GENRE: Report

Bengaluru goes to polls on April 26th. As candidates ramp up their campaigning efforts, discussions centre on issues like infrastructure and mobility. Even as political parties have released their manifestos, residents and civic groups from a cross-section of society too have expressed their demands from their MPs. Civic group manifestos include environmental, mobility, employment and healthcare issues. Here is a compilation of a few citizen manifestos from Bengaluru: Bangalore Apartments' Federation (BAF) BAF is a Federation of Apartment Owners’ Associations (AOA) and Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWA) in Bengaluru. Their demands include:  Commitment to lobby for immediate and high priority conduct…

As the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections concluded on April 19th, Tamil Nadu recorded a voter turnout of 69.46 % with the three constituencies in Chennai — Chennai North, Chennai South and Chennai Central — having an overall voter percentage of 55.94% according to the Chief Electoral Officer in Tamil Nadu. Many people voiced their disappointment at the apparent lack of enthusiasm among voters in the city to exercise their franchise. The numbers are lower compared to the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 and 2014, when the voter percentages were 72.47% and 73.74% respectively. Often, after the…

The annual DLN Rao Foundation Seminar, titled Road to Environmental Justice, will be held on April 13, 2024, Saturday, from 3 30 pm to 5 30pm at the NGO Hall, Cubbon Park. Citizen Matters is proud to be the media partner for this event. The seminar will host Supreme Court Justice, Abhay S Oka and Karnataka High Court Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav. Justice Abhay Oka will deliver the Keynote address. He is well known to citizens in Bengaluru from his tenure at the Karnataka HIgh Court. He pronounced landmark judgements and orders to protect the city’s lakes from encroachments, reiterated…

Traffic congestion and mobility are among Bengaluru's topmost concerns today. In the run-up to the elections, as the spotlight turns on how the city's sitting MPs have performed over the last five years, their actions and stance on this issue certainly deserve some scrutiny. How have they engaged with the issue? Did they propose any solutions? The major traffic & mobility issues In 2019, Bengaluru recorded the second highest number of vehicle, with over 80 lakh. Nearly 84% of households have motor vehicles. Lack of first and last mile connectivity, reduced bus ridership, under-completion of metro connectivity across the city,…

Bengaluru grapples with a persistent water stress, worsened by the decline in rainfall, overexploitation of groundwater and decreasing Cauvery River levels. The water crisis has led experts and the government to reconsider using lakes as a source of water, either by storing treated wastewater or harvested rainwater. The draining of lakes, like Bellandur and Varthur, for desilting has contributed to a major part of the groundwater crisis in Bengaluru. However, with the upcoming monsoon predicted to be normal, there is a looming concern regarding the lakes in the city. The anticipated rains may bring one of the highest influxes of…

In view of Women's Day, observed on March 8, Citizen Matters conducted an online survey on women's safety in Chennai. As many as 171 women took part in this survey between the age group of 18 to 51 years. These women were from areas like Sholinganallur, Adyar, T Nagar, Kotturpuram, Thiruvanmiyur, Royapuram, Perambur, Madipakkam, Anna Nagar and other parts of Chennai. Though we circulated the survey across Chennai, many of the responses were from women in the Southern parts of Chennai, indicating the lack of access for women from areas of North Chennai to take part in such online surveys.…

The garbage issue is escalating into a nightmare for residents of Ilyas Nagar, a residential locality in south Bengaluru's Yelachenahalli.  As you take a left turn from the Outer Ring Road to enter the BWSSB Pipeline Road, which connects 100 feet Ring Road, just a few metres inside, you will see a garbage dump along the roadside. And as you move ahead, 50 metres from Razor King saloon, you can see another bigger garbage dump. Despite garbage vans coming to their doorstep, some residents choose to dump waste along the side of the BWSSB Pipeline Road.  The road is poorly…

At the best of times, mornings in a family of four are probably exhausting, particularly for women. Ensuring that everyone eats, gets dressed, heads to school or work on time and in one piece can be chaotic. But mornings in a hot Bengaluru without water is downright soul crushing, says Kala, a 38-year-old woman living in Krishnanapalya. The water shortage in several parts of the city has disrupted the lives of low-income families and put public institutions like schools and hospitals on the edge. Krishnanapalya lies in east Bengaluru. Unlike the 110 villages in the peripheral areas of the city,…

In 2011, the Thoraipakkam Village Panchayat was incorporated into the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) limits and the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) rolled out schemes promising piped water supply and underground sewage system for the residents in the area. The move brought hope to the residents as we had waited for these basic amenities ever since we settled here in the 90s. But our anticipation turned to dismay as even after more than 10 years, these schemes remain merely on paper — incomplete on the ground. Read more: High TDS in water supply affects Valmiki Nagar residents…

Even as our cities grapple with diverse challenges and issues, there is always hope as long as there is an active citizenry willing to engage, act and push for positive change. In the 15th year of Citizen Matters and the 10th year of Oorvani Foundation, we are excited to host a convening of such people committed to making better cities. The India Civic Summit 2024 in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 23rd will bring together citizens and community volunteers, who are dedicated to solving civic, environmental and urban challenges in their respective cities. There will be inspiring stories. There will be…