CITIZEN JOURNALISM

A few months ago, there was this news item about a bride who prevented 137 kilos of wedding waste from ending up in a landfill. It was heartening to read it, for two reasons. One, even in these days of pomposity, show and fanfare, there are some who have genuine concern for the environment, and think about wastage, garbage and the like. The second reason for my happiness was a sense of pride, since our own family had pursued this initiative just a few weeks before.  Yes. In October 2015, we had arranged a luncheon get-together, to celebrate the wedding…

Constructions continue unabated in the wetland between Kaikondrahalli and Kasavanahalli lakes. Pic: Adity Roy Nair. Kaikondrahalli Lake located on Sarjapur Road is a 48-acre urban lung space and water reservoir in the water starved region of Bellandur, Bengaluru. It is also a thriving ecosystem with 50+ species of birds and reptiles. The lake stands as a shining example of the government and the local community working together to preserve an urban common. Kasavanahalli lake, spread over 80 acres, situated upstream was recently rejuvenated. However, this bio-diverse ecosystem is now under immediate threat due to constructions and buffer zone violations on its…

Sometime in early 2010, I was invited to visit International Institute of Social Entrepreneurs (an offshoot of Braille Without Borders and now called Kanthari) in Trivandrum. That visit was an ‘eye opener’ for me. The co-founder, Sabriye Tenberken, became my first blind friend! She, and the rest of the people who worked at IISE, made me feel welcome and introduced me to a whole new world – a world where those with sight and without, co-existed and complemented each other's strengths and weaknesses. It was a dream factory where everyone had a dream, and they were encouraged to make their…

Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, in collaboration with the Takshashila Institution, is launching a Master of Arts in Public Policy course. The introductory batch of this two-year course is due to commence from June 2016. Public policy is a sunrise industry in India, with a growing demand for trained public policy professionals in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors, as well as in government and politics. This course has a specially designed curriculum suited to India's needs. The course will create talented professionals who are well-equipped to engage in the complex arena of public affairs in India. The Takshashila Institution has been…

Pic: Rajesh Shah Varthur and Bellandur lakes have been in the news over the past one year due to froth and fire. These lakes were last desilted in 1970. As part of the rejuvenation efforts, scientists from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and other experts have been recommending wet dredging to remove the silt and sludge. To estimate the amount of silt and sludge that have accumulated over the years, Prof. Ramachandra of IISc recommended a bathymetric survey. IISc and MEG Teams at KK English School Citizens who took into consideration the recommendations of teh scientists seriously, joined their hands…

How do the cricketers keep a track of their team mates at the Malleshwaram ground? Pic: Rajesh Kallaje Sports encompass every aspect of life in the United States. From the time we can walk we start playing at least one sport. Historically baseball has been America’s sporting pastime like soccer has been for much of the rest of the world. There are two main sports that parents start their children out on the first, is teeball/baseball and the second is, surprisingly enough, is soccer. As American children get older those that continue to stay interested in athletics expand their horizons…

Elevated road on Hosur road. Pic. source : skyscrapercity.com What's the problem? Work commute is taking a hit with traffic congestion on the roads increasing. Since the problem is on the road, the solution has been to increase it and remove perceived obstructions like signals, pedestrians etc from the line of sight of the car to increase speed. One can draw an analogy to an obese person taking on too much comfort food because it feels good and now he/she needs bigger pants. He/she fails to notice that this is potentially fatal in the long run with illness and diseases…

As Bangaloreans, if there is one thing that we love talking about, it is our traffic problems and lack of good infrastructure. The problem has become so bad, that we the citizens of Bangalore took to the streets in protest via Whitefield Rising and ORR-Sarjapur Rising. The result? The authorities took notice — small step, yes, but it worked. It is about time that the authorities fix these problems and work with the citizens who have come forward to collaborate with them... This is an opportunity not to be missed. At the same time, it is up to us as…

Recently, we visited Arthipura near Kokkare Bellur to visit the archeological excavation site of ancient Jaina vestiges. I read news reports about this site so thought of visiting. I was sure that my family would not get bored, because they had really enjoyed our last visit to Keeladi, another archaeological site near Madurai, Tamil Nadu, where ASI unearthed remains of 2,200 to 2,300 year old houses and artifacts. Arthipura is a small village near Maddur in Mandya district. It is located 5 km south of Kokkare Bellur. It has two small hillocks, Shravanabetta and Chikkabetta or Kanakagiri.  Last year, archaeologists from ASI Bangalore…

Bengaluru lets its sewage into valleys, rivers and lakes. Little sewage is processed, while much of it is unprocessed in nature. Navin, a villager from K Channasandra, believes that the Maragondanahalli Lake is the savior for the villagers and their animals. Pic: Perumal Venkatesan Rampura Valley is one of the valley systems of Bengaluru in the north east of the city. This valley gets a mix of treated and untreated water from the raja kaluve (storm water drain) sewage treatment plant, which has 40 MLD capacity and uses Extended Aeration Process. The wastewater from north-eastern parts of Bangalore flows into…