Bengaluru this week
November 6th 2015
CITIZEN MATTERS
By this time, you will have received a mail announcing Oorvani Foundation’s second fundraiser campaign for Citizen Matters. If you are a regular reader, you know the kind of stories that we publish. To help us continue in the same vein, we hope that you will support our work by making a contribution. For more information on our #EnableChange campaign, click here. In this edition, read about Bengaluru’s many illegal coaching centres, the scams that have plagued BBMP in the last decade and how the power crunch is affecting industries. We have the second part of our series chronicling Nobel laureate, CV Raman and his time in IISc. Also read about what happened at the KCDC protest and at Puttenahalli Lake. If you are looking to get away from the city this Diwali, we have a travel guide as well. All this and more… Happy reading! This week’s highlight: Special classes Parents sending their children to tuition and coaching centres seem unaware of the laws governing the institutes. Only 28 are registered while hundreds continue flouting rules merrily. Why is this a problem? Read: Most coaching centres in Bengaluru operate illegally. Teach for India fellows at the Kadugodi government schools are seeking help with supplies and volunteers to improve the facilities at the school. Here’s what they are looking for. Read: An appeal for help from Kadugodi government school. Living in the city The power crisis in Bengaluru has forced BESCOM to declare power holidays for industrial areas. This seems to be a killer stroke on small and medium industries that are outside industrial limits. Read: Power holidays for industries under BESCOM limits: Good or bad? Managing the city of Bengaluru is a tricky affair where a lot of money can be lost if there is no integrity and coordination among officials, politicians and contractors. Read: A guide to BBMP scams in the last decade. Remembering CV Raman Part two of the series exploring Sir CV Raman’s legacy: Raman takes over the reins of IISc. He soon invites Max Born to Bengaluru. He also initiates other reforms, setting off a chain of events that eventually cost him the directorship. Read: The Raman Effect on IISc. Also read: How CV Raman came to Bengaluru. Waste matters Fed up of the apathy of the officials towards managing the KCDC composting plant, residents in the area came together to warn the administration, and to take up legal fights to ensure the composting process doesn’t trouble people. Read: “We’re raising a stink because you are!” The Forest, Ecology and Environment Department has issued a draft notification prohibiting the production, transportation, sale and usage of plastic carry bags, buntings, plates, plastic cups and sheets irrespective of their thickness. You can file objections/make suggestions before November 27th. Street vendors of HSR Layout participated in a rally to raise awareness about waste management and vowed that they would do their part to dispose of their waste responsibly. Read: Street vendors vow to segregate and dispose of waste responsibly. Water wise Smart technology can only be as smart as the people who use it, otherwise it only ends up as another fancy gadget in the house! Here’s how technology can play a role to help you make smart, informed decisions, especially about responsible water use. Read: Water technology to enable informed decisions. Living by the lake Time and again, folks around Puttenahalli lake have been doing a wonderful job of nurturing the lake back to its pristine glory. A week back, they discovered some vandals had destroyed several benches along the walking track of the lake and in the gazebo in the dead of the night. Evil or empty minds at play? The lives of others If you are coasting past Kengeri, on Mysore Road, it is hard to miss the ultra-colourful stuffed toys being sold by the kerb. Have you ever wondered who makes them? Read: Pooja, the soft toy maker. As Indian cities such as Bengaluru become home to richer, double-income individuals, the benefits are passing on—to the domestic help. Read: Maid in India. Urban wildlife What comes to mind when you think of dragons? Do you summon up images of the mythical beings that belong in the realms of fantasy? Or do you picture those creatures with shimmering wings, only to look up and find them flying overhead? Read: Dragons in the air. Do you know which organisation you can reach out to when you find a stray animal in distress? Read: Animal rescue centres in Bengaluru. Culturati Deepa Mohan review’s Tadpole Repertory’s production of Still and Still Moving, a play that explores male homosexuality in Delhi. Travel diaries The well-trodden path or the road not taken – where you choose to travel is up to you. If you prefer the latter, consider making a trip of it to Hutri hill. With its brimming pond and stupendous views, the place is sure to enthrall you. Read: Head to the hills. The week that was
Events this weekend
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