City: Bengaluru

On 7th October, the HSRx Federation organised a walkathon to the Somasundara Palya lake. More than 300 residents were there to demand that the lake be saved from encroachment and restored to its natural state. The walkathon started from Somasundara Palya circle (via DHL, Smart Retail store, EB power grid, turned left near Parangipalya Road and ended at the lake. Related articles: Haralukunte Kere getting filled with construction debris HSR federation interacts with MLA ABiDE member Dr Ashwin Mahesh said with more problems to be fixed in our neighbourhoods, they can be solved only by increasing the number of problem…

Vaishnavi Vittal, former staff journalist at Citizen Matters, has won the Laadli Media Award for the best Web Investigative report - "Government ignores us because we aren't educated and rich".   Citizen Matters ran the article in July 2010. Population First, with the support of the UNFPA announced the winners of The Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity (Southern Region) 2011-12. The jury, which included highly esteemed members of the media, selected the winners from around 179 entries received from across southern India, comprising Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshwadeep and Puducherry. Vaishnavi Vittal recieved the award…

Bengaluru's apartments are yet again at the receiving end of civic agencies' policies. This time over Waste management. While BBMP is pushing the pedal to ensure solid waste is segregated, it says it will not collect garbage from apartments. Some time back, large apartments were asked to set up their own Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) since BWSSB did not have the capacity or coverage to process their sewage. Some were suddenly slapped steep fines last year by KSPCB because of an obscure rule. Now BBMP has ordered that apartments should have their own garbage processing facilities by December 1st. Within…

While they are struggling to figure out the BBMP's muddled up garbage management policy, apartment owners are hit with tanker water price hikes.In the last 3-4 months water tanker prices have risen quite steeply, especially since the city's water crisis became severe. This applies to apartments in both outskirts and old areas. Most do not have functioning borewells, as opposed to individual houses. Bannerghatta Neighbourhood Association (BANA), a collective of 25 apartments along Bannerghatta Road, has faced sharp price hikes in the last few months. BANA Treasurer Shankar Bharadwaj says that the price varies from Rs 450 to Rs 600…

Trees were cut, roads were dug up and traffic diverted for the Agara-Sirsi Ciricle signal-free corridor project. BDA vehemently defended the project while residents in Koramangala questioned the logic and took it to the court. Now a year since the struggle, Koramangala residents feel vindicated. The government-appointed committee that looked into the project has recommended that the project be dropped.In July, High Court had ordered that the government committee should engage with citizens and give its recommendations on the project. HC had given this order in a petition filed by residents and civic associations. The committee was formed by ex-Chief…

Brijesh Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forests, BBMP said yesterday that his agenda was to work towards a larger common goal in the city, balancing environment with the need for development.Speaking at the inauguration of ‘Nature in the City', a series of events centred around Biodiversity in Bangalore, he highlighted how BBMP had realised the need for an office to support the many lakes, parks and urban gardens under its care. He likened Bangalore growth to an animal once chicken-sized now grown to goat-size, but retains its chicken-sized arteries, he nevertheless reiterated his commitment to the environment. The event was held…

In the previous article we discussed whether you are at risk of having heart disease. However, just knowing that you are at risk is only one part of story. You also need to recognise if you have heart disease. Medical science is full of instances of men/ women losing their life because they did not recognise and respond in time to features of heart disease.Symptoms : What should make you suspect?Most of people understand that the cardinal sign of having a heart disease is severe chest pain. While this may be true in most of cases, there is a large…

What do you mean by waste segregation? Waste segregation basically means keeping wet and dry wastes separately, so that dry can be recycled and wet waste can be composted. Why should I do it? So that it reduces waste that reaches landfills and reduces pollution to air and water So that different processes- composting, recycling, incineration can be applied to different kinds of waste How do I practice waste management at home? Keep separate containers for dry and wet waste in the kitchen Keep two bags for dry waste collection- paper and plastic , for the rest of the household…

Confidence. It is the one thing we want our child to possess in bundles, even if we sorely lack it in many areas. Confident enough to come down the slide in the park; talk to people without hesitating, confident enough to appear on stage; confident enough in thier swimming class, fearless when they steps into the pool even though we may be hydrophobic ourselves. The list is a long one.We may not get all ‘Pushy Parent' about this, but the truth is that we admire a confident child when we see one and wish the same for our child. Well…

Merrily Tobin visited Jalvayu Vihar (JVV - where I have lived since retiring from the Indian Navy) for the first time in 1993. JVV was then just three years old. She recalls, "There were hardly any birds out here. The trees were just about picking up and the campus had a dry, barren look about it JVV site, circa 1987. Courtesy: Wg.Cdr.KJ Batt Jalvayu Vihar: Under Construction – 1989 – Barren Main Road & water tower. Pic: Wg.Cdr.KJ Batt In the next few years, JVV grew greener; the birds began to take notice and slowly moved in and so did…