GENRE: LN

Garbage rule violators might be fined heavily from September Heavy fines would be imposed on anyone who litters, dumps waste and construction debris, uses banned plastic items or does not segregate waste at the source, according to a new proposal drafted and sent by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to the government. These revised fine amounts are likely to be in place from September, said BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad. The proposal identified and drafted the fines to be incorporated in the Solid Waste Management (SWM) by-laws for effective implementation of SWM Rules 2016. The state-level SWM Policy, which…

After years of public demand for a suburban rail network in Bengaluru, the project seems to be rolling out slowly. But there is much confusion as authorities are still working out the details. Just last week, the state government gave its consent to register a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that would implement the project worth Rs 22,242 crore. The SPV named B-RIDE (Bangalore Integrated Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprises Limited), is expected to be registered within a month. It will be a joint venture between the state and the centre. After years of delay, it was this February that the state…

Far from Myanmar, their homeland, here they feel safe, but these 85 Rohingyas are not at home in the refugee camp in Kelambakkam. Dingy rooms that barely have ventilation, narrow stairways, cluttered spaces and untidy surroundings -- the camp located on the outskirts of Chennai paints a sorry picture. The deplorable living conditions probably don't bother the Rohingya Muslims as much as they should, for they are happy to be alive. But does it give them a decent quality of life? No. Space is the biggest constraint, a factor that is driving many refugees away from the camps. Each room is…

Sometimes we wonder why inclusiveness needs to be demanded. Can't it come naturally? This seems to be the moot question that was raised in the 11th Chennai Pride March, held on June 30th. The walk started at around 3:30 PM from Chitra Theatre and ended with festivities and celebrations, including a flash mob dance. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the first Pride March which took place in Kolkata in 1999. There are around 21 types of pride parades that happen annually, all over India and the Chennai Rainbow Pride is one of them which is held in…

The citizens' movement CfB (Citizens for Bengaluru) has launched the first 'Namma Samithi Puraskara' or 'Corporator No 1 Awards'. The award will honour ward councillors who have done the best work in their wards, and have engaged citizens through ward committee meetings. At a press conference yesterday, CfB announced that the awards will be presented at the Town Hall on July 14th, 10.30 am. Justice Santosh Hegde will participate in the ceremony. Corporators will be selected for the awards based on inputs from citizens themselves. You can rate your corporator at citizensforbengaluru.in. This page has a form to gather information…

  Ward delimitation before civic polls State government has taken up the delimitation of wards based on a proposal by the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike), in the run up to the civic polls in 2020. After delimitation, the number of wards will remain the same, but the core city will have fewer wards compared to the outer zones. The goal is to reduce the disparity in ward population, which ranges from 21,171 in Marenahalli to 95,368 in Horamavu. The plan now is to have 198 wards with an average population of 42,645. The exercise will be done on the…

Is the Small Bus an opportunity or a liability for cash-strapped Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) in Chennai? All comments made by MTC on the question give the impression that the Small Bus service is a drain on the finances of the Corporation. The bus corporation says not many people are using it, and therefore it is being curtailed or withdrawn, while people say the service is not reliable and often simply vanishes without notice. This report in The Hindumentions some problems in the service, although it does not contain new information on what the present situation is on the ground. Failed connections The…

The warning bells have been ringing at a high note for quite some time now. Chennai has just gone through the longest spell of rainless days, as a result of which water levels in our water bodies are at an all time low, causing a severe drought. However the government of the day seems to be in absolute denial of any water crisis in Chennai, nor do their actions indicate any move towards a sustainable and resilient Chennai. Arappor Iyakkam has come forward to highlight this issue through people’s participation in a unique protest called ‘KeluChennaiKelu’ on June 30 2019…

A low-cost catalyst to produce hydrogen, which could make clean energy cheaper Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed an inexpensive catalyst, sodium cobalt metaphosphate, to produce hydrogen from water. Hydrogen is a clean energy source used in fuel cells. Sleek vehicles that run on hydrogen fuel cells have just started entering the market. The IISc scientists’ invention could be a major step in making fuel cells more affordable. Typically, ruthenium and platinum are the catalysts used to generate hydrogen from water. These catalysts are quite expensive, but without them the reaction would be slow. Sodium cobalt…

Thirteen new CNG stations by GAIL Gas are expected to become operational in Bengaluru in a few months, said the company's Chief General Manager (CGD) Vivek Wathodkar. This would take the total number of such refill stations by GAIL in the city to 22. Speaking at the Elite Fleet Operators Meet on June 18 at Taj Vivanta on MG Road, Wathodkar said the company was planning to set up 100 CNG stations in Bengaluru in the next 2-3 years, and highlighted the necessity of CNG. The meet was organised by Maruti Suzuki India Limited in association with GAIL Gas Limited,…