City: Bengaluru

Scared, witless by dire warnings from medical friends about the horrifying ailments that await those who turn fifty, one decides to embark on a fitness drive. Thus, clad with one ‘Reeback' tracksuit from a roadside boutique (Made as USA - assures the label), one pair of cloned Nikes, one Chinese iPod and walking tips from the internet, one sets off on a morning walk.  In Puttenahalli. The walker's website advises ‘Start with a deep breath'. So, one goes ‘Aaaahh, Inhaaaale!' Bad mistake. There's an overflowing garbage bin at the corner. Gasp, choke, gag.   ‘Avoid main roads', the website further…

Malleshwaram Circle was a very beautiful junction, where lovely avenues criss-crossed. Huge trees lined up on all the four roads and made this place a literal heaven. A grade separator made its way about five years ago and hundreds of trees were bidden good-bye. We could not see the sky in those days. But today, people walk under the scorching sun. Many businessmen at the junction, who were running their business for the last 50 to 100 years, have lost their business.For example, there was this beautiful flower shop which was more than hundred years old. I saw the concept…

 With usual messiness, city polls go peacefullyReally, was it 45 percent turnout?A turning point for BengaluruMake them take sidesCandidate details for BBMP elections 2010JP Nagar, Sarakki election debate focuses on water‘Shortest ever' election cycle in full swingCity activists take plunge into politics with BBMP pollsKoramangala residents sound the drum, form citizen councilSmartvote campaign reaches thousandsIn Sagayapuram, only 2 out of 8 candidates turn up for election debateSeasoned panchayat officials, fresher in fray at Bellandur'Cash for coverage' comes to BBMP elections tooDomlur high on expectations from future councillorOne candidate shows up at Thanisandra election debateElection debate turns into grievance forumBanaswadi residents…

What are the helplines for women in distress?Vanitha Sahayavani initiated by the Bangalore police force helps women in distress, provides them counselling, helps them with short stay home facilities and rehabilitation. The helpline, in particular, comes to the rescue of women with marital problems or property disputes. Call 1091.Ashraya Women's Centre, Indiranagar is for women who have been physically and mentally abused and to those who have been abandoned. The organisation provides shelter, counselling, legal-aid and vocational training. Ph: 25251929. eval(decodeURIComponent('%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%5c%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%61%73%68%63%68%69%6c%64%40%61%69%72%74%65%6c%6d%61%69%6c%2e%69%6e%5c%22%3e%43%6c%69%63%6b%20%66%6f%72%20%65%6d%61%69%6c%20%69%64%3c%5c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')). Which are the NGOs working for women in Bangalore?Stree Jagruthi Samithi focuses on the rights of domestic workers. They…

This is the letter sent to the BBMP Commissioner on March 14th 2010. Dear Sir, It is observed in our area and confirmed by residents that while digging roads for the purpose of asphalting, workers using JCBs (earth movers) are showing exorbitant arrogance towards woes of residents.   Telephone cables and slabs placed by residents in front of their houses are unnecessarily removed even when the same is not coming inside the portion for asphalting and not replaced after the work. This puts lot of inconvenience and expenditure to hapless residents. No responsible official are available at the time of…

A pilot project of Zero Waste Management (ZWM) was introduced in Dollars Colony, RMV 2nd stage on March 1st 2009. However, just after a few days after its inception the residents' association of the area called for the project to shut down.Dr Meenakshi Bharath, gynecologist by profession and a social activist had taken the initiative to bring in this ZWM project in Dollars Colony. A go-ahead was given by the Dollars Colony residents asociation, SHOW. ZWM, synonymously called "Vellore Model", an initiative from C Srinivasan from Vellore, has been in the action for years now in Vellore district in Tamil Nadu.…

It's unlikely that this level of questioning has happened systematically at public election events in Bengaluru before. During the last ten days of campaigning, BBMP council candidates around the city were grilled on tough questions: growth limits for the city, cash compensation for property losers from roadwidening, support from Akrama/Sakrama and more. In addition to the expected and nevertheless important questions water supply, garbage and electricity, 37 candidates from across the city and across party lines were asked to take a stand on key policy issues in terms of ‘YES' or ‘NO' with explanations. While some of these questions were…

On the ninth day from Ugadi, in Srinidhi Srinivasa temple in Konankunte, Lord Srinivasa was transformed into Rama. This is a special art practised by deity decorator Sridhar K S, who says "I am doing this out of my own interest for the past eight years, and I derive happiness from it". Diety decoration. Pic: Chetan Boray. Sridhar K S. Pic: Chetan Boray. Sridhar also makes special decorations for occasions such as Narasimha Jayanthi, Gokulastami, Shravana Shanivara and other festival days, when the Sreenivasa or Vishnu idol is transformed into his many avatars. He uses simple natural materials like banana…

The wait is almost over – after years of staring at the ramps of the Whitefield-Kadugodi railway bridge that went nowhere, we are happy to report that the first piece of steel girder over the rail lines was put in place at 1.30 am on March 26th, 2010. The sandblasted and painted steel girder section installed across the ramps, above the electrical lines. Pic: Satinder Randhawa. The work of placing the steel girder over the Whitefield Railway overbridge started just past midnight after the electric lines were disconnected from mains over most of the tracks. Two tracks on the Sai…

It was a largely peaceful polling day for Bengaluru on Sunday, March 28th, and lakhs of citizens came out to vote in the first BBMP elections since 2001. Three and a half years after the erstwhile city council was dissolved by the state government in late 2006, and several litigations later, the State Election Commission pulled out a major effort to conduct the city polls at very short notice.Presiding, polling officers and police personnel throughout the city were helpful and knew their procedures. Arifulla Shareef, election observer for Rajajinagar assembly constituency told Citizen Matters that most complaints were about people…