City: Bengaluru

Taxi aggregators have brought a change in the commuting pattern in the city. Recently, on a late evening, I waited for an auto/cab at HSR Layout that can take me to Gandhi Nagar. At the auto stand, the driver says: “No meter madam. Gandhi Nagar is far,” hence he demands 500 bucks. I let go of the option and stop another auto on the road. This driver tries to strike a deal for Rs 350. I let go of this too. Then I try to search for a cab/auto in Ola app. The auto driver takes me to Gandhi Nagar…

When Mexico City quadrupled in size from 1940 to 1970, the city experienced unending gridlock—something any Bengalurean can relate to. Today, Mexicans still battle long commute times, but the government has ameliorated its transit-induced headache after implementing large-scale changes to its public transit. Meanwhile, Bengaluru’s commuters continue to sit in hours of traffic amid a sea of angry honkers. Migrants continue to flow in, and the vehicle population continues to grow. Although Mexico City has more than 220 km of rail in place, dissimilar to Bengaluru’s still infantile Namma Metro’s 31 km, the key to Mexico City’s progress has been…

Bengaluru, my new home, continues to surprise me every day with its idiosyncrasies. I am slowly falling in love with this place, and that is in spite of the traffic. Alright, you ask, why this sudden exhortation and public display of affection? Well, because I have just found one more reason to fall in love with the city and its people. When you see a kid begging at a traffic signal or a homeless old lady sitting on the sidewalk asking for money, what do you do? Aren’t you torn between whipping out your wallet and also doubting whether this…

The whole of last month, this member of the cactus family (Hylocereus) has been delighting people across our city. I clicked the photos below in front of my bank at J P Nagar 5th Phase. This flower/cactus is not native to India; it comes from Central and South America. But we certainly seem to have adopted it; locally, it’s called “Brahmakamalam” (though the actual Brahmakamalam is another plant altogether!) and the edible fruit is called “Dragon fruit”, thanks to its shape and colour. You can see the fruit if you click on the link here. The flowers bloom at night,…

We cannot imagine our lives without electricity, but it is a scarce resource. Needed not just for cooking, heating, cooling, lighting, and electronic appliances in our homes, it is also critical for transport, industry, commercial, institutional, recreational, medical and governmental activities. Electricity is the most expensive form of energy, but the cleanest and of highest quality. Given the resources to produce electricity are limited, saving the electricity through smart planning is essential for a better future. Why should we save electricity? Electricity is directly linked with the three dimensions of sustainability: Economic benefits: Electricity is produced in power plants which…

Bangalore In-charge Minister K J George, Jamshyd Godrej and others in Unlock Bengaluru conference. Pic courtesy: WRI India. Minister K J George, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Jamshyd Godrej, Madhav Pai, Aniruddha Dasgupta and V Ravichandar lead discourse at the Unlock Bengaluru (#UnlockBLR) conference in the city of Bengaluru on 9th July 2016. K J George, Minister for Bengaluru Development and Town Planning, outlined the government’s commitment to working with organizations like WRI India to develop a dialogue on sustainable development in the city. Highlighting some of the upcoming projects in Bengaluru, he said, “It is my great privilege to participate in Unlock Bengaluru…

Xerxes Desai. Pic: Christopher Lopaze On 27th June 2016, Bengaluru lost one of its most eminent citizens when Indiranagar resident Xerxes Sapur Desai breathed his last in the city. He was at the helm of Titan Companies Ltd from the 1980s till his retirement in 2002 and is the man widely acknowledged to be the driving force behind catapulting the brand to international renown. A man of great passion and energy, Desai is known for having transformed Titan into a nimble, agile organization and a very ‘happy’ place to work. He imbibed a culture which encouraged innovation, one of not…

You may have read the news about the passing of Xerxes Desai, the founding Managing Director of Titan. Two years ago, our then intern from the University of Washington Chris Lopaze interviewed Desai for India Together. He also shared his thoughts about Bengaluru and urban issues, that we published today. He talked about how the IT industry impacted Bangalore and proposed professionalising city management. Read: Remembering Xerxes Desai. Xerxes Desai was also a well wisher and patron of Oorvani Foundation. He encouraged the work we do at Citizen Matters - and was always ready to share valuable insights, and advice.…

Every city, even a giant metropolis like Bengaluru, still has a few patches of green, blue or brown that have managed to survive or at least allay the formidable onslaught of concrete and glass. Look carefully in these oases and you’ll be sure to find a sign of life (or five)! Snakes Among the most revered and reviled animals in India, snakes are also very common in our cityscapes. Bengaluru has about 40 species of snakes of which six are venomous. Most snakes, even venomous ones, will flee upon detection. They only stand their ground when provoked or unable to…

File photo. Pic:Christopher Martin Lopaze As the month of fasting—Ramzaan, draws to a close, a sense of humility serenades me. Ramzaan is a month when one is called upon to abstain from not just food, but anything that corrupts the mind and soul. However, when one goes without food and water for 14+ hours a day for 30 days, in the least, it reminds one how blessed we are to be able to afford a basic meal. It is 'hunger' that teaches one the value of 'food'. About a month ago, over a quiet meal, my husband Manivannan and I…