City: Bengaluru

I was in a miserable state of mind on Independence Day. The traffic nightmare that I was subjected to on the previous evening was the reason.On 14th August 2008 evening, there was a heavy downpour in Bangalore. My domestic help was to board the Rajdhani to Delhi scheduled to depart at 8.20 PM. We reside at Old Madras Road close to C.V.Raman Nagar. We started at 6.30 PM, a good 2 hours ahead. I cannot explain the nightmare that we went through....Horror Situations1. To engage an auto to take us to the station2. Negotiating a fare which was jacked up…

I get up in the morning and slip my feet into my house slippers, and the first twinge starts. If this is real rubber, is it OK? If it is synthetic rubber, is the manufacture of these slippers causing some harm to the environment?I switch on the geyser. Oh, am I consuming scarce electricity? Should I heat up water on the gas stove? But that will use up scarce LPG....Should I heat up the milk for my coffee on the gas stove or the microwave? And should I have the whole kitchen lighted up for this or just switch on…

If the December 2005 terrorist attack on the Indian Institute of Science campus in Bangalore was the ‘wake up' call that Karnataka is no longer a State where internal security can be taken for granted, the July 25 serial bombs in the city have shaken Bangaloreans really hard. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa admitted in the legislature that Bangalore has become ‘a safe haven for terrorists'. Terror in a wrapper. Pic: Vasu M N. Investigations into the serial blasts are being conducted by a special investigation team led by Joint Commissioner of Police Gopal B Hosur. No arrests have been…

‘.. in a democracy such as ours, people make their own meanings of urban space, in both physical-material and mental-imaginative ways.’ ‘…negotiations contribute to the production of space in the city and any understanding in the changes of urban morphology goes well beyond, or below, the two dimensionality of the map.’– Janaki Nair, in The Promise of the Metropolis: Bangalore’s Twentieth Century.The Bangalore City Corporation (1949) is the result of a union between Bangalore City (the present old city area or pete which was founded in the 16th century) and Cantonment (which was established in the 20th century under the…

Arts and Culture Govt apathy may cost city the NSD regional centre The government's failure to provide suitable a space to the prestigious National Drama School (NSD) may result in the city losing its much hyped regional centre. The centre was sanctioned after activists staged a series of protests. The government has asked them to hold plays in Gurunanak Bhavan in Vasanthnagar (behind the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Comitttee office, near the Karnataka Badminton Association), reluctant to provide land for the centre. Regional director of NSD Suresh Anagalli cautions that all plans of the regional centre may be put on hold…

Most of us who are either buying or selling property find the procedures cumbersome and encounter a range of different certificates and documents required to proceed with a deal. Many of us are unfamiliar with what is required until we face the situation.What is a Khata? What is an occupancy certificate? Who issues it? When and why is it needed? What about the ‘possession certificate’? Former Deputy Commissioner of BBMP (Revenue department) H B S Aradhya answered these questions for Supriya Khandekar of Citizen Matters. What is a Khata?There is no specific mention of the term Khata in the Act…

‘Kote Katti Merdavrella Yenadaru?’ (‘What became of those famous persons who established forts?’) – lines of a popular yesteryear Kannada film song rang in my mind as I glided on the smooth Bellary road towards Devanahalli. Much as I tried to throw it out, the ditty rang louder and I was on the verge of humming it aloud. To my relief, I reached Devanahalli town limits. Tipu Sultan's birthplace. Pic: PD.As you enter the town from Bellary Road, one has to take the first left to reach the fort. Alternatively, cruise down a kilometre ahead on Bellary Road and take…

"No power cuts for Bangalore", says H Nagesh, Director Technical, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM). The rains towards the end of July have helped increase the water levels of the reservors resulting in increase hydel power generation. He also sounded cautious about the coming weeks. "Presently the load shedding is stopped for Bangalore alone but if the rains continue in this way there might not be any need for power cuts throughout the state. But if there is irregular rainfall then scheduled power cuts will be implemented", he says. Last month, Bangaloreans all over were experiencing severe power cuts. Karnataka…

‘The role of organic agriculture, whether in farming, processing, distribution, or consumption, is to sustain and enhance the health of ecosystems and organisms from the smallest in the soil to human beings’-International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM) Organic - the new mantra of today's well being. It is the name given to food that is grown without using pesticides or chemical fertilizers and emphasizes using renewable resources for conserving soil and water. In addition, organic food is not subjected to radiation treatment and artificial colours and it is not genetically-modified. It includes everything from staple crops such as rice…

Business With rise in prices of raw materials, hotels have jacked up their prices as well. All dishes at the Darshini hotels are to become dearer by Re 1 and by Rs 2 in other hotels. Idly-vada-dosa aficionados are unhappy with this increase, feeling that a raise of 50 paise would have been sufficient. There are an estimated 6000 Darshini hotels in Bangalore (source for numbers not cited). ( Prajavani , Wednesday, July 30 ) City Life Fuel price hike no deterrent for bikers Despite inflation and rise in the cost of fuel, bike craze among the youth remains. More…