City: Bengaluru

Police using force against the protesters. Pic courtesy: Sweta Daga Karnataka Slum Clearance Board (KSCB) invited a flood of protest on June 4th 2014, when it sent the police force to evict the slumdwellers of Jai Bhuvaneshwari Nagar in Bangalore, inspite of a High Court order that stayed the eviction in the past. Two JCBs and 150 police officials were seen hovering around the Bhuvaneshwari Nagar slum near Rajiv Gandhi Chest Disease Hospital, NIMHANS, at around 8 am on June 4th. At 9 am, they started evicting people. Electricity connection was cut by the police officials. Slum dwellers, members of  Jai…

What better way to celebrate the arrival of the south-west monsoon in Bangalore, than commemorating World Environment Day (WED)? Organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Environment Day is an international day celebrated on June 5th every year, to raise awareness and encourage action for the environment. World-over events such as clean-up campaigns, tree planting drives, recycling drives, awareness campaigns, film screenings and the like are conducted. Though each of these events are but a blip on the global radar, they contribute towards a bigger movement.  Why should you be a part of WED? The United Nations designated…

Bangalore saw thunderstorms early this week. Pic: Shree D N In the past month, the weather in namma Bengaluru has taken several dramatic turns. Only a few weeks ago, folks in the city were commenting on how hot Bangalore had become, and how horrible it was to step out during the day. People who have been in the city long enough to truly appreciate the weather were nostalgic about the wonderful weather in the mornings, the lovely showers in the evenings and the marvelously pleasant nights. A week ago Bangalore was witness to something akin to thunderstorms with wind speeds…

Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has instructed Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) not to let sewage into the lakes, drains, rivers and wells of Bengaluru, in the backdrop of numerous complaints from the public. The letter to BWSSB had been issued on March 30, 2014. However, a press note from KSPCB says that as nothing was done so far, KSPCB is releasing the matter to the notice of the media. The press release issued by the KSPCB says that KSPCB Chairman Vaman Acharya has instructed the BWSSB not to let municipal waste to the water sources. Houses,…

A tree uprooted in Malleshwaram 6th Main on 2 June, 2014. Tree Comittee will have to keep track of the trees planted and uprooted, and plan accordingly to protect green cover in the city. Pic: Shree D N The Karnataka High Court directed Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike to draw an action plan that will ensure accountability and maintenance of trees that BBMP claims to have planted since 2007 till 2011, and in future. Following the HC’s order on 25th April 2014, a suo motu PIL was (WP No. 7288/2011) filed by former Justice D V Shylendra Kumar and WP no.…

During the week that the newspapers carried reports about proposed curbs on lavish weddings, coincidentally, Jaya and Valli came to me announcing weddings of daughters in their families. Jaya works as cleaning maid at two commercial establishments in south Bengaluru. Valli is a roadside flower seller. Both are of course, indigent, leading a hand-to-mouth existence. Jaya’s 16-year-old grand daughter Asha used to work in a clothes shop but when her mother (Jaya’s daughter) was diagnosed as suffering from kidney failure and it was clear she would not survive for long, Jaya decided that Asha should be married off while her…

Central Minister of Housing, Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Minister (HUPA) Venkaiah Naidu announced in a press conference on Friday that one among many plans to develop the city would be to make use of scientific Geographic Information System (GIS) for Town Planning. Venkaiah Naidu announced this after conducting first review meeting in the state at Hotel Orchid on Friday, May 30, 2014. The progress review meeting had top bureaucrats of various departments such as BBMP, BWSSB, BDA, BMTC, KUIDFC etc. Urban Land Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy was also present. Venkaiah Naidu and Bangalore Central’s Member of Parliament P C…

The garbage time bomb that Bengaluru was sitting on has exploded again. The villagers in Mandur near Bangalore, who had agreed to tolerate the mess for an year, have started protesting as they did not see any concrete action taking place to clear the mountain of garbage in Mandur. Starting the night of May 31, 2014, no waste is being allowed to be dumped in Mandur by the villagers, until further negotiations solve the problem temporarily. Besides, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has proposed the closure of Mandur waste disposal unit, following the failure of BBMP to comply with…

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will form a committee to investigate the A khatas issued by its officials for revenue sites across Bengaluru. BBMP took this step in the wake of complaints by many corporators on A khatas being issued by BBMP officials for revenue sites or revenue pockets, for a hefty bribe, allegedly between Rs 50,000 to 5 lakh, depending on the size of the plot. On May 28, 2014, BBMP Council Meeting saw high decibel discussions, when BJP Corporator from Kacharakanahalli ward, Padmanabha Reddy, took up the issue. He showed the documents and khata certificates issued recently to…

X and V are not finished yet. The basic rescue act is over and the initial impact has been made. Their mission is to find a permanent solution to a decades-old problem, not just beautify a street corner for a feel-good photo-op. It would be a failure if the dump just shifted to the next orphan spot, to the next point of least resistance. V & X are very conscious of this, and have worked out a plan. For a start, they have made friends with all the security guards in the area. All commercial areas have security guards – who are…