It is probably the best time to not have made plans to head out of town for the long weekend. Pay a visit to Lalbagh for the Independence Day Flower Show; it also happens to be the the 200th anniversary of the event.
CITIZEN MATTERS Bangalore’s own interactive newsmagazine Speak up, it’s your city!
City news that matters
>> Last week, the government finally acted on the CID report on 2011 KPSC scam, by cancelling the entire notification, because KPSC refused to do the revaluation. Curiously, HD Kumaraswamy stood by the recruited KPSC aspirants who were protesting in Freedom Park. Chief Justice D H Waghela has recused himself from hearing the case.
>> Interestingly, former opposition leader A K Subbaiah has lashed out at Kumaraswamy saying gowdas were the sole beneficiaries of the scam, thus casting aspersions on Kumaraswamy’s motives in supporting the selected candidates. (Read: What is KPSC scam?)
>> Residents of Domlur bear the brunt of the stink, as a pile of silt and waste that BWSSB cleared from a stormwater drain grows into a huge garbage mound. BBMP is yet to clear this up. Such mounds can also be seen in many other parts of the city.
>> Bangalore girl brings her harasser to task. Rather than shrug it off as eve-teasing and a regular nuisance, she chased the man down and kicked him, before handing him over to the police.
>> A 13-year-old girl, working in the house of techie couple in an upscale apartment in Koramangala, was beaten up for eating ice-cream. The child has been admitted to Nimhans and is recovering.
This week’s highlight: Wake up and smell the roses
The Mysore Palace comes alive at the Independence Day Flower Show. A floral arrangement of the number 200 marks the 200th anniversary of the event. Pic: Christopher Lopaze
>> It is probably the best time to not have made plans to head out of town for the long weekend. Pay a visit to Lalbagh for the Independence Day Flower Show; it also happens to be the the 200th anniversary of the event. The Flower show is open till August 17th.
>> If you are going to attend the Independence Day function or want to travel near MG Road on I-Day, this guide is for you. Check this advisory from the cops!
>> Also, artists, musicians, performers, be a part of the Bangalore Underground Festival and turn up the dark and dingy subways under KR Circle, into warm and vibrant public spaces!
Child safety
>> What needs to happen when a case of child sexual abuse is reported? The POCSO Act looks to secure quick justice for the victims, without causing them any additional trauma.
>> Namma Bengaluru Foundation, along with a group of parents of Vibgyor school students, has launched the Child Safe Bengaluru campaign. The campaign calls for preventive and corrective measures to ensure safety to children in Bangalore’s schools.
>> High Court orders BDA and other local planning authorities to sanction layout development plans only if there is a dedicated area for managing trash generated in the layout. Read: Waste processing facilities are compulsory for developers!
>>Promotion: If you have not picked up a copy already, do check out our city guidebook Living in Bengaluru. “I sincerely recommend this book”, said Justice Santosh Hegde after reading it. This guidebook covers all essential procedures from how to get birth and death certificates in Bengaluru to khatas and driving licenses.
Empowering the differently-abled
>> The District Disability Welfare Office organised a camp for the differently-abled on August 11th and 12th. The camp allowed the differently-abled to undergo medical check-ups, and apply for disability certificates, disability pension and aid devices.
Greener, cleaner Bangalore
>> Planting saplings alone is not enough. The saplings need to get enough sunshine, water and other nutrients, to grow well. Read: Nurturing the saplings at Narasipura.
>> After the Ugly Indian, it is the turn of a small group of students to inspire Bangalore to take ownership of the streets. Check out what the Bangalore Trash Mob is up to.
>> Around 30 children got together at the Puttenahalli Lake to celebrate the magic of the monsoon. Read: A magical evening.
Independence Day specials
>> Participate in the 2nd edition of the HSR 10K Freedom Run organised by Kaagaz Foundation this Friday August 15th at Agara Lake.
>> Head to Rangoli, Metro Art Center on Independence Day, and participate in a day-long cultural program to celebrate the spirit of freedom. Activities include drum jam, art exhibitions, music performances and more.
>> Learn the art of filmmaking from stalwarts like Abhay Simha, Nagathihalli Chandrasekhar and Pawan Kumar at Tent Cinema’s Film Making Workshop.
>> Go on a heritage walk with Unhurried’s The Silk Route Tales, a day tour of Channapatna and Ramnagar on August 16th.
>> Watch The Prophet and The Poet, a tele-film based on BLT’s play of the same name on DD Chandana Channel on August 16th, 7 pm.
>> Attend the launch of journalist, author and social activist, Kamla Mankekar’s her new book, Breaking News: A Woman in a Man’s World, at Bangalore International Centre, Domlur on August 18th.
>> Understand what you need to do at your workplace to safeguard women from sexual harassment at a complementary talk on Making Work a Safe Place at Ashirwad, St Marks Road, on August 19th.
A useful compiler for residents of Zone 8, comprised of areas such as Anna Nagar and Shenoy Nagar as they get set to vote on February 19th.
Zone Snapshot: Wards- 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108 Population- 757273 (2013) Polling Stations- 572 To locate your polling station – https://tnsec.tn.nic.in/tn_election_urban2021/find_your_polling_station.php To locate your ward and zone – https://chennaicorporation.gov.in/gcc/citizen-details/location-service/find_zone.jsp Issues in the Zone: In January of 2021, the waste collection in 11 out of 15 zones were handed over to private companies. Zone 8, was one of the zones where a waste collection contract was handed to Ramky Enviro Engineers (a private envrionmetal services company). The company absorbed around a 100 workers, and the rest (who were employed under the…
A useful compiler for residents of Zone 13, comprised of areas such as Adyar, Thiruvanmiyur and Velachery, as they get set to vote on February 19th.
Zone snapshot Wards -170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182 Population - 490767 (2013) Number of polling stations - 471 To locate your polling station - https://tnsec.tn.nic.in/tn_election_urban2021/find_your_polling_station.php To locate your ward and zone - https://chennaicorporation.gov.in/gcc/citizen-details/location-service/find_zone.jsp Issues in the zone: Traffic congestion at Madhya Kailash Junction is a key issue that affects commuters. Those looking to travel to the airport or southern parts of the city face long hours of commute during peak hours in the area due to traffic jams. Overflowing sewage and old sewage pipes are an issue in Adyar. The old pipes leak…
You and every citizen frustrated by potholed roads, air pollution, garbage—in short our broken cities.
Citizen Matters is India’s leading Civic Media Platform. We dig into the “why” and “how” behind issues plaguing our cities and neighbourhoods—and spotlight solutions. But we go further. We focus on citizens driving change and their strategies and bring you a playbook for better cities.
Through Citizen Matters, Open City and other initiatives, we centre the demand for better cities and empower citizens to drive change.
We need your support to continue this work. Your contribution is critical for our survival. Donate now
