City: Bengaluru

For many of us, our wallets contain our life history. Mine did, at least till recently. PAN Card, driving licence, voters ID card. Credit cards, debit cards, membership cards, shopping privilege cards. Photos, postage stamps, not-in-use SIM cards, bills, other people’s visiting cards. Money. After a busy morning in the Brookfields area, I had stopped by at Mayura Restaurant in Kundalahalli to satisfy my grumbling stomach. I not only ate but also packed a few things to carry back home to the family. Relieved at having completed most of what I needed to do that morning, I was anxious to…

Bhargavi Rao addresses the gathering on Puttenahalli lake premises. Pic: Nikita Malusare. Cracked footpaths; unattended garbage on the street; destruction of roads due to delayed Metro work; high water prices - all these have left Bangalore in chaos. With the sun peeking out from clouds every few seconds and cold wind sending shrivels in the body, many Bangaloreans joined the discussion on Puttenahalli Lake premises, on the issues that concern a Bangalorean, but are ignored as the city tries to catch up with development.   Born and brought up amid the greenery of Bangalore, Bhargavi S Rao, Trustee, Environment Support…

The collapse of a five-storeyed building under construction in Someshwara Nagar behind NIMHANS, on 19 August, 2013, has raised several questions. Three people died in the incident, while eight workers were injured. As the Fire and Emergency Department is searching for bodies of the labourers who could have been buried under the debris, citizens are worried if the property they are investing in is safe or not. This is only a recent example. There have been six such incidents in Bangalore in last two months. The series of incidents, if not anything else, has forced the BBMP to undertake a…

The grand old man of Kannada words, Professor G Venkatasubbiah turns 100 today - 23 August 2013. Born a century ago, on 23 August 1913, the legendary lexicographer stands a testimony to the history of Kannada and Bangalore. Citizen Matters caught up with Professor GV to get his views about Bangalore and Kannada, their evolution and his long association with them both. Prof Venkatasubbiah turns 100 on 23 August 2013. Pic: Sriram Vittalamurthy Can you explain your association with Bangalore? I came to Bangalore in 1943. Those were very bad days. After the second world war, the economy was in…

“I’m suffering from the empty nest syndrome. Help!” A mother whose daughter has just left for university abroad commented recently on a Facebook group I belong to. In less than two minutes, there were other mothers in similar situations commiserating with her. Mothers with children who had just left home to attend college in another city or country; Mothers with children who had started working elsewhere or were about to take off soon, whether for college or work. As I read the comments, I realised that precisely at that moment, I was rather thrilled to have the children out of…

Residents affected by the realignment of Metro track near Jayadeva Hospital claim to be harassed by the land acquisition and survey officers, even before the Phase-II is officially finalised. One of the residents, Anil Kumar (45), Freelance Consultant in Strategy and Project Management, has been living opposite to Jayadeva since 1986 with his mother who is affected by Parkinson’s disease. He says, “Two officers named Venkat Raman and Gopal Swamy, who claimed to be the survey supervisors from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) visited us in order to verify and procure copies of property documents, Khata certificate and latest…

In spite of the new rules introduced by Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to address the issue of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), Bangalore continues to be plagued by the problem of uncollected waste in the neighbourhoods. The rules instruct the citizens to segregate waste, but they do not deal with the burgeoning quantities of solid waste generated. More rich you are, more waste you produce! A research carried out by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) in the field of behavioural economics has shown that the per capita generation of MSW is directly proportional to affluence and consumption patterns of…

It’s official. The higher you want to stay, the more you will have to pay. This concept has been officially introduced by the Stamps and Registration Department, in the new guidance values issued on 12 August, 2013. Though the concept wasn’t explicitly publicised, it has been in existence for a few years now. Those who wish to buy flats or apartments were being charged extra by builders, depending on the amenities and the floor on which they want to buy the space. The guidance values published in 2011 had a flat rate for all floors in any given apartments. Now…

Most of us in our city would have gone to Lalbagh (or any of the other lakes)  at some time or the other... but the next time you do, do go to the lake and look at one very common bird...so common that we often do not see the incredible beauty it is! Purple Moorhen with Waterlily. Pic: Deepa Mohan This is the Purple Moorhen, or the Purple Swamphen. The colours of this purple bird shine iridescently in the sunshine, and it looks as if it’s got bright red lipstick on! You can find these birds in large numbers, clambering…

Citizen Matters had published an article on the death of Meghala, a girl aged six and weighing 12 kg, at D J Halli. This article throws light on the extent of malnutrition in Karnataka and how various recommendations to combat the same were ignored by the government, resulting in a death that could have otherwise been prevented. Meghala's death and the subsequent reaction in the media and political corridors is reminiscent of the furore after the death of five-year-old Anjaneya from Raichur in late 2011. Anjaneya was diagnosed as being severely malnourished in 2010 and yet, thanks in no small…