City: Bengaluru

On 30th August, a resident of Rainbow Drive, a layout on Sarjapur Road, passed away as he could not get to a hospital in time. His community had been flooded and its residents marooned for hours during which even tractors could not reach them. On 5th September after the heavy overnight rains of up to 90 mm, residents of this area and the larger Sarjapur Road-Outer Ring Road area continue to suffer, with large sections of even main roads inundated. Rainbow Drive is one of the parts of the city that has had far too many trysts with flooding. Even…

Yellow alert, second wettest August The meteorological department has issued an yellow alert for the city, as more rains are predicted for the coming days. This year the city experienced the second wettest August, as the city observatory of the IMD (India Meteorological Department) recorded 369.9 mm of rainfall, second only to 1998's recording of 387.1 mm. Traffic got crippled on ORR (Outer Ring Road) due to Savalakere lake overflowing. About two to three feet of water on the ORR from Silk Board junction to Bellandur, Marathahalli and Sarjapura Road stopped two-wheeler riders. Hundreds of employees working in and around…

The recent Kannada blockbuster 777 Charlie attempts to tell a story that can change hearts and perceptions about dogs; Indie dogs in particular. The film, directed by Kiranraj K is the story of Dharma, a man who suffers from terrible trauma having lost his entire family in a road accident. Dharma, played by Rakshit Shetty, becomes a recluse and attaches no significance to his life till a rambunctious, pesky pup shows up at his doorstep his life upside down for good. Dharma takes in the abandoned pup Charlie. In turn, Charlie gives him a sense of purpose in life. Making…

""Kitne aadmi the?" The scene featuring Gabbar Singh's famous question in Sholay has a rarely noticed sideshow. A small lizard scampering across the rocky terrain of Ramanagara, located just outside Bengaluru, where the iconic movie was filmed. That lizard is the Peninsular Rock Agama, or Psammophilus dorsalis, which can be found today mainly in Bengaluru's rocky outskirts. The city's ever expanding urbanisation has not only altered natural landscapes in its wake, but also destroyed habitats of species like the Rock Agama lizard. And although not endangered, the Peninsular Rock Agama is no longer a common sight across the city as…

It was the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. And Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (BMTC) I-day gift to Bangaloreans was free rides on its buses for that one day. August 15th saw 61,47,323 passengers use BMTC buses, as compared to the average of 28 lakh passengers on other days when commuters have to pay for their bus ride. For BMTC it was a double celebration, as announced by its chief traffic manager on August 18th. A record ridership and the corporation’s 25th birthday. Perhaps there was cause for a triple celebration. As on that day, Tata Motors announced that it had won…

The youth in Bengaluru’s many slums are caught in a vicious cycle. Of poverty, of lack of access to education and skill development resulting in their inability to get decent employment. These are key factors that lead to substance abuse issues among these youngsters as they grow up in one of the most unequal 'global' cities of India. The trajectory of young people in Bengaluru’s Rajendra Nagar slum, located in the vicinity of the high-income Koramangala neighbourhood, and the choices they make in the midst of the high-alcoholism issue in this informal settlement is not uncommon. The presence of a…

A major source of tax revenue for states is Stamps, or Stamp Duty and Registration Fee. Karnataka, for instance, collected Rs 10,576 crore in Stamps and Registration Fee in 2020-21, which amounts to 11% of the state’s tax revenue, as per the State Finances Audit Report for the year ending March 2021 Stamp Duty is a tax payable on legal documents/instruments that function as evidence of the transaction that has taken place. It could be: Fixed (adoption deed, divorce etc.) orAd-valorem i.e, a proportion of the Market Value (MV). MV is defined in the Karnataka Stamp (KS) Act, 1957, as…

Over 79 lakh voters in draft list The BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) and State Election Commission published a draft voters’ list recording 79,08,394 voters, with 41,09,496 male, 37,97,497 female and 1,401 transgenders. S Basavaraj, Commissioner of Karnataka State Election Commission, said citizens can review, make corrections and file objections before September 2nd. The list for the BBMP election, 2022 was published on www.bbmp.gov.in. About 5.20 lakh new voters have been added. Source: The Indian Express, The New Indian Express, Deccan Herald Contractors complain of graft in BBMP The KSCA (Karnataka State Contractors’ Association) has levelled allegations over the demand for…

"There is a huge difference between learning online and in person," says R Niranjana, a mother of two. "Of course, there was a time when staying at home was essential but now, when everything is opening up, for the sake of the child, parents must send their young children to preschool.” While many countries kept kindergarten and primary schools open even during the worst days of the pandemic, India had ordered a total lockdown of all educational institutions, including preschools. Many such institutions completely shut down. Now, as most COVID-related precautions are being lifted, Bengaluru's preschools are cautiously reopening their…

Many of us may have bought a beautiful apartment or villa by investing most of our savings or even on a mortgage/home loan. After a few months of living in your new home, you realise that there are a lot of issues. For example, you may find water oozing from the floor tiles, or your wooden flooring has been laid in an uneven manner, door frames are not finished to the level they should be, electrical fixtures are malfunctioning, and water pressure drops. All these are niggling problems that will not only take your time but also more of your…