City: Bengaluru

Why is management of waste so important in today's time? Is segregation of waste worth the effort and time spent on it? When we pay taxes, why do we need to bother about waste management? If I manage my waste, is it going to help anyways? These are some of the questions answered by the Trash Trail organised by Daily Dump, Bangalore based service that helps you manage your waste. We all gathered at Daily Dump office, in Indiranagar at 7.30 in the morning where we had a quick round of introduction of the ten participants and Poonam (founder of…

Urban farming in small spaces is the way of the future, however growing vegetables in small spaces can be challenging. The first thought that comes to mind when you moved into your brand new apartment is usually –  "I miss my backyard and the little patch of kitchen garden I tended to". Don’t worry, raised bed planters are an ideal solution that substitutes the little patch you miss.  Home Harvest's planter on Nandini's balcony. Pic: Nandini Vaidyanathan Oota from your Thota Citizen Matters and Garden City Farmers Trust, Bangalore join other Indian cities in the movement initiated by  Kitchen Gardener's…

A government task force report says that the Apollo Hospital on Bannerghatta road is built on encroached land, hence illegal. The report was authored by V Balasubramanian, Chairman of state government's Task Force for Recovery and Protection of Public Lands. A copy of the report is with Citizen Matters. Pages 17-22 of the report are devoted to this case. Who does the land belong to?According to the report, the five acres, where the hospital is located now (opposite IIM-B), was originally granted by government to a certain NRI docor, A M Nisar Syed in 1991. Syed had applied for the…

Bogged by environmental pollution in their neighbourhood, we residents of Reliable Tranquil Layout, a 116-plot BDA approved layout off Sarjapur and the neighbouring Reliable Residency layout are protesting against Ultratech Ready Mix Cement Concrete Plant (formerly known as Birla Ready Mix Cement Concrete Plant), located on Haralur Main Road. Our owners' welfare associations have now petitioned Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to intervene in the matter. See copy of petition here. The cement plant is very close to residences. Pic: Reliable Tranquil Layout Owners Welfare Association. The cement plant is causing air, water and sound pollution in the residential…

We, Perfect 32 - Dental Care and Implant Centre plan to select one centre and provide our services, free of charge every month. This way we give something back to the society. as part of this, for August, we chose Ejipura's Gerizem Rehabilitation Centre for mentally challenged children. It was truly an enriching experience. In today's materialistic world, where we are all chasing one worldly possession after another, we receive new perspective when we meet these mentally challenged kids who are so affectionate, grateful and satisfied with what little they have and never hesitate to offer a smile. So much…

My friend's 3-year-old wanted to start a garden in their balcony. The friend wanted an easy and manageable aproach.  Of course, as with most persons who have had some experience with balcony/terrace gardening, I wait for such opportunities to offer suggestions! The easiest way to start an organic vegetable garden is with herbs. It takes little space, almost nothing of your time; and the way I see it – the sheer luxury of stepping into your balcony (as opposed to trudging to the nearest store, braving the traffic) to pluck a few leaves and garnish the dish being cooked should…

Bangalore Club for Kathakali & the Arts, a non-commercial organisation focusing on the preservation and promotion of Kathakali and other classical art forms, brings to you an evening of Kathakali Padam (Kathakali songs) first time in Bangalore by acclaimed singers Pathiyoor Sankarankutty and Kottackal Madhu. Pathiyoor Sankarankutty and Kottackal Madhu. Pic courtesy: BCKA. Pathiyoor Sankarankutty learned music from his father, the renowned Kathakali singer Late Shri. Pathiyoor Krishna Pillai. He passed Ganabhooshanam from RLV Music College, Thripunithara and subsequently joined Kerala Kalamandalam for training in Kathakali music. Pathiyoor’s mellifluous rendering of padams with elaborate bhava has made him a veteran…

At Christ University, the just concluded intra-collegiate fest 'Darpan' was a milieu of interesting activities. The students eagerly await the events designed for them such as the Western Electricals and Indian Non-theme Dance. Aditi Kashyap, 18, a journalism student at Christ University who participated the various art events says "taking part in Darpan is refreshing and a break from the hectic schedule that we have. I go with the intention of participating, and not winning." Since the winners of the events held here get to represent the college in inter-collegiate fests, there is a lot of hype surrounding the events.…

At 12 15 pm every Wednesday, a blue bus halts near Padmanabha Nagar BMTC bus stop. It is not a BMTC bus, however, and is one of the only two vehicles in Bangalore that travels around the city to satisfy the reading needs of bibliophiles. Board announcing the timings and contact details of the mobile library: Pic: Yogaraj S Mudalgi These are the government operated libraries on wheels. Within seconds of the blue bus pulling up near the bus stop, men and women board the bus, return books and browse for new ones to borrow. Returns and issues happen quickly…

On Saturday, 30th July, close to 80 students of St Joseph's College of Arts and Science at Langford Road, decided to have fun with a purpose. They gathered after classes to count the votes of the Jan Lokpal Citizen 'Referendum' that is being conducted by India Against Corruption (IAC). The scene resembled an examination hall as students counted the votes. Pic: Yogaraj S MudalgiIndia Against Corruption (IAC) has undertaken the initiative on a mammoth scale in a bid to give voice to the opinions of citizens of India on the subject of the Jan Lokpal Bill. Eight parliamentary constituencies across…