GENRE: Voices

Air pollution is now the leading cause of death in India. It accounts for 1.2 million deaths, more than the number of people killed by malaria, smoking or road accidents. Last year, a study by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) found that Bengaluru topped the list of major polluting cities in India. More recently, measurements of pollution level using hand-held devices show that particulate matter pollution levels in many places in Bengaluru are substantially higher than the levels in Beijing, China and yes, even New Delhi.  More alarmingly, pollution levels in Bengaluru are expected to skyrocket over the next…

Chennai is reeling under a severe water shortage and Bengaluru, the NITI Aayog says, will run out of groundwater by 2020. What ties these two large metropolis is, unfortunately, a dispute over a river. It is an unhealthy link. Both these cities are not exactly in the Cauvery river basin , though dependent on the river for their water requirements . Only one third of Bengaluru is in the river basin and Chennai is not in the river basin at all, yet draws water from the Veeranam tank within the delta. A civilizational change is transforming the river. An urban…

A thought has been cooking on a simmer in my mind for a while now. That I had this question, and that I gave voice to it, has bothered me. And now I know why. Dialing back. Adarsha Hostel is a small privately-run girls’ hostel for blind college students. Ten to fifteen girls stay in a small two-bedroom house here, with the help of a caretaker and cook/helper. The girls come from impoverished homes across Karnataka, and the proprietor Nawaz Pasha who himself is blind, along with his sight-challenged wife, try to provide them a roof over their heads and…

When Ashish Prasad, technical lead at a bootstrapped IT startup, quit his job to take up a new one, he was assured by the company that his dues would be cleared within 45 days. But days turned into months, and repeated reminders and emails went unanswered with the dues still not paid. Not wanting to go in for time consuming and costly litigation, Ashish who had lost all hope of ever getting his dues, said he was advised to file an insolvency petition under the bankruptcy laws. “However, I am not sure if this will be fruitful”. There are many…

The first time I came across Girish Karnad was in Shankar Nag’s 'Malgudi Days', when I was a kid. Karnad played the father of Swami, and for me it was a pleasure to know he had reached people across the nation through the series. I was later introduced to his writings when I got the opportunity to act in Tughlak, a play written by him. It took me a few shows to understand the brilliance of the dialogues and the play overall. I soon became a fan. Karnad had written Tughlak around 50 years ago, but we would pick lines…

His was the first play I performed in college when I foolishly forayed onto the stage. He was among the first writers I interviewed when I became a journalist. His was a regular face during theatre and cultural festivals, a tall dashing figure who walked the talk. I saw him many years later at the steel flyover satyagraha. His gait had slowed down a bit, but the nerve was as steely as as ever, even with that medical box strapped to him. And now he is gone. It is very ironic that in death, a wordsmith often leaves us speechless.…

On June 5th, World Environment Day, my handbook ‘Our Agara Lake’ was released. As a lake activist, the handbook is my attempt to share the story of Agara lake’s revival. I believe that our story can inspire citizens across Bengaluru to come together and work for the many more lakes that need to be revived. Agara lake’s story is about a collaborative relationship between citizens and the government. A supportive government, responsive Lake Development Authority (LDA) and the pro-active citizen group ALPMS (Agara Lake Protection and Management Society) worked together to revive the lake. The lake, spread over 200 acres…

‘Beat Air Pollution’ is the rallying call issued by China, which is hosting this year’s World Environment Day celebrations.  And China knows how to beat air pollution, for it has worked hard the past two decades doing just that. According to a report released this March by the Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, 20 years of tough action has produced the following results: “the average concentrations of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particle PM10 dropped by 93.3, 37.8 and 55.3 percent respectively in Beijing. The PM 2.5 content in the air reduced by over 40 percent.” United Nations…

What does it mean to be a doctor? To have a doctor in your family? For most people in the mainstream of India it is a matter of pride, a status symbol. Maybe a way to earn a lot of money. And of course a way to heal people, at a big hospital in a big city. Maybe open a clinic of your own. Maybe open a hospital of your own (if your parents can afford it). Most doctors in the mainstream prefer not to treat their own family members for various reasons. I have a doctor in my family.…

Unlike most people, I don’t think BBMP is an inefficient civic body. I feel they are very environmentally-aware and are always coming up with new ways to implement it. I know you might be thinking, “This is a crazy man? All our lakes are dying, and all the trees being cut down and all!” You have the right to your opinion, but hear me out. I was working on an article about a BBMP initiative called Roshini. With Roshini, BBMP schools across the city were going to get free Microsoft products. They were even giving free training to teachers. You…