City: Bengaluru

The environment is a hot topic everywhere - in offices, in the press, even in classrooms across the world. The need for action to protect our planet is gaining traction, and the first step in addressing the issue is raising awareness. Among the steps being taken to protect the planet, waste management is a burning theme. E-waste, in particular, is attracting attention since it is well-known that it is one of the most toxic forms of waste. India is the fifth largest e-waste generator in the world and produced 1.7 million tons of e-waste in 2014. The toxic pollutants of…

A WP engine. Train no 7724, Nilagiri Express. Pic: IRFCA - www.irfca.org It was a sunny Sunday morning in 1966. My uncle, Gurunath, had been fascinated by trains for long before that, I guess. Sunday mornings were our outing times. This Sunday, he took me to the Bangalore City railway station. Platform 1 of those days was what is now Platform 7. The current ‘backside gate’, as auto drivers refer to it, was the main entrance. Construction of the current Platform 1 was in its early stages. Back to the old Platform 1 (PF1). We sat on a bench on…

The National Research Conference on Human Trafficking is being jointly organised by Christ University and International Justice Mission (IJM) under the aegis of the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC), on September 14th and 15th.    Date: September 14th, 9 am to 4.45 pm, September 15th, 9 am to 5.30 pm  Venue: Room 911, Central Block, Christ University More info: Ritu Biswas - 96208 23163 Sangeetha George - 96117 41488 humane@conference.christuniversity.in  The Conference will bring together experts and stakeholders to share their experience, research and analysis from across India to enable a deeper understanding of the approaches needed to address the…

Garbage dumped on a streetside, due to the lack of secondary storage. Pic: Kathyayini Chamraj I think Bengaluru was better off when it had garbage bins at the corner of roads. At least people would throw garbage in the bins. But now, all of Bengaluru is littered with garbage. In every area, there are two or three spots where garbage is thrown by people, on the road or in front of someone else's home. So why has the Swachh Bengaluru campaign failed?  Because BBMP collection guys demand money to collect garbage from house to house. No proper timings intimated to…

Amidst speculation over the alliance in Mayoral election, the Congress and JD(S) have successfully entered into coalition to come to power in the BBMP. Third time Congress Corporator B N Manjunath Reddy from Madivala ward was elected as the Bengaluru Mayor and JDS’s first time corporator S P Hemalatha from Vrishabhavathi ward was elected as  the Deputy Mayor, on Friday. In the election that was conducted at BBMP Council hall amidst tight police security, Regional Commissioner M V Jayanthi declared Manjunath Reddy as the elected Mayor. Of the 260 councillors including elected corporators, MLAs, MLCs and MPs, 131 members voted…

This is an idea of how Chalukya Circle (CC) Junction and surrounding areas can be made signal-free with existing infrastructure. The idea if implemented will make the following four bottle necks signal free and cross-traffic free. Chalukya Circle AG's Office signal on Palace Road Palace Road-Sankey Road Junction Miller Tank Bund Road-Sankey Road.  The following roads lead into and away from the circle.  Raj Bhavan Road - one way from Raj Bhavan to Chalukya Circle Race Course Road - two way Palace Road from Maharani's college side - two way Palace Road towards Cunningham Road - one way towards Cunningham…

The National Green Tribunal has lashed out at the eight-member Expert Committee on the quality of its report on Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project by two private companies in Agara-Bellandur catchment area. The NGT has taken exception to the report and criticised the Committee for non-compliance with the directions of the Tribunal. The Tribunal chaired by Justice Swatanter Kumar in its order on Thursday observed that the High Power Committee did not file the report within stipulated time. “And now when the report has been filed before the Tribunal, we have no hesitation in observing that the report does not…

Bangalore has a lot of problems. Here is a  guide to solve Bangalore's problem in 20 short steps. Cut some trees. Form a committee with a catchy name - B-SOMETHING. Involve famous citizens - KMS, NM, NN etc. Don't analyse the problem. Analysis is for losers. Cut some more trees. Come up with an absurd suggestion which will cost several thousand crores. Cut some more trees. Lament the loss of green cover in Bangalore. Assure everyone that for every tree you cut, you will plant 10 more. Hand out lucrative contracts to your friends for planting `saplings'. Start your absurd…

  Bengaluru this week September 10th 2015     CITIZEN MATTERS Bangalore's own interactive newsmagazine Speak up, it's your city!     In this week’s edition of Bengaluru This Week, we feature a story on the condition of Supreme Court mandated night shelters for the homeless in the city. Read about the multiple skywalks purportedly coming up in Bengaluru and who they will benefit. We also have guides on using trains for your daily commute, getting the name changed on your electricity bill and applying for birth and death certificates. Also check out a lovely photo feature on the Arkavathy and…

A room filled with bunk beds in the dilapidated Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) building in J C Road is the home for daily wage labourers Yesu and Raj Kumar since four years. Be it sun or rain, this dingy structure provides shelter to them and many such homeless people when they return tired from work. The story of Yesu and Raj Kumar is interesting for it reflects the sad state of night shelters for urban homeless in Bengaluru. In 2012, when BBMP handed over the responsibility of operating J C Road night shelter to an NGO, the organisation hired…