City: Bengaluru

This week’s highlight Bengaluru is burning, but BBMP unable to help Garbage burning in progress in Varthur. Pic: Keerthi Gardenia resident In last two weeks, there have been multiple cases of garbage burning in Bengaluru being reported on social media. But the entire system seems to have turned a blind eye to this problem. The problem recurs every winter and continues in summer. But who is caring? Read: BBMP unable to control Bengaluru's garbage fire menace Fedup of constantly breathing toxic fumes from burning of garbage, student Aditya Potapragada writes to BBMP:‘Killing me softly with your smoke.’ When a builder…

Case 1: Bellandur In the last week of October, residents of Mantri Espana, an apartment close to Bellandur lake in Bengaluru, were appalled at the sight of thick smoke engulfing the skies from a private land adjacent to the lake. The smoke originated from an illegal garbage burning site on a private land. The situation continued for the next few days worsening to the extent that children in the neighbourhood faced breathing difficulties. Garbage on fire in Bellandur yet again, after being doused once. Pic: A Bellandur resident Following repeated complaints by residents of the area, officials from Bruhat Bengaluru…

Can government schools beat private schools in facilities? Yes, if there are people willing to lead a school in that direction. Head teachers in the schools are those who have such capacity. Here's a case of a school near Devanahalli's Kempegowda International Airport - Government Higher Primary School,  Hunasamaranahalli, Bangalore North - that got State Government's Model School Award in 2015. The head teacher got national award for best teacher in 2012. Padma Priya, a Radio Jockey at Radio Active 90.4 MHz, shares her memories of the school that she studied in, that has become a model now for other…

The longstanding suffering of home buyers at the hands of the builders may be a common occurrence. This is the story of how three of us fought to get our due from the builder. It has been a long battle for my fellow buyers Kartikey Khanna, an RTI activist, and MS Shamasundara, an armed forces employee, and me. We had put our hard-earned, lifetime’s savings in what we thought would be our dream house. Like so many others, we were impressed with the lofty promises of world class living standards and amenities and quick possession (within 36 months of signing…

In the bylanes of Swatantrapalya, hundreds of BPL families live struggling to make both ends meet. Pic: Akshatha M In our previous story on welfare schemes for the poor, we narrated the difficulties that below poverty line (BPL) families face in availing these. A majority of the people we spoke to said they were unaware of most schemes, others said they cannot really put their time and effort in running around government offices to get the schemes sanctioned. The general notion among those belonging to the economically weaker sections is that one needs to make multiple visits to the government…

In an earlier article, we had discussed how customised investment, depending on one’s present and future needs, could help tide over financial crises, for example one caused by a sudden job loss. But to secure an effective shield for the future, one needs to do his homework well and research the various short term, middle term and long term options available. Here is a brief guide to help you get started on your research on the instruments you could consider for your portfolio. Pic courtesy: Pixabay Mutual Funds and ELSS A mutual fund is typically an investment vehicle made up…

It is strange that in an age where technology has connected people in a wide variety of ways that we seem so disconnected as citizens. This disconnection becomes the challenge of our society. Though we have immediate access to tons of information we seem incapable of finding common­sense solutions to the problems we face. The culture and context of our communities need to be reestablished-(Roberts, 2006).As technologists and organizations, we create many civic tools. But sadly most of it ends of up remaining with organizations or a specific group of people and is never put to use by others. RHoK…

The fate of the contentious steel flyover is uncertain now with the imposition of an interim stay order for four weeks by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), but the project is far from being scrapped. A media report suggests that the  the Chief Minister has ordered officials to commence work from the Hebbal side, with indications that the government may be open to consultations regarding developments south of Mekhri circle. The steel flyover has seen one of the biggest civil society mobilisations ever in Bengaluru, with very vocal public protests and petitions against the project involving people from different walks of life.…

Economic cycles have become an irreversible part of our lives. Job losses have become all too common in today’s world. Gone are the days when one joined a company and was assured of a job till superannuation. The opening up of the economy in the year 1991 brought in its wake economic opportunities as well as its fair share of pitfalls. Namma Ooru Bengaluru, has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of economic liberalization. Not surprisingly, it has also borne the brunt in fair measure. Bangalore today houses a number of industries where job losses and contract jobs are de…

Lamps, snacks and crackers in the company of family. A perfect way of celebrating Deepavali! A festival where moderation invariably flies out of the window, especially in the presence of all that food, and the fun. During this festival that is celebrated across the length and breadth of our country, people do tend to get reckless, and a little careless too. They seem to forget that, the very same fire that lights lamps and crackers, can also cause burns and fire accidents. Let me rephrase that - it is the things people do / don’t do that causes the same…