City: Bengaluru

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has proposed building a four-lane elevated expressway through the Bannerghatta National Park, the only protected area within Bengaluru Urban district. The NHAI is working on a 280 km long expressway called the Bengaluru Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR). The road, which is part of the Bharat Mala Pariyojna scheme, will connect towns like Hosur in Tamil Nadu to satellite towns around Bengaluru, like Anekal, Sarjapura and Doddaballapura. Read more: Why a shrinking Bannerghatta forest should worry Bengalureans NHAI claims that the expressway will divert all commercial traffic, like trucks, that currently pass through…

Water woes worsen Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) sources said that the “water input” for the city has fallen by 50%. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar explained that 6,997 of 16,781 borewells are dry. The water crisis is due to low monsoons in September last year, which led to a drought in 195 taluks. Later, the number went up to 216 of the 236 taluks, including Mandya and Mysuru districts, the source of Bengaluru's water. Areas under Mahadevapura zone, including Kadugodi, Byrathi, Hoodi, Whitefield, Varthur, Marathahalli, Bellandur and AECS Layout, are some of the worst affected. Other places facing…

The delusional bubble of our so-called ‘progressive society’ is broken every year on International Women’s Day. Irrespective of how far we have developed, we still struggle to comprehend and respect simple concepts of freedom and equality, especially concerning women.  A woman's identity is not tied to a man The identity of a woman is somehow still rigidly bound by her association with a man, be it her father or her husband. A single woman is often judged. It is not just society that ties a woman to a man’s name, but also the government with some regressive policies. The recent…

Apartments in Bengaluru, especially in the peripheral areas such as Mahadevapura and Bengaluru North, which are dependent on groundwater or tanker water, are being compelled to take some drastic measures of water rationing. But even amidst these dire situations. there are implementable solutions. Here is an example of an apartment that took strong measures to conserve water, despite being serviced by BWSSB: Floriana Estates Apartment, a 19-year-old building in Koramangala, recognised the importance of water conservation as a social responsibility and for sustainability. The Managing Committee (MC) of Floriana Estates took several initiatives, including raising awareness, addressing water wastage, fixing…

In 2023, Citizen Matters published an in-depth series on the rainfall deficit in the city. Over the last two months this year- due to depleting groundwater levels, weak southwest monsoon rains, and reduced water levels in the Cauvery River basin-the water crisis is at our doorsteps. 223 taluks have been declared drought-hit by the state government. As per estimates, 7,408 villages and 1,115 wards in urban local bodies are at risk of drinking water shortage.  The state government, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) have stepped in to take stock of the crisis.…

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,…