PRESS RELEASE

On the occasion of World Environment Day 2018 that had the theme Beat Plastic Pollution, environmental groups led by the Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT), Bengaluru, got together to conduct Waste and Brand Audit in eight locations in Bengaluru. The audit was part of a pan-India activity coordinated by GAIA India, where ten member organisations and partners conducted clean up and waste and brand audits in 18 states of India. In Bengaluru, the Waste and Brand Audit took place on 20th to 22nd May 2018, with over 120 volunteers worked in partnership with groups like HasiruDala, Bangalore Eco Team,…

Chennai Volunteers is organizing a blood donation drive and stem cell donation registration in partnership with the Madras Voluntary Blood Bureau & Jeevan Stem Cell Foundation on Saturday, June 23 2018, between 10 am and 2 pm  at Mecheri Center, Eldams Road, Teynampet. The proceeds of this camp will be used for deserving children being treated for Thalassemia at VHS Hospital. A facility to register interest to donate stem cells will also be available at the venue. Donors who express interest in stem cell donation will be contacted when a requirement arises. Why stem cell donation? Every year over 1,20,000 Indians…

With Urban India alone generating a gigantic 1.5 lakh metric tonnes per day of Municipal Solid Waste, waste management has grown to become a huge burden in urban India. Despite the existence of strong laws -- Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016 and Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 -- cities are stuck at the implementation level. Now, a new report shows that while smaller cities have done a good job of complying with the major clauses of key environmental legislation, larger cities including Bengaluru and New Delhi are yet to satisfy the basic mandate of waste management: source segregation, or in…

The Elders Helpline, a joint project of Nightingales Medical Trust (NMT) and the Bangalore City Police, is organising a road show and street plays in Bengaluru on June 15, 2018, to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness and Prevention Day. The aim is to send out a clear message – that there should be an end to the abuse, assault, neglect and intimidation of the older generation. In India the population of elders is increasing substantially. In addition to various age-related disabilities, elders become an easy target for abuse and crimes. Elders suffer physical, emotional and financial abuses in silence. Elder…

The theme for World Environment Day is ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ and water bodies face serious threat from plastic waste not only polluting them but also affecting the water inhabitants and ecosystem. Kere Utsava is a citizen centric event and is to create awareness, promote sustainable alternatives to plastic, educate about the impact of plastic on our environment and water bodies. We are expecting over 7000+ people including school & college children to visit the event all through the day from 6am to 5pm. Many NGOs, farmers and social enterprises will attend the event. List of activities: Event: Kere Utsava, Agara…

Mandram, a global platform for people interested in Tamil language and literature, marks the coming together of people from different backgrounds to share their perspectives, journey and success stories for everyone to be inspired. The first ever Mandram was organised in Chennai with speakers from varied backgrounds like science, art and culture sharing their perspectives. The next event of Mandram is being held in Bengaluru on June 9 in collaboration with National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) at the NCBS campus, Kodigehalli from 3.30 pm- 6 pm. Mandram expands with this event to present the Jigyasa project, where Kannada is…

Human rights activists and eminent members of civil society have come together to raise deep concerns and unequivocally condemn the recent police action against protesters in Thoothukudi (Tuticorin), who had been demanding the closure of a plant owned by Sterlite Industries, a subsidiary of mining giant Vedanta Resources.  Police violence has left several people dead and many more injured. In a public statement, citizens point out that not only was this tragedy totally avoidable, it appears that the police have even given hot pursuit and shot at women and others in fishing hamlets like Theresepuram. The sheer brutality of the…

As a lead-up to World Environment Day on June 5, environmental justice  groups and citizens  are launching  an unprecedented coordinated waste  and brand audits in key cities in India. Scheduled from May 16 to May 30 in the cities of Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru along with various cities in Goa, Kerala, and 12 Himalayan States, the audits seek to highlight the role of corporations in the global plastic waste crisis, results of which will be published on 4th June. “Through these audits, we want to put the spotlight on corporations who have been responsible for the manufacturing, distribution, and proliferation of…

Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) today released a list of 28 endorsed candidates from 18 Assembly constituencies for upcoming assembly elections, 2018. "A country like ours has a diverse polity and you need multiple skillsets to tackle the issues that confront us today. It was a tough call and after diligent deliberations the committee concluded that each of these candidates had something to offer the voters, and hence, should be supported in their endeavors to represent Bengaluru" - Kiran Mazumdar Shaw  Since 2013 B.PAC has been endorsing candidates for all three general elections namely Assembly Elections in 2013, Lok Sabha Elections…

The Chunavana Android App is developed by the CEO of Karnataka after assessing the need of the public through a specialized KAP Survey is available for the public download now in the Google Play Store. The survey report revealed that out of the people who did not vote 25% was because they were not aware of their polling stations, 17.5 % of the urban voters did not vote because of long queue and avoided standing in the queue and 7.5 % of the urban voters did not vote because they are unaware of their candidates and the constituencies. The Chunavana…