GENRE: LN

On a sunny Sunday morning, May 28th, a group of enthusiastic citizens gathered at Cubbon Park for a community meet-up, organised by Jhatkaa.org, a digital campaigning organisation that empowers citizens using technology to take action on issues that matter to them. The community included individuals who had signed up to volunteer with Jhatkaa in verticals, such as air pollution, gender, sexuality, and policy making. The common goal was to address various pressing issues in Bengaluru, such as street lights, traffic management, and conserving the environment. Over 20 people came together to share their concerns and discuss solutions. The event not…

We have been living in Orlem, Malad for many years now. But for the past seven months, we have been facing a dire situation due to the presence of an illegal Ready-Mix-Concrete (RMC) plant in the area. This plant has resulted in immense pollution and poses a serious health-hazard because of the cement particles. Residents have been falling sick and complaining to the authorities. Unfortunately, the government officials have shown no cooperation in addressing this problem, leaving the burden solely on the affected residents. We have been in touch with the Assistant Municipal Commissioner, and local politicians, but have been…

About eight and half years ago, Roshni* noticed that her toddler, Karan*, had started to fall back on his milestones. A visit to the paediatrician led to Karan being diagnosed with mild autism. “From then on, it’s been a long journey,” says Roshni. The dedicated parents have taken Karan to numerous intervention centres and therapists, but keeping this going financially was proving to be a burden. That is when someone referred Roshni to The Association of People with Disability (APD), an NGO that has been working for underprivileged people with disability since 1959. Roshni approached APD in March this year,…

Vinod Jacob, member of We Love Cubbon Park Association, expresses his concerns over the redesigning of the park. “They are now trying to lay tiles and concrete slabs. All that we’re asking for is to preserve the park in its natural form, otherwise we won’t be able to differentiate Cubbon Park from UB city.” Vinod is not alone in his concerns over the mismanagement and concretising of Bengaluru's parks. The Lalbagh Walkers' Association has flagged issues over allowing vendors in the park, feeding of stray dogs and pigeons, plastic waste, sewage in Lalbagh pond, among other concerns. Ever since the…

When we first moved to Kasturba Nagar in Adyar in 2003, the builders of our apartment told us that a few shops located near the apartment complex, including a wine shop, would be demolished shortly as they had been functioning illegally. But two decades have passed, and the wine shop remains in business, continuing to pose all sorts of trouble for residents. The wine shop, which was called Lakshmi Wines, is now an authorised TASMAC outlet bearing the number 953.  Over the past few years, residents have made multiple attempts to have the shop shut down or moved as it is…

The growth of Chennai has been fuelled by the construction of new buildings and the expansion of the city in all directions. The mandate of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is to keep erring builders in line and control illegal construction. However, collusion by builders with officials of the CMDA and civic agencies results in unauthorised construction mushrooming across Chennai. Recognising the need to regulate such development and prevent illegal construction, a Monitoring Committee was appointed by an order of the Madras High Court almost two decades ago. But in all these years of its existence not even a…

"In the past three weeks, my schedule has completely collapsed due to the frequent power cuts in Chennai," says Nandhini R, a working mother to a two-year-old. She walks to and fro on the dark balcony at 3 am, patting her daughter, waiting for her to go to sleep. Nandhini can only hope to get a few hours of rest before she begins her day at 5.30 am. Her husband, an IT professional who works the night shift from home, also finds his work affected by the power outage. "We have been facing frequent unscheduled power outages amidst the soaring…

The new rules for visitors in Cubbon Park, laid down by the Karnataka Horticulture Department, has been a topic of debate and discussion among citizens. Visitors are not allowed to bring in food, not allowed to play games inside, and, the classic old issue made more stringent-no public display of affection, to the extent where couples are not allowed to sit too close to each other. While the security guards already have full power to keep couples in check for showing affection, they now in charge of ensuring the new rules are followed by all visitors.  Reasons for the new…

Bengaluru has been ranked the least liveable city, among Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Ahmedabad, in the 2022 Global Liveability Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). While the parameters of such surveys are contested, living conditions in Bengaluru slums certainly comes close to such characterisation. For example, the high price of liquified petroleum gas (LPG), a key household need, provided by Indian oil companies, has impacted people living in slums. The reality on the ground As one moves through the neighbourhood of Rajendra Nagar slum, large vessels are seen outside people’s houses. On asking the residents of the purpose of…

"If I have to come from Alandur to Koyambedu by road, it takes me over 50 minutes. But, if I take the Metro in Chennai, it hardly takes me 12 to 15 minutes, including the wait time for the train," says Shankar, a regular commuter on the Chennai Metro. Clearly, for people like Shankar, the Metro has spelt significant easing of commute. With work on Phase II underway in many parts of the city, it is only likely that more passengers will embrace this mode of transport in the days to come. The upcoming lines will link the IT corridor,…