City: Bengaluru

It doesn't take a genius to figure out the reasons behind traffic congestion.  First, a sincere round of applause for all commuters who despite lack of traffic signals at most intersections manage to peacefully negotiate and reach their destinations. People do follow directions as is evident when there is a police officer on the road (trying to do his/her best). This shows that we are very accommodating by nature but we are also deeply frustrated from long delays and a system that does not reward good drivers. Here are some obvious problems seen on the road daily: Pedestrians strolling on…

Recently, a few of us from the ‘Save Our Lake' group of L & T South City and Brigade Millennium apartments formed the Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT), and formally registered it under the Trust Act of the Government of Karnataka. We have been working for a while to restore Puttenahalli Lake, and turn it into a place of conservation and recreation amidst our homes. Citizen Matters too has helped in this cause. Thanks to the BBMP, allied agencies and individuals, this restoration is now showing visible signs of success. PNLIT will also be procuring saplings to help attract…

When we set about hunting for a house, our seven-year old declared very matter-of-factly that we should ensure at least one balcony that would offer a view of a forest with the sky above. He had been into Tarzan and Mowgli and had also gone for an overnight camp in the city outskirts near a small forest. For him it was ‘cool’ to dwell just next to a jungle. The denser it was, the more the thrill. I was of course not alarmed with this condition he laid down. As far as his imagination stretched, an orchard over half an…

Plumbers make hay while the deadline for RWH installation expired recently and then was extended till August 15th.  In the mad rush to get things done, the public are also facing problems. Plumbing issues, improper planning, lack of interest and awareness are few of the points contributing to future issues. In many cases, citizens are not aware of what is going to be done. When they leave it all to the plumbers, without first understanding how it works, there might be issues, says Shankar Rao, manufacturer of RWH filters and a solution provider. Filter maintainance easy, says Anna Srinivas from…

The BBMP is building a multi-storey building to house various government departments and an e-library, under one roof, at 39th cross, 11 main, Jayanagar V block. Bhumi Puja. Pic: Chetan Boray. B N Vijaya Kumar, Jayanagar MLA performed Guddali Pooja on July 29th at the site. He says, "the first preference is for a e-Library (to be housed up in the building), where students can come and prepare for their competitive and other exams". The list of government offices which will be housed there is not yet decided, he adds. B Somashekar, Corporator of Shakambari ward-179 also attended the function.…

Every child's first teachers are their parents. And if they work as teachers in real life, that can be an advantage. Jeevitha Lakshmi (15), is a daughter of such parents. Her parents  Vijaya Kumar, 48 and Uma Devi, 42  are both teachers. Kumar is working in R S High School near Madiwala and Uma is working in Eshwari school, Wilson Garden, both private high schools. The family stays in Madivala. Jeevitha has scored high marks in her SSLC Exam. After revaluation she scored 98% in Science, Social Science and English.  When results were first announced, Jeevitha found she had scored…

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) is set to take on the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) on yet another case of lake pollution. The severe pollution of the DRDO lake near Bagmane Tech Park in CV Raman Nagar came to the notice of KSPCB officials during one of their routine inspections. One part of the lake seems close to perfect - a look at the lush greenery, the clear blue sky, and the ripples that disturb the calm waters when a bird fancies a swim occasionally, can make your day. Meanwhile, the other part of the…

I hate to wake up on winter and rainy mornings. Bangalore weather is so perfect that the comfort of the bed is impossible to leave; only the strong aroma of filter coffee can shake me awake.   Over the past two weeks, however, I have found newer reasons to spring out of bed - ever-surprising plants! With the monsoon rains, my 15 feet by 3 feet balcony has transformed into a live garden, blooming with flowers and tons of leafy vegetables (kadipata, kothmir, dhantu, chukaku, palak), chillies, beans, ridge gourds, bitter gourds and so on.   Plucking fresh vegetables and leaves right…

It was a lovely evening to walk down to Ranga Shankara to see my first ‘serious’ play since my return to the city after a long absence....and I was not disappointed. “Ms.Meena”, on at Ranga Shankara from July 28 to August 1, is a joint effort between the members of Perch, a Chennai-based theatre group, and rafiki, a Bangalore group. The creative use of props - two brooms have become the handrail of a bus and the winnowing frame the steering wheel. Pic: Deepa Mohan. Sachin Gurjale and Sunitha of rafiki had watched two productions of Perch - Sangathi Arinhya…

Venkata Subba Rao, a resident of RBI Colony in Jayanagar is a happy man. In 2005 he spotted the auction of the now dry Byrasandra tank (near Jayanagar Swimming Pool) by Indian Overseas Bank and initiated legal action. Five years later, this month, BBMP is fencing the lake land to protect it and remove encroachments. From left Ramalinga Reddy, Gangambika and Hema Chandra. Venkatasubba Rao pouring the milk. Pic: Chetan Boray. The fencing program was inaugurated on 23rd by Gangambika, (INC) Corporator of Jayanagar (Ward 153). “First of all we have to make a border to improve, we are going…