GENRE: LN

Most of us would not know who the Mayor of Bengaluru is. However, the name of the chief commissioner of the municipal corporation would probably be familiar to a few. This complete failure to recognise and identify the mayors of our cities is symptomatic of a deep malaise: the relative unimportance of the political executive in the running of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). One way to be aware of issues of impropriety and poor performance in local government bodies and departments is to track the audit reports from agencies like the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). This article…

Ramakrishna has been a well-digger for thirty eight years. “My grandfather used to dig large stone wells in the villages. In the city, wells are smaller because there isn’t that much space. I learned how to dig wells from my father. I have dug many wells, some are five feet deep, others in higher areas are 18 feet deep or even deeper.” Shankar, another well-digger, has been working since he was 15. “I learnt to dig wells from my father, and now I work with a group of well-diggers. I’ve dug wells all over the city.” Both Ramakrishna and Shankar…

Chennai has seen the most number of road accidents in 2021. 5034 road accidents occurred in the city, as per the NCRB’s 2021 report, which was 9.1% of the total number of road accidents in 53 metropolitan cities.  Moreover, Chennai stands second in road accident fatalities, with 998 deaths, among the metro cities, following Delhi.  What else does the NCRB data say? Major reasons for road accident deaths include overspeeding and careless driving/overtaking. More men between the age of 30 and 45 have died in accidents in Chennai, compared to women and trans people. Drivers of two-wheelers suffered more road accidents,…

In August this year, an eight-year-old girl died by drowning in the swimming pool of an apartment complex in Ambattur. This is not an isolated incident. According to recent data from the National Crime Records Bureau, 9.3% of accidental deaths in India (36,362 deaths) were caused by drowning in 2021. Metropolitan cities like Chennai have many swimming pools, including those in apartment complexes. However, many of them do not comply with basic safety protocols, leading to accidental drownings. The role of the authorities at present is limited to granting permissions with the promise of conducting periodic checks. The onus of…

Floods in Bengaluru make for big headlines. The plight of monkeys rarely does. In this case, the particular species named Bonnet Macaques, which can usually be seen in the vicinity of the city's temples. As the city's urban sprawl spreads inexorably, natural habitats of many species are getting overrun. Monkey habitats are one such. Causing what some Bengalureans call the monkey menace. Meaning when they spot a monkey sitting outside their apartment's kitchen window in search of food. A Scroll report, citing the work of Mewa Singh of the University of Mysore and HN Kumara of Salim Ali Centre for…

Bengaluru’s Namma Metro has one major advantage. It does not get caught in the city’s notorious traffic jams. The ground reality however is, metro construction is today a major cause of these traffic jams. Which the humble Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus does get caught in. At the drawing board stage, the metro was touted as the solution to Bangalore’s two key issues. One, getting private vehicles off the roads, thus reducing traffic congestion and vehicular pollution. Two, as being a much greener, affordable and accessible commute alternative as compared to to other options such as the city bus…

"At midnight on August 30th, we woke up to thigh-high water flooding our homes," recalls Bheemesh, a resident of an informal settlement located in Tigalarpalya, adjacent to Brookefield's BEML Layout. "We rushed outside, barely having had the time to collect our things. When we came out, we found out that the entire settlement had been submerged". The last few weeks have been difficult for citizens across various regions in the city. Several bouts of heavy rainfall has inundated roads and flooded residential layouts. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said this was Bengaluru's second wettest August with 369.9mm of rainfall. The…

It was the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. And Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (BMTC) I-day gift to Bangaloreans was free rides on its buses for that one day. August 15th saw 61,47,323 passengers use BMTC buses, as compared to the average of 28 lakh passengers on other days when commuters have to pay for their bus ride. For BMTC it was a double celebration, as announced by its chief traffic manager on August 18th. A record ridership and the corporation’s 25th birthday. Perhaps there was cause for a triple celebration. As on that day, Tata Motors announced that it had won…

"There is a huge difference between learning online and in person," says R Niranjana, a mother of two. "Of course, there was a time when staying at home was essential but now, when everything is opening up, for the sake of the child, parents must send their young children to preschool.” While many countries kept kindergarten and primary schools open even during the worst days of the pandemic, India had ordered a total lockdown of all educational institutions, including preschools. Many such institutions completely shut down. Now, as most COVID-related precautions are being lifted, Bengaluru's preschools are cautiously reopening their…

The Karnataka government's Akrama Sakrama scheme to regularise illegal construction has been opposed by much of Bengaluru's civil society over the years. They had taken the issue to court and got a stay on the same. Even as it looks like the state government is planning to revive the scheme, most civic groups are keen on not letting violators go scot-free. The history of BDA's controversial scheme - Akrama Sakrama As illegal construction in the city became rampant and successive governments and BDA came under increasing criticism for failing to curb this, the Karnataka government announced the Akrama Sakrama scheme…