animals and people, writes Sumanth Bindumadhav.

We bring a slice of radio to our readers, with the help of our cmmunity partner, Radio Active 90.4 MHz. Hear the audio stories and give us feedback!

BBMP Contract Pourakarmikas Union is asking the BBMP to pay the revised minimum wages of Rs 14,000/month to the Pourakarmikas, and regularise them. Importantly, they are saying no to self help groups, a system the BBMP wants to bring out. Read and hear more, here.

A government school in North Bengaluru is managing itself better than private schools around. Hear the story of this school.

Citizens for Bengaluru’s (CfB) Tara Krishnaswamy writes about  the one-day Satyagraha at Freedom Park on November 6th, to dissuade the government and BDA from taking up arbitrary projects in future.

This week’s news

• Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) gave a voluntary undertaking to the High Court of Karnataka, agreeing not to initiate the flyover work for now, during the hearing of a petition by Namma Bengaluru Foundation.

• As many as 2.93 lakh properties or vacant sites (17.49%) in BBMP are outside the tax net and are estimated to be unauthorised, according to the Karnataka government. The State government submitted this information to the High Court during the hearing of petitions challenging Akrama Sakrama scheme.

• The pilot project of BBMP and KSPCB to introduce ‘Community Deepavali’ did not take off this festival season. The plan was to make people come together and celebrate the festival in playgrounds and open spaces.

• This Diwali, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has certified the quality of air in the city ‘satisfactory,’ while the air quality in several other cities like Delhi and Lucknow was reading ‘severe.’ According to KSPCB the air and noise pollution levels drastically dropped in Bengaluru this year compared to last year.

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