GENRE: Voices

In this series, individuals, citizen groups and RWAs explain how they have dealt with the COVID-19 crisis in a constructive manner. In the fifth part of the series, the Bicycle Mayor of Bengaluru describes the measures he took. I was selected as the first Bicycle Mayor of Bengaluru in May 2018 by BYCS, an Amsterdam-based NGO. I'm one of more than 100 Bicycle Mayors across the globe who are trying to shift transportation in cities to the bicycle. The #CycleToWork campaign I launched in September 2018, has catalysed work commute by cycle; and its online platform has attracted more than…

The residents of Electronic City, which is not even within BBMP limits, are becoming guinea pigs for the Palike’s misguided attempts at ‘scientific waste management’. BBMP has signed an agreement to set up an incineration-based Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plant at Chikkanagamangala, a stone's throw away from Electronic City. Problems with the existing plant The project is coming up at a site that currently houses a composting plant running under BBMP’s direct supervision. This plant processes wet waste from 44 BBMP wards. Operational since May 2018, it soon led to stench and fly menace in the locality. Last July, the National Green…

The more important question is: What should they be doing? From what I can see, some are involved in the distribution of food and rations, some have taken a more proactive approach in organising home delivery of medicines and groceries, some are seen buying vegetables directly from the farmers and some are busy sticking labels on government-provided ration kits. Now, all this is good, but it doesn’t really fulfil their job description. Functions of MPs and MLAs MPs and MLAs perform two main functions:  Legislation: Pass laws Oversight: Ensure government performs as expected Oversight includes monitoring government programmes, identifying gaps…

An institution in decline is not a pretty sight.  Particularly when it is a civic body responsible for the quality of life of vast segments of the population.  This is what is happening to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike, which has just presented its budget for the current year.   Of course, there’s more to development than figures.  Nevertheless, the Annual Financial Statement is a great way of assessing recent performance and future plans.  From both points of view, going by the BBMP’s figures, the prospects for Bengaluru are bleak. Budget analysis usually starts with three questions.  Have promises made in…

As we cover the COVID-19 outbreak and the effect it has had on various sectors and communities, we also asked our readers -- individuals, citizen groups and RWAs -- to explain how they have dealt with the COVID-19 crisis in a constructive manner. In this article, a resident of CR park in Delhi narrates how her community has adapted to challenges of the times, how members of the community are helping each other, how they are reaching out to senior citizens and making sure that everyone comes out of it, together, as a family.  It all started with a WhatsApp…

Since April 1, Maraa, a media and arts collective based in Bengaluru, has been trying to ensure relief for migrant workers stranded in the city during COVID-19 lockdown. Our efforts have included conducting independent surveys and audits, fundraising, ration distribution and putting pressure on the BBMP to ensure accountability. During this period, several problems have risen that we feel need to be brought to public attention, primarily the government’s lack of response and accountability towards migrant workers. We have used our work in Chinappa layout in Mahadevpura, and Doddagubbi, as case studies to highlight these issues.  We received SOS calls…

Lakhs of street vendors in Bengaluru have been badly impacted due to the lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19. We are on the 30th day of lockdown, and 90% of the city's street vendors have not been able to carry out their livelihood as they would during normal circumstances.  There are several news reports of migrant workers being stranded without wages and food. However, street vendors are also facing a similar situation. Neither can they carry out their sole means of earning, which is street vending, nor do not have an employer from whom they can demand wages. “If…

In this series, individuals, citizen groups and RWAs explain how they have dealt with the COVID-19 crisis in a constructive manner. In the fourth part of the series, the president of an apartment association describes the measures they took. COVID-19 pandemic has tragically brought home the truth of the age-old Sanskrit saying Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning 'the world is one family’. With this thought in mind, the management committee of Century Saras, an apartment complex in Yelahanka New Town, formed a task force for dealing with the COVID-19 threat immediately after the national lockdown was announced. The task force took the…

This article is co-authored by Jillian Du, Robin King and Radha Chanchani The COVID-19 pandemic has created a disruptive new normal for everyone through shelter-in-place orders and social distancing guidelines. But for the billions of urban poor, these guidelines aren’t just burdensome; they’re essentially impossible. Social distancing is a critically important response to the pandemic, but it also assumes that residents have adequate space, services and social safety nets to survive such an order. This is simply not the reality across cities in Asia, Africa and Latin America. More than 1 billion people live in slums and informal settlements globally. As much…

Co-authored by Angarika Guha and Senthil S Amidst the shiny offices and gated complexes of a prominent IT corridor in the city lies Chinappa layout, Mahadevpura, home to close to 600 migrant workers from West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal. Scattered across the area, they live inside blue tarpaulin tents, small concrete sheds, inside godowns filled with plastic, scrap metal and tin, or between the bamboo poles in construction sites. Bricks, tiles, garbage, waste, scrap, cooking, cleaning, sifting, constructing, clearing - their work is crucial to the daily fabric of life in the city. The lockdown caught them unawares.…