bangalore journal

Almost everyone who visits or moves to Bangalore is captivated by the blooms that add colours to the city, all around the year - flaming Gulmohur in summer, pleasing Jacaranda in spring, sparkling Copper pods in autumn. Walking through roads and lanes where these trees have survived the metro and road widening constructions, it is hard to imagine that the man behind these is a German, Herr G H Krumbiegel to be precise. City under Siege. Pic: Maragathavalli Inbamuthiah Goethe Institute located at Indiranagar recently remembered and honoured this "Economical Botanist" who, under the rule of  Krishnaraja Wodeyar, imported many…

On April 21st late afternoon, there was a very heavy downpour with hailstorm and very gusty winds. On my way home at Vijayanagar at about 5.30 pm, while it was still raining, I found the skyline near my home looking different I looked up to see a few trees were broken in the middle and fallen over houses.Right in front of my house, two trees had fallen. On the main road behind, I found eight electric poles and three trees had fallen on 11 KVA power lines. This caused the complete stretch of electric poles and trees fall flat on…

S Vishwanath is a pioneer in rainwater harvesting. He is the founder of Rainwater Club, a city-based group that promotes and provides information on rainwater harvesting. Vishwanath has been working in the areas of urban planning, ecological architecture and water management for the past 25 years. Rainwater Club was one of the winners of the 2009 Namma Bengaluru Awards. In this interview with Citizen Matters, Vishwanath speaks about the desperate water scene in the city and suggests what immediate measures can be taken to address the issue of shortage.S Vishwanath, Rainwater Club. Pic: Vaishnavi Vittal When you hear of water…

The Bengaluru Infinite 2010 marathon photography contest culminated in a lively exhibition and award ceremony on the 1st of May at the very unusual creative center Jaaga. A motley crowd of amateur, hobbyist and semi-professional photographers gathered there on a lazy Saturday evening shared camaraderie and discussed the pictures on display and their own experiences during the photo marathon. The Bengaluru Infinite 2010 photography contest - award ceremony at Jaaga. Pic: courtesy: InfinityF. Contestants submitted upto eight pictures shot between 8 am and 8 pm in Bengaluru on April 25th which focused on the changing face of the city. Shutterbugs…

With the new city council taking over and the Mayor being elected, it is now time for Bengalureans to look forward to the budget that will be presented to the Council in the next fortnight. While focusing on issues like infrastructure, it appears this time round the budget will also allocate money towards one of Bangalore's pressing concerns - water. In an interview with Citizen Matters, recently-appointed BBMP Special Commissioner K A Niranjan explains the workings of the administration in tandem with the council while gearing up for the budget. He throws light on the much discussed financial condition of…

Walking into this boutique garden store in Indiranagar is like visiting the terrace garden anyone might have always dreamt of creating. At Sunshine, there are pebbles strewn on the floor, a light green canopy softening the summer sun and beautiful Bonsais in pots, trays and pieces of wood adding to the abundance of green. Pic credit: Sunshine Boutique. If that's the terrace, the entrance to this Indiranagar bungalow is equally verdant with potted plants, colourful figures, bamboo and metal wind chimes, lamps hanging from branches and fountains. Most things are for sale but some aren't, as Veena Nanda, one of…

In response to an RTI application filed by Citizen Matters, the BDA has listed out the 364 allottees who were given BDA sites under G-category during 2007-08 and 2008-09. Karnataka law allows BDA plot allocations on the fast track (no need to wait in a queue) to ‘eminent’ individuals under a rule called G-category.Incidentally, in the RTI application, Citizen Matters had specifically asked 'for particulars for eminence' for all people who were allocated these sites. In the BDA's reply, the entire question of what was 'eminent' about the allottees was ducked. Instead the BDA sent a list of 364 allottees.…

S K Umesh, Inspector of JP Nagar Police Station, informs that JP Nagar Police Station will serve as the pilot for a new communication system that helps the station officials communicate with constables on the beat. This software is being developed by Honeywell Software. S K Umesh. Pic: Chetan Boray The communication software will allow the officials to know the precise location of beat constables and therefore assign the right person quickly and efficiently when a crime incident is reported. The system will also provide a website for each division that can be used by citizens to lodge complaints and…

Next time, if ever an emergency occurs in your area, you need not be a silent spectator because of the sole reason that you are not trained to tackle such situations. Civil Defence (CD), an organisation that is not so well known but is increasingly becoming popular in the city, enables citizens to actively respond in case of emergencies. CD is a government organisation functioning according to the Civil Defence Act, 1968. Civil Defence Act, 1968The act provides the basis for the formation of Civil Defence Corps, which it empowers to take any action - not amounting to actual combat…

After three years of no city council, the city finally saw the day when its 198 newly-elected corporators took oath to office. The city also welcomed its first citizens, Mayor S K Nataraj and Deputy Mayor N Dayanand, both of who were elected unopposed. There were mixed emotions in the air. While nervous first-time corporators quietly waded their way to their seats, the experienced lot seemed to be in a lighter mood. Few Congress MLAs turned up to lend their support to their party corporators. City BJP MLAs and ministers came in larger numbers, breaking into bouts of laughter amongst…