City: Bengaluru

When Shashikala (name changed on request) moved to Bank of Baroda (BOB) Colony in 7th Phase JP Nagar, she didn't expect that she would have to spend so many sleepless nights. Loud noise from three granite cutting and polishing units nearby, working round the clock, has kept her awakeand other residents of the neighbourhood. Add to this, the dust from these units has forced the resident to keep their doors and windows shut. "Because of the noise and the dust, we have to keep the doors and windows closed," said another resident on the condition of anonymity. The residents added…

The crowd erupted with joy as Rajib Deb, forward for the army Service Corps (ASC) Boys Bangalore under-16 football team, slipped the ball past the goalkeeper to score a goal for his team. That it happened in the first few minutes of the match, added to the crowd's resounding cheer. Deb made the most of the penalty kick as he scored the solitary goal of the match, leading his team to a 1-0 victory over Farook Higher Secondary School (FHSS), Kerala. ASC celebrating the goal by Deb Pic: Yogaraj S Mudalgi ASC were playing FHSS at the final match of…

After moving to Mahalakshmi Layout with her family, a few months ago, Lakshmi Teeka, 32, found that there weren't too many grocery stores in her neighbourhood. At supermarkets, she had to wait in line to pay the bill and checkout. Her friends introduced her to Town Essentials (towness.com), an online grocery shopping website that takes orders online and delivers groceries home. "I could do shopping at 12 am in the night and didn't have to wait in line anymore. The prices too are on par with wholesale prices so I began to order all my groceries including vegetables and fruits…

A week after Bengaluru's police department said that the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) for Karnataka did not exist, the Home Department says that the authority does exist. It turns out that in December last year, the state government quietly setup the body through a government order. The PCA is meant to be a state-level independent authority to inquire into public complaints against police officers. On November 11, civil society group IAC (India Against Corruption), Bengaluru, had submitted a petition to the city Police Commissioner's office, demanding setting up of a PCA. Additional Commissioner of Police Suneel Kumar, who had accepted…

"I am 80 years old. I have spent 76 years in theatre", when I heard the senior citizen on the stage say this, I thought he must have got mixed up. But I was wrong. He joined the Chamundeshwari Karnataka Nataka Sabha, which was then run by Nandi Basappa for the Mysore Palace authorities, at the age of four because of abject poverty. "My father was an archaka (priest) in a small temple. His income was not sufficient to feed our family of seven", says R Paramasivan. He can can sing 1260 Ranga Geethegalu (songs from the plays) from his…

BMRCL has always been notorious for its lack of transparency. Even being a government entity, the company is reluctant to share information to the media, citizens or activists. The entry into BMRCL head office is restricted compared to other government offices.When I had asked the BMRCL PRO for a sketch of the stations last year, it was denied citing security reasons. I was also stopped from taking pictures, even from outside, of Metro stations under construction, about six months back.Now the strictures have extended to public spaces too - Metro employees in stations stop media persons from taking pictures or…

It was 759am when I got to ITPL bus stop in Whitefield, satisfied that I beat the odds to catch a 500C that usually takes off between 8-815. Even if I missed that, I knew I would get a 500K or 500NA. A section of stranded commuters at 820am. The group increased to sizeable bunch by 845. Pic: Subramaniam Vincent. The opposite happened. As commuters lined up steadily, two 500Cs, one 500K and one un-named volvo, all took their expected U-turn at ITPL. As passengers started moving towards the doors, the buses simply shot off, doors closed. Drivers signalled 'oota'…

If you are thinking of Jab we met when you are watching director Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar, it's a memory you'll have to soon forget. Missing is the refreshingly original sense of humour that you have come to expect in an Imtiaz Ali film. Even when you do find traces of that old familiar magic, it's soon lost in this dark and brooding tale of the making of a rockstar. Playing the rockstar is Ranbir Kapoor, supported by debutant Nargis Fakhri. The film also has the sentimental appeal of being Shammi Kapoor's last film, albeit in a cameo role.To Imtiaz's credit,…

Tennis enthusiasts usually busy with their corporate jobs got a chance to pull out their racquets from storage cupboards. Aces and smashes from the corporate sector are on full swing at the Bulldog Tennis Academy, Kanakapura Road with the ongoing Inter Corporate Tennis Championship (ICTC) 2011. The month-long tennis tournament, which started on November 5th, is probably the first and the only one of its kind in the country that offers players from the corporate sector an opportunity to compete at different play levels. Says Ronnie Sehgal, founder of Bulldog Tennis Academy that is conducting the tournament, "the goal is…

While many apartments in the city are taking baby steps with waste recycling initiatives, Tungabhadra block of National Games Village apartments, Koramangala, has generated about Rs 1 lakh in the last seven months with its waste recycling project. Recyclathon - Best Waste Wise Apartments Championship - National Games Village. Pic: Vani Murthy The 220 apartment block won the championship in the ‘Best Waste Wise Apartment (100-250 unit category)’ award in the Recyclathon awards on November 13th. Recyclathon was organised as part of the Bangalore Recycling Habba 2011, a series of events across the city, during November 1st to 13th. The…