City: Bengaluru

The Urban Development Department published the draft Greater Bengaluru Authority (Parking) Rules, 2026 on August 11 and opened it up to the public to give suggestions and file objections. This draft is the legal framework meant to strengthen Bengaluru's Parking Policy 2.0, introduced by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport in Feb 2021. When the parking policy was first brought in, the idea was to discourage the use personal vehicles and free up road space to ensure better mobility. However, the draft rules mostly focus on creating paid on-street parking zones, off-street parking on corporation land, leasing vacant private plots to run…

Citizen lake groups have historically played an important role in protecting the city’s lakes. The erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has a long history of engaging with citizen groups. Citizen-led lake groups have long played a crucial role in acting as “watchdogs” of Bangalore’s lakes. They are often the “first responders” to problems that emerge in water bodies. They have raised alarm bells around illegal encroachments and often help coordinate between agencies to monitor rejuvenation efforts. They foster community awareness on lakes and are often able to innovate new solutions. The most recent version is the Kere Mitra (Lake‑Friend)…

Lying at an altitude of 920 metres in the rain-shadow area of the Western Ghats, Bengaluru’s geography and climate do not support a perennial natural water source. Instead, a north-south ridge divides the city into three primary valleys: Hebbal, Koramangala-Challagatta, and Vrishabhavathi. Rainwater draining down these slopes feeds a network of small streams — forming a cascading lake system that the city historically relied on for its water supply. During the Open City biodiversity datajam held in December 2025, our group examined the ecological trends around Bengaluru's lakes. Data on insects, spiders and flora on platforms like iNaturalist were insufficient…

Over 200 citizens, resident groups, environmental organisations and civil society groups have urged the Karnataka government to roll back its decision to amend the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) Act, 1975, which would allow portions of parks and gardens to be used for concrete-heavy infrastructure projects. Gathering at Lalbagh Botanical Garden in Bengaluru, the groups showcased a banner saying: NOT 5%. NOT 1 INCH. LEAVE OUR PARKS ALONE. "Bengaluru is becoming hotter and more climate vulnerable, yet the Karnataka government is making it easier to take away one of the city’s most important forms of natural infrastructure. Parks help cool neighbourhoods,…

Kalavathi, 33, has been working as a pourakarmika for the past 11 years. Until last summer, she had to report to work at least half an hour early, so that she could take breaks later in the day when the heat became unbearable. The heat hits badly after 10 am. “Work starts at six in the morning, but I used to come here at 5:30 am. I was then able to balance the breaks and finish work on time,” Kalavathi said. She adds that the heat is worsening each summer. This year, Bengaluru recorded its hottest July in 112 years,…

On August 11, the Urban Development Department quietly published the draft Greater Bengaluru Authority (Parking) Rules, 2026 — the legal framework  meant to give teeth to Bengaluru's much-discussed Parking Policy 2.0. Citizens have thirty days to send in objections. Yet, few will read all eighteen pages of the notification. Fewer still will notice that a law framed as a way to curb traffic demand is, on close reading, a plan to expand parking supply and hand over enforcement to private players, while leaving the ordinary resident worse off.  That gap between the promise and what’s on paper matters, because parking…

When Lokayukta officials conducted a surprise inspection of Gottigere, Anjanapura, and JP Nagar 9th Phase in early April 2026, they found what residents of these neighbourhoods already knew: large heaps of uncollected garbage piled along roadsides, a city generating 5,000–6,000 tonnes of solid waste every day and visibly failing to manage it. Lokayukta Justice BS Patil summoned the Chief Operating Officer and senior officials of Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), directed them to appear for a hearing, and asked for a detailed report on the lapses and remedial measures. It is a familiar script. Inspection. Summons. Report. Repeat. Howoever,…

While the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process aims to clean up electoral rolls, the enumeration forms created innumerable hurdles for existing voters. From tracking down elusive 2002 voter details to coordinating with overworked Booth Level Officers (BLOs), citizens across Bengaluru faced a daunting task completing the registration process. Recognising these challenges in their own neighbourhoods, volunteers led by three active citizens—Poongothai, Aparna Shamanth, and Venkatachalam Subramaniam—took it upon themselves to help people in their community and beyond.   Mapping the confusion in Gottigere Poongothai lives in Gottigere, which falls under the Bengaluru South assembly constituency. Her community consists of around 400…

The Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) in Bidadi, first notified in March 2025, received its final notification in June 2026 under the Karnataka Urban Development Authorities Act (KUDA Act), 1987. The project is branded as India's first and largest AI City, featuring an AI-integrated township. The project will be implemented by the Greater Bengaluru Development Authority (GBDA) under the same act. Three villages, Kempainapalya, Vaderahalli, and Mandalahalli are notified in the Gazette under Section 19(1) of the KUDA Act for the implementation of a development scheme, deemed as public purpose. The development scheme is spread over a total of 7,481…

In Karnataka's Special Summary Revision (SIR), all enumeration forms have now been digitised. Out of the state's 5.54 crore electors, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have signed and collected forms for over 4.45 crore voters. However, 1,09,13,776 voters, representing 19.69% of the electorate, have been categorised under the Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate, and Others (ASDDO) list. Following the publication of the ASDDO list on August 4, election officials verified and removed three lakh voters from the list within the first six days. To check your registration details, search the electoral roll, or access voter verification services, visit the Chief Electoral Officer,…