City: Bengaluru

Retrofitting existing buildings consists of making modifications that may improve energy efficiency or decrease energy demand. But one may ask why care about decreasing energy demand when you can just pay extra to get all the energy one needs? However, a holistic perspective that surpasses mere monetary considerations is required for a transition towards energy-efficient spaces. An assessment by the International Energy Agency (2021) indicates that energy demand in buildings in India has grown by 40% since 2000, mostly on account of growing appliance ownership, especially air conditioners, and increased access to modern cooking fuels. The direct use of fossil…

Citizens in Bengaluru are taking to the circular economy with thrifting, buying used or second hand goods instead of brand new ones. The underlying principle is to reuse and recycle what already exists rather than producing new products with more resources. Thrift stores are common in western countries, where they are seen as good sources of unique, vintage, and sometimes even valuable items no longer available in mainstream markets. The concept of thrifting or buying second-hand or pre-loved products is not entirely unheard of in India. Second hand book stores, for example, are quite common and often well loved in…

The United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in 2015 to universally take a stand to end poverty and protect the planet. The UN set 2030 as the target year to achieve these goals, which India has accepted. NITI Aayog's inaugural SDG Urban Index and Dashboard for 2021–22 is aimed at driving SDG localisation in Indian cities, under the umbrella of Indo-German Development Cooperation. The policy think tank's monitoring tool at the Urban Local Body level localises the global goals. The dashboard's index framework consists of 56 ULBs and 77 indicators (from 15 SDGs). The data on these indicators…

266 COVID-19 cases in Bengaluru, highest among metro cities Bengaluru Urban district reported 266 active COVID-19 cases (309 cases were reported in Karnataka) on January 4th. The city has the highest number of cases among metro cities. New Delhi and Mumbai reported 32 active cases each and Chennai reported 27 cases on January 3rd. However, on January 3rd, the test positivity rate in Bengaluru came down from 2.2% on December 25th to 0.3%. Dr Thrilok Chandra, special commissioner (health), BBMP, said testing has been ramped up to 5,000 a day. No samples with BF.7 or XBB.1.5 variants have been found…

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…