CITIZEN JOURNALISM

On days such as these, when it rained through the night, our cab driver takes a alternative route. A route which traverses through the many hamlets of Bellandur and Doddanekundi villages. This route does not ensure a faster and quicker access to Marathahalli but atleast we get to escape the traffic jam at ORR signals. It really seems like a never ending journey sometimes. So while he drives through lanes and by-lanes for a good 30 minutes, we get to see the real Bangalore that resides behind the glitz and glamor of the shiny software parks. File pic: Vivek M.…

As I wait for the Chennai bound Kaveri Express at Bangalore City station on Platform-5, a train enters Platform 6 at 11:15 pm which is announced as Bangarpet-Bangalore Express. A closer look at it reveals it is only an Express for namesake as it looks more like a passenger train.This Express train leaves Bangarpet at 9:20 PM and crosses through the IT sector stations of Bangalore, the Whitefield and Krishnarajapuram and reaches Bangalore city junction at 11:20 pm.Normally after 10 pm, the bus frequency reduces and people on their way back home from office may be too tired to ride…

An illegal and unauthorised construction of a temple in a civic amenities (CA) site in JP Nagar has started.The CA site is located between 30th A Main Road and 17th A cross road. The Supreme Court mandates that no temple construction should be allowed on a CA site and this is a clear violation of Supreme Court rule.This has been brought to the notice of  MLA B Vijaya Kumar and the Joint Commissioner (South), BBMP Hemachandra. They have promised to look into the matter at the earliest. A glimpse at CA site in JP Nagar where the temple construction has…

Early Sunday morning on April 8th, when most of the 'namma bangaloreans' were looking forward to savour their morning cuppa or catch up with their weekend sleep, a group of young IT professionals hit the city roads to cycle 25 km. All for a cause. Cycle rally. Pic courtesy: volunteers of Utthaan project This group of enthusiasts joined hands in an exercise named Project Utthaan - All India Music Album launch, a CARTMAN initiative which aims to fund the education of underprivileged children. CARTMAN, an NGO was founded in 1989, by the visionary Padma Bhushan Professor N S Ramaswamy, founding…

We volunteers from Ladies Circle India (LC India) help underprivileged children with education and healthcare; we donate school uniforms, computers and books, provide midday meals, build classrooms, build toilet blocks, run health camps and much more. Ladies Circle India (LC India) is a non political and non-sectarian organisation of young women, who are wives of members of Round Table (Round Table India is an organisation which aims at promoting service, fellowship and goodwill in national and international affairs) between the ages 18-40. We have the opportunity of serving the community, fostering and strengthening friendships between like-minded young women and help…

This year, each property under BBMP has been given a new GIS-based PID number. PID will have ward number, new street ID and newly allotted property number.To find your PID number, please follow these steps:1) Go to the link bbmp.gov.in2) Click on the tab 'GIS based new PID'3) Go to the bottom of the page and click on 'To Know your New PID Click Here'4) Enter the application number you used for your 2008-2009 property tax payment or enter your old PID Number and click on 'Search'.5) Click on your name and then click 'Fetch'. You will get the details.…

Dear Friends,We are often remembered by some people. In fact, we are called ‘the real labourers’. Sometimes you invite us to the podiums, praise and even felicitate us. Time and again we have heard people say ‘pourakarmikas are the true doctors of this city, they keep the city clean and prevent diseases, that there should be a salary raise for pourakarmikas. That would be the just thing to do’. We don’t know whether to laugh or cry at the repeated statements. We are appealing to you through this letter, as sympathetic and conscious citizens, for your help.Hence, we have a…

One cool morning in February 2012, I drove up across town to Hesaraghatta Lake. As we approached the embankment, my excitement rose and I ran up the steps. They had told me it was big. What I had not realized was just how big this lake was. I could not see the edges on the far side. All 3000 acres of it used to brim with water, fed by the Arkavati River. That day, it was dry. Bone dry. For the first time in seven years there was no water in Hesaraghatta Lake. And, unfortunately, this was no exaggeration. Hesarghatta…

This information was shared by the members of the newly-formed Sarakki Lake Area Improvement Trust. We are pleased to announce a new voluntary, non-profit trust - Sarakki Lake Area Improvement Trust (Regd). The Trust will help restore and rejuvenate the once pristine Sarakki Lake (also known as Jaraganahalli Lake) which has fallen prey to unprecedented encroachment, pollution by entry of untreated sewage from surrounding layouts, uncontrolled growth of water hyacinth and the consequent disappearance of birds and fishes. We want to spread awareness of the consequences if Sarakki Lake were to disappear, work with the agencies responsible for restoration and…

Yesterday, while chatting with a friend, I happened to mention the Millets Mela, now on at Lalbagh. His prompt response was “what is that?”. I wasn't surprised. In these days of white rice, brand name atta, imported cereal for children and milk additives that are packaged well and priced high, it is not surprising that millets don't have a market, even though a bajra roti or ragi malt in milk is as good if not better than more popular cereals. On the other hand, it is also surprising why they don't have a market, given their superior quality whether it…