City: Bengaluru

Today (22nd March) is the World Water Day, devoted to sustainable management of freshwater resources. On this day, events are held world-over, to assess the current state of freshwater and to make strategies for the future. The World Water Day is of critical importance to the Bengaluru city in particular, because it should remind us that we will be running out of water this year. This grim knowledge should drive us with a sense of urgency and desperation. But our authorities have done nothing: While all our fresh water sources have turned to cesspools, there is an air of complacence…

Two recover from COVID-19, two more 'almost' recover Two COVID-19 patients quarantined in the state-run RGICD (Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases) have completely recovered. The 47-year-old wife of the first patient who'd returned from US on March 1, and a 26-year-old IT employee who returned from Greece, have been asymptomatic for a week. They were tested once every three days. The woman's husband and 13-year-old daughter have “almost recovered", according to the government. They will be home-quarantined for 14 days after discharge. Meanwhile, there is a demand to screen domestic passengers apart from international travellers, at airports. At Kempegowda…

As most of us are maintaining social distancing and staying at home, we may also miss taking our morning and evening walks in parks. If not our neighbourhood parks, the Cubbon Park, Lal Bagh, GKVK or JP park for sure. But these tough times call for strict measures to contain the spread of coronavirus.  To address the issue of citizens accessing parks and green spaces, BBMP has issued the following advisory: BBMP understands that the closing of all gyms, sporting and other facilities has caused a lot of inconvenience. However, as a responsible citizen of Bengaluru, you must appreciate that…

It may have surprised many, when Bengaluru set the record for the most protests in a month with 82 protests between December and January. The ‘garden city’ is rarely associated with political activism and is often overshadowed by the likes of Delhi and Mumbai. However, like in the rest of the country, the CAA protests have served as a locus for different groups, ideologies and movements to coalesce. Inspired by Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, Bengaluru’s Bilal Bagh started on February 8 and is ongoing. Organisers have imposed precautions to keep the coronavirus at bay. On February 29, the City Corporation banned…

When fears about COVID-19 abound, the super-rich can afford to isolate themselves. They are stocking up food, sanitisers, toilet paper, and also checking into resorts in exotic locations. Some are also chartering private jets, taking along personal doctors, nurses and support staff, just in case. Little is the world thinking about those who are fighting to contain the disease. Our pourakarmikas, BWSSB workers, ayahs, nurses and those who work at burial grounds and crematoriums, have little choice. They must work, no matter what - all to ensure the city is clean and the rest of us are protected from the…

As most cities in India have unfortunately shut down due to the coronavirus scare, many citizens have been forced to work from home. We, at Beyond Carlton, thought now would an appropriate time to get citizens to check if their home or apartments are fire-safe.  This February 23rd marked the 10th anniversary of the Carlton Towers fire tragedy, that had claimed nine lives. As a mark of remembrance and tribute, Beyond Carlton, the citizen-led fire-safety initiative by those who lost their dear ones in the tragedy, organised a series of events in February. As part of this, we had launched…

https://youtu.be/onqbOrwibpI Credit: Naveeen Thomas Prasad Silk Board. Marathahalli. Outer Ring Road. What comes to your mind? Awful traffic jams, long commute and whatnot. Most of us avoid this route as much as possible, but many office-goers have no option. Recently, Naveen Thomas Prasad, an IT employee, noticed something beautiful on his way back from work -  Tabebuia Rosea trees in full bloom, lined up on the ORR between Marathahalli and Silk Board Junction. He decided to capture it on camera. On capturing the pink bloom!? Naveen says he’s always been spellbound by nature’s scenic beauty and how it can heal the…

Whitefield, ORR, Bellandur and surrounding areas are set for a water crisis, as the District Administration of Bengaluru (Rural) has come down heavily on tanker water suppliers for extracting groundwater from farmland. BESCOM has disconnected power supply to tanker operators’ borewells. Bengaluru Khasagi Neeru Sarabarajudhaarara Sangha, an association of private tanker-water suppliers, has called for a strike starting 16 March. This would affect residents, especially those in apartments, who depend on tanker supply for their daily water needs as they have limited or no supply from BWSSB. Tanker water supply to Mahadevapura and East Bangalore areas has become short by…

As much as Rs, 8344 crore was announced for Bengaluru’s development in the latest state Budget presented by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on March 5. Here’s the catch: It is a carry-over of the previous year’s Budget – with an outlay of Rs 8015 crore for Bengaluru --presented by then Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy. What’s more, it bears a new name. The former’s grants came under the `Chief Minister’s Nava Bengaluru Kriya Scheme’ while Yediyurappa’s allocations for Bengaluru comes under the `Chief Minister’s Nava Nagarottana Scheme’. There are more similarities: From solid waste management to transport, mobility, water supply,…

Bengaluru recently topped the TomTom Traffic Index 2019, that ranked 416 global cities on traffic congestion. Mumbai (4th position), Pune (5th) and Delhi (8th) were the other Indian cities that featured in the top 10. Countless memes and jokes on Bengaluru’s notorious traffic and roads - most recently the ‘astronaut walking on moon’ video - have been doing the rounds. Why is the city unable to solve its traffic mess despite its countless planning documents and experts? Only 7% land in Bengaluru is used for road infrastructure Bengaluru is a ring-radial patterned city similar to Delhi, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. The…