GENRE: LN

The unprecedented price rise in recent months of virtually every essential commodity is forcing poor families in Bangalore to rethink their cooking and food habits. People like Afeena for instance, a resident of Byapanhally who has been doing housekeeping work in Bengaluru for the past 15 years to help support her husband, an autorickshw driver and two children. The average income of her family is Rs 18,000-20,000 a month. “Cooking oil has become very expensive at Rs 200-250 per kg,” says Afeena. “So instead of buying one kilogram, I now buy small quantities of Rs 10-15 which lasts just a…

If one makes an early morning tour of areas like Lingarajapuram, Chikka Banaswadi, Kullapa Circle, Papareddy Palya, Kurubarahalli, Rajagopal Nagar, Peenya and Dasarahalli, they are likely to see groups of workers carrying construction tools and lunch boxes waiting on the roads and side streets, their eyes eagerly scanning the road  for contractors who will hire them as daily wage labourers. These spaces where the workers congregate every morning are known as Labour Stands and are an ubiquitous sight in many Indian cities. Many such labour stands exist in Bengaluru, yet few outside the world of contractors know about them. How do…

While the pandemic saw some slump in ridership, the patronage seen by Chennai Metro has been on the rise in recent months. With all lines in Phase I and its extensions operational, the Metro saw a footfall of 1.5 lakhs on a daily basis for the month of April.  Proposed measures such as the merger of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) with the Metro could further boost connectivity in the city and create an integrated public transport system. Phase II of Chennai Metro, which will link key areas such as the IT corridor to the rest of the city,…

With Bengaluru expanding, its peripheral areas like Sarjapur and Attibele, which were once villages, are now experiencing suburbanisation. Suburbanisation has enhanced the need for good roads and related infrastructure in these areas. Plus housing demand here is leading to a change in land-use patterns and expanding urban sprawl. One of the primary effects of this process is traffic congestion.  This area falls under the jurisdiction of the Attibele Town Municipal authority, with Attibele junction being the most congested on the Sarjapur-Attibele Road. It is the meeting point of seven roads from different directions, connecting different parts of this region to…

“Nee Hodha Marudina” (The day after you left), an Ambedkarite song played in the background while the protesters arranged the tarpaulin mats for fellow workers. It was April 29, and they were marking the 150th day of the Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) workers’ protest in front of one of the gates of the ITI premises at Doorvani Nagar, Bengaluru.   The ITI is one of the city’s oldest public sector units. The PSU is primarily engaged in the manufacturing telecommunication equipment, laying fibre optic cables for defence purposes in remote border locations as well as the processing of security and surveillance…

Many areas that were merged with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) in 2011 are yet to receive many civic amenities and services. The residents of Ullagaram-Puzhuthivakkam’s Srinivasa Nagar and Ram Nagar have been experiencing issues with water supply and sewage. Many in the area do not have what should be basic civic amenities and have been raising the issue with great fervour over the past few months. There are a few reasons for the problems faced by residents with water supply and sewage connections, as we have understood from our talks with city officials and engineers. These include improper and…

Tree leaves, bamboo, lotus leaves, palm leaves, rice straw, gourds, hemp twine, coconut shells and shells of shellfish are some of the natural materials that were used for packaging in the olden days. It was common at the turn of the century, for all items purchased, whether cooked or prepared, to be wrapped using indigenous materials, so as to preserve their freshness, prevent pollution, protect them from damage and store leftovers. Our parents and grandparents frequented small local kirana stores with steel dabbas to get flour and spices. Fast-forward to the present scenario, finding stores where you're able to purchase…

Chennai pedestrians need saving. Statistics of Chennai pedestrians dying on the road are alarming. But first: Is Chennai a walkable city? Not for the faint-hearted, the elderly or the disabled. Not for children, surely. The city acquires a busy character from its congested quaint enclaves like Mylapore, Triplicane, Mambalam, Saidapet and George Town with their warren of narrow streets. But old enclaves or new, Chennai does not really support walking. Things are so bad that the Smart City’s Pedestrian Plaza on Pondy Bazaar became a talking point for how it helped walkers. Poor record of road safety If road safety…

Walking on the streets of namma Bengaluru is an adventure in itself. Not a road left untouched and footpaths non-existent or in disarray; all in the name of development. On March 6th, 2022, to highlight the multiple problems residents are facing because of the unending work on their roads and other infrastructure for months and years, residents of Ward 45, Malleswaram took to the streets to conduct a peaceful walk called #SAAKU walk. The half kilometre walk was from Malleswaram bus stand at 18th cross to 11th cross, 4th Main. Here is what the residents of Malleswaram did: The problem…

Making public spaces safe for women, in particular, is not rocket science. Nor is it an expensive high tech exercise. Yet with little action being taken, collecting ground data can help raise awareness of the issue and convince authorities to act. With this in mind, Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) in collaboration with CGI, conducted a safety audit of public places in Malleshwaram and Mahadevapura Assembly Constituencies as a pilot project. The areas were chosen based on preset criteria - Malleshwaram being one of the oldest constituencies and Mahadevapura - one of the newer ones. Some of the locations audited.…