City: Bengaluru

In a previous article, the author traced the development and series of constructions on Outer Ring Road (ORR), from the 1980s-1990s till 2015, when the Dr Muthuraj underpass was being constructed at Hosakerehalli junction, under the Nagarothana Scheme. Part two of the series will explore how multiple contradictory construction work has affected commuters. Road repurposing This has to do with uncertain infrastructure provisioning. Since most of these projects are implemented long after they have been planned or constructed on the go, there are no long-term visions for them. Plans keep changing and there is no one master plan that all…

As the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections approach, thousands of booth level officers (BLOs), across the state, are going door to door, draft list in hand, to check the accuracy of electoral rolls. BLOs are government, semi-government or retired government employees, who check that electoral rolls are accurate and up to date at the level of a polling booth (also called part). This is the third and final part of a series looking deeper into the implications of the Bengaluru voter data theft controversy. Part I: Illegal voter data collection: Does it really matter?Part II: Illegal voter data collection: How can…

A decade ago, when Shantha, a housemaid applied for her Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration card, she was mired in paperwork. However, the process has now been digitised and made simpler, at least on paper. One should be able to get a BPL card by producing one's Aadhaar card and an income statement issued by the Tehsildar’s office as most of the applicants aren’t part of a regular payroll system. Applications, with relevant documents attached, can be made online only. Although online mode of application, increase in private service providers, and the introduction of government initiatives like Grama One and…

I have lived on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) for 15 years now. It has shaped my life to such an extent that it is one of the narratives I use to recount my time in the city. Orienting myself with the everyday changes on this road has shed light on my place as a resident, commuter, voter and more importantly as a citizen - a part of a larger whole. With the announcement of the environmental clearance application for the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR), it seemed prudent to look back on what the journey has been like on the…

With private schools making education unaffordable or inaccessible for many, public or government schools are becoming instrumental in laying the foundation for literacy, numeracy, and engagement for students. Despite this, there are still issues about their accessibility and reach. The question of safe access to schools, even within a kilometre's distance, needs to be addressed. "While we do have schools within a radius of one or two kilometres, the question is how many of them are government schools and accessible to the urban poor? Especially for parents from poorer backgrounds, who cannot take time off to drop their children off…

Potholes back on roads after heavy rains By December 12th, 11.30 p.m., Cyclone Mandous led to a thunderstorm in Bengaluru and the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) observatory recorded 75 mm of rainfall this December. For HAL airport, rainfall recorded was 53.4 mm and for Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), it was 67.2 mm. Heavy rains jammed many roads and held up traffic, in Silk Board Junction, Basavanagudi, Queen’s Circle and Sulthanpet Main Road, due to poor drainage. The continuous showers ruined the roads and brought back potholes again, while recently-built roads also developed potholes. New potholes developed in a recently-laid road…

Hailing from Madhubani (Bihar), Binay Kumar Paswan, 40, came to Bengaluru ten years ago in search of employment. Today, he is self-employed as a paanwala, running his own stall near the outskirts of Sarjapur. The venture is not without its challenges. For one, Binay is sometimes forced to change locations, depending on where space is available. He also faces other challenges in the street like harassment and demands for bribes from local authorities. But wherever he sets up shop, he has managed to eke out a living, especially during weekends, when business tends to be brisk.  Binay works from 9…

As station after station is built along the nearly 119 kilometres of Namma Metro under Phase 2, it is crucial to review the design of the existing infrastructure and analyse it through the lens of inclusivity and accessibility.  Any city comprises a diverse group of people with varying needs, and all public infrastructure must cater to different user groups such as persons with disabilities(PwD), trans persons, the elderly, parents with young children, etc.  The Metro Rail policy 2017, a central level policy that has to be adhered to at the state level, lays down guidelines requiring Metro infrastructure to ensure…

Rajanikanth, a local real estate agent, has been visiting the Indira Canteen, located in Majestic, for a month now. He has been having breakfast and dinner regularly and lunch occasionally at the canteen. The Indira Canteen in Ward 94 in Gandhinagar is located almost equidistant from the city railway station, bus stations, and the metro station. It caters to people from across different socio-economic backgrounds, including drivers and conductors, morning joggers, commuters using different public transport, among others. Many customers are regular patrons of this canteen. There are five employees, who run the canteen, and who perform different roles, such as cashier, server and cleaner. “In…

In order to fix Bengaluru's bad reputation for its garbage-lined streets, dysfunctional public toilets, and sanitation infrastructure, the BBMP has decided to join the bandwagon for Swacch Survekshan 2022. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike's Solid Waste Management system has announced the Swacch ward ranking competition, conducted every month, under the ward committee's supervision. This is part of Swacch Survekshan, which was introduced by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in 2016, to foster healthy competition among cities and residents to improve the state of urban sanitation and cleanliness at ward levels. According to a circular, the seventh edition of…