HSR Layout

Sunday September 20th was a day like no other at HSR Layout. What was different you ask? For one, residents in the area came out to enjoy the peace and quiet on the streets in the area. Buses, cycles and feet were the most commonly used modes of transportation. Ask most participants what they thought of the initiative, and you would most likely get a resounding yes to yet another edition of the event. All was not well however. Some citizens compared the day to a bandh of sorts, since their freedom of movement was compromised. Many had to walk…

Do you remember a time when Bengaluru’s streets turned into playgrounds? Children would be out in hordes playing cricket or football. Pensioners would be out on their evening stroll. Grocery shopping meant walking to the neighbourhood angadi and back. Those commuting to work would either catch a bus or even walk the distance if office was not too far away. The times are different now. The roads are almost always jam-packed, and spending at least an hour or two on commute has become the norm. In a move to improve mobility in the city, several government organisations including Directorate of Urban Land…

174 - HSR Layout   The ward spent much of its money on roads, drains and housing for poor. However the area continues to suffer from traffic issues, while the houserents have sky-rocketed here. Here is more information on the ward. MLA (2013): Sathish Reddy M (BJP), Bommana Halli MP (2014): Ananth Kumar (BJP), Bangalore South BBMP 2010 Corporator: Smt.K. Latha (BJP)#20, New No.3, Agara, Agara Post, Sarjapura Road, Bangalore. Ph:9900263242Reservation: G Votes Winner's percentage: 22.9 Winner's margin:4047 Total votes: 18365 Total voters: 48352 BBMP 2015 Total voters: 54864Male: 29618Female: 25230Others: 16 Reserved: General Contesting Candidates BJP: Gurumurthy Reddy INC:…

  HSR Sector 2 Residents Welfare Association (Regd) had organised a special meeting on October 18th at the Cambridge School premises with the Joint Commissioner, BBMP, Bommanhalli Zone and his engineers to discuss the various infrastructural issues affecting the residents of the area.  The Corporator of the ward, Lata Narasimhamurthy was also present at the meeting. It was for the first time in six to seven years that a Joint Commissioner along with his engineers, in the presence of the Corporator, was interacting with the members/residents within the sector premises. In his opening remarks, the President of the RWA, Brigadier R…

KCDC all set to process waste with new machines. Pic: Nikita Malusare With garbage segregation norms not being adhered to by most residents in the city, landfills are the norm. Even in cases where the segregation is properly done, there is little infrastructure that can handle the end-to-end processing of the waste. The segregated waste is sometimes getting mixed on its way to landfills. Lack of scientific processing of such waste is adding to the problem. Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC) might have been established with a good intention of converting organic waste into compost. It would have been situated…

Four road safety entrepreneurs have been selected as winners in the innovation challenge “Safer Roads, Safer India: Game Changing Innovations that Save Lives.” Their projects were evaluated by an expert panel of judges and chosen as the top solutions from a pool of more than 80 entries that activate citizenship, improve governance to be more responsive, update infrastructure, and use technology to protect drivers, passengers, and bystanders. The four winning entrepreneurs, who were selected for meeting criteria for innovation, social impact, and sustainability, will each receive INR 300,000 as prize money funding to support their road safety innovations. They are…

Satish Reddy, Bommanahalli MLA, accompanying the protestors near KCDC. Pic: Rakshith G V  Residents of Somasundarapalya in Bengaluru have been protesting against the stench emitted by the  Karnataka Compost Development Corporation(KCDC)’s composting unit at HSR Layout. However Saturday's (May 24, 2014) protest was different: They had the MLA of Bommanahalli, Satish Reddy, to back them. Outside KCDC’s second gate, located next to Somasundarapalya lake, residents from the nearby apartments and houses gathered. They complained to the MLA about the smell, and claimed that their children are falling ill. The MLA claimed: “The stench is causing health problems for the people.…

KCDC all set to process waste with new machines. Pic: Nikita Malusare Dysfunctional machinery and long approval procedures are among the many reasons why the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC) facility  has been emitting a foul odour for months now, much to the discomfort of residents in the neighbourhood. Residents living in the areas surrounding KCDC cried foul against the unbearable odour emanating from the plant that has huge mounds of old waste. For several years, KCDC received close to 1000 tons of waste daily which was beyond its processing capacity of 300 tons per day. However, in 2008, because…

The residents of Bellandur, Koramangala and HSR Layout in Bengaluru, who have been fighting over the months to get the government to stop the mega project coming up on the wetland lying between Agara and Bellandur lakes, finally are resorting to a massive protest, to make their voices heard louder. The protest will be held on Sunday, March 23, 2014, at 10.30 am. The project is said to be violating the conditions set by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board, namely not altering the sloping pattern, not encroaching the drains etc. Despite this, the project developers Mantri Techzone Pvt Ltd…

Residents of HSR Layout, Somasundraplaya have written a letter to AnanthKumar, the incumbent MP of Bangalore South, apprising him of their problems and lack of response from the people's representatives. The letter says: "We are writing this mail in continuation of our earlier mails. We are now writing in pain and frustration as we continue to face the problem of total neglect of our area Somasundrapalya. The road work on the 27th main which had commenced has completely slowed down. The garbage problem continues to be a nightmare. The stink is so high we cannot breathe fresh air when we…