Blogs

As I walk to work, I pass by one of the intersections on 17th Cross every day. This is a one way road and therefore attracts a good amount of traffic. Luckily the road has still retained its old charm and has not deteriorated into the chaos that is 15th cross.  In the last few months, a house that stood at the intersection has been undergoing renovations. I did not pay much attention to it till it was completed. There is so much building and re-building happening in Malleshwaram that unless it is the demise of a grand old house,…

Members of the Whitefield Rising group with the Namma Bengaluru award We gave no consent and we got awarded for that! You read that right. On March 14th, Whitefield Rising won the Namma Bengaluru Foundation award for disagreeing and sometimes being disagreeable! Strange, isn’t it? Read on to find out why. We all agree that the state of affairs around us is, putting it mildly, not good. Child rape, sewage in the lakes, garbage on the streets, inequality in our society and many more civic and humanitarian issues. As Ela Bhatt says, this is 'violence to our own with the consent of state and…

So an out-of-town cop beat up his daughter in public, over an alleged affair. People, including the girl's own mother, stood by and watched. I am sure the mother was distraught. But she did nothing. Two women passers-by (may their tribe increase!) came to the girl's rescue and called the local cops. But in the end, the daughter failed to file a complaint. No surprises there. Perhaps the daughter is used to this kind of behaviour. Perhaps the mother gets beaten up too, back in their home town. Perhaps both mom and daughter are conditioned to expect this abuse from…

Bellandur Buzz Issue # 31 Date: 13th March 2015. This fortnightly newsletter is published by the citizen group bellandur.forum@googlegroups.com Meeting with KSPCB Recently, a new apartment complex in Bellandur ward was suspected to be laying underground PVC pipes for its treated sewage which allegedly led to the newly rejuvenated Kasavanahalli lake. This sparked off a heated discussion about KSPCB norms and the lack of options faced by apartments for discharging their treated sewage. As per the current KSPCB rule, apartments more than 50 units are required to have a functioning Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). KSPCB imposes a zero discharge policy…

It started with a few shopkeepers giving customers change in the form of boiled sweets or toffees; but now it seems to have developed into a form of payment! At most toll roads. Toll collectors don't even bother to give change, but hand over the receipt for the toll, with some cellophane-wrapped candy. They actually act affronted when one tells them that one will not accept this as change, and grudgingly part with the change in coins, which,obviously, they had all along.  Every "toffee" or candy may represent one rupee, but the customer is being shortchanged, because these sweets have…

April 22, 2015 will mark the 45th Anniversary of Earth Day.  The international slogan to mark the Day is ‘It’s Our Turn to Lead.’   To commemorate this year's Earth Day, Earth Day Network India announces a 45-city contest titled "Shehar Green Karo" - It's Our Turn to Lead.   All the cities chosen (listed below) have populations of over one million.   Agra, Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Amritsar, Asansol, Aurangabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Dhanbad, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Jamshedpur, Jodhpur, Kanpur, Kochi, Kolkata, Kota, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Madurai, Meerut, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Patna, Pune, Raipur, Rajkot, Ranchi, Srinagar, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, Vadodara, Varanasi, Vijayawada,…

PNLIT is registered as an NGO beneficiary at the Vodafone Cycling Marathon. Our page can be seen here.   Calling all you cycling enthusiasts to register for the marathon and support our cause.The marathon is on 1st March. Registrations will close soon. Please register today!   Pick the ride that suits you - from 60 kms for professionals to fashion ride of 5 kms. There's even a kids' ride of 2 kms!! More rides and registration details on the website here.   Godspeed to your cycling legs!!     Usha

Bellandur Buzz Issue # 30 Date: 26th February 2015. This fortnightly newsletter is published by the citizen group bellandur.forum@googlegroups.com Anti Plastic Campaign Sobha Jasmine recently implemented a successful anti-plastic campaign. On Jan 26th Jasmine's Eco-Committee presented a children's skit to expose the numerous hazards posed by plastic bags. Ward 174 Corporator Latha Murthy kicked off the campaign with a symbolic cutting of a plastic bag. The managing committee then approached local vendors and requested them to stop making deliveries in plastic bags. Security was told to keep a strict watch on vendors. There was a dramatic decrease in the number…

Report by Usha Rajagopalan   The morning of the Kere Habba on 21st Feb. saw over 30 volunteers coming as early as 7 a.m. and setting to work stringing festoons between trees, paper lanterns, sticking event posters, and more. Almost ALL the decorative items were "home made" by children and adults. Snehadhara Foundation did likewise with sketches and artefacts painstakingly done by their children. Many hands made for quick work and it was all done in a couple of hours. It was time for a sumptuous breakfast made and served fondly by Krishna, South City and Pavithra from Brigade Millennium.    Volunteers…

The Department of Information and Public Relations, Government of Karnataka along with Yelahanka United Environment Association (YUVA) is organizing 'Janapada Suggi'  an initiative to promote the rural folk culture of Karnataka. The program will take place at the Allalasandra Lake (Yelahanka) gate entrance on Saturday, 28th February, 6 p.m. onwards.   This is the first time that a program on this scale is being organised in Yelahanka. While urban folks will get to learn about folk art, the event will also provide an opportunity for rural artists and troupes to showcase their art.   Awesome entertainment is assured! Be there with your…