City: Bengaluru

The land we live in is Karnataka which is beautiful all around. It gives us immense pride to speak in Kannada, It gives us immense energy... Kannada reverberates wherever you go - from the lyrics of 'Kannada', a song from the Taan Saints.On the occasion of Rajyotsava day today, Bangalore based music group Taan Saints have released a music video. Citizen Matters is happy to share the video here and joins Taan Saints in greeting you all on this special day. Sung By : Swastika Borkataki Bugley, Adarsh Bungley, Pavan Ananth, Prathap SounderLyrics : Badekilla PradeepMusic Composed By : Taan…

People running for a cause is quite common in Bangalore. But, this event was a little different. Sunday October 25th saw a misty, breezy morning. It was 7.30 AM, when most Bengaloreans were sleeping there were almost 80 women of all ages, assembled at the start of the run trail in Bellandur, in the outskirts of Bengaluru. This was the first "Girls on the Run" event in Bangalore, organised by RunnerGirlsIndia (RGI), a group dedicated to empowering women toward a healthy lifestyle, promoting personal fitness, increasing physical activity and emotional health. The run, as the organisers said, was meant to…

Many Bangaloreans are concerned about the reducing green cover in the city. What can you do? Plant trees of course! Here is how to go about planting trees.How do I go about it?Preparation Study: The proposed area should be examined beforehand to understand layout, soil, inhabitants and so on. Educate the local people nearby about the planting need, process, schedule and care. Obtain approvals, if necessary. Choose the number, type and age of the saplings and separate them on the planting day and ensure sufficient watering facilities.Spacing: Before planting consider the space above and below the ground. Do not place…

This Sunday, Hasiru Santhe, a tree mela at Sankey Tank, was organised for the first time by BBMP. With plant and tree saplings selling at Rs 2, it got local residents and morning walkers around the area interested. Not withstanding the noisy announcements by BBMP staff and the disorganised billing system, the response was overwhelming from  thousands of visitors.The event took place at a time when many Bangaloreans are concerned about the reducing tree cover in the city. At the same time, government bodies and citizens are actively engaged in planting more trees too.Government agencies do their bitWithin the city…

On occasions, trees are felled to facilitate road widening or if there in the way of infrastructure projects. Very often, trees are cut illegally and without permission.So when can trees be cut?If a tree is part of a private property and belongs to a select species, it can be felled, according to the Karnataka Preservation of Trees (Amendment) Act, 1987.For trees on public or private property, it is necessary to obtain written permission from the concerned Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Tree Officer, Bangalore Urban Division. (Ph: 23344686, 23343464).In addition, two tree saplings must be planted before cutting the tree,…

“I won’t vote this time. What’s the point?”, asks a flustered Siddalakshmi, 55-year-old Bengaluru's slum-dweller in Koramangala’s Rajendranagar, referring to the now over-due BBMP council elections. Siddalakshmi’s anguish is shared by her neighbours, as she urges them not to vote as well. “Even if we are not voting, we should all decide to not vote. Not just one or two people”, quips Sujatha S, 33, another resident of the area. 55-year-old Siddalakshmi. Pic: Vaishnavi Vittal. Siddalakshmi, Sujatha and the others explain the various problems in their area, which remain unheard till today. “The toilet chamber overflows and everything comes into…

"There are two BBMP sheltered bus stops on 46th cross Jayanagar (one on each side of the road) between 9th and 11th main.  Both look new, but both are not in use. The buses stop away from them and people wait in the sun and rain. On the way back, my wife asked the 500C conductor why the bus does not stop at the proper bus stop and his reply was ‘nobody stands there!’." Something is clearly wrong. Commuters wait in the open at Sarjapur Road opposite the construction at Iblur junction, while students get into a bus standing several…

The BBMP has, ever since its formation, received the citizens ire for its failure to deliver civic services effectively. When young children fall prey to the open drains in Bengaluru or when trees are callously cut for the metro or road widening purposes, Bangaloreans, feeling the heat, protest against the BBMP. But the citizens have not been able to find any answers, as currently there is no one that is politically accountable to the local problems in Bengaluru. So for almost three years, Bengaluru has been under the Bureaucrats Raj.Due to the absence of elected representatives in BBMP, there is…

The plight of women and girls in the village of Golahalli on the southwestern outskirts of Bengaluru rose to prominence last week at Tokyo, at a major journalism awards ceremony conducted by the Asian Development Bank Institute. (Sitting third from left) Supriya Khandekar. Pic courtesy: adbi.org For her report ‘Women of a lesser society', published in Citizen Matters last year, Supriya Khandekar has won the Young Development Journalist of the Year award in Tokyo at the Developing Asia Journalism Awards (DAJA) on Oct 23rd. The Citizen Matters team congratulates to Supriya Khandekar on the award.Supriya’s article, about a precarious future…

A training-cum-tea party for house maids/helpers? And why not? The domestic help are a 100+ strong group working in the 220 apartments of Mayflower Block in Brigade Millennium at JP Nagar in south Bengaluru. The efforts of garbage segregation/recycling of dry waste at Mayflower started close to a year ago (in November 2008) through the introduction of blue drums. While the onus of segregation is primarily on the households, all those working in the building, like the housekeeping staff and house maids/helpers, have been directly involved in contributing to the proper disposal of dry waste. Participants are all ears. Pic:…