City: Bengaluru

Almost a year after Bengaluru got its first centrally controlled traffic management system the traffic police claims to have achieved smoother traffic and caught more violators. The traffic police have collected Rs 5.8 crores in fine amounts in 2008 after the new systems were put in place mid year, and Rs 3.14 crores in 2009 till date. "All these fines were possible because of (our) enforcement management system," claims Praveen Sood, Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic and Security. Praveen Sood, Shankar Bidri, Ashwin Mahesh in the Traffic Management Centre (pic: Supriya Khandekar) At a recent press meet at the Traffic…

After battling a delay of almost two years, much to the chagrin of hassled commuters, work on the 42-metre-long railway over bridge (ROB) at the Kadugodi railway level crossing in Whitefield is nearing completion. The office of Commissioner of Railway safety in Bangalore, headed by K J S Naidu, says the (pending and necessary) approvals were accorded to the South Western Railways on June 8th. "The ball is now in the court of the railway authorities to oversee the timely execution and commissioning of the railway overbridge," said an official at the railway safety department, who did not want to…

Even after spending crores on mosquito extermination, there were around 10 Chikungunya and five dengue cases reported in Bangalore earlier last month. Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that is responsible for Chikungunya (pic courtesy: Wikimedia Commons) Dr Usha Vasankar, Director, Heath and family Welfare Department, Bangalore says, "As per the BBMP report submitted to us there are 131 Chikungunya cases and 10 dengue cases in Bangalore as of 31st May 2009.""It is a routine to swat and shoo mosquitoes every evening," says T R Shastry, a resident of JP Nagar shooing a few mosquitoes buzzing above his head. Shastry’s experience is…

On World Environment day on 5th of June, members of Kuvempunagar Permanent Resident’s Welfare Association and the students of Green Pastures School participated in planting saplings in BTM layout. Around 300 students and 10 teachers from the School participated in this event organised at the Indian Water Works Association(IWWA) Hall at BTM layout 7th main. The students rallied from NS Pallya to BTM holding posters and playing drums.We have planted 100 saplings of Neem, Ashok and Champa, all provided by the Forest Department and BBMP,” said A Vidyashankar, President of the Association. Green Pasture School students (pic: MM) They also…

This summer, Ravi Kumar’s (name changed to protect identity) parents were left in a dilemma. Ravi completed his 2nd standard exams and was promoted to the 3rd standard. But he couldn’t go back to school. That’s because after promoting Ravi, the school expelled him. Here’s Ravi’s story and the trauma his parents went through. Eight-year-old Ravi was a student of the school run by the Nijaguna Education Trust (NET) in Gavipuram. Ravi’s father, 45-year-old Sridhar Kumar (name changed to protect identity) is a BMTC bus driver and his mother, 36-year-old Roopa  (name changed to protect identity) is a home maker.…

Deepti G (who lives off Bannerghata Road), mother of a ten-year-old daughter with fixed opinions of her own, prefers not to go for shopping for school supplies with her child anymore. With the incredible amount of school products available, shopping can get out of hand. "Every year we end up with pencil boxes, tons of sketch pens and markers, calculators, pouches and snack boxes that we never end up using," she reasons. File pic: Meera KSo what is the best way to shop for school supplies? First, make a list. I asked some experienced parents and they said a very…

Bindu and Ajay Agarwal from Sarjapur Road have been on a shopping spree lately. Their only daughter Ritika, four is on her way to ‘Big School' and the proud parents have been pampering her with brand new school goodies. But behind all the excitement, Bindu has a constant worry: Will Ritika be as happy in the sprawling school as she has been in the tiny four room nursery next door to her home? Ready for big school (pic: Supriya Khandekar)Bindu's troubles aren't new. If the time has come to send the apple of your eye from the cosier, smaller environment…

Cycle tracks, parking space for bicycles, racks to lock your bike; all this may well become a reality soon in Bengaluru. Members of the cycling community are working towards developing this infrastructure in the city by working with the Bangalore Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) and other organisations. The BMLTA has been set up by the government of Karnataka under the Urban Development Department as an umbrella organisation to land transport matters in the Bangalore metropolitan area. Cycling route (Pic and graphic courtesy: Vijay Narnapatti) RideACycle Foundation (RAC-F), a Bengaluru-based non-profit organisation that encourages and promotes sustainable transport through cycling,…

Are your SSLC or PUC results out and you are not happy with the performance? Or are you confused about career options? Manasa Consultants in JP Nagar has come up with counseling sessions and aptitude test to help students deal with the post result issues.Annapurna Murthy, a career counselor from Manasa Consultants, feels that such programs are essential to help young people find directions. She says, post results, students whose results are not as per their expectations, do not know on what they can fall back on. "Both parents and their wards are under severe anxiety," says Annapurna. "Aptitude tests…

I saw this scene - the BBMP has using an advertisement sheet to cement a manhole during the monsoon! Is this what they mean by Public-Private Partnerships or is this a form of Corporate Social Responsibility? ⊕