GENRE: Voices

There is no area in Bangalore today where rainwater directly seeps into the ground except a few parks like Lalbagh and Cubbon Park. Almost all roads are cemented or tarred.  Natural lakes and ponds have become foundations for huge residential apartments and commercial complexes. Rain harvesting pit in JayanagarBBMP has miserably failed in managing rainwater. The idea of having a 12 feet deep pits reinforced with concrete rings in storm water drains is good but is shabbily executed in Jayanagar.BBMP officials should have ensured that the rainwater enters the drain and reaches the rainwater harvesting pit.  If this exercise was…

The pipelining work which started in the month of February is finally complete, but now we are deprived of good roads, why are we at the receiving end? why is the concerned authority not doing anything about the dug up roads?I have contacted Bangalore Traffic Police on their FB page - Bangalore Traffic PoliceThey suggested that I contact BBMP control room 080-22660000.I contacted BBMP control room and got the complaint filed. Later I learnt that the issue does not come under Koramangala ward and I was asked to contact Ejipura ward. The concerned authority explained to me that the pipeline…

One traffic laden evening, I was going by bus from Sultanpalya to R.T. Nagar. I told the approaching conductor that I had a pass. He insisted on seeing it- and rightly so. But my lapse spawned a few harrowing minutes! It’s easy to forget courtesy in a crush. Pic: Salonie rego The conductor stared at my dilapidated year-old pass for a long time before showing it to the driver. Both exchanged sniggers and continued staring. Wild thoughts floated in my head. “Has my pass expired? Will I be kicked off? Will they arrest me?” While I was going crazy with…

The Boston Marathon qualifier from namma Bengaluru, who stays in Koramangala for over 21 years now, writes on running and fitness. He is now planning to set up a venture that will primarily focus on educating runners on proper running form. He talks about running, inspiration and what goes into it to be a good runner.   What inspired you to run?Like any other youngster, I was more into team games like football, cricket and so forth. But once I started working, I decided to switch from contact to non-contact sports to minimise injuries and yet get a workout. Running, swimming…

Consider the typical traffic scenario on a "normal" day: A swirl to the left and a turn towards right, cutting lanes at the wink of your eye with regular "predictable" screeching halts, the Indian motorists (number of wheels and size of the vehicles do not matter!) have perfected the art & science of driving and riding. They have the knack of crisscrossing the lanes and by-lanes, with occasional slip ups of course! It is easy to predict a politician's jump from one party to another, but it is well nigh impossible to predict the motorists' intended path! The two wheelers…

We, Malleswaram Swabhimana Initiative (MSI), a resident's welfare association, have been short listed for Green Star awards. Finally we are being recognized for the work that MSI has done in the field of waste management. The award is being given by TCS during their 10 k run.The award will be partially based on the number of votes that the association gets. Please click on this link for voting:  Green Star awards. The voting closes on May 27, Sunday.For more information on MSI, visit: We Care For Malleswaram .⊕

BBMP has listed control room numbers for disaster management on its official website. Unfortunately these lines either do not work or there is no response. I had lodged a complaint (Complaint no: 197) with BBMP (South Office) on May 11 for clearing the branch of the tree that had fallen due to heavy rain, which was promptly cleared within couple of hours.It has been more than 10 days and the branches cut are thrown across my compound facilitating to make it a dump yard. Irony is that BBMP Porakarmikas who clean the road, dump all the debris in the same…

BBMP unlike BDA is not a development authority, it can be termed as a maintenance authority and provides services, hence it should focus on -Capacity building - Administrative restructuring of BBMP - Roles and responsibilities of departments/officers  to be defined.Computerisation of all BBMP offices, establishment of  citizen help centers in each ward.Adequate and skilled professionals should be hired as required in BBMP.Services of Private consultants/professionals /outsourcing can be utilised as required on a contract basis instead of utilizing engineers from the public works department.Involve registered Resident Welfare Associations (RWA) and civic organizations to monitor projects of the ward and conduct…

Dr Prathibha Vinay is a doctorate in botany, and resident of JP Nagar since 1997. From 2002 onwards she has dedicated herself to promoting medicinal plants. She even planted them at JP Nagar's Dhanwantari park. In 2002, she founded TULSI (Treasure and Utilise the Life Sustaining Ingredients of Nature) an NGO that promotes medicinal plants for health and raises awareness on conservation of such plants. Dr Pratibha Vinay at her residence. Pratibha earned her doctorate degree in Palynology-a super speciality in Botany in 1972. Later she was awarded Post Doctoral Fellowship at Bangalore University -Department of Botany in 1973. In…

Shut since 2004 with a pledge by the then Bangalore Mahanagara Palike that a refurbished theatre with state-of-the-art facilities in place would be re-opened, the theatre today lies decrepit.During the visit of then Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa  to the damaged site, revival of the theatre in 36 months was promised, but unfortunately the situation remains unchanged and is causing a huge loss to the state exchequer.  The project has been handed over to BDA by BBMP. Concerned authorities must look into the matter at the earliest and accelerate the reconstruction.⊕