City: Bengaluru

"In Mexico an air conditioner is called a politician because it makes a lot of noise but doesn't work very well." - Len Deighton (English writer, b. 1929) Lack of participation and involvement, personality clashes, petty politics taking precedence over real issues and an inability to come together to address pressing problems effectively. Sounds like the Indian Parliament or State Legislative Assembly? Guess again. This could be a lot closer to you than you think. Apartment Owners Associations are statutory bodies comprising all the owners of apartments in a particular building / complex, and tasked with running the day to…

During my summer holidays, I visited Mysore, a lovely place with exceptionally amazing monuments, enormous palaces.  Mysore is a major tourist attraction in Karnataka and when my cousin visited from Delhi, we decided to go see this historic city.  I love going on such trips; so with my heart pounding with great excitement and anticipation, we began our trip and it turned out to be one of the most glorious and action-packed ones that I have had so far.The first place we visited in Mysore was the beautiful Mysore Palace, belonging to the Wodeyar Dynasty. We were astounded by its…

It has been two years and the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) attracts some unusual visitors - sparrows. They flutter about in the domestic lounge as passengers read the newspaper, work on their laptop or grab a bite. Bangalore-based ornithologist Dr Krishna M B says that it is because Devanahalli is an agricultural area. "Sparrows are grain-eaters but they are not field-oriented. Today they are found more in the outskirts and are not widely distributed", he says, explaining the possible reasons for this sudden influx in Bangalore's swanky airport.Sparrows at an eatery in the domestic lounge of the Bengaluru Airport. Pic:…

A gust of wind blew over my sleeping body, and promptly and quickly, I jerked up from my lying position and stared at the whirling fan in my room. That was what surprised me as I normally wake up at 7.45 am during summer vacations and don’t budge from my bed till that time, but now it was only 6.00 am and I was awake. And then, it struck me that it wasn’t vacation anymore; school had started and my waking-up-in-the-morning senses were just beginning to develop again. Glad, excited and a little mournful, I headed back to school.The school…

Ring Road Property Owners Association (RRPOA) conducted a meeting to discuss BBMP’s road widening  plans along the stretch of road from Central Silk Board to Mysore Road which is about 14.5 kms.The meet was held at Sri Krishna Kalyana Mantapa, near Jayanagar 9th block on 8th June. RRPOA is an umbrella organisation formed by Residents Welfare Associations (RWA’s) of BTM, JP Nagar, Eliyas Nagar and Rajajinagar.Vidya Shankar, who is a President of the RRPOA, says the asociation’s next move is to approach the chief minister as well as the transport minister of the state regarding the issue. "We will bring…

Pic: Satbir Singh. Some months ago, the road from Varthur Road (near Shell Petrol Pump in front of Siddapura Bus Stand) to Nellurhalli was repaired, much to my delight. It was otherwise marred by potholes which made my commute to work a tedious one. However some week ago, I saw few people digging the roadside to lay cables. The workers dug the stretch of the repaired road and never repaired it. Now the road is left with potholes again. I request the concerend authority to please look into this issue. ⊕

Despite the plethora of fancy eating places and the deep pockets that enable us to eat at these restaurants; for some of us it is traditional food that provides a satisfying experience. Witness the throngs at eateries like MTR and Halli Mane and at the few restaurants that offer Jolada Roti meals. Ironically, or maybe because this segment is smaller, most restaurateurs hesitate to go down the ethnic path. Walk on the well travelled road and one can't go wrong, this appears to be the vein of thought in the restaurant industry. So even as you scour eateries for some…

Residents of Bengaluru are now hiring private surveyors to measure their property, which is marked for road widening by BBMP. This is because the BBMP's Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) notices do not provide detailed information on how much land will be required for acquisition.In April this year, residents of Golden Corner Apartments on Sarjapur Road received a notice from the BBMP, informing them about acquisition of a portion of their property for road widening. The notice says the road is to be widened by 45 feet and that the Apartment Association should submit land records using the Transfer of…

Adarsh S Vansay, 38, a resident of JP Nagar has been saving more than 50% of the his monthly BESCOM bills from the past two years. He had installed solar cell plates and a windmill at his house in JP Nagar, 7th Phase. The windmill installed in his house can produce one unit of power and the solar cells can produce around two units of power in a day. 1 unit can light a bulb of 100 watts for 10 hours. He invested around Rs 3.5 lakhs and saves around Rs 600 every month on electricity bills. "Even though it…

Bullet fired at Art of Living campusAn incident last Saturday at Sri Sri Ravishankar ashram saw a gunman firing a .32 calibre pistol. The lone bullet is reported to have injured a devotee. Security has been increased for Ravishankar, who also invited the gunman to his satsang.IT Investment Region near DevanahalliIT and BT minister Katta Subramanya Naidu says the first phase of an integrated IT city, with 2,500 acres will be completed in two to three years.Mahindra buys out RevaMahindra & Mahindra have bought a 55% stake in Reva Electric Car Company (RECC), the Bangalore-based manufacturer of electric cars. General…