City: Bengaluru

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) released a draft ward delimitation plan that restructures Bengaluru into five municipal zones—Central, South, East, West, and North. This marks a major shift in how the city will be governed, represented, and serviced. The new boundaries will impact every neighbourhood’s access to civic infrastructure, political representation, and administrative coordination. Oorvani Foundation and Citizen Matters have been tracking this issue for years, and as a part of our flagship programme, Citizen Clinic, we crowdsourced queries and concerns from residents and civic groups. These have been addressed by Vachana V R, Associate Director - Policy, Jana Urban Space…

The constant tug of war between legally registered property owners and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), now the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), over stormwater drain (SWD) and lake encroachment clearance is not new to Bengaluru. The city remembers one of the most prominent instances of this face-off that surfaced in August 2016, when the BBMP demolished 10 structures in Shubh Enclave Layout on Haralur Road. City authorities claimed that the layout had encroached on a secondary drain connecting Kasavanahalli and Kaikondarahalli lakes.  In November 2024, BBMP, now restructured as GBA, declared that they had cleared up all SWD encroachments, despite…

Temple Bells, a 900-flat residential community in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bengaluru, transforms nearly 4–5 tonnes of organic waste into compost every month. By prioritising segregation at source, the residents have drastically reduced what goes to the landfill and turned recyclable waste into a revenue stream. This not only generates income through sales but also saves on the Solid Waste Management (SWM) cess. The community follows the two-bin, one-bag system for collection — separate bins for wet and dry waste and a bag for sanitary waste. This ensures efficient source segregation. “In the beginning, getting everyone to follow it was challenging,” says…

The neighbourhood of JP Nagar 7th phase in the southern part of Bengaluru is home to three lakes — Sarakki, Puttenahalli, and Chunchaghatta, alongside a sprawl of well-planned high-rise apartments, upscale restaurants, reputed schools, and proximity to the city’s cultural hub. It’s everything a modern urban citizen could ask for. In reality, it’s an area teetering on the edge, willing to ruin itself in a bid to cash in on its opportunity. Convenience at a cost A map showing the RBI Layout Main Road and the surrounding localities. Pic courtesy: Google Maps. Before taking a peek into the area, let’s…

Urban cleanliness is not just a matter of aesthetics—it’s a reflection of civic responsibility, public health, and environmental stewardship. Across India, citizen-led initiatives are redefining what it means to take ownership of public spaces. In Mumbai, the Bandra ALM 33 community is striving to make their neighbourhood zero-waste through an initiative that educates citizens on effective waste management through small changes. They have monitored waste collection by actively engaging with waste pickers, and are motivating households to segregate and compost waste through awareness sessions. Similarly, the Sustainability Improvement through Multiple Projects for a Lovelier Environment (SIMPLE) group in Thalambur, Chennai, which includes…

“I haven’t received a single benefit from the welfare board. Every time I apply, the reason for rejection changes, without any clear explanation. I’m tired of running around,” says Sendhil K, a construction worker from Kolar with 15 years of experience, currently working in Bengaluru. He had applied for scholarship benefits for his two children studying in the city. He also claims he hasn’t received any welfare kits issued by the Board or the COVID-19 relief funds. Now, he says, he’s lost all hope of ever receiving support, including a pension after retirement. Retired construction worker Prabhakaran's experience is no…

For years, domestic workers in Bengaluru and other cities in Karnataka have protested the lack of social security or legal mandates to protect them against exploitation. The State government has finally addressed some of their long-standing demands and released the Draft Karnataka Domestic Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2025, on October 15 for public consultation. This move follows the Supreme Court's directive calling for a well-defined legal framework to safeguard and regulate the rights of domestic workers. According to G Manjunath, Additional Labour Commissioner and author of the bill, the goal of the draft bill is to “provide rights-based,…

Thirty-year-old Yallamma Shankar migrated to Bengaluru from Koppal district in northern Karnataka 14 years ago. She settled in Sumannahalli, in the western part of the city, and took up free-roaming waste work to make ends meet. Initially, she was glad to work outdoors in a city known for its good weather. Every day, she left her home at 5 am and worked till 2 pm, walking up to 10 kilometres a day to collect waste. “But in the last decade, summers have become unbearable. I feel giddy, dehydrated, and often lose three days of work each month because I fall…

The Karnataka government has introduced fresh amendments to the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA) Act, which could reduce buffer zones around lakes and drains to as little as 0–30 metres. On paper, this may appear to be an administrative change. In reality, it risks accelerating floods, pollution, and water insecurity across Bengaluru. Here’s what citizens need to know. How we got here Bengaluru’s lakes have long been central to the city’s ecology and culture. Recognising their importance, courts and planners have repeatedly mandated protective buffer zones: 2012: Karnataka High Court directed a 30-metre buffer around lakes and a…

On September 1st, the Urban Development Department of the Karnataka government issued draft regulations reducing court-mandated drain buffers for Bengaluru, inviting public comments. We responded with an open letter placing on record our analytical review and evidence-based objections.  Reducing buffers around drains (and lakes) will intensify floods, accelerate water loss, and foster encroachments already flagged by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India's (CAG) audits. It also violates the Karnataka High Court and National Green Tribunal orders, undermines Bengaluru’s Climate Action Plan, and breaches public trust. We urge the government to halt these reductions and act on the CAG's recommendations.…