City: Bengaluru

In 2018, a revamped Church Street opened to the public with much fanfare. The 715-metre stretch was redesigned along Tender SURE guidelines at a cost of Rs 9 crore. The cobblestoned streets and wide footpaths were welcomed as being pedestrian-friendly, hassle-free for cyclists, and accessible to all. As in most cities in India, Bengaluru roads often require maintenance and repair due to constant digging up by service providers. To overcome this issue, Bengaluru piloted the state-of-the-art designed Church Street, a first of its kind in India. The project integrated all the networked services under the road: water, sewage, power, gas,…

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is currently facing huge losses in property tax revenue due to a technical glitch in its zonal classification. It is estimated that at least 70,000 citizens have underpaid their property taxes from 2016-2017, the time of implementation of new zones under the Self Assessment Scheme of Property Tax assessment. This glitch in assessment has caused a loss of Rs 240 crores in the past five years for the financially struggling BBMP. Low revenue from property taxes BBMP revenue collection from property tax is Rs 2,400 crores against an estimated demand of approximately Rs 4,000…

It is our social responsibility to build a community in which every individual plays an independent role in society. To achieve this, the focus should be on transformative and innovative solutions for inclusive development. Inclusivity is a major concern for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) all over the world, as well as in India. According to recent data, nearly 2.21% of the Indian population has some form of disability. However, there is a general lack of awareness about disability. The lack of accessibility infrastructure results in most PWDs in India struggling to live an independent life, unable to do things as…

The recently inaugurated Sir M. Vishveshwaraya Station in Bengaluru (SMVB) is almost always described as the “airport”-like railway station. The South Western Railways (SWR) drew inspiration from the Kempegowda International Airport in the design and aesthetics of the city’s third coaching terminal (the beginning and final points for trains). Perhaps pleased with the outcome, SWR has now announced that the Krantiveera Sangoli Rayanna City Station (KSR), Yeshwantpur and Cantonment would also be revamped in a similar style. But do we need more airport-like railway stations? Especially considering how much time these revamps have taken so far, what should SWR’s priorities…

In 2022, the South Western Railways (SWR) announced that the agency would undertake a complete revamp of the two main coaching terminals (the beginning and final points for trains), Krantiveera Sangoli Rayanna (KSR) and Yeshwantpur railway station, as well as the Cantonment Railway station, a major boarding point for several trains. The stations would be modelled after the Sir M. Vishveshwaraya Terminal (SMVB) inaugurated in June 2022. The announcements repeatedly emphasise that these railway stations are going to be transformed into airport-like terminals. Delayed promises But airports take time and if SMVB is anything to go by, three airport-like railway…

While the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited is committed to expanding its network across the city, lack of affordable access to its stations remains a stumbling block for authorities and commuters alike. As per reports, BMRCL is in the process of extending the green line to Challaghatta and Madavarsa (BIEC) and land acquisition is underway for the pink line (part of Phase 2), which is proposed to run from Kalena Agrahara (formerly Gottigere) to Nagawara. The lack of last-mile connectivity in the city, coupled with erratic schedules and insufficient buses of BMTC, often compel commuters to resort to booking an…

It was a year of in-depth articles that not only informed readers with detailed reportage and explainers, but also offered solutions to issues of concern to citizens. For example the Bengaluru floods of 2022, arguably one of the worst the city has experienced. While a series of articles explained the various causes of the floods, there were also articles that sought to explore solutions. Based on reader's concerns, Citizen Matters also conducted an event, 'Flood-proofing homes and neighbourhoods', a first-of-its-kind citizen clinic format. In this format, a panel of experts offered insights on how homes and neighbourhoods can be protected…

Schooling isn't always a uniform affair in Bengaluru. The quality of education varies with the school examination board, the syllabus, and whether the institution is run by the state or not. I spoke with the headmistress and teachers of a government secondary school in Byatarayanapura to get an insight into how their students are faring in their studies. The challenge of attendance Quadrangle of a Government School in Bengaluru. Pic: Sherin Sunny The stigma surrounding the quality of education in government schools is the primary reason for a lower enrolment rate. Suma (name changed), the headmistress of the government secondary…

As of December 2022, I complete five months at Citizen Matters. During this time, I have written articles across the verticals of civic, society, infrastructure, environment, and economy. I have profiled how community-based learning can accelerate the education of children from lower rungs of the socio-economic strata, if recently established Namma Clinics can bridge the last-mile gap in healthcare, and elaborated on what the government does with traffic fines that are collected. There were three stories, however, which received overwhelming responses from readers. Brookefield settlement floods One of my most challenging stories was when in my first month, I came across…

Fears of a new wave of COVID-19 are spreading through the country leading to several recent government directives. We take a look at what has sparked new concerns and what this means for Bengaluru.  COVID-19 is back in the news because China is currently facing a new wave of COVID- 19 infections. Cases have also been on the rise in Japan, South Korea, and the US. The infections appear to be largely of the Omicron subvariant BF. 7, which appears to escape immune responses more successfully, is more infectious, i.e., spread to more people than the original Omicron variant, and…