City: Bengaluru

Almost all of us have fond memories of visiting a zoo and seeing a zebra or giraffe for the first time. The pleasure and knowledge children derive from a visit to the zoo cannot be overstated. It is, therefore, essential to run zoos in a manner that balances the interests of the animals along with the comfort and convenience of the visitor. Some of the main challenges zoos face across the globe are lack of space, social stress, managing visitors, and maintaining the health of their animals. Besides food poisoning, zoo animals also suffer due to animal-human conflict and lack…

While adjusting to the changing rhythms of the workspace has been challenging, the difficulties of keeping the home running have been made somewhat easier by the mushrooming of online home services. Especially home delivery of food that suits all palates. In fact, the food industry as a whole has undergone major shifts. The growing number of Cloud Kitchens, for instance. Cloud Kitchens are restaurants that operate only as a kitchen and home deliver your food order. Revenue from online food delivery is projected to cross US $12 bn by the end of 2022, with an annual growth rate of almost…

"Irrespective of them (Ola-Uber) increasing or decreasing the prices, our commission margin doesn't change, we haven't made any profit from the surged charges on these platforms," says 28-year-old AS Mantelingu, an auto driver with Snehajeevi Chalakara Sanghatane. Mantelingu's commission is dependent on the trip essayed from point A to point B, out of which the ride-hailing apps would take 25% of his earnings per trip. He gets money only for picking up and dropping commuters, not the surcharges imposed by the apps during peak hours or rainy days. Mantelingu complains of 'dead mileage', which is the cost of driving to…

An infographic by Mint (@livemint) went viral in Bengaluru as the frustration of taxpayers found collective expression on social media. Most people are unaware of what happens to the taxes they pay. Who actually gets that money and how does it get used by the government? Direct tax collection in Metro, FY2021-22. Pic courtesy: Twitter thread by Srinivas Alavilli First things first: All the taxes we pay in our cities, go to one of the three tiers of Government. Union Government (Government of India)State Government (Government of Karnataka, Maharashtra etc.)City Government (Bengaluru Corporation BBMP or Mumbai Corporation BMC etc.) Tax…

Record rainfall, yellow alert This year the city had the highest total annual rainfall in a decade, but it has now set a new record. The IMD (India Meteorological Department) said that till October 17, 2022, there were 171 cms of rainfall, while on the following day, Tuesday, there was a new record of 174 cms. Expert sources said the fluctuations in the rains are not new and are already at a scale of 30-50%. They have been caused by human interference, rise in carbon dioxide levels and temperatures. Poor planning has led to flooding in the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway. Due…

As a 'yellow alert' has been issued, yet again, in Bengaluru, citizens search for answers on the reasons for the severe floods this year. One such explainer is by Arun Pai, founder of Bangalore Walks. In a series of videos, titled 'Floodsplaining' posted on the Bangalore Walks YouTube channel, Arun Pai deep dives into questions on the causes of the floods. He does not pass any value judgements and focuses on the scientific reasons for the severe floods. His videos are based on his extensive research, including talking to experts, reading on the topic, and gaining insights by going around…

The Right to Information Act of 2005 allows individuals to seek information from elected governing bodies. However, another facet under Section 4(1)(b) of the Act signifies the disclosure of particulars of organisations, including their functions and duties. This includes details concerning the duties and functions, roles and responsibilities of its officers and employees and the decision-making process of the organisation. Section 2 of the RTI Act defines public authorities as “any authority or body or institution of self-government established or constituted by or under the Constitution, any other law made by Parliament, any other law made by the State Legislature and…

In a previous article, Citizen Matters summarised and republished the first in the YouTube series of Arun Pai's video explainers on why Bengaluru floods to provide insights on the reasons for the city experiencing its worst floods in September this year. In episode one of the series, Arun Pai explains how elevation determines why certain parts of Bengaluru flood. The second and third episodes in the "Floodsplaining" "series respectively explain how our ancestors captured and utilised rain water and how some locations in the city are more vulnerable to floods. Arun Pai, founder of Bangalore Walks, uses interactive maps, history…

There is an emerging policy consensus around promoting cities as engines of economic growth (XV Finance Commission, 2020, pg. 169). NITI Aayog, in its May 2022 report, proposed developing comprehensive economic plans for Indian cities. The 74th amendment also allows Urban Local Bodies to integrate and implement economic development schemes through the master plan. Cities across the world use economic data to understand and identify target areas for investment in transportation or economic infrastructure (for example, Sao Paulo) or setting up targeted investment funds (such as London’s Regeneration Fund and Growing Places Fund) or improving poor neighbourhoods’ access to better…

It has been a little over two years since the urban local body in Bengaluru had an elected body of representatives. While cases pending in Supreme Court have been cited as a reason for the delaying the BBMP elections, the absence of elected corporators at the local level has meant that MLAs have been calling the shots even for local level initiatives. Reports have tracked how the role of ward committees is being chipped away leading to lack of accountability and eventually translating to citizens losing whatever little say they had in matters pertaining to urban service delivery and civic…