bangalore journal

Bangalore Traffic Police (BTP) has answered a long pending question in citizen's minds on its newly launched Facebook page.  BTP has started engaging the English-educated citizenry of Bengaluru on Facebook. BTP's maiden Facebook post today raised and answered this question: Why don't police shift bus stations away from junctions? Bangalore Traffic Police on Friday, April 29, 2011 at 9:26amA: Firstly, installation or removal bus shelters does not come under the perview of traffic police.  Unfortunately, each of the bus shelter is a revenue spinner through advertisements for the agency which installs these.But we have taken initiatives to shift this bus…

Music lovers in BTM Layout and surrounding localities were treated to a grand flute concert on Sunday 24th April organised by the BTM Cultural Association at the Ramana Maharshi School for the Blind in 3rd Phase J P Nagar. The looming clouds had kept many from attendance but close to a hundred people turned up to listen to flautist Mysore A Chandan Kumar. Mysore Nagaraj accompanied him on violin, B C Manjunath on mridangam and Giridhar Udupa on ghatam. The oohs and the ahs from the audience, appreciating the flautist's intricate rendering of musical compositions indicated a gathering a connoisseurs. …

Seven months after their first ‘Gandhigiri' protest, residents of Sachidananda Nagara layout in Rajarajeshwari Nagar held a second protest at the BBMP Commissioner's office on 25th April for the same reason - non-issuance of Khatas. In September last year, a group formed by residents named Sachidananda Nagara Nyayapara Andolana (SNNA) had presented roses to the Commissioner saying that they should be provided khatas without having to give bribes. But despite an order from the Commissioner in November, only 120 residents have got khatas so far. There are nearly 800 residents in the layout. Another set of 120 khata applications have…

In the Cauvery Phase II, stage IV project, 500 MLD (million litres per day) will be supplied to the entire city. This will be divided among ten reservoirs, which will supply water to areas surrounding them. The project is expected to be complete in March 2012. Reservoir construction work is in progress and about 50% of pipeline work is complete, say BWSSB officials. Reservoirs are being built in GKVK campus in Vidyaranyapura (which will be allocated 151 MLD), Hegenahalli reservoir near Peenya (98 MLD), Jambu Savari Gudda in JP Nagar (27 MLD), Central Jail in Bilekahalli ward (43 MLD), Hoodi,…

"Consuming this product, especially early in the morning, may be injurious to your health" - we don't have this warning printed at the top of the front page of our daily newspaper. But they should. Because reading newspaper does make one's blood pressure shoot up. This scam or that rip of, all accusing or implicating VIPs who are supposed to be our leaders, administrators and adjudicators. Involving not just lakhs but hundreds of crores, even lakhs of crores. A day care centre's roof collapse  killing children, a substandard construction causing death, contaminated water causing illness, a woeful, criminal  lack of…

It has taken just about 2 months to flood National Games Village (NGV) after the initial protest on 25th February from the residents for opening up the storm water drains. The trauma has just started with the first few summer showers. We had water overflow from the drains reach areas near the centre court in Tungabhadra, NGV on 22 April. Water overflowing from open drains into the residential area. Pic: Meera Rajesh There was no way to cross between the towers without stepping into the dirty water from the drain! BBMP had earlier taken an on the spot decision to…

There is a Tiger in our backyards, yes that's right, and not only in our backyards but chances are that you would have encountered one as you walked down the road preoccupied with the business at hand. But there is no need to panic as I am only referring to The Striped Tiger Butterfly, Danaus genutia. Adult Striped Tiger butterfly Pic: Vikram Nanjappa I have often come across them at the Indian Christian Cemetery on Hosur Road while waiting for my daughter to finish school and have even seen them from my balcony at home. I live on the ground…

The latest fad in Bangalore is motorbikes racing down pavements to get to the top of the line of traffic halted at a traffic signal. Woe betide if you are a pedestrian on Richmond Road or Residency Road or any of the large arterial roads in the heart of the city.  Vehicles plying on pavements pose danger to pedestrians. Pic: Marianne De Nazareth Very often you will get a motorbike rider or scooterist, provoking your annoyance by honking at you to get out of his way - on the pavement! It's a dangerous bane that is spreading and it is because…

Jayanthi Venkatachalam, a homemaker in her late 40s, resident of Jeevanbheema Nagar got the roof of her house painted white recently.  Her husband, S V Venkatachalam, a scientist at ISRO, heard of painting roofs white as a method to keep buildings cool from a friend and decided to try it. She says, the rising mercury made life unbearable for her family as a fan was just not enough to provide relief.  Jayanthi says they did not go for air-conditioners or air-coolers because of the cost in terms of buying one and also monthly electricity bills incurred in running them. Although…

India Against Corruption's Bengaluru campaign announced today that Anna Hazare will be visiting Bangalore in the first week of May. Prithvi Reddy, one of the co-ordinators said this at an IAC-organised solidarity gathering outside LokAyukta Justice Santosh Hegde's home. Hegde is a member of the central government's Lokpal bill drafting committee. Around 160 people attended, the IAC said. Gathering of support for Justice Santosh Hegde outside his home on April 22nd morning. Pic: India Against Corruption, Bengaluru. Justice Santosh Hegde had started considering quitting the committee, TV reports broadcast late last night had said. IAC volunteers responded quickly through SMS,…