City: Bengaluru

The recent trend of flowering trees blooming simultaneously has experts worried, though not panicked. Yet, this unnatural phenomenon is just one of the many warning signs that should be heeded. With its severe water shortage, rampant building activity, axing of beautiful, healthy trees and pollution of water bodies, Bangalore could be facing a disastrous situation. If this is not reversed, it could have severe repercussions.Whitefield is one example of how irrational and unscientific construction activity has severely affected the area. The sudden spurt in building activity began about 10 years ago despite no improvement or change in the water supply…

It's 9.40 pm. I wait patiently outside Dr. Ashwath Narayan's chamber in his house. I was supposed to catch him at 9 pm; but was told that 'doctor is running 15 minutes late.' Here I am, waiting for him to finish his interview with another media person. The assistant sitting at the desk politely explains the situation: "We were on a padayatra; it got late when we returned; then the doctor attended this scheduled meeting, hence the delay." Quite understandable, given the fact that the 'doctor' is trying hard to retain his constituency for the second term. Finally at 9.45…

Pedestrians are at risk while crossing busy roads where traffic is moving very fast. The BBMP has provided a defective and badly designed pedestrian subway at Chalukya circle and a pedestrian elevated bridge near Sophias' High School on Palace road. The purpose of providing this pedestrian subway is to help students to cross the main road. But children are not using the subway as it is ventilated poorly, filthy, not maintained and risky. The gates of the pedestrian subway are often locked. The elevated bridge near Sophias' High School, also provided by the BBMP, to cross the main road is…

"Ticket!!!" he screams at me, looking scandalised about the fact that the bus had already left from the bus stop and I didn't have a ticket yet. "13 rupees. Ticket!!!" he exclaims, as I pull out a 20 rupee note, due to the lack of loose change. He throws me a look venomous enough to turn Medusa herself into a stone. Ashamed of myself for not carrying change, I quietly allow myself to be pulled, pushed and generally tossed in every direction as the driver ensures that the speed breakers don't fulfil their purpose. Volvo buses usually have some space…

In part-I, I argued that our planners, politicians and administrators put Bengaluru's development on steroids over the last 10 years, the way farmers sometimes do for agriculture, only to find that the soil dies later.I also argued that we have built a Bengaluru in the form of a giant shining saucer that is suspended at 10,000 feet above the real land of this city. There is one single pipe holding up the saucer and through this pipe, water, services, resources and low-income jobs are sucked through to the fast-paced life above. The pipe though is now bursting at the seams,…

Dinesh Gundu Rao, three-time MLA of Gandhi Nagar constituency in the heart of the city, is considered one among the youth leaders of Congress party. Son of ex-chief minister of the state Gundu Rao, he is an engineering graduate. He is contesting from Gandhinagar constituency for the fourth time. In a telephonic interview to Citizen Matters, he shared his views on the development of his constituency. Dinesh Gundu Rao Pic courtesy: dineshgundurao.com What were the topics of your focus in your constituency?The prime focus was development of each ward; ensuring proper facilities- roads, drains, water, garbage, footpaths, safety, education, cleanliness,…

With the onset of summer, many of the parks in the city have dried up. Most parks maintained by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) were using up water from the bore wells on their premises. But over the last few months, many borewells have been drying up. Wipro Park in Koramangala has been drying up. Pic: Navya P K Parvathi Srirama, Joint Secretary of Koramangala 4th block RWA, says that compared to December, there is much water shortage now in parks. Parvathi, also a ward committee member of Koramangala, is in charge of monitoring parks in the area. Swabhiman…

Narendra Babu's phone keeps ringing. Some are from his office, but many are by the voters of his constituency. One such phone call is from a worried woman whose child has to undergo an operation; she doesn't have funds. Her husband is an auto driver. They are not sure how to get government aid. He tells her to meet him along with all related documents if any, at his office on Monday or Thursday, during the official public meetings.The venue is Anushrutha Foundation, his NGO, a little ahead of his office-cum-residence. Another woman who has come to the NGO wants…

In the run up to elections in Karnataka, a nationally telecast TV news programme last weekend focussed on the massive deterioration of civic life in Bengaluru. On display was the breakdown of garbage management, water supply, rise of the contractor and tanker mafia and the link to politicians, the state's political parties becoming personality-led factions and in all, a capital city and the silicon valley of India hopelessly caught in a disastrous spiral. Citizen Matters was interviewed for the telecast as well. It ended though with a hopeful note that when voters have a chance to reverse things. (Headlines Today,…

What is the root cause behind ineffective political leadership? Lack of training, among many other reasons, plays a major part. So will training the change-agents and policy makers change the course of politics too? Yes, says Prof Rajeev Gowda, professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB). He is planning to prove it by offering Political Action Internships, scheduled from 11 April to 9 May. Rajeev Gowda Prof Rajeev Gowda is one among those Bangaloreans who grew up in Bangalore, and later watched Bangalore expand beyond limits. He has been a part of the Centre for Public Policy (CPP),…