GENRE: LN

It’s that time of the year again when Bengaluru revels in literature. Fifth edition of Bengaluru Literature Festival is here again, with a line up of exciting events that are sure to tickle the brains, with many who’s-who in the world of literature attending it as panelists and guests. According to a press note from the organisers, Bangalore Literature Festival is all set for a fifth edition on December 17 and 18 at the Hotel Royal Orchid lawns on Old Airport Road, Bengaluru. Building on the success of over the past four years, this year Bangalore Literature Festival will feature…

Dear Reader, Before you move on to the news section, ponder this: 2018 is going to see elections in Karnataka - precisely 18 months away from now. Do you have any idea what the 28 MLAs you have elected did in the Karnataka assembly the last 3.5 years? You might remember the coverage we did during the past elections - 2013 state election, 2014 Loksabha election, and 2015 BBMP election. We will of course do data-based reporting in 2018 too. But it will be possible only with your contributions - because no corporate or political party funds us. We are…

Bengaluru's bruhath problem with sewage is notoriously well known, with pictures of foaming lakes and fish kills attracting global media attention. But what is less well known is the fact that this city has the highest number of apartment-scale sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the country. With over 2000 small-scale STPs housed in apartment complexes alone, along with an equally substantial number in commercial complexes, Bengaluru could well be called the 'city of STPs'. The primary driver of this ‘revolution’ of small-scale STPs in the city is the 2004 KSPCB order mandating all new residential complexes with more than 50…

At the end of the Gandhi Mandapam road in Chennai, at the point where the road meets the Kotturpuram bridge over the Adyar river, is the Vinayaka temple. Locals say this was one of Amma’s favourites in the city. Her motorcade would often stop on its way back from Raj Bhavan or the airport towards Poes Garden at the exact point where Amma, seated in the passenger seat of her SUV, could get a glimpse of the deity. The temple was closed on Tuesday, and on the notice that talks of the closure, someone drew a pair of eyes with…

How well do you know Namma Bengaluru? Let me start with a question. Who was the person that personally financed the levelling of a road with the intention of alleviating the pain of bullocks dragging heavy cartloads up a steep slope? If you don’t know, this man was Enayathullah Mekhri, who took notice of the sufferings of bullocks, and decided to act on it. Despite being offered compensation by the king of Mysore for his selfless act, Mekhri refused it. Such was his nature. Therefore, in honour of this gracious act and his willingness to help society at large, the…

Bengaluru’s water woes may only get worse this time. Though summer is still three months away, thanks to scanty rainfall, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has already hinted at the city facing acute water crisis coming April. In fact, for the first time ever, the BWSSB has come up with a contingency plan predicting a bad season ahead. It has already submitted a contingency plan of Rs 75 crore to the State government for taking up water related works for the city. BWSSB Chairman Tushar Girinath, speaking at a meeting on water issues in Bengaluru convened at…

The Akrama Sakrama scheme, which seeks to regularise unauthorized constructions and developments, has been one of the most contentious civic issues in Bengaluru. The scheme was initiated by the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act and Certain Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2004. This Act amended the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1961, the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976 and the Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964.   After this amendment was stayed by the Karnataka High Court in 2007,  having been found to be prima facie against constructional provisions, the state extended the scheme by passing amendments in 2009 and 2013.…

Air pollution on Outer Ring Road. Pic: Mayur Channagere According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is the fifth leading cause of deaths in India, resulting in about 620,000 premature deaths. Recent studies have largely focussed on Delhi, where air pollution is estimated to cause 10,000 – 30,000 annual deaths. What we don’t know with certainty, however, is the extent to which the quality of air in Bengaluru has been compromised and its impact, given the rapid and unchecked urbanisation, dramatic loss in tree cover, rampant waste burning all over the city and rising vehicle numbers. To understand rising…

Case 1: Bellandur In the last week of October, residents of Mantri Espana, an apartment close to Bellandur lake in Bengaluru, were appalled at the sight of thick smoke engulfing the skies from a private land adjacent to the lake. The smoke originated from an illegal garbage burning site on a private land. The situation continued for the next few days worsening to the extent that children in the neighbourhood faced breathing difficulties. Garbage on fire in Bellandur yet again, after being doused once. Pic: A Bellandur resident Following repeated complaints by residents of the area, officials from Bruhat Bengaluru…

It is strange that in an age where technology has connected people in a wide variety of ways that we seem so disconnected as citizens. This disconnection becomes the challenge of our society. Though we have immediate access to tons of information we seem incapable of finding common­sense solutions to the problems we face. The culture and context of our communities need to be reestablished-(Roberts, 2006).As technologists and organizations, we create many civic tools. But sadly most of it ends of up remaining with organizations or a specific group of people and is never put to use by others. RHoK…