CITIZEN JOURNALISM

Having always been a self-proclaimed ‘dog person,’ Osha Shetty works hard every day to improve the lives of these innocent creatures she loves so dearly. This 30-year-old is currently the Centre Manager at the CUPA Second Chance Adoption Centre, Silk Board Junction. CUPA (Compassion Unlimited Plus Action) rescues thousands of abandoned, ill-treated and sick street animals in Bengaluru and provides them with the care they need until they may be re-homed. Osha’s love extends to other animals too, and she was one of the people behind The Cat Studio, New Tippasandra. Osha has always had dogs and other pets in…

தமிழக விவசாயிகள் டெல்லியில் போராடிய போது அது குறித்து பாராளுமன்றமும் விவாதிக்கவில்லை, தமிழக சட்டமன்றமோ கூடவே இல்லை. பாராளுமன்றம் தமிழக விவசாய்களின் பிரச்சினை தமிழக சட்டமன்றத்தின் பொறுப்பு என்று அவர்கள் போராட்டத்தைக் கண்டு கொள்ளவில்லை , தமிழக சட்டமன்றமோ விவசாயிகள் டெல்லியில் தானே போராடுகிறார்கள் , அதனால் நமக்கு என்ன என்று இருந்துவிட்டார்கள். நம் கையே நமக்கு உதவி , நம் பிரச்சனைகளை அரசுக்கு வெளிப்படுத்துவதுடன் நின்று விடாது நாமும் நம் பிரச்சினைகள் என்ன,அது எதனால் வந்தது , அதற்கு என்ன தீர்வு என்று ஆராய்ந்து அதற்கான தீர்வுகள் காண வேண்டும் . அதற்கான முதல் முயற்சியாக தமிழகத்தின் பல்வேறு பகுதிகளில் இருந்து வந்த 50-கும் மேற்பட்டோர் 'சட்ட பஞ்சாயத்து இயக்கம்' நடத்திய இளைஞர்களுக்கான 'மாதிரி சட்டமன்றம்' என்ற நிகழ்வில் விவசாயிகளின் பிரச்சனைகள் மற்றும் அதற்கான தீர்வுகள் குறித்தும் பேசியது வரவேற்கபட வேண்டிய ஒன்றாகும். விவசாயிகளின் சிக்கல்கள் மற்றும் செய்யவேண்டிய மாற்றங்கள் குறித்தும் முன்வைக்கப்பட்ட கருத்துக்கள் அரசின் கவனத்திற்கு கொண்டு வர வேண்டும் . அதே நேரத்தில் விவசாய்களும்…

Every day we produce tonnes of organic waste – banana peels, potato skins, egg shells, and wasted food – that all get dumped into the dustbin. Most of us give no second thought to where this garbage is going, let alone the people who come to whisk it out of our lives. Pic: Sanaya Katrak A candid chat with the group of garbage collectors doing their rounds in Green Glen Layout, Bellandur every morning, offered a peek into their daily encounters. They were immensely grateful for even the chilled bottle of water given to them as they willingly talked of…

The Karnataka government passed an order on May 2, 2017 capping prices of movie tickets at Rs 200, based on the proposal made in the 2017 budget. A lot of Bengalureans whine about the exorbitant prices of movie tickets in multiplexes, and were happy with this move. Prices of movies tickets were quite high in Bengaluru, sometimes reaching 700-800 rupees for a blockbuster release on a weekend. Though, more commonly, one would have to pay Rs 300-400 for a movie ticket in a multiplex. Many people found this unaffordable as they could not make as many visits to the multiplex…

One of the wonderful things about Varsha Ritu and Grishma Ritu in our city is still the wonderful carpets of flowers that the trees lavish upon the ground beneath them. Here are just three flowering trees, the Copper Pod (Peltophorum pterocarpum), Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) and Honge (Pongaemia pinnata). Here is how one of the small roads looks after the Copper Pod flowers have fallen: This is a closeup of the Copper Pod flower and the seed which gives the tree its name: Here is the carpet of Honge flowers: A closer look: Honge carpet: The purple of the Jacaranda is…

With an area of 272 acres, Madiwala lake is one of the three largest lakes in Bengaluru. Located in South Bengaluru, it comes under the administrative control of Karnataka Forest Dept (KFD) who is responsible for its upkeep and maintenance. Butterfly park with the scientist for design and planting butterfly attracting plants. The lake had a lot of hyacinth growth and sewage inflow, directly and indirectly from the open storm water drain (SWD) that runs inside the lake from South-west corner to North-east corner. Karnataka government decided in 2016 to develop it into a bio-diversity park, on the recommendation of…

Sobha Quartz in Bellandur, Bengaluru is a residential apartment complex with 146 families. Some families living here compost their kitchen waste in their own balcony-based mini composting plants. They also embrace zero-waste events, sustainable menstruation hygiene practices and other eco friendly practices. Here’s how a typical Sobha Quartz family, Naresh Sadasivan and his wife Shanthi Naresh, ensure their event was zero waste. Invitation cards, non-biodegradable decorations, plastic disposables, water bottles, leftover food, tissue paper and plastic bags create a mass of trash that go to a landfill, which is not only a waste of money, but a problem when the city…

As the last stretch of Bengaluru Metro’s Phase I nears completion, there are high hopes that the city’s commuting woes may finally be eased. With a Phase I network covering 42km and 40 stations, Namma Metro is the second longest operational metro system in the country, after Delhi’s. Work on the 72.1km Phase II has already begun. What now remains to be addressed is the mobility transition that needs to occur among urban commuters - away from a growing trend of private vehicle use towards modes of public and shared transport. Part of the solution lies in enabling end-to-end transportation…

In December 2015, a few of us, office colleagues, got together and formed Naam Virumbum Thamizhagam (The Tamilagam we want) with the intent to engage in action that would eventually lead to the improvement of our respective neighbourhoods. 15-members strong today, our primary mission is to take the lead as citizens in bringing about a positive change in governance, by engaging in socio-political dialogue and activities. For any organization seeking to bring about an improvement in governance and social change, it is very important to know and resolve the local problems that citizens face, before taking any big steps. Our…

May 30th is the last date for paying your property tax in advance, if you want to avail discount. But the problems in your account have not been fixed in the BBMP portal to collect taxes, in spite of having a complete year at their (BBMP) disposal. So in all probability, you will end up paying inaccurate amount this year as well, if your account had a problem last year. The wrong calculations of last year are being carried forward this year as well. Those who paid as ‘early birds’ with highertaxes due to revision in tax as well as…