GENRE: In Focus

Property values in the city are set to rise with hike in guidance value. Guidance values are expected to go up by 30-100% this year (minimum of 30% within core areas and maximum of 100% in outskirts); rates would go up by more than 200% in outer areas like those near Peripheral Ring Road, since the market rates here have rocketed since the last revision. The previous hikes were in 2007, 2005, 2004 and 2002. During the 2007 hike, the value of residential, commercial and industrial properties were hiked by 50%, 60% and 25% on average.Officials at the Department of…

The Sankey Road trees might have survived longer had the Mayor Sharadamma Ramanjaneya initiated a meeting of the Tree Authority of which she is the convener. But Shardamma is not aware of the Tree Authority for Bangalore. The authority is supposed to hear the public's complaints on tree felling. Citizens and organisations can appeal decisions by forest department officials such as the BBMP Tree Officer, permitting or disallowing cutting of trees in the city. One of the trees BBMP cut during the midnight operation on June 30th-July 1st. Pic: Yogaraj Mudalgi. The top forest official in BBMP limits, Deputy Conservator…

Leo Saldanha of the city-based green NGO Environmental Support Group intervened in a move that partly led to dropping of charges against the protestors and activists arrested on July 1st during the Sankey Road episode. Protesters were objecting to cutting of 19 trees on Sankey Road for it's proposed widening from Bhashyam Circle to Malleshwaram 18th Cross. Victoria D'Souza, protester, was dragged along with the other women to the police van. Pic: Yogaraj Mudalgi. Saldanha spoke to city police commissioner Jyothi Prakash Mirji and questioned the decision of Circle Inspector of Vyalikaval station to slap charges on those arrested under…

As is widely experienced by Bangaloreans, malls, high rises and tech parks are now congestion hotspots around the city. A recent update at the Bangalore Traffic Police (BTP)'s Facebook page talks about traffic congestion at Nagavara junction in north Bangalore. Traffic at the junction is four times the capacity during peak hours; BTP attributes this to the nearly 10,000 vehicles that go to and from Manyata Tech Park for two hours every morning and evening.Citizen Matters has found out that the city's sanction process for malls and similar complexes is at the root of the rapidly worsening problem. Traffic management…

It was a tense few hours for residents of Malleshwaram on 29th June.   Some 25 residents including activist Meenakshi Bharath had gathered near Sankey Tank at 11 am to prevent the auction of trees that were to be felled by the BBMP for widening of Sankey Road.  Tree officer and Assistant Conservator of Forests, Venkateshappa had come with other BBMP officials to initiate the auction. Protestors in a heated argument with Tree Officer Venkateshappa. Pic: Yogaraj Mudalgi. Anticipating trouble, personnel from Karnataka State Police (KSP) were present at the venue. Vinay Sreenivasa of the city's green network Hasiru Usiru requested…

Rejuvenation of three lakes - Ambalipura, Kaikondanahalli and Puttenahalli lakes in south-east and south Bengaluru stand out as examples of successful projects undertaken by the BBMP. A common denominator in all three rejuvenation is the initiative taken by citizens living nearby to save them from extinction. Three concerned citizens started off the process - K Rajesh Rao, Priya Ramasubban and Usha Rajagopalan. Weeding in progress at Ambalipura lake. Pic: Yogaraj S Mudalgi Rao, a resident of Trinity Woods on Sarjapur Road and an IT professional, got the attention of BBMP towards the pathetic condition of the 7.4 acre Ambalipura lake.…

What is the connection between dance, which is an art, and a martial art form like Kalaripayattu from Kerala, which is meant to develop defensive and offensive physical skills? Judging by its popularity in dance training, the connection is a strong one. Kalaripayattu is characterised by fluid acrobatic play, flexibility, sweeps, kicks, and the use of weapons and other elements of combat. It also instils a disciplined way of life that propagates a strong mind in a strong body. Inevitably, many dancers find it an invaluable for techniques that can be used in performances. Kalari is fast catching up as…

Residents of Elita Promenade, an apartment complex in JP Nagar 7th phase, are a worried lot. Elita has a strange problem - a sewage pipeline runs within the apartment's compound, but it carries sewage not from the complex, but from other layouts. The raw sewage flows in to the pipeline located along the compound wall and finally joins Jaraganahalli (Sarakki) lake located behind the complex. The sewage is from Uma Sanjeevini apartment and Guru Raghavendra Layout located next to Elita complex, outside its compound wall. The apartment however has its own Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) to process its sewage. Sewage…

Citizen Matters did an article in March on the challenges of working mothers from the middle and upper middle class families. But what are the challenges faced by working mothers from the lower income group? Though on the face of it the challenges appear to be the same, these women have issues unique to their social setup. With husbands' incomes often not enough meet the expenses , women in low-income groups are compelled to work to support families. They juggle between managing work, home and motherhood, braving through social inequalities, chauvinism and glass ceilings to earn meager wages. Lost motherhood…

The ‘modern' Metro stations in the city will not have any public toilets. BMRC appears to be shirking responsibility by saying that the government has to take initiative for this. Byappanahalli terminal station in reach 1, proposed to be open soon, does not have toilets. Pic: Navya P K   "As Metro is a short distance train for travel within city, it will take only 2-3 minutes to go from one station to another. It cannot be expected to provide facilities given by long distance trains," says Metro spokesperson Y B L Chavan. "There is a proposal to have toilets…