City: Bengaluru

Till about a year back, many residents of Jayanagar used to be troubled by the spot adjacent to 3rd Block post office being used as a public urinal. Even though there is a Nirmala Shouchalaya right next to it, people would relieve themselves right in the open, as they were unwilling to shell out a rupee to use the clean facility next door. Many commercial establishments like fast food joints, garment stores, offices, grocers, chemists etc. are located within a few yards of this place. Before: a public nuisance (pic: Hamsa) This is typical of many places in Bangalore; yet…

What can a sports club operating from a small room in a basement do? Produce champions. That exactly is what YUVA (Youth for Unity, Vitality and Awareness) is doing. Operating from the basement of the Kittur Rani Chennamma Stadium, Jayanagar 3rd Block, YUVA has been producing quality athletes who have routinely earned laurels and accolades at various athletic events, both at the University and the National level. It was founded in 1985 by C Maheshwaran, himself a former national athlete. Karate practice at Yuva (pic: Subbu Vincent) YUVA has been serving the sports training needs of Bangaloreans for more than…

Ever thought of a Bangalore without Cubbon Park and Lalbagh? What if M.G.Road disappeared one day? Or what if you woke up to headlines that read you would never be able to see another Gulmohur or Asoka tree in the city again? Thankfully, none of the above seem to be happening yet. However, going by recent developments, there is a strong chance that the Hebbal Lake will soon become a thing of the past. For in a few months from now a swank, new 'floating restaurant' may sit in its place. If you've been past the lake recently, you may…

We all want our roads to be broad enough to ensure smooth flowing traffic. But with more than 27 lakh vehicles in Bangalore and more than 800 new vehicles getting registered every day, the road infrastructure just cannot keep up to the growing vehicle count. However much the administration tries to widen the roads, there is a limit to this approach. Public Transport - limited by BMTC capacity (pic: Madhav Pai) The unchecked growth and usage of private vehicles which constitute almost 90% of the total vehicles in Bangalore can be countered with an excellent public transport service. The Bangalore…

A series of recent news reports by the Karnataka state government’s Ramaswamy Committee has highlighted the capture of public land by politicians of all hues and their cronies in the form of land developers. One might have come across such land grabbing under high tension lines, too. I am a Koramangala resident and member/ex-secretary of the residents’ association of Koramangala 8th block. I want to recall my experience in this regard. High Tension lines in Koramangala, V Blk (pic: Rajeev Yeshwanth) The land lying below the 110 KVA HT transmission lines in Koramangala (behind Raheja Arcade) has been in contention…

Even as the IT city swells and rips out of its infrastructure, there are small bands of earnest and committed residents that are trying very hard to effect local patch-up jobs. All over the city, colony federations are beginning to take up issues, address concerns and battle for local rights. Citizens’ awareness is rearing its head, even though some may say that it has not made its presence felt in a major way. Any of the local associations is an interesting microcosm of the city’s concerns. Take the relatively new and IT-centric colony of Hosur Sarjapur Road (HSR) Layout, for…

Various apartment blocks that have sprung up in Jayanagar 1st block threaten to destroy the quality of life in the area. Residents in the area have pointed out that they have come up in violation of all building norms and ask the pertinent question whether this was in connivance with the authorities. Building Violations in Jayanagar (pic: Rajeev Yeshwant) The most blatant example of this is the case of the 14-floor apartment building coming up on 1st cross, 1st block near Madhavan Park. Being built by Bysani Developers it is located at a dead end. The approach road is a…

Solid waste management in the city has miles to go before it reaches satisfactory levels. Citizens have realised this and are pitching in with their mite rather than leaving it all to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Bangalore generates some 3,000 tonnes of garbage everyday. While some of it is recycled, most of it is just dumped in landfills around the city. These landfills are getting scarce by the day. Effective solid waste management is the need of hour to reduce the amount of garbage generated and ensure a much cleaner city. Manvel Alur in Koramangala is part of…

Many Bangaloreans dismiss today’s Bangalore as a mutant form of the quaint city of yesteryears. But many old buildings and watering holes have survived as steadfast witnesses to the city’s changing identity and magically present a bioscope view in sepia tones of the glorious Bangalore of the past. Indian Institute of World Culture (pic: Yashwanth Madhusudhan) Established in 1945, the Indian Institute of World Culture (IIWC) in Basavanagudi located on the road named after B.P Wadia – its founder, is not only a window to the city’s rich cultural past but also to the first efforts to promote cross cultural…

Three huge healthy trees were razed to pavement level overnight, right outside the Levi’s showroom at 80 Feet Road, Koramangala last week, triggering a whodunit controversy that refuses to rest. A war of words through email has been unleashed between the anguished residents of Koramangala and Levi’s management. While the residents are convinced that Levi’s staffers were involved in getting the trees chopped, Levi’s country head, in her email, outrightly rejected the accusation. “We have absolutely nothing to do with this act of felling – in fact, it had caught us by surprise one morning. We are an extremely responsible…