EDITORS' PICK

"Why should we buy water from outside, if we are paying water tax to Metro Water for water supply?" asks S Bharathi, a resident of Besant Nagar. She gets water from the Nemmeli desalination plant but the water supplied is not potable. Residents have flagged various issues with the water being supplied from the plant for many years but with little recourse. The Nemmeli desalination plant has been operational since 2013 and supplies water to the southern parts of the city. The areas it covers include Sholinganallur, Neelangarai, Injambakkam, Karappakkam, Semmenchery, Thoraipakkam, Perungudi, Kottivakkam, Palavakkam, Thiruvanmiyur, Velachery, Taramani, Pallipattu, Adyar,…

Towards the end of 2016, the massive public campaign against the proposed steel flyover, led by Citizens for Bengaluru along with many other groups, not only stopped the Government from building the flyover but also helped build support for improved and better mass public transport in Bengaluru. Protests against elevated corridor project The dormant demand for suburban train gathered steam with the energetic #ChukuBukuBeku rail yatra and all major parties pledged funds and professed keen interest in the project. It also became a topic of discussion during the 2018 Assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Similarly, the campaign to double…

"Transferring waste from one area to another area involves carbon footprint and it's an environmental injustice to dump garbage from one place at another, resulting in an unhealthy environment for residents of other areas," says Geo Damin, an environmental activist with Poovulagin Nanbargal. In recent years, Chennai has attempted to revamp its waste management system to reduce the quantum of waste reaching landfills. Under the decentralised waste management system adopted to achieve this goal, large apartment complexes and commercial establishments that are classified as Bulk Waste Generators (BWGs) are responsible for handling their own waste with the help of vendors.…

On April 24, 2023, 17-year-old, Shahrukh Zulfikar Shaikh, was killed in a truck accident at Malad, when he was cycling. The cyclist fell down after he lost control due when a rickshaw ahead swerved suddenly on his side. Last February, a 12-year-old cyclist was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he and his father were cycling in a group on the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road.  These deaths are a sad reminder of the dangers that await cyclists in the city. Professional cyclists say that cycling within the city roads is very unsafe and could be quite risky. Urban transportation planner Zohra…

Editor's note: On January 25 2022, the state government put out a full page ad in the Deccan Herald showcasing its achievements in Bengaluru. The ad praised the government’s expenditure of hundreds of crores spent on restoring lakes, building BBMP schools, the much publicised Namma clinics, roads, and various BDA layouts. In the upcoming series, we look at some of these claims and see the reality behind it. On January 25th, the state government claimed in an advertisement that “47 lakes had been developed under the Nava Nagarothana scheme at the cost of 317.25 crores.” Under the Amrutha Nagarothana scheme,…

Katta in collegian Marathi refers to a hangout. The Cycle Katta is a platform designed for freewheeling discussions on everything around cycling. It seeks to inspire people by getting phenomenal achievers speak of their feats. It tries to educate them about nuances on health, nutrition, technical aspects and also how public policy looks at their activity. It also aims to build a better network of informed cyclists.  It is a completely volunteer-driven initiative with once a quarter meetings, and depends entirely on the largesse of the society - which stands to benefit if cycling grows - for the physical space…

Arpita, from Rourkela Odisha, noticed something amiss about her son when he was about 18 months old. Doctors in her city could not provide her the right guidance. The more she read about her son’s symptoms, the more convinced she was about the need for a formal assessment. She travelled to The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, for an assessment, following which she even relocated from her bank job to the city. After three years of taking early intervention services and parental training from a private organisation in the city, Arpita feels more equipped to manage…

For the first time in Mumbai, an entire stretch of highway has been reserved exclusively for runners and cyclists. The service lane stretch of the Eastern Express Highway between Ghatkopar and its connector to the Airoli bridge, will be barricaded and closed for vehicular traffic between 5 - 7.30 am so that walkers, runners and cyclists can train safely.  The traffic police implemented this measure following a plea from the Eastern Express Highway Runners group. The joint commissioner of police (traffic) Pravin Padwal told The Times of India that the idea was to mitigate risk of vehicular mishaps for fitness enthusiasts…

I was asked to write a piece about government performances, past and present, for Bengaluru. At the outset, it is hazardous appraising a government and predicting the future by looking at the rearview mirror.  Especially as one remains sceptical about party manifestos that contain the usual pronouncements that rarely fructify, and which reach their sell by date on election day.  So, this dreamy writer instead embarks on a wishful, fanciful speech (and hopefully subsequent action) about Bengaluru that the next Chief Minister, who likely will retain the Bangalore Development Minister portfolio, ought to make. “Namaskara. I wish to make a…

"The Greater Chennai Corporation officials promised not to cut any trees in Gandhi Nagar when the work on stormwater drains commenced last year. They also assured us that they will transplant trees if needed. But soon after, they felled a neem tree and many saplings that were planted by the residents," says Meera Ravikumar, a resident of Gandhi Nagar. This is one of many instances of tree felling for infrastructure and development projects across Chennai.  Areas like K K Nagar, Shenoy Nagar, T Nagar, Adyar and Anna Nagar have seen tree felling for stormwater drain projects, laying of roads and…