GENRE: LN

The most common complaint Bangaloreans have about the city of Bengaluru is about the planning being a disaster. This is especially the case after Bengaluru grew out of its old city limits and ate up rural areas very quickly. All of this, coupled with reckless issue of permissions and corruption, led to disorderly growth in traffic, water usage and even hiving off of lakes for development. The term “well-planned city” is referred to in a utopian way by many. But come September 16, this is all about to change. Bangalore is one step closer to better planning and coordination between…

  Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Company (BMTC) has initiated some steps aimed at improved mobility and reduction in air pollution in the Bengaluru Metropolis through decongestion of traffic. Bus day is conducted every month, and tomorrow is a Bus day. Excerpts from BMTC press note in this regard: This month BMTC has decided to observe 55th “Bus Day” on 4th September 2014, Thursday to ensure maximum public participation. The Bus Day in this month will be observed in the following corridors: Old Airport Road (ITPL Sarjapura Road Hosur Road   Bannerghatta Road      Kanakapura Road Mysore Road, Magadi Road Tumkur Road…

A press note from Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) brings you the details of new bus arrangements for Onam season, from Bengaluru. Here goes the press note text: In view of Tiru Onam festival, KSRTC has made elaborate arrangements for operating extra buses as mentioned below in addition to the existing schedules to provide transport facility to the traveling public from 03/09/2014 to 09/09/2014. Special buses from Mysore Road Bus Station and Shanthinagar Bus Station in Bangalore will be exclusively operated in important places of Kerala State i.e, Cannanoor, Kozikod, Ernakulam, Palghat, Trissur, Kottayam, Tiruvananthapuram, etc. Facility to book…

Bellandur Buzz…Issue # 17August 28th 2014 Shared fortnightly by: bellandur-forum@googlegroups.com   Can we celebrate an eco-friendly Ganesha Festival? Photo Courtesy: Saahas. Every year, during Vinayaka Chaturthi, a huge number of Ganesha idols are immersed in Bangalore lakes. Most of these idols are made of Plaster of Paris, colored with toxic paints and adorned with thermocol and plastic, none of which are bio-degradable. These toxic chemicals leach into the lake eco-system polluting the waterbodies. Instead, one could use clay Ganesha idols and decorate them with homemade colours and flowers and leaves. Photo Courtesy: TMAD selling clay idols.   TMAD (To Make…

Ganesha festival celebrations that are meant to bring joy to all, proved fatal for two BBMP workers last year, near Whitefield, Bengaluru. Trying to immerse a huge Ganesha idol made out of Plaster of Paris, these two workers ended up drowning in Varthur Lake last year, as the idol did not sink.  A screen grab of the Varthur Lake incident during Ganesha Chaturthi in September 2013. This explains only a part of the danger that Plaster of Paris idols can pose. The pollution caused by PoP idols is known to all, still ignored. Come August, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB)…

  Museum Cross Road, a residential street at the heart of Bengaluru, used to be a road like many others in the neighbourhood. The maintenance was neglected. The old pavement was uneven, and tree roots were breaking through, cracking the pavement and creating bumps. It was an eyesore. Worse than that, it posed a danger to the residents. There weren’t even street lights to illuminate the road at night. This was the fate, until residents of the street, which is colloquially known as Museum Cross Road because it is located just off of Museum Road, decided enough was enough. The…

Damaged fence dangerously dangling near Ulsoor lake. Pic: Ganga Madappa Does this look surreal? Unreal? Or photoshopped? No - this is a real picture projecting the state of affairs in the Ulsoor lake bund. Such broken fencing areas are attracting dumpers, while the stagnant water inside continues to breed all sorts of mosquitoes. Though dumping was regular activity near Auro Mirra International school in Ulsoor in central Bengaluru, it reached the peak in the past couple of days. Residents of Lakeshore Manor Apartments, next to Auro Mirra School, noticed a tanker with a Maharashtra registration number, carrying septic tank waste…

The recent cleanup of the pedestrian subways near Cubbon Park and K R Circle at the heart of the city of Bengaluru allowed citizens to enjoy what the city’s music and art scene had to offer at a new public venue. The Bangalore Underground Festival conducted on August 17, 2014, ushered in a new trend of  public spaces being maintained by the public, for the public. The festival also brought to light an obvious, yet neglected, hence not used, pedestrian pathway around K R Circle. Art and photo exhibition was held in one of the subways, while another subway hosted…

Let’s escape the din and chaos of the Bengaluru streets. Let’s go underground! Sounds nice? But who would want to go underground in Bangalore? Do you have such places which are not dark and dingy? Short answer is, yes! Sometimes it is right in front of you... but you tend to ignore it. The project Bangalore Underground aims at exploring creative and better use of the public spaces like subways. And here is the slogan: Let’s escape chaos; Let’s go underground! Curious? On August 17, just walk into one of the pedestrian subways near K R Circle, with friends and…

Bellandur Buzz…August 14th, 2014, Issue #16 Shared fortnightly by the Citizen group bellandur-forum@googlegroups.com   Independence Day events: Green Glen Layout Independence day CelebrationsVenue: Football Ground near the Park.Time: 9 amChief guest: MLA Arvind Limbavalli Tree plantation at Saul KereVenue: Saul kereTime: 9amThis event at the lake is managed by MAPSAS and funded by Genpact. For details, please contact rajitha.myneni@genpact.com. Entry points to Saul Kere Participative Aquifer Mapping Program   BIOME , WIPRO, ACWADAM (from Pune) and MAPUNITY (from Bangalore) are jointly undertaking a study Participative Aquifer Mapping Program around the Sarjapura - Bellandur area. This study intends to be a participatory exercise involving…