EVENTS

Urban cleanliness is not just a matter of aesthetics—it’s a reflection of civic responsibility, public health, and environmental stewardship. Across India, citizen-led initiatives are redefining what it means to take ownership of public spaces. In Mumbai, the Bandra ALM 33 community is striving to make their neighbourhood zero-waste through an initiative that educates citizens on effective waste management through small changes. They have monitored waste collection by actively engaging with waste pickers, and are motivating households to segregate and compost waste through awareness sessions. Similarly, the Sustainability Improvement through Multiple Projects for a Lovelier Environment (SIMPLE) group in Thalambur, Chennai, which includes…

The impact of climate change on urban habitats is a sombre reality that we cannot wish away any longer. While cities have been the largest contributors to climate change, they will also have to lead the fight against the same, driving both mitigation and adaptation. And along with environmental policy, regulation and implementation, community-led initiatives and citizen movements will be key to making a difference in terms of urban sustainability. On February 8th, the India Civic Summit 2025 — convened around the theme "Citizen Action for Climate-Resilient Cities" — brought together over 150 civic leaders, urban practitioners, grassroots changemakers, and…

Are you aware of the nuances of the waste cycle of everyday items you discard, like a tissue or a soft drink bottle? Would you want to know more about this complex network of collection, sorting, and the final disposal at a recycling centre or landfill? Have you wanted to address the broken system of are our urban waste management processes? Would you like to innovate for better waste management?  Join our online workshop to gain an in-depth understanding of the journey of waste and innovate solutions to tackle the complexities of waste management. Goal of the learning session: To…

Various documents are required at different stages to carry out property transactions in Bengaluru. If you are not adequately prepared, the complexity of regulations, rules, and procedures can be overwhelming and potentially lead to complications. Often, we don’t fully understand these requirements until we are directly involved in such a situation. Also, if we don’t ask the right questions at the appropriate times, we are more likely to make errors. In this citizen clinic, organised by Citizen Matters, an expert on property law will address questions from the public on the kinds of guide on land types, authorities, etc and…

Even as our cities grapple with diverse challenges and issues, there is always hope as long as there is an active citizenry willing to engage, act and push for positive change. In the 15th year of Citizen Matters and the 10th year of Oorvani Foundation, we are excited to host a convening of such people committed to making better cities. The India Civic Summit 2024 in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 23rd will bring together citizens and community volunteers, who are dedicated to solving civic, environmental and urban challenges in their respective cities. There will be inspiring stories. There will be…

The traffic congestion at Outer Ring Road (ORR)-Sarjapura Road has been a long-standing issue. To address this, Citizen Matters held a panel discussion, ‘Solving Sarjapura-ORR Gridlock’ on February 26th. Moderated by Meera K, co-founder of Citizen Matters, the panel included G T Prabhakar Reddy, Chief Traffic Manager, BMTC; Vivekanand Kotikalapudi, Urban Mobility Advisor; Mukund Kumar, Managing Trustee, Iblur Environs Trust; and Srinivas Alavilli, Fellow- Integrated Transport and Road Safety, WRI India.  Sarjapura Road is an integral connection to the IT corridor of south-east Bengaluru. ORR is completely developed with a focus on tech parks. There is currently a surge in…

A month after the BMC announced its budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, experts called for greater citizen participation in the planning and implementation of the budget. Not only is the BMC the richest civic body in the country, but also this year they have announced the highest budget ever at nearly Rs. 60,000 crore. Secondly, elections have not taken place after the term of the previous elected officials ended in March 2022. The Municipal Commissioner, appointed as the administrator, has been at the helm of the civic body's functioning for two years now. The corporation was put under an administrator…

Sarjapura Road gridlock continues to haunt Bengalureans for several years now. Over the years, several solutions have been planned, but it has done little to alleviate the issue. The issues More than 15,000 cars (PCU) every hour at the Sarjapur Road-ORR junction 75,000-1 lakhs commuters - more than 50% of office goers take private transport Footpaths non-existent Last mile connectivity - There are no bus routes servicing inner roads. Some roads are too narrow for BMTC buses Metro on Sarjapur Road will take a few years What solution addresses this mess: Road widening, elevated ways and flyovers, more BMTC buses,…

Though cybercrime is not new, in recent years the ease with which hackers are conning people has put the safety of all technology users at risk, be it a sim-card facilitated mobile phone or a high-tech computer system. As per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, more than 13,000 cases of cybercrime were reported in 19 metro cities in 2022, with Bengaluru registering nearly 75% of the reported cases. “Much of the cybercrime goes unreported, as people associate shame and distrust in police to file cases,” says N S Nappinai, Supreme Court advocate and founder of Cyber Saathi.  To raise awareness…

The latest figures from the National Crime Records Bureau show a sharp rise in cyber crimes across India. In 2022, 65,983 cases of cybercrimes were registered, an increase of 13,009 from 52,974 in 2021. Although Bengaluru, India’s IT capital, has the highest number of cyber crime cases registered in India, every single city and town are seeing increased instances of cyber frauds, cyber bullying, threats - sometimes resulting in tragic suicides of the victims. Cyber crimes range from a simple financial scam of syphoning money from people’s bank accounts by asking for OTPs on phone to gullible customers to far…