City: Bengaluru

I grew up in a home that didn't hate dogs but never really loved them either. I was consciously told to avoid dogs, always. And I followed that during the early part of my childhood, till I was 10-11 years old. However, this was to change. I was riding pillion on my uncle's Bullet motorcycle on CMH Road Indiranagar, in Bengaluru, for something early in the morning, about 4 am. Just as we entered CMH Road from Murphy Town (this is before the Metro era), the road was dark. A pack of street dogs started to chase the motorcycle. I…

Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has been on a drive towards automation over the past decade. More and more challans are being added on their website, and people are expected to find them and pay their dues. While this might give BTP a bit of breathing space to concentrate on more stringent violations, that does not seem to be what is happening. Here, I analyse BTP's shift towards automation over the years while looking at how that has affected safety on the roads. While automation suggests intelligent systems like cameras and detectors that can catch different types of violations, including overspeeding,…

Hosur Road and Sarjapura Road are two arterial roads, cutting across the important south-east suburbs of Bengaluru. Sarjapura Road has become strategically important over the last few years due to the exponential rise of the IT corridor on Outer Ring Road (ORR), which has propelled development on Sarjapura Road. This development has led to the consequence of traffic bottlenecks. At the crucial junction of these two roads is the junction of Hosur and Sarjapura Road at the St John’s hospital. This area is perennially congested due to the complexity of two adjacent traffic junctions: the Marigowda Road and Koramangala National…

For birdwatchers, naturalists or concerned citizens curious to know more about the wildlife in their neighbourhood lakes, parks, and gardens, a new tool offers an exciting opportunity. Mapping Your Neighbourhood Avifauna or MYNA, a data exploration tool, allows users to visualise birdlife in green spaces around their neighbourhoods. MYNA is a data exploration tool created by the State of India’s Birds team. The State of India’s Birds (SOIB) is a report that assesses the status of over 900 bird species in the country, using citizen science data. The data comes from hobby birdwatchers or citizen scientists, who record their observations…

Post-Diwali air still polluted There was a slight dip in the air pollution levels during the Diwali days (from November 12th to November 14th) this time compared to last year, according to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB).  The average Air Quality Index (AQI) in the KSPCB station of Jayanagar on the first day was 214, a decline from 254 last year. On the second day, it was 248 (poor category), still better than 312 (very poor category) in 2022. The average AQI for the three days was 234, against last year’s 257.  The uptick was issued for 39 stations,…

Several leopard sightings were reported in the city this month. A leopard wandering around Kudlu Gate in South Bengaluru was caught after a five day search. Unfortunately , the animal passed away in the veterinary hospital in Bannerghatta biological park after it was shot when it attacked a veterinary doctor.  This is not the first time that leopards have been sighted in the city. In 2016, an eight-year old male leopard had  entered Vibgyor High in Marathahalli. Wildlife conservationist, Sanjay Gubbi, was called to rescue the leopard. He had sustained serious injuries when the leopard attacked him. However, the leopard…

Think of BBMP and the first thing that pops up in your mind is roads and potholes. After an evening of rains you might think of stormwater drains, and when the garbage piles up of solid waste management (SWM). However, these are only some (of the main) parts of BBMP’s duties. How the money is split A look at their budget and how the money is spent on different headers gives an idea of the functions of BBMP. The main headers for budget allocations and their functions in brief are: HeaderDescription of FunctionCouncilPayment for corporators, ex-corporators, mayor, deputy mayor, etc.General…

If you lived close to a metro station, would you use the metro for your daily commute? The answer is not so obvious. A study by researchers from the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) found that the urban poor in Bengaluru do not prefer the metro even when it is located close to their homes. The study found that the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL's) metro system was unaffordable for these residents, who instead relied on walking, BMTC and two wheelers. However, a few tweaks can make the metro more accessible and sustainable than it is currently, according…

As we celebrate Deepavali, the festival of lights, a day when homes are decorated with lights and greetings are shared, bursting of crackers is also part of our tradition. However, the Supreme Court mandates the use of eco-friendly green crackers due to their less harmful effects on health and the environment, especially in a post-covid scenario. In 2018, a couple of fathers, concerned about their newly born infants’ health, filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court due to the increasing pollution in New Delhi, especially from October to December Further, the crackers used during festivals such as Deepavali, Christmas…

24 TMC Cauvery water for city The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is drawing up a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to use additional 6 tmcft Cauvery water for the drinking water needs of Bengaluru. The government has issued an order to the BWSSB to use 24 TMC of Cauvery water annually for the City and its surrounding areas. After meeting the legal team in the national capital, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, in charge of Water Resources Department, said that the city can use 24 TMC, according to the Supreme Court’s order in 2018. Currently, it is using…