In this edition, get an insight into how the support groups Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon help alcoholics and their families cope with alcoholism. Also read how bike ambulances are faring in Bengaluru, the reason why you may get curdled milk from the Karnataka Milk Federation, and what you can do to make the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations eco-friendly. As a follow-up to our special coverage of the BBMP elections, we also have a few features on the newly elected corporators and the upcoming Mayoral elections. Happy reading!

This week’s highlight: One day at a time

Alcoholism comes with a litany of problems, for both the alcoholic and his/her family and friends. Members of Alcoholics Anonymous and the family-focused Al-Anon discuss living with alcoholism, and what they do to cope. While they call it an ‘incurable disease’, there certainly is light at the end of the tunnel.

Read: One day at a time.

Living in the city

Nandini curd and milk packets bought on the same day. Both show different dates, with no clarity on whether it is use-by date or date of manufacture. Pic: Shree DN

Some half litre Nandini milk and curd packets don’t carry the words ‘Use by’ on the packaged date stamping. Sakuntala Narasimhan asks if this is one more instance of the government taking the public for a ride. Read: Mislabelling, lack of quality and what more?

Bike ambulances were introduced in Bengaluru to ensure that victims of accidents or other emergencies get timely medical help. Since April, they have responded to over 700 calls in the city. Read: Four months after launch, bike ambulances in Bengaluru attend to a dozen calls a day.

On September 2nd, various trade unions across Bengaluru called for a bandh against the Road Safety and Transport bill to be tabled by the government in the parliament. Why were they objecting to the bill? Read: Here’s why the September 2nd bandh was called.

Waste warriors

Bevinamara Colony – Before and After. Pic: Team FORCE-GW

Here’s how the residents of Bevinamara Colony, a village with 300 households, went from dumping waste to segregating it at source. Truly a model village for Bengaluru. Read: Village becomes “swachh” with Rs 1.5 lakhs, cycle trolleys, bins and bags

The new BBMP council

Why is the mayor’s post important? What are the functions and responsibilities of the mayor? What does a deputy mayor do? Read: Answers to FAQs on BBMP Mayoral elections.

Who are the councilors of BBMP who can vote in the mayoral election? Which party do they belong to? Here is the full list. Read: The 260-member juggernaut: Will it drive BBMP haywire?

Of the 34 corporators who were re-elected to the City Council in the recent BBMP Elections, 24 showed an increase in assets. Here’s our analysis of their affidavits. Read: How much richer have the re-elected corporators become in five years?

B.PAC’s letter to Narendra Modi asks for him to urge BBMP corporators to commit to clean governance and efficient administration in Bengaluru. Read: ‘Na Khaoonga, Na Khane Dunga’

Here’s an example of what an active Resident Welfare Association can achieve. By ensuring that every voter was on the rolls and by helping out those who had questions on Election day, Hemmigepura ward saw 59.4% turnout, the second highest from any ward in Bengaluru.

Go green

Ganesh Chaturthi is coming up on September 17th and preparations for the festival have surely begun. Here are some recommendations to keep the festivities green. Read: Five ways to celebrate an eco-friendly Ganesha Habba.

Food for thought

Chandra Shekhar Balachandran’s hilarious account of what ensues when an Indian Babu interrupts a presentation is an accurate depiction of what happens when those in power interact with the masses. Read: Blustering Babutopia.

Auto drivers refuse to carry not only migrants, but also the locals. Staring at women has been the “prerogative” of educated men, not just the uneducated. Sometimes such realities hit us hard… Read: Ramblings on garbage, autos and lechery in Bengaluru.

Urban wildlife

A Spider Wasp with a stunned Tarantula. Pic: Deepa Mohan

In her latest post, Deepa Mohan features a mother who hunts for baby food even before she has given birth. Read the exciting account of what happens when the Spider or Pompilid Wasp, meets a spider, a Tarantula no less. Read: Nature’s drama.

In other news…  

• Amidst apprehension surrounding the Mayoral election, JD(S) has declared that it will join hands with Congress to come to power in BBMP. The two parties will form an alliance with support from independents in the Mayor election scheduled for September 11th. Backchannel deals are going on, on the power-sharing formula.
• In the backdrop of the BBMP finalising the list of eligible voters for the Mayoral election, BJP’s five women corporators have filed a petition in the High Court. They have questioned the KMC Act’s provision to allow MLAs, MLCs and MPs to vote in the Mayor election.
• BBMP launched a drive to evict over 100 illegal structures in KR Market on the night of August 29th. These structures were attached to shops inside the market, leaving no space for ventilation.
• Bengaluru Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) has filed a chargesheet against former corporator V Krishna and two BBMP officials for alleged forgery of the official letterhead. Assistant Commissioner for Advertisements, K Mathai is the complainant in the case.
• The State Cabinet on August 31st, approved a proposal for load shedding in Bengaluru. According to the proposal, the city will face two hours of power cut every day. This is due to the power production deficit that the state is going through.
• BBMP will introduce paid parking on 56 roads within a five kilometres radius of Vidhana Soudha from October. The contract for implementing the system will be given to a private contractor, according to the BBMP Administrator.

Events this week

• Tap your feet to Heartbreak Hotel, a piece that fuses dance, live music and art into a story thats shares the secrets of every man and woman. This will be staged at Alliance Francaise on September 3rd.
• National Law School’s annual theatre fest Admit One is back in its 10th edition. Over 27 plays are being staged from September 4th to 6th.
• Solve The Case of the Gluttonous Goat with the world’s best detective (according to himself) at Alliance Francaise on September 5th.
• Bangalore Little Theatre is doing a reading of playwright Vijay Tendulkar’s The Vultures in the Light of Rasa Theory on September 6th at Alliance Francaise.
• Watch Anāmikā, a collaboration of three classical dance forms, Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Odissi, at Alliance Francaise on September 6th.
• Watch Entre les bras, a movie about what happens when the head of a Michelin-starred restaurant decides to hand over the reins to his son at Alliance Francaise on September 9th.
• Watch Biswa In Your Face, comedian Biswa Kalyan Rath’s second hour-long stand-up special at Alliance Francaise on September 10th.

Click here for the complete list of events in Bengaluru.

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