City: Bengaluru

Given the current garbage situation in Bangalore, it is interesting to take note of the future generation’s perspectives on the same. Around 2,000 civic club members from CMCA (Children's Movement for Civic Awareness) voiced their opinion on the whole issue and students from 50 schools signed and submitted a memorandum to Shankarlinge Gowda, the then commissioner of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), on August 3rd. CMCA civic club children handing over the memorandum to the then BBMP Commissioner Shankarlinge Gowda. Pic: CMCA A few of the schools that took part in the drive are Sacred Heart Girls High School, Army…

My last few visits to a local plant nursery have acquired new meaning, thanks to an elderly lady working there. She now effortlessly guides me – helping me choose not just the most appropriate plant but the most healthy ones too. Having benefited from her advice, I thought it might be useful to share a few such tips here. These pointers are primarily for choosing evergreens, annuals/perennials and other flowering plants. Plants with lush green leaves. Pic: Vinita First look at the leaves and stems for signs of pests and diseases. At the first sign of tears/holes/thread like patterns/ black…

About two years ago, we came up with a simple idea of collecting old newspapers from the apartments in this community, and sell them to the local kabadiwala. The money thus collected would be donated to local orphanages and old-age homes. Many residents, some as young as three, formed an army of enthusiastic volunteers that went around door to door collecting old newspapers. Young volunteers at work. Pic: Shree Rekha With this initiative we have raised Rs 1,02,000 in the last two years and we have been able to help 13 local charity institutions, which includes schools, orphanages and old-age…

Over 40 people comprising students, food-rights activists, members of I-Cycle, Bangalore Bikers Club and more, took part in a cycle rally for Safe Food on August 19th, Sunday. The rally started at Cubbon Park, went through Brigade Road, Garuda mall up to Lalbagh before returning. The participants were nourished by a specially cooked organic lunch from ‘In The Pink,’ an organic food restaurant located on Bannerghatta Road. All set to ride. Pic: Maitreyi Ananth The event which was organised by India For Safe food and it started at 11.30am  from the Victoria statue at Cubbon Park. With placards strapped on…

My 12-year-old daughter, off late, has stopped listening to me and also wants to copy whatever her friends do. She was a good student last year, but now her scores in some subjects are falling. I am unable to understand, what has happened to her?This is a common scenario in any household which has an adolescent. Adolescence is a period of tumultuous change from childhood to adulthood, starting at 10 years of age till 18 years. Numerous changes are occurring at this time --- physical,  sexual, emotional  and psychological. Your daughter is in her early adolescence, where the rapid growth…

The last few decades have witnessed an exponential rise in the number of cell phone users. Remember the old days when getting a single landline number used to be an achievement? Today, a large number of people are carrying more than one mobile in their pockets. There has been occasional outcry about the harmful effect of radiation that may be associated with use of cellphones. Are mobile phones harmful? Pic: Wikimedia commons It is in this context, it would be helpful to understand the radiation effect from a mobile and its implication on health issues. Firstly, the radiation that is…

Heavy downpour on last Thursday evening resulted in water clogging in many areas including Garvebhavi Palya area in Hongasandra. Residents complained that the overflowing storm water drain resulted in water getting into their houses.  Swampy stretch. Pic: Abhishek Angad Prakash R, a resident of this area says the stormwater drain is almost full with debris. He says, “whenever it rains continuously for two hours, water gets on the street and sometimes enter into the houses.”The impossible stretch to cover  In Garvebhavi Palya, a stretch which has VRL transport’s office at its one end, seems to be dug out and road…

It is seven days since the mass exodus of residents of North Eastern states from different parts of India including Bangalore, started. Though the number of people leaving has reduced, it is estimated that around 24,000 have fled. What was the reason for the panic, while there have been numerous assurances from all quarters that this is a safe city?Thousands of people from Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh flock to places like Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Delhi and Chennai every year in search of better education and employment opportunities. While they have easy access to colleges and…

Haralukunte Kere in Somasandra Palya, HSR Layout Sector II is the only water body in an area where almost all borewells are dry. Most apartments in the area do not have BWSSB water connection. Water tankers are the only option.To our dismay, our kere is shrinking rapidly with encroachers dumping debris everyday the past few months. Sad state of the lake. Pic: Balasubramanian Thirunavukkarasu We handed over our complaints collected, to the area Sub Inspector. He immediately informed the concerned authorities to seize the tractor and warn the perpetrators from encroaching the lake. We also sent registered post to BDA…

On August 24th 2012, the Karnataka High Court, in a major verdict, has instructed Maverick Holdings, a construction company, to build 1512 flats in 24 months for the original allottees at the economically weaker section (EWS) colony in Ejjipura. A group of allottees from the original 1512 beneficiaries waiting outside the High Court for the verdict. Pic: Sankar C G. The decision came on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by 13 original allottees of the flats to be built at the EWS colony. The original allottees went to High Court after facing the prospect of unauthorised settlers at the…