CITIZEN JOURNALISM

Harini Nagendra and Seema Mundoli from Azim Premji University, and Vijay Nishant, Project Vruksha, conducted a study of trees to be felled for Jaymahal Road widening and proposed steel flyover. According to government documents the number of trees to be cut was estimated to be 1668. But an independent survey by citizens done between October 2016 and January 2017 estimates the number to 2244, and 205 saplings, all belonging to 71 species and 26 families. The report prepared by the team also lists out the number of trees to be cut, their species, scientific names etc,, and the environmental impact…

That it is the most happening arts festival in the city of Chennai is like stating the obvious. Even the name is different -- it doesn't have 'sabha' as the suffix or 'Sri' as the prefix, not to mention the very ordinary multitude of volunteers who have come together for this extraordinary performing arts festival. With myriad art forms, performed in many open and public spaces, the Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha has come of age. This year, not only is the Vizha happening in the Urur Olcott Kuppam Beach, it has also travelled to other locations. The open spaces of Thiruvalluvar Nagar…

With the kick off of the year 2017, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) put up a 35-page brochure [1] highlighting its plans for preparation for Revised Master Plan 2031 of Bengaluru city. The brochure is divided into 10 parts, including legal provisions, population projections, rationalization of jurisdictions of planning district and transport sectors, water and waste water, solid waste management, and power supply projections. As per the revision process of the Master Plan, the Revised Master Plan 2031 is the fourth revision following those made in 1984, 1995, and 2007. Citizens of Bangalore are confronted with plans on the future…

Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB) members Prakash Belawadi, Naresh Narasimhan, Srinivas Alavilli, Tara Krishnaswamy, Priya Chetty Rajagopal, Deepti Sudhindra along with Leo Saldanha (ESG) addressed the media on recent developments with respect to the steel flyover and master plan for Bengaluru. They put on record the following: 1. We are appalled by the recent statements by Hon'ble Minister K J George that 'people who own private jets oppose the steel flyover'. The statement reflects disdain for the concern of citizens who love Bengaluru, more than 2.5 lakhs of whom have emphatically rejected the steel flyover plan - via the human chain…

Bangalore city has various famous landmarks. One of these landmarks is KR Market in Bangalore city also known as City Market. KR Market is Asia’s largest flower market and also is one of the largest areas in Bangalore which sells fresh produce.   Every Mayor comes with an agenda to clean-up KR Market, yet it remains dirty. The main reason is there is no proper disposal of waste. Fruit and vegetable vendors throw rotten or reject produce onto the street or on top of existing heaps of garbage around their stalls. This garbage is then collected by pourakarmikas and is…

Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota, also known as BOSCO Bangalore, is an organisation established by the Salesians of Don Bosco to protect and take care of children/youth who leave their homes and land up on the streets of Bengaluru due to various reasons. During the 36 years of its existence, BOSCO rescued and rehabilitated more than a lakh and twenty thousand unaccompanied children/youth from the dangerous streets in order to protect and keep them safely. BOSCO is present 24x7 in the streets, railway platforms, bus stands, markets and slums waiting to reach the lost children/youth. BOSCO also plays an important role in…

Did you know that senior citizens are entitled to certain benefits and provisions under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007? In fact the Act also provides for childless senior citizens who can claim maintenance from their relatives if needed. There are also provisions and procedure for cancellation of documents under which property has been transferred by senior citizens to children. Unfortunately, awareness of the Act and other rights and benefits accorded to senior citizens under the Indian law remains extremely low according to a survey done by HelpAge India. One in five elders is unaware of…

A wrecked footpath with cables, garbage, posters. Pic: Nadia Asif If you are a pedestrian you would know that crossing Bengaluru’s busy, lawless roads is nothing less than a life-threatening ordeal. For motorists, pedestrians are obstacles and for the traffic police, pedestrians are insignificant road users who somehow find their way in the mayhem of vehicles coming in from all directions without any order. In a survey conducted by Walkability Asia in seven Indian cities, Bengaluru scored the lowest in walkability. It is common to see bikes using the pavements to ride past static traffic, or autos cutting corners inches…

The ‘Women Start-up Programme’ was inaugurated by NS Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) at IIM Bangalore on January 23 (Monday), 2017. Altogether 50 aspiring women entrepreneurs from all over India have been selected for Stage 2 of the programme. NSRCEL, which is the entrepreneurship and incubation centre at IIMB, in partnership with Goldman Sachs, has initiated the Women Start-up Programme. The programme is designed to enthuse aspiring entrepreneurs-in-the-making to systematically think through their venture idea. It will equip women to develop entrepreneurial skill sets to help with the ideation stage and managerial skill sets that will help them start…

NERALU, a citizen-led tree festival, is being organised on 18th and 19th February 2017, at Natonal Gallery of Modern Arts (NGMA) and other city-wide venues. Come February, Bengaluru’s trees burst into spectacular blooms. The first of its kind in Bengaluru, Neralu, which means ‘shade’ in Kannada, is being planned to coincide with the blooming season in the city, and will bring together citizens to celebrate the garden city’s glorious natural heritage. Bound by a common love for trees, naturalists, ecologists, artists, technologists, storytellers, homemakers, photographers and many more citizens from all walks of life are working together to organise Neralu.…