City: Bengaluru

Bangalore / Namma Bengaluru has many famous landmarks. KR Market, also known as City Market, is one of them. Did you know KR Market is one of Asia’s largest flower markets? It is also one of the largest in Bangalore that has sale of fresh produce. The flip side to this is that tonnes of waste is generated every day. Unfortunately, there is no proper system for disposal of waste. Fruit and vegetable vendors throw rotten or reject produce onto the street or on top of existing heaps of garbage around their stalls. Every new mayor makes an effort to…

Photo: Billy Bob Bain (via Flickr) When Rafik (name changed), a young man in his thirties, came up with an innovative business model for advertising in Bengaluru, the first hurdle came in the form of lack of clarity over rules governing this kind of advertising. The business idea was simple: to introduce outdoor mobile billboard advertising, that is, to use private or commercial vehicles for advertising a product or service through stickers or billboards. Unsure of  the rules and guidelines pertaining to this business model, Rafik first visited the advertising section at the BBMP office, enquiring about the procedure to…

At a public awareness programme organized by the BWSSB in November 2016, an irate apartment RWA Member asked the BWSSB official present, "What is the point in setting up an STP when we're already connected to the sewerage network? Treated sewage is going to mix with our neighbouring locality's raw sewage in your drains which you will treat in a large STP. What is the point of all of this?” Over the years, Bengaluru city has not only grown horizontally—to areas outside the sewerage network—but also vertically: previously sewered areas are seeing a manifold jump in sewage generated per acre…

In a fun and fascinating session at the Bengaluru Literature Festival on Saturday afternoon (17 December 2016), Roopa Pai, Bengaluru-based bestselling author of The Gita for Children, convinced kids (and their parents) of the importance of the Bhagawad Gita even in today’s modern world - explaining how it was a math puzzle book, a weight loss book and the oldest self-help book in the world! She briefly ran through the story of the Mahabharata. Through her narrative, she made children laugh out loud by combining humour and references to daily life experiences. The session was highly interactive. Enthusiastic children listened…

This road is one where construction has no end. Governments after governments keep on adding projects on this road, thus forcing the road to never-ending construction works. For example, now,  the Government of Karnataka has announced an Elevated Light Rail System connecting JP Nagar to Hebbal. There is also a plan to build an elevated light rail line from Magadi Road Toll Gate to Peripheral Ring Road as part of this project. The execution of this project could take some time given that the construction of the signal free corridor is still underway on the stretch between JP Nagar and…

Anyone who has been following the campaign for suburban rails in Bengaluru would know that Government of Karnataka’s (GOK) proposal for implementing a suburban rail system in Bengaluru is pending since 2013. Meanwhile, recently, Indian Railways has circulated a draft policy on Suburban Rail System to all the state governments. In last three years, we have seen three railway ministers, out of which two were from Karnataka - Mallikarjun Kharge and D V Sadananda Gowda. Including the present railway minister,  Suresh Prabhu, all had agreed that suburban rail is an important project for solving some of the Bengaluru traffic issues.…

In the last week of September, residents of BCCHS Layout, close to Kanakapura road in Bengaluru, noticed illegal dumping of garbage by unknown people on BDA land and Gomala land, while on their way to Chamundeswari Temple at Hurakalu Gudda very close to the Anjanapura BDA Layout, II Block at Lal Bahadur Shastrinagar. They soon found out that the dumping had been systematic: for several years on end, garbage had been dumped at these sites and covered with debris, while the neighbourhood assumed that the land was being levelled by its owner. Over time, as the stench got unbearable, residents…

#ChukkuBukkuBeku campaigners line up to board the Bangarpet passenger train at the Cantonment Railway Station on Saturday. Pic: Sumukh Kadekar Over 300 people assembled at six railway stations between Cantonment station to Whitefield as part of the #ChukuBukkuBeku campaign organised by Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB) on Saturday, (December 17, 2016,) highlighting the need for a suburban railway system in Bangalore to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. Several campaigners including actor Prakash Belawadi and singer Raghu Dixit who boarded the Bangarpet passenger train (which was delayed by over an hour) at Cantonment station at around 10.30 am were joined by…

This is a story of how a 140-family community became waste-sensitive and is continuing to be so. Sobha Quartz is a residential apartment complex in Bellandur, Bengaluru. I live here. ‘KasaMuktha Bellandur’, a citizen initiative for solid waste management, has made all the changes possible here. Mine is a very responsible community of 140 families, who follow the 2Bin1Bag method of segregation. Door-to-door campaigning have helped us help convince defaulting residents to segregate and monitor the compliance of community members. We send regular emails and updates to keep up their motivation and interest. Our team consists of passionate and like-minded women and men (many include working professionals) who are trying to make…

It’s that time of the year again when Bengaluru revels in literature. Fifth edition of Bengaluru Literature Festival is here again, with a line up of exciting events that are sure to tickle the brains, with many who’s-who in the world of literature attending it as panelists and guests. According to a press note from the organisers, Bangalore Literature Festival is all set for a fifth edition on December 17 and 18 at the Hotel Royal Orchid lawns on Old Airport Road, Bengaluru. Building on the success of over the past four years, this year Bangalore Literature Festival will feature…