GENRE: Explainers

Not surprisingly, gardening is probably the most common hobby in Namma Bengaluru, which truly was a 'garden city' when I first came here in 1997. However, over the last two decades, we have all been witness to much of that garden space being taken over by concrete. But we Bengalureans still have that in our DNA, to grow plants wherever we live, whether on the 10th floor of an apartment, in a good old typical Bengaluru house in Jayanagar or in a housing community with individual houses. With my farming background, my decision to buy a house was based on…

Organ donation and body donation have been gaining momentum in India, particularly so in Tamil Nadu which has been a pioneer and leader in transplants. Despite the inroads made in the state, the awareness among the general public on organ donation needs to increase manifold in order to meet existing requirements. Currently, India as a whole requires around 2,00,000 kidneys, 50,000 hearts and 50,000 livers annually for those requiring transplants. The current annual availability, however, is a meagre 10,000 kidneys and 1,000 livers. This is very disheartening. With a population of more than 130 crores, the organ donation rate needs…

Bengaluru now has over 2,450 decentralised Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), including those installed in apartments and large commercial buildings. These STPs cumulatively treat approximately 615 Million Litres of wastewater per day, which is 8% of the total sewage generated in the city. Most of these decentralised STPs are poorly maintained, resulting in poor quality of treated wastewater. There is limited reuse and the excess water is often illegally discharged into open drains, resulting in polluted lakes and water bodies. Reusing treated wastewater for gardening, toilet flushing and washing common areas in apartment complexes can reduce both water scarcity and water…

Trust deficit between developers and home buyers has been a pressing concern in most cities. Also, there have been several instances of failure to deliver on promises made to home buyers or excessive delays. This resulted in a demand for legislation to protect the interests of the buyer. Thus, to create a single sectoral regulator to regulate the real estate sector, the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA), 2016 was passed by the Indian parliament on 1 May 2016, notifying 56 sections of the Act. However, effective implementation of RERA began only in 2017, with the remaining 32 sections…

“I was in the fourth standard when I began to see things, hear voices, often my jaw used to get locked. Everything appeared foggy. I used to feel as if I was stuck in the middle of nowhere. I wanted to break out but couldn’t because it was untouchable. When I shared my thoughts with my mother she just told me not to be frightened and not to listen to those voices. I tried but failed. I shared with my friends they thought I was making it all up and trying to frighten them by narrating ghost stories. As a…

Bengaluru has a large, expanding number of self-contained, gated communities (GC) comprising either a series of apartment blocks or individual houses. Utilities such as power and water in these communities are exclusive to their residents. The transformer is the most critical part of the electrical installation in a residential community. This article explains the various steps in their installation and maintenance. The role of transformers The electricity we get in our homes is generated at very high voltage and then transmitted to us through electric lines over long distances. Since the appliances in our homes operate at low voltage, this…

An increase in Floor Space Index along metro and transport corridors in Chennai could well see an accelerated increase in the number of high rises in the city and a boom in real estate prices. The city is expected to see more horizontal and vertical growth in the coming years. Any construction in the city must have planning permits and building plan approval failing which it would be deemed illegal. Here is a handy guide on all you need to know about obtaining the requisite permissions and approvals in Chennai for various categories of construction. Authority for approval of building plan…

Bengaluru generates 6000 tons of garbage per day from various entities. BBMP as the local government and the nodal agency in charge of solid waste management, has categorised waste generators into bulk and non-bulk categories. According to estimates, over 1500 tons of waste is generated by Bulk Generators (BGs). Classification of Bulk Generators Bulk Generators have been classified into three categories, as per BBMP’s circular JC(SWM)/PRF/e-17410/2021-22 dated 30th Mar 2022: ResidentialInstitutionalCommercialApartments, Multi dwelling units, gated communities housing greater than 100 Units.Academic institutions, government departments and undertakings, religious institutions, hospitals, hospitality industry, Corporates, etc.All commercial entities which generate on an average…

Private and green sewage treatment plants (STP) are slowly gaining prominence. With the growing threat of water scarcity, climate change and pollution, Mumbai is grappling for ways to meet current and future demands of water in the city, and one avenue that has emerged is recycling the water from sewage treatment plants (STP). They treat wastewater at the source and replace as much as half the water requirement of a housing society. How much fresh water is wasted daily for activities that can be carried out using recycled water?" asks Prasad Khale, senior conservation officer at the NGO Conservation Action…

Being an urban citizen today involves an informed understanding of the climate crisis and its impact on our livelihoods. But beyond just the knowledge of issues plaguing the world, there are individual measures we can and must take to reduce the local impact of climate change. This is especially true since citizens, and not just corporations and governments, are also responsible for urban warming.  Segregating waste generated in our homes and residential communities could be one of the first steps we take as responsible citizens. The majority of our waste generated goes to landfills. 70% of our garbage is wet waste,…