City: Bengaluru

There is not even a name for it, not Sangama, not anything, but just Kudlu... the meeting point. Here the Vrushbhavathy, which rises from the Bull Temple in Basavangudi, Bengaluru meets the Arkavathy, which rises from the Nandi Hills range. Urban rivers have become 'nullahs' carrying sewage, the rural rivers—if you can even call it such—are dammed for urban water needs, for irrigation and for electricity. The Arkavathy is born here. At the birth place of the river, the well water is full and clean... The gentleman has been crossing the Arkavathy daily for the last 50 years... he wades across…

  Bengaluru this week September 3rd 2015     CITIZEN MATTERS Bangalore's own interactive newsmagazine Speak up, it's your city!     In this edition, get an insight into how the support groups Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon help alcoholics and their families cope with alcoholism. Also read how bike ambulances are faring in Bengaluru, the reason why you may get curdled milk from the Karnataka Milk Federation, and what you can do to make the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations eco-friendly. As a follow-up to our special coverage of the BBMP elections, we also have a few features on the newly elected…

Last month, I’d discussed spiders. I then thought about the creatures that use them as prey, and this reminded me of the Wasp-and-Spider drama that I witnessed. About four years ago, I made this post about the Spider or Pompilid Wasp organising food for her yet unborn children, by stunning and burying a Yellow-thighed Tarantula or the Indian Ornamental Spider.  Well, her story repeated itself while we were at the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. This Spider Wasp had already stunned the Tarantula by the time we saw it. Unhappy with the first site she had chosen, she dug it out of the…

Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) wrote to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi congratulating his party for winning 100 seats with 40% of votes in the recently concluded BBMP elections.  In the letter, B.PAC has urged the BJP corporators, who may soon take the oath of office, to take another oath publicly, "Na Khaoonga, Na Khane Dunga", following the public assurance given to the citizens of India by the Prime Minister.  This will ensure that elected BJP corporators give a public commitment to assure corruption-free governance during their term in their office, and focus on delivering transparent and citizen-centric governance at…

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference.” The Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting begins with the Serenity Prayer, recited mostly by the booming voices of men. Manjunath (name changed on request), a secretary for one of the Alcoholics Anonymous groups in Bengaluru, sits at the head of the borrowed schoolroom. As 11 am edges nearer, the crowd before him grows from 25 to 30 to nearly 40 people. They trickle in one by one, occasionally in pairs. Manjunath is a recovering alcoholic…

Nandini curd and milk packets bought on the same day. Both show different dates, with no clarity on whether it is use-by date or date of manufacture. Pic: Shree DN Milk has benign associations – of innocence, goodness and wholesomeness, unlike other (invigorating) drinks. But Nandini milk, marketed by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF which boasts of being one of the largest in south India) is calling those images of wholesomeness into question with tactics that flout statutory guidelines. KMF issues clarification, agrees to put 'Use By' on stamping Additional Director, Quality Control Division, KMF, has issued the following clarification…

It is less than a week since Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the BBMP election. It was a bit of a puzzle to many when Indian National Congress (INC) leaders announced that they were ready to sit in opposition. Anyway BJP has “won” the election. Is there any choice for INC other than sitting in opposition? Of course yes. INC has an option. And it comes from the nature of the council, and the number of seats BJP got this time, which have not actually given a full majority as far as the Council is concerned. BBMP Council is not…

Public transport service is likely to be affected in Bengaluru on September 2nd, in the wake of the strike called by the public transportation sector. KSRTC buses and autorickshaws will remain off road from 6 am to 6 pm on September 2nd. The nation-wide strike is called by Central trade unions urging the government to fulfill their various demands. The four public transportation companies in Karnataka- Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) and North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), have extended support to the bandh to place…

BBMP elections are over, but Mayoral elections are still pending. While many corporators are holed up in resorts and Congress and JDS seem to have struck an alliance, the BBMP Commissioner and regional district commissioner are preparing for mayoral elections. Here is the full list of voters eligible to vote in mayoral elections, and will play an important role on which party will get the mayor's post in Bengaluru. The list has been prepared by the BBMP Commissioner. It includes the names of nominated MLCs, though at this point, it is not clear whether can be included or not in…

A two-wheeler collides with another vehicle, spilling its rider onto the pavement. An onlooker reacts immediately, pulling out his or her cellphone to dial the emergency number, 108. What happens next is a series of snap-decisions and hasty phone calls to ensure a medical professional arrives on site as quickly as possible. Depending on the location, the Emergency Disaster Management Unit call centre, being run by GVK-EMRI, sends an emergency vehicle. Since mid-April, a new type of vehicle has been added: the bike ambulance. For these two-wheelers, weaving through Bengaluru’s terrible traffic, is much quicker than their four-wheeled counterparts. If…