Civic

2,900 acres of urban forest land encroached In the total 16,988 acres of forest land in Bengaluru Urban district, there are 1,051 cases of encroachment, violating 2,871.37 acres, said Environment and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre. In the Bannerghatta National Park division alone, 587.15 acres of the forest have 347 cases of encroachment. In Bengaluru South, 1,277.33 acres of forest land show 283 encroachments. Bengaluru East's 570 acres have 250 encroachments, Yelahanka has 20 cases and Bengaluru North's 45.01 acres have 65 encroachment cases. Encroachers have been charged under the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963 and clearances are being sought under Section…

"One of the first things I did as soon as I took charge as a Councillor was to ensure that the frontline workers in my ward were treated with respect. I gathered all the sanitary workers and the local officials in my ward and instructed that the frontline workers, especially the women who are often ill-treated, should be treated with respect. This includes gestures like providing them with a seat during a conversation," says Ambedvalavan (A) Kumarasamy, Councillor of Ward 73. Most of the people in Ward 73 are the people from the economically weaker section who are discriminated against…

Tamil Nadu generates a whopping Rs 44,000 crores in revenue from the Government owned TASMAC liquor stores every year. It is truly unfortunate that these shops have turned into a key source of revenue for the state as their adverse effect on the populace is not quantifiable. Making the entire situation even more unpalatable is the location of such shops across the state. Residential neighbourhoods which were once peaceful have seen great disruptions due to the presence of TASMAC shops.  One such area is in Perambur where three TASMAC shops operated within 100 mts, making the lives of residents increasingly…

Elliot’s Beach in Besant Nagar is one of the most abused natural spaces within the city.  The beach was in pristine condition until the early 1980s, with sparkling sand with two prominent structures, the Karl Schmidt Memorial and the governor’s Guest house with terracotta tiled roof. It was a scenic beach with scattered Ipomea patches.   Uca crabs could be seen busy de-silting their burrows at the same time being vigilant about their safety from their predators and humans.  There would be three rolls of ropes, used for dragging the net, stacked neatly in a circular pattern by the well-disciplined fishers.…

Flyovers to be open at night in Chennai Flyovers across Chennai will be open overnight after a recent decision by the city’s Traffic Police. Previously, all flyovers were shut during the night time, forcing motorists to take longer routes to reach their destination.  The restriction on the use of flyovers during the night was put in place during the pandemic to reduce vehicular movement but had continue long after. The rationale behind its continuation was that it was seen as a move to curb erratic driving and overspeeding at night. With more offices remaining open overnight, there has been an…

Two killed after BEST bus skids and crashes into auto-rickshaw Two people, travelling in an auto, were killed in a BEST bus accident. The bus crashed into the auto rickshaw after it skidded and collided with another BEST bus. The deceased were identified as Johnny Sankhram, 42 and Sujata Panthaky, 38. Both people sustained severe head injuries. The incident took place at the Goregaon check Naka on the Eastern expressway Highway.  The police booked the driver of bus number 1453 for causing death due to negligence under section 304 (A) of the Indian Penal Code. The officials said that since…

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presented the first State Budget of his government. He claimed that the aim is to provide relief for inflation-affected citizens through five guarantee schemes by transferring Rs 52,000 crore to more than one crore families. The budget follows the Universal Basic Income being implemented for the first time. The outlay is over Rs 3.27 lakh crore. The government has increased the Additional Excise Duty on Indian Made Liquor by 20%, and on beer by 5.71%, and proposes to revise guidance value of properties and set a higher revenue target from stamp duty and registration. It also proposes that…

Key roads in Ashok Nagar have been subject to floods in recent years whenever there have been severe cyclonic storms in the city. An outdated stormwater drain (SWD) network was one of the key reasons for the flooding and the misery that the residents faced. Having seen the impact of the urban floods, the residents of the area organised themselves into a Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) that has successfully managed to work with the civic body in creating infrastructure that will prevent future floods.  Read more: Perambur SWD construction: Sewage, exposed cables and other horrors Key roads in Ashok Nagar…

Ganganna (name changed) has been working as a manual scavenger, cleaning toilets and drains for the past 25 years in Tumkur. He says that most villagers have almost stopped hiring manual scavengers, but in urban areas like Bengaluru, there is demand for people like him. Cleaning of STPs cause of death Bengaluru has a large number of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), mostly in apartments, and many lack mechanised maintenance. When STPs require manual intervention in repairing blocks and cleaning, it is workers like Ganganna who are called to get into the sewage pits. This has led to the institutionalisation of…

Chennai’s Semmozhi Poonga, which experiences fluctuating fortunes based on who is in power at Fort St. George hosted a a short three-day flower show from June 3. To prepare the park for the event, funds have flowed in for beautification, including the laying of granite walkways. In recent days, a new park in Gandhi Nagar, Adyar, has been named Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi Park, after the former Chief Minister. The question that showpiece parks, some of which levy entry and photography charges, pose is this: can green commons in a populous and sprawling city be created only at high expenditure? Read more: In…