bangalore journal

Peace, solitude, glimpses of mythological past and a touch of divinity are what you get when you head for a trip to Mulbagilu. We set out from Bangalore by eight in the morning on Bangalore-Hoskote route. It was just me, my 5 year old and my husband. We reached Kurudamale by 10 am and covered both Maha Ganapathi and Someshwara temple. Chat with the Someshwara temple priest for some time if you can and he will gladly furnish you with details of the temple architecture and its history. Mulbagilu - View from Lav-Kusha hill. Pic: Usha Hariprasad. Our next stop…

From 26th March onwards, thousands of citizens in Karnataka and lakhs all over India under the banner of ‘India Against Corruption (IAC)' will hold a series of campaigns that will converge into a final ultimatum to the Central govt. on April 5th in the form of a fast unto death by revered social activist Shri Anna Hazare. In Bengaluru, on 26th March, citizens will come together to launch Dandi March II, a non-violent protest against lack of willingness of Central Govt. to ACT against CORRUPTION. Acknowledging Loksatta party's strong support to this patriotic movement, Karnataka Loksatta party President, N S…

With the ban of thin plastic bags coming into force from 15th March 2011, Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT) cloth shopping bags are in the market. It is said that one reusable bag eliminates an average of a 1000 plastic bags. Anand, one of the owners of Fresh Greens, with the bags. Pic: Arathi Manay Yajaman. When the ban was first announced a few weeks ago, some of the shops on Puttenahalli Road had approached PNLIT members for the supply of cloth bags that can be sold in their shops. About the same time last year, some of us who were concerned…

Garbage contractor S Ramachandra Reddy is in charge of Bellandur ward (150) since December 2009. Bellandur is in the south-eastern outskirts of Bengaluru, and falls under BBMP's Mahadevapura Zone. Reddy's track record has been extremely poor and yet he stays on, and even talks of the new contract coming up this year. Contract workers shifting garbage from autos to tipper lorry at Haralur road, near Kaikondanahalli lake. Pic Navya P K. Mamatha, Environment Engineer, BBMP (Mahadevpura zone) says that there have been many complaints about this contractor. "When public complain to us about specific instances, we attend to those promptly.…

Bengalureans have come to expect that at every corner they turn, they will be met with a wide heap of garbage.  They have also come to accept that Pourakarmikas themselves will dump their melange of garbage on the ground. What Bengalureans are not aware of is that this manner of collecting unsegregated garbage and transferring it manually, with the garbage exposed to the environment, is in total violation of the Ministry of Environment & Forests' Municipal Solid Waste Handling Rules of 2000.  What Bengalureans also do not know is that behind this ‘gawd-awful' system of collecting garbage lurks one more…

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike's (BBMP) proposed tender draft for solid waste management (SWM) in the city includes levying a cess for garbage collection. The implementation of the cess has thrown up more questions than answers, leaving citizens wondering about whether the BBMP was serious about the measure.  N S Ramakanth, DC (Revenue), BBMP, confirmed to Citizen Matters that the cess will be collected from April 2011 itself, along with property tax. "There will be a new form for this, its format has been finalised already." Since advance property tax payment is accepted in April only, there is no issue…

We Move Theatre, a drama group based in Bangalore staged their play ‘Namma Metro' at the Seva Sadan auditorium in Malleswaram at 7 pm on 12th March. The play was said to be about life in Bangalore, a city that has changed rapidly due to globalisation but still has a little bit of the old world left in it. Over a hundred people comprising a mix of all age groups had gathered in the stuffy auditorium despite the ongoing cricket world cup. From left to right - Rahim, Suresh, Communist Muduka and Rohini engaging in a discussion. Pic: Yougraj S…

When Thomas Raja, better known as Auto Raja narrates the story of his life, it seems straight out a movie. After becoming an alcoholic and a petty criminal at the young age of 16, he resorted to stealing things from his own home to fulfill his craving for alcohol. He even pawned his mother's silk sarees and her mangalasutra and acknowledges that he single-handedly brought disrepute to his family and almost ruined them financially due to his behaviour. Raja in action during one of his rescue operations. Pic courtesy: Auto Raja. His father, a telephone lineman threw him out of…

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has notified the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011. In Bengaluru, the ban will be in effect from today.Banning thin plastic bags and charging consumers is only the first step. BBMP has announced plans to setup waste segregation and plastic collection centres in ward. Some points covered by the centre's notification.• Plastic carry bags shall either be white or only with those pigments and colourants which are in conformity with the bar prescribed by  the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). • Plastic carry bags shall not be less than 40 microns in thickness.…

I was alright with the tokenism of International Women's day. A few political statements, some well intentioned but ill-thought out schemes announced to mark the day - that I could live with. But today's women's day celebrations bother me. In its hundredth year, it has become the biggest gimmick of consumerism. Every single business out there gets set to woo women. ‘Celebrate your womanhood' hoardings scream, mailboxes and phones are flooded with every kind of offer. Beauty salons, cosmetic companies, clothing companies, shoes, lingerie shops, restaurants and even hospitals have offers. What's wrong you say?  All these celebrations are targeted…