City: Bengaluru

We all depend on groundwater. The single largest source of water that Bangalore has created apart from Cauvery, is actually a hole in the ground! We are pulling water that has been down there for hundreds of years, that is somebody else's right as much as it is ours. Some use Cauvery water or groundwater to flush the toilets, while some others are not getting water even to drink. Where does ground water come from? We all live above common aquifers – spaces between soil particles and cracks, fissures and faults in the rocks. The spread of aquifer is independant…

The garbage dumped in an area that falls in between S K Garden and Jayamahal has remained untouched since 15 May 2013; The Congress councillors of both wards are busy shifting the blame on one another. What do garbage contractors do when they need to dispose of the garbage lying in a border area, in between two wards? Do nothing, leave the garbage where it is. The easy excuse is, it is not in their limit. One such case was reported in Benson town, at a road that lies between S K Garden (ward 61) and Jayamahal (ward 63). The…

“Everyone should claim the city. What’s happening today is an outcome of many interactions between citizens. We need a collective and shared understanding of things” said Dr H S Sudhira, referring to the present situation of ‘commons’ in Bangalore in the Public Discussion Series organised by Hasiru Usiru, at the Alternative Law Forum on 18 May 2013. The talk titled 'Re-imagining Bangalore: Transcending the ‘Tragedy of Commons’ was moderated by Vinay K Sreenivas, Researcher, Alternative Law Forum and a volunteer for Hasiru Usiru. The audience voicing out their opinions. Pic: Nalme Nachiyar In the process of its evolution, the city has…

The first batch of students from aAp - an Actor prepares Acting and Performing Institute (for film and television) in Nagarbhavi, graduated on 19 May 2013. The occasion was marked by a finale performance that showcased the talents of the first batch of eight students - two girls and six boys, who underwent a three-month course. The show was held at the City Central Library Auditorium, RPC Layout, Vijayanagar on Sunday. Dignitaries lighting the lamp on stage. From left: R Manjunath, Hayavadana, Usha Bhandary, Krishnamoorthy Kavattar and V Manohar with students of aAp in the background. Pic: Ganapa Gowda aAp…

Bangalore's water crisis has been averted for now, with a newly-formed committee appointed to look into the water supply to the city. One tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water will be diverted from Hemavathi river to the KRS dam; currently there is one tmc ft of live storage existing in KRS dam as well. "Together, this two tmc ft water will meet the requirement of Bangalore till monsoon. The water requirement of Bangalore is 1.2 tmc ft per month," says a senior BWSSB officer, on condition of anonymity. The committee to oversee the process, was appointed after a…

It was a warm week-day afternoon, around the early 1950's. I had just finished my school day and was crossing the road to pick up my father from the office of N Sirur & Company, at Kalaghoda, Fort, Bombay.As I reached the other side I chanced upon  Ramakrishna A Lajmi, who had retired from the firm a decade earlier. Relying on a walking stick, attired in his customary shirt, dhoti, coat, black cap and chappals, he portrayed the quintessential Saraswat gentleman of a past age. For some inexplicable reason, he held my arm and spoke to me in Konkani:"Vhai re…

One more lake in Bangalore seems to be nearing extinction. Kadugodi lake in Whitefield is the victim. And the encroachers belong to water mafia. The catchment area of this beautiful lake is being encroached upon by local politicians. They supply water to Whitefield apartments. The water is extracted from the lake and supplied to the apartments at Rs 2,000 per tanker. As if this is not enough, a new compound and buildings are coming up on the lake bed and catchment area. A few concerned citizens of this area have been trying to bring some limelight on the issue and…

Chowdaiah memorial hall in Malleshwaram witnessed dance in different flavors on Saturday, 18 May 2013. From tiny tots to the elderly women, everybody danced with awe-inspiring enthusiasm. Not just the performers that night, but the audience too fired-up the place by swaying to the beats. All these efforts lionize the Chasse Dance Studio (CDS), Bangalore who explore the realms of dance and promote it as a medium of expression. The main aim of the studio is to explore the poetry of dance. Still from the dance show Pic: Priyanka Nadgir They want to engage people of all walks of life…

The city already boasts of the TCS10k, Bangalore Ultra and the unique Midnight Marathon which are already major landmark events and attract both local and international runners. Why a new running event then? “We wanted to do an event that is affordable, reaches out to the common man and puts the spirit back into running,” says Santhosh Padmanabhan, a running coach and founder of Runners High. The event is also the first one to have a Kannada name, a hat tip from the runners to the city of its origin. The event will have Thayi mane ota - 4k, Ananya…

The ecstatic French architecture has been collectively displayed in the National Modern Art Gallery, Palace Road in collaboration with Institut Français in India and Alliance Française, Bangalore, as part of the Bonjour India Festival 2013. The exhibition was inaugurated on the 18th April with the photographs of French colonial edifices in India. Amid the verdant Modern Art Gallery are displayed the delightful photographs of the French Colonial Architecture, which expressed identity, power, superiority and indestructibility. Puducherry Delhi-based Conservation architect, Aishwarya Tipnis, who invited distinctive photographers like Anay Mann, Gigi Scaria, Rishi Singhal, Serena Chopra, Isabel Singhal and Jean-Pierre Dubois, brings…