CITIZEN JOURNALISM

(Part 1 covered the components of BESCOM bill, tariff structure and sanction loads. Part 2 delves into electrical system maintenance) With the adoption of electric vehicles, owners are tapping into their existing meters to charge their vehicles, leading to electrical mishaps. If you need to connect a 3.3 kw/7.2kw EV charger, your sanctioned load needs to be enhanced. This leads to cable/wire, MCB (miniature circuit breaker) and RCCB (residual current circuit breaker) replacement, possibly the energy meter too may need to be replaced.  Overall, if every household enhances sanction load, this leads to constant tripping of the transformer and short…

This year, Bengaluru recorded its second hottest summer day in 50 years, with temperatures touching 40°C in some parts. As a result, the demand for air conditioners (ACs) has skyrocketed. People have purchased multiple ACs without actually checking their sanctioned loads, this has put additional load on Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) power. According to news reports, close to 11 lakh consumers have been penalised by BESCOM for exceeding the sanctioned voltage. Here is a two-part explainer series about how the BESCOM bill is structured and how to calculate the sanction load. Components of an electricity bill Meter: Our…

பறவை அப்படினு நாம சொன்னதும் பறவைகள் எல்லாம் சுதந்திரமா எங்கவேண்ணாலும் போகலாம்,என்ன வேண்ணாலும் சாப்பிடலாம்னு பல கருத்து இருந்து வருது. இந்த உலகம் நமக்கானது மட்டுமேனு செயல்படுற ஆறு அறிவுகொண்ட மனிதர்களால அண்மைக்காலமா பறவைகள் படுற கஷ்டத்தை கொஞ்சம் சொல்லலாம்னு இந்த கட்டுரைய எழுத ஆரம்பிச்சேன். பறவை * குமரிஅம் பெருந்துறை அயிரை மாந்தி வடமலைப் பெயர்குவை ஆயின் * நம்ம வீட்டுக்கிட்ட இருக்க மரம், ஓடை, ஏரி , குளம், கடல், மலை, குன்று என எந்த இடமா இருந்தாலும், நாம பறவைகள பார்க்க முடியும், கருப்பு, சிவப்பு, சின்னது, பெருசு  அப்படி எந்த வேறுபாடும் இல்லாம ஒரே இடத்துல பல பறவைகள நம்மளால பார்க்க முடியும். இந்த மாதிரி என்னுடைய சின்ன வயசுல வேடந்தாங்கல் பறவைகள் சரணாலயம் போனப்போ தான் பல்லாயிரம் பறவைகளை பார்த்தேன். அட இவளோ அழகா இருக்கே, இவங்க எல்லாம் எங்க இருந்து வராங்க?, உணவு…

(In part 1 of the interview series, Lekha Adavi, member of the All India Centre of Trade Unions (AICTU), spoke about the effects of climate change on Bengaluru’s street vendors. In part 2, she highlights how The Street Vendors Act (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of street vending) 2014 falls short in its implementation) Excerpts: How do you engage with local authorities or municipal agencies to raise awareness of the challenges faced by street vendors during temperature surges? What responses or support do they provide? Lekha: Well, they don't respond to any of our demands. In Bengaluru, the BBMP elections…

In early January, Dahisar resident Pankati noticed garbage being thrown behind one of the electric junction boxes in Kandarpada, her neighbourhood. It had accumulated over a few weeks. This was not a garbage collection point and it used to be clean before. She decided to raise a civic complaint on that garbage issue using the ‘MyBMC Assist’ WhatsApp Chatbot, which is run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Pankati, a volunteer with the Blue Ribbon Movement, found garbage being dumped behind an electric junction box in Khandarpada. Pic: Aniruddha Gaonkar After waiting for over a month, the garbage was still…

(This is part 1 of the interview with Lekha Adavi on the impact of climate change on Bengaluru's street vendors) On May 1st, while the world celebrated Labour Day, Bengaluru recorded its highest temperature in 40 years. With temperatures continually on the rise, one of the most affected groups are street and peripatetic vendors (vendors who operate on foot or with push carts). In this interview, Lekha Adavi, member of the All India Centre of Trade Unions (AICTU), talks about the effect of climate change on street vendors. Excerpts: Lekha Adavi, member of the All India Centre of Trade Unions…

Recently, two pet Rottweiler dogs attacked a five-year-old child and her mother in a  Corporation park in Nungambakkam, Chennai. Based on a complaint following the incident, police arrested the owners of the dog for negligence and endangering the lives of others (IPC Section 289 and 336). As General Manager-Administration of the Blue Cross of India, I have seen several Rottweilers over the years. While there are laws to address such situations, there needs to be adequate awareness among pet owners that dogs like Rottweilers should be taken for a walk only on a leash. A major portion of the responsibility…

(In part 1 of the series Srinivas Alavilli and Vikram Rai wrote about their experience of moderating the masterclass, 'Is there burnout in civic activism?’, at the India Civic Summit, organised by Oorvani Foundation. Part 2 covers the discussions and insights by the participants)  The 35 plus participants in the masterclass-'Is there burnout in civic activism?', at the India Civic Summit, organised by Oorvani Foundation, were divided into six groups, who shared their observations and solutions to civic activism apathy. While nine questions were put to vote, the following six got the maximum votes in the following order:  Is there…

Taking morning walks and evening strolls on the beach shore near the Arupadai Veedu Murugan temple in Kalakshetra Colony, Besant Nagar used to be an enjoyable experience. But, it is not so anymore. In the last two years, this stretch of the seashore has gradually deteriorated because of open defection, indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste and construction debris, and other illegal activities. This has not just made the beach filthy, but also unsafe. Residents living nearby (Besant Nagar, Ward 179) have stopped frequenting this stretch, owing to a lack of patrolling. However, the situation worsened about six months ago, when…

There is a sense in our city that civic activism, which was once thriving with street protests and events and mass mobilisations like #SteelFlyoverBeda, is disappearing, particularly post COVID. 'Is civic activism dying?' – when we were asked to moderate a masterclass on this topic at the India Civic Summit, organised by Oorvani Foundation on March 23rd, it led to an animated discussion. We agreed that while the masterclass title has to be provocative, the ultimate objective is to understand the trends, get more people to become active citizens by sensing citizens' motivations and fears, and understand the role of…