Z-Blogs

With young students like Anvitha Rao and Joiston Pereira taking the initiative, the annual Waterfowl Census, which had been suspended some time ago due to lack of support by the authorities, was revived again on some of the lakes of Bangalore. On Saturday, 26th Dec, 2015, the census was started at Agara Lake. Several concerned citizens,birders and environmentalists participated. On Saturday, lakes along Sarjapura Road were covered; on Sunday, the focus was on Hosur Road.  While doing the bird counts, participants were also asked to input data on the condition of the lakes. Here is an update from Joiston Pereira:…

We recently protested against, and stopped, an illegal meeting by the Bangalore Metro authorities, to ratify cutting trees in Reach 2. However, we can't protest all the time, and I recently found several large trees cut down on Bannerghatta Road. When will this tree-cutting mania stop in our city? Cutting the trees and widening the roads is a double whammy...we remove the beings that cleanse our air, and add motorized vehicles, each of which produces noxious fumes. It's been proved that widening of roads only causes more traffic to jam them in a downward spiral of destruction and pollution. When…

Looking up is always as much of a delight as looking around.  

George Varghese writes:   From: George Varghese <grgvrghs@gmail.com>Date: 27 November 2015 at 14:14Subject: The sweetest investment you can ever make....To: Here's a chance to make a social, ethical, environment-friendly investment and get the sweetest returns you can ever imagine and also at the same time support a rural entrepreneur make a livelihood. Interested? Read on..... What this is about: A local farmer Nagaraj living near Bisilkoppa village, Sirsi Taluk is also an experienced bee keeper. He is interested in expanding his bee keeping enterprise by getting 100 new bee boxes. At a cost of Rs.4000 per box (box with bee…

It's happening again. And again. I get to know about an event...a film, a performance....that I would like to attend. Two of them are across town from me. But when I get there, the venue is jam-packed, and we are not even able to enter the hall. Many of us stand around, disconsolately, trying to see if the organizers will let us at least take a peep inside. Sometimes we get a glimpse of what is inside or a snatch of the music, if we sit, devotedly, near the door. Otherwise, we just finally turn away. The first time was…

Reshmi Nagendra writes: Last evening when I was returning with 2 of my friends in my car, I had one of the worst encounters with a BMTC bus driver and the conductor of that bus(K A 0 1 F A 923, route number 213 L). The bus driver overtook us from the left side so recklessly and that left scratches in the front of the car, near the headlight. When I stopped and questioned him regarding the way he spoke , the driver straightway started addressing me in singular and used fowl language. Since I am also a localite I…

I saw this "repair" of a broken window on a Vajra (Volvo) bus.   Jugaad, or creative solutions, are all very well, but does BMTC really not have money to repair a bus properly, and have to resort to ugly solutions lik this?

It was a pleasant experience to have these two teachers from Indira Priyadarshini school over, and answer a fairly detailed questionnaire (which will, hopefully, result in my getting an Aadhar card!).   However, it occurs to me...can this whole exercise not be conducted more efficiently? These two have had to take off from their teaching duties for 10 days, as no doubt others have to, also. Why not employ other educated youth who are not employed, for this? These teachers will have to go back and try to catch up with 10 days' backlog. Also, they had to write the…

A reader wrote to us: "This article clearly violates the principle of Oorvani foundation (of non-partisan reporting)... this article from Mount Carmel event is clearly to support Rahul Gandhi as a politician." No. First, the article was not a staff report. It was the 'voice' of a student who reacted to media reports, basing her judgement on what she observed. It's the voice of a Bengalurean, and we believe every one of us has a right to express that, as long as it is articulated and reasoned. Read: Did the Mount Carmel students really stump Rahul Gandhi? Citizen Matters does not…

Call me old-fashioned, but flea markets at malls leave me cold. For me, true celebration happens when communities and families chip in, not for themselves but to help others. And how better to ring in the season of giving, with one of the first Christmas Carnivals in the city. And no, this is not a mall-organised shopping festival, but a feast for the senses, featuring handmade, hand-crafted and yes, home-made creations. Every item at the carnival—which is tomorrow, Sunday, November 29, at Daya Niketan, Vitayathel Farm, Inner Byrathi Road, Hennur Road—has been made with love. And how do I know…