PRESS RELEASE

On February 10th, Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, issued a suo moto statement in the Lok Sabha on the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus Disease in China and some other countries, and the subsequent actions taken by the Government of India. Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses that cause illness in humans and animals. Rarely, animal corona viruses can evolve and infect people, and then spread between people as has been seen with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2014. China reported an outbreak of Novel…

To encourage a culture of reusing stuff and reducing waste generated to create a positive impact on the planet, Chennai Corporation is organising an exciting event on January 12th and 13th - the "Reuse and Reduce Sale." Citizens can donate various lightly used items in good condition that they wish to part with, for the R & R sale where these will be sold at nominal price. You can also swap similar items at the sale venue. Scroll down to get more details regarding the event: What can you donate? (All items must be in good condition) 1) Children's toys/playthings…

Bangalore Apartments' Federation (BAF) has strongly condemned Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for its unilateral, unreasonable and illegal penalisation of apartments which have not been able to do in situ composting. BAF is a not-for-profit organisation with a membership base of over 500 apartment complexes across Bengaluru, representing almost one lakh households and three lakh people. Elaborating on Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, Vikram Rai, Treasurer and SWM Lead of BAF, said, “The SWM Rules of 2016 - notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 8th April 2016 - mandates only waste segregation. It neither mandates…

Most Indian cities have a distinct historic past, rooted in the natural, social, economic and cultural contexts of different times. A strong relationship with nature and its processes is the most significant aspect of these cities’ development and survival. Landscape Foundation, India initiated the pilot study of the city of Delhi (Delhi – Hills, Forests and a River, 2017) in this context. This was followed by the study of Pune (The City of Hills and Rivers, 2018). This year, the study of Bengaluru was undertaken. The research, in each case, is produced in English and the regional language, as to…

Bangalore Apartments' Federation (BAF), a federation representing over one lakh flats and three lakh apartment residents across Bengaluru, will launch MADHURA – 'Medical Aid for Domestic Help Under Residential Apartments'. As part of MADHURA, BAF will launch a group insurance scheme for all domestic workers. The scheme will cover maids, cooks, drivers, plumbers, electricians etc who work in apartment complexes but are not formally employed. Underscoring the importance of MADHURA, H A Nagaraja Rao, President of BAF, said, “Most domestic workers do not get coverage under government schemes like Ayushman Bharat or Arogya Karnataka as they may be above the…

State government has announced its decision to add 6000 buses to the BMTC fleet in a phased manner and to reduce bus fares. This is a huge win for commuters, civil society groups and the city at large. The Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV), a collective that advocates for better BMTC services, welcomes this long-awaited reform, and applauds the government and BMTC for the decision. Congratulations, Bengaluru! Decades of road widening, building flyovers and massive mobility infrastructure such as elevated roads and Metro, have only resulted in inadequate provision, increasing cost of public transport as well as traffic congestion. Finally,…

Metro train services will be suspended between RV Road and Yelachenahalli stations from 5 am of 14th November (Thursday) to the whole of 17th November (Sunday). BMRCL is launching viaduct superstructures on the span across the operational Green Line, south of RV Road. This work is part of developing RV Road Metro station as an interchange between the Green Line and the upcoming Electronic City Metro Corridor. The suspension is to facilitate new Metro line construction works to Bommasandra. Normal train services between Nagasandra and Yelachenahalli will be resumed from 5 am of 18 November (Monday). BMTC services available between…

Air quality in all 15 locations sampled from across the city between May and July 2019 was unhealthy, with levels of PM 2.5 in the worst affected areas nearly three times the national standard of 60 ug/m3, according to a study released by Healthy Energy Initiative and Doctors for Clean Air-Tamil Nadu. The widespread nature of pollution and the fact that the samples were taken in summer highlights how the current pollution crisis is neither an isolated nor a seasonal incident. The study analysed 24-hour air samples for PM 2.5 and a host of heavy metals. The densely populated areas…

Chennai saw 543 registered cases of dengue till October, the highest across all districts in Tamil Nadu in this calendar year. The civic body has promised to undertake more preventive measures such as fumigation and conduct awareness drives to educate citizens on dos and don’ts, to arrest the spread of dengue. Citizens in their individual capacity can be prepared to prevent the spread of the disease by undertaking certain preemptive measures.  Here are a few key pointers from the Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital on how dengue spreads, the symptoms, course of treatment and what you can do to avoid…

Media reports have stated that the state government and BBMP plan to introduce dedicated bus lanes on 12 high-density corridors in Bengaluru. The Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV) welcomes this initiative as it is essential for sustainable and equitable mobility in the city. This has been a long standing demand from BBPV and other civil society groups, and we are happy to work with the government to make this a success. Why dedicated bus lanes are important Road space is a limited public resource. Bus-based public transport makes the most efficient use of road space for moving people. As the…