City: Bengaluru

On the 1st of August 2010, 12 of us participated in a photowalk to the Bangalore heritage temple sites, Kaadu Malleswara and Nandeeswara, in Malleswaram. I organized this photowalk to help a friend, Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan, who used to conduct photowalks in Chennai before he went to Bristol, UK to pursue higher studies. His course, Masters of Arts in Archaeology for Screen Media (MAASM), looks at archaeology/heritage and media practices and explores ways in which archaeology can be presented to an audience. He had requested some photowalks to be organised to help him with his thesis. This photowalk was called Ancient…

When the results of the SSLC examination were announced back in May, BBMP schools in the city had fared so poorly it was almost as if the Palike itself had flunked the public examination. The thirty-three high schools under the Palike secured a pass percentage of 33 per cent -- its most abysmal result in the last few years. To put this figure in perspective, the state average was 68 per cent -- more than double of what the BBMP schools secured this year, and a far cry from the ambitious target of 75 percent set in the 2009-10 BBMP…

Came across an article about the worsening traffic situation in India. Badly planned roads, overstretched traffic police, violators get away easy, explosion in vehicle population, and a flood of untrained drivers all contribute to the problem. Wait! There is one more reason; there are a set of unwritten rules that are passed on from driver to driver in the great oral tradition of India! Since this tradition is oral, there is ample scope for misinterpretation and consequent goof-ups on the road. The other unique aspect about these rules is that they don't have to be consistently followed, just understood and…

After a huge slump in prices during recession, the housing market in Bangalore is revving up again, thanks to the newly introduced ‘affordable housing' segment. While there are houses priced at Rs 15-25 lakhs that are targeted at PSU and BPO employees, there are more lucrative options at Rs 25-40 lakhs for IT employees. There are also houses under Rs 10 lakh being planned by non-profit organizations to benefit those who do not have a regular paycheck and hence have difficulty getting loans for housing. These houses are targeted at auto rickshaw drivers, construction workers etc who have total household…

click here to print revised fare click here On August 1, new auto fares came into effect in the city, with the minimum fare being Rs 17 and an extra Rs 9 for every additional kilometer. The previous revision of fares was in February 2008, when the minimum fare was increased from Rs 12 to Rs 14, and the charge per extra kilometre was increased from Rs 6 to Rs 7. The factor of increase for the new fare is 1.28 (9/7). So to calculate the approximate new fare, the thumb rule is to multiply the old fare with 1.28.…

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.…