City: Bengaluru

[In Part 1 of this series, we saw how Bengaluru's lakes used to provide food and livelihoods to communities living around them, and how this has been lost over time. In this part, we explore solutions to the problem.] The afforestation and tree planting schemes around Bengaluru's lakes do not seem to believe livelihood is a priority. For example, the banks of Kalkere lake now sport a variety of exotic species including palm trees, instead of honge and tamarind trees that local residents once depended on. Even lake rejuvenation often has been for recreational value, with the lake bed scooped out…

Happy Deepavali! ‘Times have changed. Today's generation has changed a lot. Our times were so good. Values have eroded…’ Such complaints are made by every generation. Even Aristotle is said to have complained about the next generation! Our children are already complaining about how times have changed so much since they were children. Even those who struggled during their childhood have memories to cherish from their childhood.   ‘Why do you always talk of the past and become nostalgic about every aspect?’ ask my siblings and friends. Honestly, I am just enjoying the posts on Bangalore - Photos from a Bygone…

Only green crackers are allowed in Bengaluru this Deepavali. Pic: Pxfuel Green crackers allowed during Deepavali Though Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had earlier announced a firecracker ban, on November 6, the state government specified that green crackers could be burst. The National Green Tribunal has also said that only green crackers can be allowed in Bengaluru, which is a 'non-attainment city' in terms of air quality. According to the records maintained by the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board), Bengaluru is polluted beyond the prescribed National Ambient Air Quality Standards. NGT also said it might have to consider issuing directions…

We are so lucky to be Indians and have so many festivals to celebrate and choose from. But there is also a need to draw some boundaries to ensure these festivals are equally joyful for all. The debate about firecrackers is often seen from a religious lens, and hence the arguments on it get drowned in ridiculous polarities, distracting us from the core problem.  The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act covers animal slaughter during Muslim and Hindu festivals (by allowing slaughter only in registered licensed abattoirs). Extremely loud music or prayers from religious establishments are covered by pollution…

It had been over 25 years since Neelamma N Reddy went scouring for greens in Varthur lake.   The lake was a veritable buffet of greens and fish for her. She’d find over 30 varieties of fish and small crabs that could be scooped up from its banks. “Then, there were 4-5 types of greens we’d pick up. Some herbs, like Bassale soppu (Malabar Spinach) were used to treat constipation or piles. The banks had guava, coconut and jamun trees from which children used to collect fruits,” she says.  Bengaluru’s growth turned Varthur into a part of the city’s Information Technology…

Representational image: Alastair/Wikimedia Commons: CC-BY-SA-2.0 On August 11, a mob gathered around Pulakeshinagar Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy’s house in Kaval Byrasandra, protesting an allegedly derogatory post on the Prophet Muhammed by his nephew. The mob soon turned violent, leading to clashes with the police that resulted in the imposition of curfew. The police reportedly used tear gas shells and opened fire, killing three people, only after which order was restored late at night. While some have characterised this riot as an organised event, some others said it was a spontaneous reaction to a provocation. No definitive account of…

Power tariff hiked, water tariff hike likely The KERC (Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission) has approved an average increase in power tariff by 40 paise per unit. The new rates will come into effect from the first meter reading date falling on or after November 1. The FKCCI (Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industries) warned that many industries would shut down due to the tariff hike. The Kassia (Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association) said the hike would be particularly disastrous for MSMEs as they struggle to revive operations amid the pandemic and a severe slowdown in the economy. The…

October saw heavy downpour in Bengaluru, causing flooding and traffic breakdowns in many parts of the city. The city usually gets much of its rainfall in the evenings and nights, which also makes it more vulnerable to flooding and traffic jams during peak traffic hours. Floodings have been one of the most common, inevitable outcomes of climate change. The constant feeding of emissions into the atmosphere leads to extreme precipitation, which then results in floodings. Urban flooding affects transport in different ways, such as increase in travel times, change in route, congestion due to low speeds, etc. There is an…

Rains this year caused extensive damage in some areas. Pic: BBMP Commissioner/Facebook Towards October end, we saw heavy rains in different parts of Bengaluru – predominantly in the south and southwest – which led to flooding of many low-lying areas. Those rains have now given way to pleasant sunny days with partly-cloudy skies. It almost feels like winter is here.  How have the rains been this year? Flooding episodes in the last few months seem to indicate rains were in excess, but were they?  Rainfall was indeed in excess, but also erratic  The Long Period Average(LPA) annual rainfall for Bengaluru is 986mm…

As Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly constituency goes into bypolls today, how well is the administration prepared to control the spread of COVID? The Election Commission of India (ECI) had released its guidelines for elections in all states including Karnataka, on August 21. Inputs from political parties were considered while preparing these. Further, the ECI had allowed States to come up with their own guidelines. And as per this, Karnataka government released its guidelines on October 16. As per these documents, following are the measures that would be taken on polling day: The polling booth should be completely sanitised, preferably a day…