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The Karnataka government's Akrama Sakrama scheme to regularise illegal construction has been opposed by much of Bengaluru's civil society over the years. They had taken the issue to court and got a stay on the same. Even as it looks like the state government is planning to revive the scheme, most civic groups are keen on not letting violators go scot-free. The history of BDA's controversial scheme - Akrama Sakrama As illegal construction in the city became rampant and successive governments and BDA came under increasing criticism for failing to curb this, the Karnataka government announced the Akrama Sakrama scheme…

The spectre of water scarcity is haunting Bengaluru. And from a din of solutions to avert this man-made crisis, one suggestion has take the city over like a storm, and brought to the forefront a debate with myriad perspectives. Recently, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameswara suggested banning apartment construction in Bengaluru for the next five years. His announcement invited strong objections from the real estate industry. Just a day after, the shares of Bengaluru-based real estate giants Shobha and Brigade plunged five percent. However, Parameswara's suggestion resonated with many citizens who have been facing the brunt of water shortage. Questions…

On June 29th, hundreds of JP Nagar residents took part in a peace walk from MLR Convention Centre to Nandini Junction along 24th Main road. Our walk was against the illegal commercialisation and bad traffic planning along this stretch. Over 15,000 residents live around this 1.8 km-long stretch of 24th Main road. Thousands of commuters use it as well, but they take as much as 40-45 minutes to traverse it on a regular day. The reason is the unethical commercialisation of the area, which has led to infrastructure breakdown and deterioration of the neighbourhood. As per the Revised Master Plan (RMP…

With its population growing at the rate of 4.45 percent annually, Bengaluru is now the largest city in India after Delhi and Mumbai. The city shelters about half of Karnataka’s urban population. The administration of such a huge, expanding population calls for a structure with a holistic approach, which the BBMP (Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike) lacks. An alternative administration that will overcome the shortcomings of BBMP and address the city's issues, is the need of the hour. An expanding city Bengaluru has been expanding rapidly over the last three decades. In 1991, the then-BMP (Bangalore Mahanagara Palike) expanded to include…

A committee appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) will hold its first public meeting on the rejuvenation of Bellandur and Varthur lakes, on June 21st. The committee, appointed to oversee lake rejuvenation, made the decision at its routine meeting on Tuesday, June 11th. Tuesday's meeting was chaired by committee member Dr U V Singh. Another committee member Prof T V Ramachandra, KSPCB (Karnataka State Pollution Control Board) Member Secretary Manoj Kumar, BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board) Chairman Tushar Girinath, officials from various departments including the Urban Development Department (UDD), attended the meeting. Citizen representatives Jagadish Reddy and…

For what might come as a breath of fresh air for Bengalureans quite literally, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has stepped up to tackle air pollution in the city. A 44-point joint action plan has been approved by the Air Quality Monitoring Committee (AQMC) that was set up by the Karnataka government in response to a directive by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). In addition to Bengaluru, action plans have been created for Hubli-Dharwad, Davengere and Kalaburgi. These are the four ‘non-attainment cities’ in Karnataka, i.e., cities that do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. As…

This Sunday, Alahalli Neighbourhood Lake Development Trust (ANLDT) felicitated B V Satish, Chief Engineer, BBMP (Lakes), who is retiring from service this month. He was instrumental in rejuvenating Alahalli-Anjanapura lake, among many other lakes in Bengaluru. Volunteers and neighbourhood residents attended the event, and took a walk around the lake. B V Satish, DCF S N Hegde, and Anjanpura ward corporator K Somashekar also participated in the walk. ANLDT Chairman Suresh K Krishna, Treasurer Vinatha M Reddy, and other trustees, also attended the event. Cleaning efforts started years back Alahalli lake, located in Anjanapura ward (196) in South Bengaluru, is…

Iblur lake is almost ready! Those of you who travel by the lake may have noticed that the lake bed has been cleaned and levelled, the bund has been built, and bund walls pitched with stone. Water inlets and outlets have been constructed, and the newly built storm water drains along Outer Ring Road will bring rainwater runoff into the lake. Once Hoskote Gravel is laid on the bund, the walking/jogging path would be complete. Joggers and walkers have already started using the lake. Birds also make occasional stopovers. We, local residents who had formed the Iblur Lake Forum, are…

There is a spot on the lake land where one gets a 180 degree view of the sprawling 445 acre Varthur lake. The lake is filled with water and emits a strong foul odour. The southern end of the lake is filled with snowy froth. A wire mesh is erected along a section of the road near the lake to prevent the froth from entering the road. "Till the 90s, several migratory birds from Russia, Ukraine, China used to visit Varthur Lake, which acted as food source for them before they headed to the Southern Hemisphere. Once the sewage started…

Dy CM mulls over temporary ban on private vehicle registration In an interview with The Economic Times, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said he is keen on finding solutions to manage the city's booming vehicular population, especially by ensuring that registration of new vehicles is put on hold for the next two years. His proposal is to stop 2500 private vehicles from being added to the roster everyday, and conversely increase the dependence on public transport. In the meantime, he promised to complete the white topping project within two years to sustain the load of vehicles. Parameshwara, whose portfolio includes the Bangalore…