CITIZEN JOURNALISM

The silly season is upon us. It is an endless cycle that repeats every few years. It is the season when we, the people of India, get breathless with excitement: “You must vote! It is the sacred duty of every citizen in a democracy to vote.” “If you don’t vote, then you are not a patriotic citizen, and you lose your right to have a public voice.” “Your vote is important. The person / party that you elect will frame policies that will determine the future of our country.” It is the season when we pull out from the dusty…

Bengaluru is known for its high levels of citizen activism, but low level of citizen participation in elections, the most important instrument of democracy. The trend continued this Lok Sabha election too. However, some apartment societies did a lot of work to buck this trend and improve the voter turnout. One such society was ours - Prestige Shantiniketan in Whitefield. With 3000 flats, 12,000 residents and more than 2000 registered voters, we are a powerhouse in terms of voter numbers, and we did everything to make sure we had a high voter turnout this election. To start with, we had…

This Sunday, Alahalli Neighbourhood Lake Development Trust (ANLDT) felicitated B V Satish, Chief Engineer, BBMP (Lakes), who is retiring from service this month. He was instrumental in rejuvenating Alahalli-Anjanapura lake, among many other lakes in Bengaluru. Volunteers and neighbourhood residents attended the event, and took a walk around the lake. B V Satish, DCF S N Hegde, and Anjanpura ward corporator K Somashekar also participated in the walk. ANLDT Chairman Suresh K Krishna, Treasurer Vinatha M Reddy, and other trustees, also attended the event. Cleaning efforts started years back Alahalli lake, located in Anjanapura ward (196) in South Bengaluru, is…

‘People have the power’, American singer-songwriter Patti Smith wrote in 1988. It was one of the most powerful rock songs of all times. I think she could not have been more right. People indeed ‘have the power’, sometimes more than they realise, to change things around them and voice their opinion. These are just a few small ways in which you can bring about change. Stop blaming, start acting Those of you, who blamed the government for your city’s or neighbourhood’s problems, raise your hands. Just as I had thought, all of us, at least once in our lives, have…

I have been a resident of Bengaluru for more than 15 years. This guide is based on my experience of renewing an expired driving license (DL). My license was issued by the South-West Delhi RTO in 1999, but I currently live in Domlur, Bengaluru. To renew DL, you need to submit proof of residence. If you moved to Bengaluru recently, and have proof of your home state address, you can renew DL from your home RTO itself. But if you have been living in Bengaluru for long, and all your residence proof documents including Aadhar are linked to your present…

Recently, I came across an article about the rate at which Bengaluru is losing its greenery. I was born and brought up in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, but I love Bengaluru and its culture. I was disturbed to know about the loss of Bengaluru’s green cover. Hence I decided to spark a conversation on this issue by putting up a piece of street art. I built the model at my house, and assembled it at the site. The installation, named ‘Under Destruction: Garden City to Grey City’, involves a plant at the centre, and glass panes plastered upon its fencing. The idea…

S&S Sarvam, a gated community on 200 Feet Radial Road, Pallikaranai, has gone on a green drive by segregating waste, composting and generating manure. In addition, in what is a first for a high-rise building, the apartment complex has installed 10kW solar panels on the rooftop (14th floor) and has been tapping solar energy since September 2018. Waste management overhaul The residents of the apartment, which has a total of 203 flats, not only segregate waste at source but also do composting and generate several kilograms of manure.   “It all started last year when we first launched an awareness…

Bengaluru faces another water crisis this summer. It's not just citizens who are responsible for this situation. For decades, the state government and civic administration have been focusing on short term strategies, without assessing whether these are sustainable. The main cause of the current crisis is that we have no clue where our resources come from, what their limits are, and we don't value what we have. The city has destroyed its water security - the 1800 lakes that our forefathers built here, are down to less than 200 now. And even these remaining lakes don't have potable water. If…

The National Coalition for Inclusive and Sustainable Urbanization, comprised of a group of people across different parts of the country, is involved in exploring questions pertaining to the city and whom the urban is meant for. The Coalition has recently put out a charter, endorsed by 150+ organizations and 2 lakh signatories across 40 cities, that lays out a number of steps that can be taken to make development in cities more inclusive and sustainable, keeping the real ‘Citymakers’ - urban poor and worker groups - and their rights at the centre of discourse and action. Right to Housing and…

Potential MP Avare, Namaskara. I’m Sameer Shisodia, living in Bellandur (recently referred to as Outer Koramangala by an ambitious builder!). I have been living in Bengaluru for 23 years, love the city and what it represents, crave the bisibele bath and the coffee when travelling elsewhere, speak a fair bit of Kannada and am learning more. I have also voted several times for local, state and national elections. I have been involved in some community-led efforts for the lake and traffic around here - not as much as I’d like to and not close to what many in my community…