City: Bengaluru

  Neralu Tree Festival is a crowd-funded event that brings the community together to celebrate Bangalore’s rich heritage – its trees. During the festival, the citizens engage in a variety of interactive sessions to learn about trees, ecology, urban planning and a lot more. Through tree walks, workshops, talks, dance, drama, art displays and photography exhibits curated by experts in the field, Neralu brings trees and people closer. For Neralu 2014, renowned photographer Vivek Muthuramalingam curated an elaborate photography exhibition. Vivid images that highlight the beautiful flowering avenue trees of Bangalore were displayed, as were artistic renditions of forest trees.…

  Bengaluru this week January 16th 2015     CITIZEN MATTERS Bangalore's own interactive newsmagazine Speak up, it's your city!   Wish you a belated Happy Pongal/Sankranthi! Citizen Matters got off to lovely start this week with business magazine, Livemint doing a feature on us. We were described as ‘a local news outlet for Bengaluru’. Read more here.  City news that matters Before we get into our stories, here is a short summary of what happened in the city. Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar wants HAL airport re-opened, on which he has written a letter to Civil Aviation Ministry. However, the agreement…

Anirudh Rajashekar, a student from MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, alongwith IIM Bangalore’s New Real Estate initiative, is conducting a study to map out water tanker prices in Bangalore to understand the dynamics of the water tanker industry. Their hope is to provide policy recommendations that might improve water access in Bangalore. If you live in an apartment, you can fill this short 15 minute survey to your resident association officer or a member of your management committee. The results of this survey can have a major positive impact in the way water is distributed and managed in Bengaluru.…

The fruit and vegetable market at Nagarthpet. Pic: Aruna L I had a sneak peek into old Bangalore through a heritage walk organised by www.unhurried.in and I am so glad that someone is taking the initiative to let us all know about the heritage of the city we live in. I had heard of such walks in the temple town of Madurai, which is basically for foodies, but I could not be part of it when I went to Madurai. It is great that something like it has started in our own sweet little Bangalore. There is so much to Bangalore that we are…

Google search gives about 8,17,000 results for a ghar wapsi (home coming or re-conversion of religion). Member of Parliament Sakshi Maharaj says, ” [it] is no conversion but just a process to guide these people to the faith where they actually belong.” Budhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam and Christianity and many other religions all grew by converting believers of other religions. Conversions from these religions would then be ghar wapsi. However, adding fuel to fire, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP, Asaduddin Owaisi, told in a public speech that every person is born a Muslim and later converted to other faiths. Thus…

A panoramic view of Kaikondarahalli lake on Sarjapur road which hosted first Kere Habba. Pic: Akshatha M The serene surroundings of Kaikondanahalli lake on Sarjapur road witnessed an array of activities on Saturday, as a group of like-minded organisations and active citizens from the nearby areas came together to celebrate the rejuvenation and reclamation of the lake. Right from children to the elderly, people belonging to different age groups thronged the venue. For the enthusiastic participants, the day started with a bird walk as early as at 6 am. District-in-Charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Upa Lokayukta Subhash Adi and MP P…

If you live in Hoodi, and want to go to Varthur Kodi in Whitefield, you don't have to take out your car anymore. Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Company's (BMTC) new Chakra service will connect entire Whitefield in efficient local loops, thereby reducing the traffic burden on road. The BMTC introduced new Chakra services for Whitefield, after months of engagement with the local residents. Midibuses (light weight minibuses) introduced on the new Chakra route 8 and 8A, will travel clockwise and anticlockwise respectively, between TTMC-ITPL-Varthur Kodi-Kundanahalli-TTMC. Chakra services being launched in Whitefield. Pic:Pavan Kulkarni The buses introduced on Chakra route 9 and…

Sudheendra and Channa Keshava, two civic activists undergoing the civic leadership training (B.CLIP) from B.PAC, organised a waste management awareness program in their wards on Saturday. Nagapura and Shivnagara wards in Bengaluru saw the coming together of the local community, elected representatives, pourakarmikas and the local government school children on the morning of January 10th, for a noble cause. So far several wards across Bengaluru such as Shivnagara, Nagapura, Kadugodi, Marappanpalya, Bapuji Nagara, Malleshwaram and Vidyaranyapura have been significantly benefitted from the initiatives of the leadership training program, and the multiplier effect will slowly but surely change the landscape of…

L&T South City is an apartment complex in JP Nagar. Comprising 2,000 flats, the complex has four borewells, from which it draws 2 lakh litre water per day. Along with this, the complex also buys water from Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and water tankers. The complex has a functional sewage treatment plant as per KSPCB guidelines, and uses treated water for flushing and gardening. Apartment residents say that any water left into the BWSSB sewage line is treated water. Still, the complex ends up paying sanitary charge of Rs 2 lakh per month. The residents don’t see…

Aadhaar card is here to stay as per the policy of the new government. If you don't have an Aadhaar card yet, here is where you can get it done. Updated: December 20, 2016 Old list (may or may not be relevant today. To authenticate, check the above list that's new): Sl.No Name of the Agency Centre Location Address 1 Karvy Data Management Services Ltd Karvy Data Management Services Ltd 51/2, TKN Complex,  Vanivilas Road, Basavanagudi, Bangalore- 560004 2 Karvy Data Management Services Ltd Karvy Data Management Services Ltd No 42, Ist Floor, Behind G.K.Vale Photo Studio, 10th Main Road,…