City: Bengaluru

Two major announcements were made in February 2024: Karnataka Assembly passed the BBMP Amendment Bill 2024. Bengaluru development/Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on X (twitter) hailed it as a taxpayer-friendly Bill. The amendment was projected to benefit around 13-15 lakh people in Bengaluru, including 5.51 lakh taxpayers, by reducing the penalty on property tax arrears by 50%. This was followed, on February 20th, by BBMP’s draft notification proposing a new property tax calculation structure in Bengaluru. The new structure, based on Guidance Value (GV), is expected to begin during the next financial year, starting April 1st. Tax computation Municipalities in…

Mathru Educational Trust for the Blind and Other Disabled, established on January 15, 2001 by Muktha Gubbi, emerged at a time when her life was marked by various challenges that almost led her to despair. She met with a freak accident, in which she lost half of one foot and a close relationship ended, thereafter.  Witnessing a young mother struggling to take care of her blind toddler inspired Muktha to start the Mathru Residential School for the Blind in her time of adversity. Since its inception, the school has empowered countless visually impaired students, who have meritoriously passed out of Mathru school. Mathru now…

Over the last few years, there has been a proliferation of ride-hailing apps in Bengaluru, from Namma Yatri to Nano Travels. The Karnataka government is even planning to launch its own ride-hailing app, as per reports. While some commuters continue to use Uber and Ola, there are some who are satisfied with local apps. This article analyses what alternative apps have to offer vis-a-vis Uber and Ola.  Nano Travels: Benefiting drivers and commuters, following rules G Narayana Swamy, a Bengaluru-based cab driver, is steering the ride-hailing industry with his Nano Travels, operating within a 70 km radius in the city.…

Water crisis in summer looms The city faces a potential water crisis this summer due to drought. Many areas have irregular supply and low-pressure flow. In Hebbal, Banaswadi and JC Nagar, there has been a decline in water frequency, with the once-in-two-days Cauvery water supply reduced to once every five days. At Munireddy Palya, there are complaints of erratic supply patterns and short supply hours. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) denied it, but residents suspect that the agency is rationing water to preempt a summer crisis. Weak Southwest monsoon rains, reduced levels in the Cauvery basin reservoirs…

Sarjapura Road gridlock continues to haunt Bengalureans for several years now. Over the years, several solutions have been planned, but it has done little to alleviate the issue. The issues More than 15,000 cars (PCU) every hour at the Sarjapur Road-ORR junction 75,000-1 lakhs commuters - more than 50% of office goers take private transport Footpaths non-existent Last mile connectivity - There are no bus routes servicing inner roads. Some roads are too narrow for BMTC buses Metro on Sarjapur Road will take a few years What solution addresses this mess: Road widening, elevated ways and flyovers, more BMTC buses,…

Chief Minister Siddaramiah announced his second budget during his current tenure as head of the government. With an overall budget outlay of Rs 3.71 lakh crore, the budget has been a promising one on several fronts. The five guarantees: Gruha Jyoti, Gruha Lakshmi, Anna Bhagya, Shakti and Yuvanidhi, which were announced in the election manifesto of 2023 and are being implemented over the past one year, received a budget allocation of Rs. 52,000 crores. Focus on the five guarantee schemes The chief minister justified the additional allocation and spending on the five guarantees, citing inflation and increasing income disparity in…

[Part one and two of this series traced the history of Kannada signage rules in Bengaluru and the history of the Kannada movement, respectively. Part three looks at what the government is doing to promote Kannada] Rupa migrated to Bengaluru from Jharkhand a year ago. She works at a petrol station in North Bengaluru. She doesn’t speak much Kannada, though she can manage a few words. She is trying to learn Kannada by talking to locals around her, but it is not easy. The protests calling for implementing Kannada signage in Bengaluru has once again opened up conversations and resentments…

257 water crisis zones in the city The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has identified 257 areas facing potential water scarcity. Poor monsoons have led to a significant drop in the water table, with 1,240 out of 10,995 borewells expected to dry up soon. To meet the shortfall, an extra 1,680 million litres of water per day (MLD) is needed. Hence, the BWSSB is planning to make up for the water shortage with its 60 tankers, 120 private tankers and high awareness programmes. Almost 20% in the city get water from tankers due to increasing scarcity in the state,…

Citizen activism in Bengaluru has been an example of perseverance and driving change. There are citizen groups that serve as an inspiring example that not all development initiatives need to be government-led. Sustained citizen action can play a huge role. These groups have demonstrated that the city can advance through hyper local intervention by citizens. We profile a few of these groups that mark their milestone years of being changemakers. Whitefield Rising: 10 years of citizen action The question of responsibility for addressing everyday issues, like garbage and traffic, prompted Nitya Ramakrishnan, founder of Whitefield Rising, Mahadevpura constituency, to contemplate that…

Cantonment lies almost at the heart of Bengaluru, and has the city’s oldest Railway Station. It is presently being redeveloped as the fourth Railway Terminal of Bengaluru – after KSR City, Yeshvantpura and Sir MV Terminal. The earlier heritage facade will be replaced with a new modern look. The new features planned include a large air-conditioned concourse area, segregated arrival and departure points, ground + multi-level underground parking, a roof plaza / waiting area over the platforms, new green building features, new foot-over-bridges across platforms, etc. All this is planned for completion by the end of 2025. Proposed design of…