City: Bengaluru

Last September, after a long delay, the BBMP had invited new tenders for garbage collection and transportation in 91 packages. The 198 wards of the city are covered by these 91 packages. But the new tenders have come to effect in not even half of these; only 43 packages have new contractors now. In the remaining 48 packages, work is still being done by old contractors by extending their previous contracts.But a bunch of new tenders - 12 of them - were approved by the state government on March 20, 2013. The government's approval came on the day when the…

After crowdfunding his Kannada film Lucia’s production by raising Rs.51 lakhs through Facebook fans and others, Pawan Kumar of Lifeu Ishtene fame has finished the production and released the trailer as well as songs. What about the film’s release? Kumar, 30, launched an even more ambitious crowd fundraising campaign this year. He is now raising money to distribute the film in the mass market - theatres and multiplexes  - and is trying to reach between Rs.50L and several crores.   “We raised Rs.51 lakhs in February 2012 for shooting and production. 70% of the money came in as investment and…

I thank God for small mercies. I still hear tiny birds chirping, crows cawing and squirrels screeching early in the morning when I wake up. I look through the window and see a squirrel gnawing at an unripe pomegranate in the garden. I smile to myself and feel happy that we are still left with a few pleasant things in the mornings. I enter the kitchen, pick up the bin with the "wet garbage" and leave it outside the gate.I pick up the morning newspaper and glance at the headlines. No, I shall not go deep into the text. It…

When we watch birds, one of the fun things to do is to observe them and trying to figure out what they are likely to eat. How, you may ask, can one find out what a bird is likely to eat, by looking at it? The answer is, look at the bird's beak!Bird's beaks come in different shapes and sizes, and each is designed to help the bird get the kind of food that it is used to.All predatory birds (raptors) have sharp hooked beaks that help them tear up the flesh of their prey, which could be other birds,…

Owners of an apartment complex in Sarjapur woke up one morning to find that their builder had claim to a large portion of the premises inside the complex which he was planning to turn into a commercial enterprise. Even worse, the builder was telling the court that they were not qualified to even contest the claim, as the owners' association had been registered wrongly. Instances such as these are not altogether too rare in Bengaluru, as highlighted in an earlier article in Citizen Matters. Prevailing ignorance about existing laws and the deliberate flouting of rules by builders and developers have…

The final exams for the academic year are coming to an end at last, and there is a palpable sense of excitement in the air. The summer vacation is tantalisingly close, beckoning with the prospect of long, homework-free hours for the children. Trek through forests in Sharavati valley. Pic: Meera K Over the years, summer holidays have lost their impromptu simplicity. Even as children gear up for the vacation, parents are at their wits’ end. Thanks to their busy schedules, working parents barely get to take some time off to visit their ancestral towns or even for a quick touristy…

Over the past three years, the Rosy Pastor (Madhusarika in Kannada) a migratory bird from Europe has chosen to enter Bangalore earlier than the previous years. For instance, in 2011, bird watchers in Bangalore reported spotting the species in early March. Again last year, the bird was reported to be spotted by mid February. Thereafter, in 2013, the bird made an appearance by mid January in Bangalore. Considering the difference in timings, the avian's early appearance could be linked to the impact of climate change on bird migration patterns.  The Rosy Pastor. Pic courtesy: Antony P UA recent article in…

As pedestrians we have been facing the problem of walking safely on Bangalore's roads using footpaths or pavements they are supposed to be meant for us. But, in reality, footpaths are the most dangerous places to set our foot on if at all we can do so. Most of the time, putting the foot down on the footpath has resulted in a sprained ankle or a broken foot. It is a common sight to see footpaths being reconstructed. Every time this takes place, the footpath is raised above the road level to almost a foot high in some places. It…

With the expected implementation of new Ward Committee Bye-laws/Rules drafted by the BBMP, the citizens can now question the ward committees on litter or garbage in their ward. The best part is, they can even move court if the complaints to the ward committee or the corporator do not solve the problem. Councillors had debated on whether BBMP should form Bengaluru-level ‘Bye-laws’ or state-level ‘Rules’, for ward committees. File Pic. The draft of the Byelaws/Rules for Ward Committees has been sent to the state government for approval. The final push for the formation of ward committees had come as a…

In early January, an NGO that focuses on reuse and recycling of clothes sent out an urgent appeal to people on their mailing list to contribute woollens and blankets for homeless people who were suffering the harshness of a prolonged winter. Quilt-making in progress. Pic: Lalana Zaveri What would most of us do, on receiving such an email? Possibly spare a thought for these poor people and then mark the mail unread with the intention of doing something about it at the earliest opportunity, or perhaps gather our spare blankets and woollens and set off in search of a collection…