bangalore city news

All the daily newspapers covered the death of a child at an apartment on Bannerghata Road yesterday.   The mother was feeding the restless child near the open passage window. With the child cranky and kicking, she tries to hold on to the plate and the kid. In the melee, the child slips and falls down 9 floors.  Many highrises these days do not have grills installed by the builder. The first reaction of many readers may have been, how can the mother be so careless? It is easy to tut tut while reading the report. But how many of us are…

The laptop bag's zipper fails under the weight of the not so light machine you carry everyday. Or the soft luggage has a small tear from the last airline trip. Or the floater's beginning to lose its sole - no pun intended - to the abuse that our myriad surfaces throw at it. What do you do? Usually, head to out to the nearest store to look for a good, nay, better, replacement. And chuck the current one out, or donate it, or whatever. There's a plethora of stores, brands and choices after all. And its not that expensive, given…

A BTM resident, Kumar Lakshmikanthan, 72, a retired Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) employee, wrote to us about the pathetic state of footpath on 7th cross and 7th main BTM II Stage. “The footpaths have been paved with expensive cobble stone but most of it is occupied by street hawkers and shops. Pedestrians are forced to use the road,” he says. Raw materials for building construction too are dumped on the footpath. When Citizen Matters contacted ward councilor G N R Babu, he feigned helplessness on the issue. “I have complained several times to the Health department about this.…

At any time of the day, you will see more people than birds at our Puttenahalli Lake. There are the brisk morning or evening walkers, strollers, people who use the track as a short cut to go from or to Puttenahalli, the time pass guys who sit singly or in a group at the gazebo, two wheelers, though their number is reducing gradually. Well, we are constantly standing in their path and sending them back. That’s what I did today with a motorbike rider and a cyclist - much to the startled horror of three students from Kumaran School who…

A new bus stop was inaugurated near the Sarakki Market on 22nd June. Residents of 1st Phase, JP Nagar (Shakambari Nagar ward) can soon hope to be better connected to the rest of Bangalore. The spacious bus stand for the residents of 1st Phase JP Nagar. Pic: Yogaraj Mudalgi. B Somashekhar, councillor of ward 179 said that three new bus routes will be introduced to provide for better connectivity. "There will be three buses to Majestic, two to Shivajinagar and one to KR Market." The area now has two buses (route 2A) plying to Kempegowda Bus Terminal.Also present at the…

Started in 2002 by Udaya Acharya, Café Acharya’s serves traditional South Indian snacks and meals. The place is popular for its masala dosas, kesari bhaath, idli vada and other savories. The place is frequented by people wanting a take away as well as those catching a quick bite before rushing to work. Cafe Acharya near Sarakki signal, J P Nagar 1st Phase. Pic: Uma Swamy. Backed by 25 years in the hotel industry, Udaya, a native of Hubli, says that they use fresh vegetables and good quality ingredients, while keeping the rates of dishes within the reach of his middle…

Ever wondered about the moda makers (traditional cane stools with woven jute rope seats) that you may have seen every now and then on empty plots or under the shade of a large tree? Modas sold on pavements. Pic: Uma Swamy Most of them have come from Rajasthan bringing the material for making moodas with them. They return to their village after they sell off the modas and chairs made by them. The modas and the high backed chairs are made out of the hay (phus), sticks (moojh) and rope of the Seta tree. A small moda, sold for about…

"Help us to help you" - Impassioned pleas from C R Geetha, Station–in-Charge of the Fraser Town (Pulakesinagar) Police Station! And rightly so, according to this writer, since the general trend is for the public to disbelieve or mistrust the Police. Geetha has been in charge of Traffic for East Division for more than four years and finds that except for a very small percentage of the general public within the limits of her jurisdiction, the majority do not wish to either come into the station or call the police at any given point of time. Geetha (third from left)…

Yes, we are talking about the jamuns, the ooty apples and the lychees who made a colourful entry on fruit carts recently. Pause on your way back home to pick them up else you may miss out this season! ⊕

Once upon a time, not so long ago, our city with its salubrious climate, smooth roads and countless trees made it a pensioners’ paradise. Indeed, Bengaluru had at least two other names as well – The Garden City and the City of Lakes. All this changed within the last three decades or so. The tree cover has been blown and the lakes are vanishing. If in the 1830s there were an incredible 19,800 lakes and tanks, by the 1960s the number dwindled to 280 and reduced further by 1990 to less than 80. They vanished as quickly as the population…