City: Bengaluru

  BBMP plans property tax hike BBMP may hike property tax rates anywhere between 15 to 30 percent this financial year. This plan comes soon after a power tariff hike and a proposed water tariff hike in the city. S P Hemalatha, Chairperson of the BBMP Standing Committee on Taxation and Finance, said that the last property tax revision was three years back, in 2016. She said that BBMP was facing a fund deficit of over Rs 1200 crore, and hence they decided to hike property tax which was the Palike's main revenue source. As per the Karnataka Municipal Corporations…

For what might come as a breath of fresh air for Bengalureans quite literally, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has stepped up to tackle air pollution in the city. A 44-point joint action plan has been approved by the Air Quality Monitoring Committee (AQMC) that was set up by the Karnataka government in response to a directive by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). In addition to Bengaluru, action plans have been created for Hubli-Dharwad, Davengere and Kalaburgi. These are the four ‘non-attainment cities’ in Karnataka, i.e., cities that do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. As…

On June 5th, World Environment Day, my handbook ‘Our Agara Lake’ was released. As a lake activist, the handbook is my attempt to share the story of Agara lake’s revival. I believe that our story can inspire citizens across Bengaluru to come together and work for the many more lakes that need to be revived. Agara lake’s story is about a collaborative relationship between citizens and the government. A supportive government, responsive Lake Development Authority (LDA) and the pro-active citizen group ALPMS (Agara Lake Protection and Management Society) worked together to revive the lake. The lake, spread over 200 acres…

‘Beat Air Pollution’ is the rallying call issued by China, which is hosting this year’s World Environment Day celebrations.  And China knows how to beat air pollution, for it has worked hard the past two decades doing just that. According to a report released this March by the Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, 20 years of tough action has produced the following results: “the average concentrations of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particle PM10 dropped by 93.3, 37.8 and 55.3 percent respectively in Beijing. The PM 2.5 content in the air reduced by over 40 percent.” United Nations…

This Sunday, more than 3000 cyclists participated in a ride to mark the World Bicycle Day that is observed on June 3rd. The cyclists gathered in front of the State Central Library at Cubbon Park to make a call to motorists to keep them safe on roads. The event was organised by the citizens’ group CiFoS (Citizens for Sustainability) in association with various government departments. It marked the launch of an year-long campaign #ABetterBangalorean, to sensitise motorists to not harass cyclists and to ensure their safety. The event started at 6 am on Sunday, with cyclists being provided free T-shirts…

One fine morning around mid-March, we, the residents of ST Bed Layout in Koramangala, suddenly found the Maharaja Junction bridge, our main link to the outside world, demolished. On asking around, we were given all kinds of reasons, none of which seemed to justify the demolition. The bridge, which covered a major storm water drain (SWD)/rajakaluve, used to be in good condition. However, we were told that a new bridge was being built, and that it would be completed in around 45 days. We saw a lot of construction activity around the area, and hoped that BBMP would complete the…

Work begins on Vellara Jn-Pottery Town Metro line Work on the 5.63-km underground Metro stretch from Vellara Junction to Pottery Town began on May 30th. L&T had been awarded the project, worth Rs 2628 crore, to build the tunnel and stations along this stretch. The company has 42 months to complete the project. The stretch is part of the Gottigere-Nagavara line of Metro. The iconic Fatima Bakery and Hotel Tom's, as well as a portion of the All Saints Church, will be demolished for the project in spite of protests by citizens. Work on the stretch is expected to worsen…

Unlike most people, I don’t think BBMP is an inefficient civic body. I feel they are very environmentally-aware and are always coming up with new ways to implement it. I know you might be thinking, “This is a crazy man? All our lakes are dying, and all the trees being cut down and all!” You have the right to your opinion, but hear me out. I was working on an article about a BBMP initiative called Roshini. With Roshini, BBMP schools across the city were going to get free Microsoft products. They were even giving free training to teachers. You…

Rusty swings and broken see-saws once ruled the playground in KSGMPS aka Immadihalli Government School in Whitefield, established during British rule. But since 2017, children are heading to the school playground earlier and leaving later, just so they can play with swings, caterpillars and twisters. Anthill Creations had set up these structures here using scrap tyres, a trademark of this Bengaluru-based non-profit. In another part of the city is Aralikatte Park, near National College in Basavanagudi, also set up by Anthill. The monkey bar-like structure here has colourful tyres overhead, instead of the usual metal bars. Children clamber through and hang…

Around 120 bike riders participated in the ‘Men Take Lead Ride 2019’ on Sunday, to commemorate the international Menstrual Hygiene (MH) Day. World over, MH Day is being observed today, May 28th, to bring attention to girls’ and women’s health and empowerment. The theme of this year’s ‘Men Take Lead Ride’ was to address the issue of isolation and untouchability around mensuration. It was organised by the Bengaluru-based NGO Breaking the Silence Worldwide Foundation, in partnership with the motorcycle club India Bull Riders and Radio Active 90.4 MHz. Shreya Krishnan, Mrs India 2017, flagged off the ride on Sunday. Eminent…