City: Bengaluru

Editor's note: A press note from Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV) informs that a unique bus festival, Janasnehi Bussigagi, is being organised across November and December 2014. Here are edited excerpts from the press note.  A large population of the city, more than 50 lakh people, travels by BMTC for their daily needs. These include women, senior citizens, school and college going children and youth, people with special needs, migrant workers, transgenders and many other urban communities. Many of these groups use buses regularly and yet experience safety, access and affordability issues. 'Janasnehi Bussigagi—towards people friendly buses' Towards making BMTC a more…

The issue of institutionalising people’s participation in urban governance has been hanging fire since the passage of the 74th Constitutional Amendment or Nagarapalika Act more than two decades ago.  The hopes of urban civic activists on government enabling increased citizen participation in civic issues got a major blow when the Urban Development Department (UDD) came up with a new set of rules for Ward Committees & Area Sabhas recently. While the new rules hardly include any suggestions proposed by citizens, shockingly a few points that were suggested by citizens and added in the earlier draft rules, were also removed from…

Transport Minister, Ramalinga Reddy and BMTC MD, Ekroop Caur flag off BMTC's month long awareness campaign on diabetes. Editor's note: On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, BMTC launches an awareness campaign on diabetes prevention, detection and management. The campsign will target 35,000 bus drivers and conductors across Bengaluru. A special 'Changing Diabetes' bus will also travel through the city to create awareness about diabetes. Driving on Bengaluru roads can be stressful, often leading to major and minor accidents in the city, more so if you are hypoglycemic and ignoring symptoms such as hunger, sweating, dizziness and others. While the city’s…

Clad in yellow-and-red, a vegetable seller sits nonchalantly on a chair in the middle of the road. Pic: Deepa Mohan Valli is a 45-year-old woman who sells vegetables on her cart in Ulsoor. Two to three times a week, she takes a bus from Cox Town where she lives, and makes her way to City Market at about 1.30 pm. With a budget of Rs 4,000 on each visit, she buys vegetables based on the prices. If the prices are up, she buys about two kilos each of assorted vegetables; if they are down, she picks up about five kilos…

  Bengaluru this week November 13th 2014     CITIZEN MATTERS Bangalore's own interactive newsmagazine Speak up, it's your city!    City news that mattters And before our Bengaluru This Week roundup, here’s the curation of latest city news. BDA had called for a public hearing today at Yavanika, prior to the preparation of master plan for Bengaluru. However, the meeting has been postponed. Meanwhile, Environment Support Group points out that it is unconstitutional for the BDA to plan Bengaluru. Bangalore gets new guidance value which will come into effect from today, November 13th. Government submitted the ward committee rules…

Kannada pride in Nagashettihalli. Pic courtesy: M S Gopal My daily commute takes me from Mallathahalli (which gets confused with Marathahalli a lot) to a place in Kadubeesanahalli, which lies next to Devarabeesanahalli. My colleagues commute from places like Konanakunte, Gottigere, Bilekahalli, Parappana Agrahara, Kaikondarahalli, Doddakanelli, Kaggadasapura etc.I sometimes wonder how a non-Kannadiga who’s just landed in Bangalore Bengaluru, or living here for a few years, would take to these names. He/she would also have the problem of having to live in places like Garebhavipalya, Bommanahalli, Tippasandra or even Kormanagala, or Madiwala that make you pull out the South Indian…

Approved Vendors for providing services to Bulk Waste generators for different categories of waste.pdf

A press note from Environment Support Group (ESG) calls out citizens to ask Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) not to plan Bengaluru, in the wake of BDA notification of public hearing related to Revised Master Plan - 2031.   This small advertisement of extraordinary significance appeared in the papers a couple of weeks ago. It does not say much. Notice that no document or map is made available as a basis for debate and feedback. And if you review the BDA website, all you find about the 2031 Master plan is the minutes of a meeting soliciting consultants to prepare the…

Child sexual abuse. When one such incident came to light in July this year, in a popular Bangalore school, Bangalore simmered with anger. Quickly safety rules were issued. But sadly, it was only the beginning of a slew of similar horrific incidents on a daily basis. We have never felt so vulnerable. What can we do as parents? How can we turn this anger in to a productive energy with a purpose and direction?  Maithreyi Nadapana, a volunteer with Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness, called for a protest cum way-forward meet for the Parents of Bangalore, in Freedom Park on November…

BWSSB Water Tariff 2014