City: Bengaluru

When the Karnataka government announced a flyover on Bellary road recently, citizens protested over the secrecy shrouded around the project. Their main contention was against the Bangalore Development Authority for silently moving the project without much details in public domain. The fact is that the State government had announced the project in its budget 2014-15, and kept pursuing it without transparency. In fact there are many grand infrastructure projects that successive governments have announced in the State budgets over the years, for which little information exists in public domain. Blame it on bureaucratic and political apathy, or on technical glitches…

A moth that looks like a tiny bird! India does not have Hummingbirds, those tiny creatures of the light and air that so delight those living or visiting abroad, especially the western coast of America. Our smallest birds are our Sunbirds and Flowerpeckers. However, even in urban gardens, one may find oneself looking at something that seems remarkably like a Hummingbird, and yet seems different. In India, this probably means that one is looking at a Hummingbird Hawk Moth! The scientific name for this small creature is Macroglossum stellatarum. They belong to the family called “Sphingidae”. Pic: Deepa Mohan In…

One of the very beautiful tiny insects that will often catch your attention is a needle-like creature that you see close to the edge of ponds and lakes, which seem to float magically in the air before settling, lightly, on a blade of grass. This slelnder, exquisite creature is the Damselfly. Damselflies, like Dragonflies, belong to the order Odonata, and are technically called Odonates. If you are interested in a more detailed name, they belong to the sub-order called Zygoptera. How does one distinguish between Dragonflies and Damselflies? The former have their wings open at right angles to their bodies…

Dear Reader, Before you move on to the news section, ponder this: 2018 is going to see elections in Karnataka - precisely 18 months away from now. Do you have any idea what the 28 MLAs you have elected did in the Karnataka assembly the last 3.5 years? You might remember the coverage we did during the past elections - 2013 state election, 2014 Loksabha election, and 2015 BBMP election. We will of course do data-based reporting in 2018 too. But it will be possible only with your contributions - because no corporate or political party funds us. We are…

Bengaluru's bruhath problem with sewage is notoriously well known, with pictures of foaming lakes and fish kills attracting global media attention. But what is less well known is the fact that this city has the highest number of apartment-scale sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the country. With over 2000 small-scale STPs housed in apartment complexes alone, along with an equally substantial number in commercial complexes, Bengaluru could well be called the 'city of STPs'. The primary driver of this ‘revolution’ of small-scale STPs in the city is the 2004 KSPCB order mandating all new residential complexes with more than 50…

River Hope presents 'Open Day by Bangalore Architects' on the 10th and 11th of December 2016, an event that will for the first time, allow the general public to visit the city’s architect studios and learn about their work. Set up by Bangalore based architects Krupa Rajangam and Aparna Shastri in 2013, River Hope is an informal network that conducts an annual event to promote awareness of architecture and built cultural heritage. It has organized three events so far: their first event in 2013 was a heritage walk in Whitefield, in 2014 they conducted design walks and in 2015 presented…

TenderSURE roads in Bengaluru have been the topic of debate for a few years now. While the designs shown in presentations are only schematic and not open to public scruitiny, the execution of the project on many roads has drawn criticism from public. Jahnavi Pai, an environment enthusiast, has done a study on the environment-friendly quotient of a TenderSURE design. According to her, The space for roots is not enough to help the tree grow, according to the drawings of TenderSURE design available in public domain. This could be a major drawback as far as trees are concerned. The rainwater…

How well do you know Namma Bengaluru? Let me start with a question. Who was the person that personally financed the levelling of a road with the intention of alleviating the pain of bullocks dragging heavy cartloads up a steep slope? If you don’t know, this man was Enayathullah Mekhri, who took notice of the sufferings of bullocks, and decided to act on it. Despite being offered compensation by the king of Mysore for his selfless act, Mekhri refused it. Such was his nature. Therefore, in honour of this gracious act and his willingness to help society at large, the…

Story of the season: Beating cash-crunch in cities As cash-crunch hits ATMs post-demonetisation, many people are finding alternative ways to pay the monthly bills and commitments. People living in cities have comparatively less worries in tackling this situation, as technology comes to help. >> Read our guide on Many options for cashless transactions, to help ease cash-crunch. >> Much is being said about ewallets. How does ewallet help? Here’s an article: A guide to e-wallets. Also read: What demonetisation means for common man on Chennai streets Elevated roads and public transport in cities R K Misra, who is one of…

Nominations for the prestigious Namma Bengaluru Awards 2016, which honours and celebrates the efforts of those citizens who have been at the forefront of the fight for a better Bengaluru, is coming to a close on November 30, 2016. If an ordinary individual doing extraordinary work has touched your life, then NOW is the time to nominate them for the awards and allow their stories to inspire more such unsung heroes. Nominations can be made online through www.nammabengaluruawards.org OR you can duly fill the nomination forms available at Bangalore One Centers. For any queries contact us on 080-41102757/+91-9591985287 or email…