City: Bengaluru

Bathymetric study conducted by Madras Engineering Group division of the Indian Army and scientists from IISc. Pic: Akshatha M April 12th, 2016 A team of active citizens of Bengaluru representing community groups - Whitefield Rising and Save Bellandur Lake Group - assemble on the fringes of Bellandur lake to address the media. They are accompanied by a team of researchers from Indian Institute of Science and army personnel from Madras Engineering Group (MEG). The reason: To brief the media about a community-funded survey to evaluate the condition of Varthur and Bellandur lakes. April 13th, 2016 Another set of active citizens…

A special announcement In partnership with the team from DataMeet, Oorvani Foundation launches OpenCity.in - an urban public data portal. OpenCity.in is a repository of city-related public data. We invite citizens and RWAs to share the public data they may have on topics like civic, health, environment etc. Data can be local or city level, like budgets, programme of works, expenditure reports, RTI responses, DPRs etc. The site is currently in alpha, and volunteers from across cities will be adding more data. For more information, contact opencity@oorvani.in. This also brings us to Reason #3 about why you should support our…

Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, in collaboration with the Takshashila Institution, is launching a Master of Arts in Public Policy course. The introductory batch of this two-year course is due to commence from June 2016. Public policy is a sunrise industry in India, with a growing demand for trained public policy professionals in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors, as well as in government and politics. This course has a specially designed curriculum suited to India's needs. The course will create talented professionals who are well-equipped to engage in the complex arena of public affairs in India. The Takshashila Institution has been…

“Mistakes happen deliberately or unwittingly. Sometimes convicts may not be the real culprits. Doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance?” asks Honnegowda, who spent 15 years in jail. Ten years post-release, he now stands as a testimony to how one can lead a dignified life even after serving life sentence. But, to what extent do society and the government support and help prisoners lead their lives post-release? For a just-released prisoner, reintegration with the world is the most important and challenging aspect. The Karnataka government may have taken a significant step by releasing 633 convicts who had served over 14 years…

“Mistakes happen deliberately or unwittingly. Sometimes convicts may not be the real culprits. Doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance?” asks Honnegowda, who spent 15 years in jail. Ten years post-release, he now stands as a testimony to how one can lead a dignified life even after serving life sentence. But, to what extent do society and the government support and help prisoners lead their lives post-release? For a just-released prisoner, reintegration with the world is the most important and challenging aspect. The Karnataka government may have taken a significant step by releasing 633 convicts who had served over 14 years…

Mandur - closed in November 2014. Bingipura - closed in  November 2015. Laxmipura - closed in November 2015. Mavallipura - closed in July 2012, reopened in July 2014, ready to close again! That is the story of landfills that help Bengaluru live in peace. With the closure of Terra Firma waste processing unit in Doddaballapur, the garbage crisis has started worsening in Bengaluru. According to BBMP officials, the waste which used to be transported to Terra Firma, is now being diverted to various processing units and to a new quarry at Bettahalli in North Bengaluru. “Around 500-600 tonnes of garbage…

Pic: Rajesh Shah Varthur and Bellandur lakes have been in the news over the past one year due to froth and fire. These lakes were last desilted in 1970. As part of the rejuvenation efforts, scientists from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and other experts have been recommending wet dredging to remove the silt and sludge. To estimate the amount of silt and sludge that have accumulated over the years, Prof. Ramachandra of IISc recommended a bathymetric survey. IISc and MEG Teams at KK English School Citizens who took into consideration the recommendations of teh scientists seriously, joined their hands…

Nobody wants to take mixed waste, yet Bengaluru is sitting on quite a huge quantity of it. Pic: Shree D N Heaps of unsegregated waste mixed with reject waste such as styrofoam plates and low value plastic lie unattended in the infamous backyard of Malleshwaram, that is 11th main. Some residents raised a hue and cry against Malleshwaram turning into a mini Mandur, even as the BBMP officials and contractors were figuring out how to handle the situation. This was the scene on 9th April, in Malleshwaram. It has been little over three months since the BBMP announced strict penalty…

On the March 13th, we went to Arekere Reserve Forest (aka Doresanipalya) and while there, we found this baby Black Kite, badly injured, upon the ground. It was so badly off that it could not even clamber to its feet as it lay there in the grass clutter. It was heart-rending to watch the poor little one look at us with terrified, mute appeal. But alas! Very often, one cannot follow up on one’s emotional impulse to intervene in wildlife... whether in urban or forest areas. In this case, the very fact that it was so immobile told me that…