EVENTS

In a packed Town Hall on Sunday, 14th July, citizens conferred the Corporator #1 Awards (Namma Samiti Puraskaara) to 51 BBMP corporators. Justice Santosh Hegde, chief guest at the event, honoured the winners with a traditional Mysuru Petta. The winners were chosen based on the number of ward committee meetings held in their wards so far - that is, between last December and this June.  Corporators who had held two-third of the monthly meetings - that is, at least four - have been conferred the award. Following are the award winners: Ward No Ward Name Corporator 5 Jakkur Muneendra Kumar…

Sometimes we wonder why inclusiveness needs to be demanded. Can't it come naturally? This seems to be the moot question that was raised in the 11th Chennai Pride March, held on June 30th. The walk started at around 3:30 PM from Chitra Theatre and ended with festivities and celebrations, including a flash mob dance. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the first Pride March which took place in Kolkata in 1999. There are around 21 types of pride parades that happen annually, all over India and the Chennai Rainbow Pride is one of them which is held in…

The warning bells have been ringing at a high note for quite some time now. Chennai has just gone through the longest spell of rainless days, as a result of which water levels in our water bodies are at an all time low, causing a severe drought. However the government of the day seems to be in absolute denial of any water crisis in Chennai, nor do their actions indicate any move towards a sustainable and resilient Chennai. Arappor Iyakkam has come forward to highlight this issue through people’s participation in a unique protest called ‘KeluChennaiKelu’ on June 30 2019…

Parched water bodies and empty pots along the lanes of Chennai illustrate the city’s unprecedented water crisis. While mismanagement by government departments and the poor Northeast monsoon have been touted as the primary reasons, let’s not forget our responsibility as citizens. In an attempt to provide solutions to Chennai’s water crisis, ADDA in collaboration with Citizen Matters, Chennai (a digital news media site that reports on urban issues) conducted a knowledge-sharing workshop on Saturday (June 22). More than 70 participants from the apartments of South Chennai, which rely largely on private water tankers, attended the sessions to understand various approaches…

Chennai is facing an unprecedented water crisis with the city’s main reservoirs running dry. The origins of the crisis lie in the failure of the North East monsoon on which the city relies heavily for its water needs. With 54% deficit in rainfall, the prognosis for the coming summer was dire. It required concerted efforts by authorities and citizens on war footing to mitigate what would certainly become one of the worst spells of water scarcity faced by the city. However, the lax attitude to the impending crisis meant that Chennaiites are now facing the full brunt of the mismanagement…

This Sunday, more than 3000 cyclists participated in a ride to mark the World Bicycle Day that is observed on June 3rd. The cyclists gathered in front of the State Central Library at Cubbon Park to make a call to motorists to keep them safe on roads. The event was organised by the citizens’ group CiFoS (Citizens for Sustainability) in association with various government departments. It marked the launch of an year-long campaign #ABetterBangalorean, to sensitise motorists to not harass cyclists and to ensure their safety. The event started at 6 am on Sunday, with cyclists being provided free T-shirts…

C Akhila(name changed), a 12-year-old Muslim girl was forced into marriage by her family, six months ago. Her mother, who is going through a prolonged illness, persuaded her to get married to a 24-year-old man. The persuasion got violent when Akhila asked the groom to call off the wedding. “The girl threatened to complain to Childline if the wedding was not called off. Her family had hit her black and blue for doing so,” said Suganthi from Arunodhaya trust. If you think child marriages are confined to rural areas, Akhila’s incident that happened in Chennai proves you are wrong. Tales…

Around 120 bike riders participated in the ‘Men Take Lead Ride 2019’ on Sunday, to commemorate the international Menstrual Hygiene (MH) Day. World over, MH Day is being observed today, May 28th, to bring attention to girls’ and women’s health and empowerment. The theme of this year’s ‘Men Take Lead Ride’ was to address the issue of isolation and untouchability around mensuration. It was organised by the Bengaluru-based NGO Breaking the Silence Worldwide Foundation, in partnership with the motorcycle club India Bull Riders and Radio Active 90.4 MHz. Shreya Krishnan, Mrs India 2017, flagged off the ride on Sunday. Eminent…

May 28th is World Menstrual Hygiene Day, and around this time, government organisations focus on menstrual health. Increasingly, there are conversations and programmes around Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM). While this is a welcome change, these programmes often end up communicating that the only “good” way to manage periods is by using disposable sanitary pads. Many organisations and schemes donate pads or make them available at a subsidised rate. The pads are laden with chemicals that are extremely harmful to health and create havoc in the waste management world. Menstrual cups and cloth pads are a healthier, cost-effective, comfortable and trash-free…

Over 200 home buyers across the state participated in a protest at the Town Hall on May 18th, demanding proper enforcement by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) in Karnataka. The protest was organised by the Forum for People’s Collective Efforts, Karnataka Chapter (known earlier as Fight for RERA), in association with the Namma Bengaluru Foundation, Bangalore Apartments' Federation, Federation of Apartment Associations Bengaluru, and various Resident Welfare Associations and organisations across Karnataka. The protesters said that Karnataka RERA (KRERA) has not taken any stringent action even when its own judgements were not honoured by erring builders and developers. There…