CITIZEN JOURNALISM

It was 11.25 am on a hot Thursday morning. I had been sitting on a hard wooden stool for roughly 70 minutes at that point and my butt was uncomfortably numb. There was no end in sight to my vigil. I was waiting for a notary, whom I didn’t know from Adam, to issue me a signed official document (on a Rs 20 stamp paper issued by the government, no less!) certifying I was who I claimed to be. All this, so that I could move a step forward in getting my residential address changed on my driving license. If…

It started off as a typical day. The autowallah announced the meter doesn't work as we entered the godawful intersection. I asked for him to cross it and stop. He offered to drop me at my destination and take what I give since I go this route to work daily and must know what it costs. I agreed despite my better judgement and as soon as we reached, he demanded double. I gave him the usual and started walking off, he grabbed my hand trying to stop me and then followed me into the Kamat where I went to grab…

Send it back to where it came from... after it has been thoroughly segregated and composted, of course. We’re talking about sending the biomass part of the waste a city generates back to the soil. This would ensure the recycling of nutrients, creating closed economies as is the need of the hour, and virtually trigger off a positive domino effect. It remains a fact that we are a country with a rich history of recycling, the returning of nutrients in the way that the Karnataka State Agriculture Department is proposing plays to that history. The department has proposed that the…

Pillars on the East-West Metro corridor will see a unique makeover in near future. The Ugly Indian is partnering with Government of Karnataka, BBMP and BMRCL (Namma Metro) for the Vijayanagara Vybhava initiative - transforming 6kms of Metro pillars and medians in Bengaluru with a Hampi-Vijayanagara theme! COME AND BE PART OF the inaugural spotfix this Saturday at 9am. All are welcome! Right outside Vijayanagar Metro Station, Bengaluru. Details and registration here: https://www.facebook.com/events/414628052207391/ Facebook page Karnataka Government Updates has more details. The post says: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) are working on…

‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’. This was taught to us as children. In our days we had a class on moral science, where we were taught certain basic human and civic values in schools. Our elders had no problem with those classes because they also wanted us to imbibe those traits. But today nobody wants to be ‘taught’ or ‘advised’. Children definitely do not want to be ‘preached’ to. Teachers are asked to change their attitudes, teaching methods and ways of handling children. Participative, interactive, activity-based - many a jargon is used. The content too has changed a lot. Controversies keep…

Why is the BBMP issuing closure notices to commercial/non-residential establishments in residential areas? The Revised Master Plan 2015 (RMP – 2015), the master plan in force amended in 2015, restricts non-residential uses of land in residential zones (so classified under the RMP 2015). As per the amended RMP – 2015, 1)    No commercial activities of whatsoever nature are allowed in any of the three Rings (of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Area) in Residential Main and Residential Mixed Zones if the road width is less than or equal to 40 feet. 2)    Ancillary usage (uses mentioned in the notification only) are permitted…

E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams and India is the 5th largest generator of e-waste. Bengaluru is the third largest generator of e-waste in the country, producing close to 1,00,000 tons of e-waste annually which is likely to grow by 500% by 2020. Presently in India, more than 90% of e-waste ends up in the informal sector for recycling with serious repercussions on human health and the environment. The informal sector works on small scale with minimal facilities and equipment to take care of the hazardous elements like lead, mercury, cadmium etc. present in the e-waste. E-waste…

More than 200 residents living in BBMP's Mahadevapura Zone walked peacefully on Borewell Road in Whitefield recently, demanding restoration of the road and civic amenities. Young and old, women and men, joined hands to cover the 1.5 km stretch from Post Office to Ambedkar Statue in one hour. En route, around 200 school children and residents stood with placards in solidarity for the cause. Pic: Shanthi Chandola Organised by Nallurahalli Rising along with Whitefield Rising, the protest in Hagadur ward drew people from far and near, including Kadugudi and Garadacharpalya and Hoodi wards. Led by a band of drummers and accompanied…

Pic: Deepa Mohan I've always been drawn to owls. The Rock Eagle Owl, also called the Indian Eagle Owl, has been one of my favourites; I've sighted it at Bannerghatta, Turahalli, and at various other locations. For the past few years, we've been watching some of these majestic birds making their homes on the rocky outcrops of the highway built by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE), around Bangalore. As we were returning from our trip to Sakleshpur, where we did a bird census for a coffee estate (a very satisfying assignment, more about it later!) we decided we would detour…

The greatest challenge today before Indian cities, smart or not, is garbage. Walk through any neighbourhood in a big city and if you don’t spot at least one public bin overflowing with mixed waste, or mounds of the same dumped on the sidewalks or streets themselves, you are mighty impressed. And so I was when I recently spent a few hours in Manali, to understand the work being done by zonal officers and conservancy workers in the area. Chennai North is made up of five zones - Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Tondiarpet and Royapuram - spread over about 130 sq km.…