Infrastructure

Bengaluru has a large, expanding number of self-contained, gated communities (GC) comprising either a series of apartment blocks or individual houses. Utilities such as power and water in these communities are exclusive to their residents. The transformer is the most critical part of the electrical installation in a residential community. This article explains the various steps in their installation and maintenance. The role of transformers The electricity we get in our homes is generated at very high voltage and then transmitted to us through electric lines over long distances. Since the appliances in our homes operate at low voltage, this…

In Part 2 of this series, we wrote about how over a thousand families forcibly evicted from the Ejipura slum in 2013 are yet to be rehabilitated. At the time of their eviction, these residents were promised alternative accommodation at a new EWS (Economically Weaker Section) quarters in Sulikunte, along Sarjapur Road. The new quarters were built in 2017. But less than 400 families live there presently, almost a decade after their eviction. The reason: the city corporation BBMP lacks clarity on who the deserving beneficiaries are. As per BBMP's records, 792 out of the 900 flats in Sulikunte have…

Bengaluru has registered above-average rainfall to date. This also correlates with the washing away of road surfaces resulting in more potholes being exposed. The usual blame games then begin among the authorities. However, there are parts of Bengaluru where this pattern rarely happens. One such area which has consistently bucked this trend of rains leading to potholes, and having good roads in general, is Electronics City - Specifically, the areas managed by the Electronics City Industrial Township Authority (ELCITA). How does Electronic City ensure good roads? As any urban planning expert would tell you, issues like poor drainage or bad…

In 2021, Mumbai was ranked 5th in global vehicular congestion by the TomTom Traffic Index. Rates of car ownership in the city are growing — at roughly 10% per annum — against the backdrop of traffic congestion and a severe lack of parking space. For every vehicle in the city, at least three locations for parking are required. As car ownership increases, the need for parking spaces will grow three times that rate, roughly 30%.  In apprehension of such a situation, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in January 2021 put together a committee of 15 experts and citizens to form the…

Peak traffic on the busiest section of Tannery Road in East Bengaluru occurs around 6 pm. The heavy traffic makes driving through this narrowest stretch of the road time consuming — taking about six minutes to cover a mere 500 metres. Small shops line one side of this street which earlier was 40 feet wide but has now been reduced to a little less than 20 feet. The other side has the now familiar blue barricades of Metro construction. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has had to demolish a water tank, gas agency and a few other shops…

Between March 6th and April 16th, the Mumbai police started a drive to clear streets of abandoned vehicles, an issue that has caused nuisance across the city. Known as the Khatara Hatao campaign, they seized about 10,496 vehicles, as per information shared by the Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey on his Twitter handle. As part of this drive, the Mumbai police tows away abandoned vehicles to a dump yard and sends notices to the vehicle’s registered owners asking them to claim them back within a month, failing which the vehicles would be auctioned. “Most of these abandoned vehicles are in…

BBMP is constructing an underpass at Sarjapura Road at Harlur Road junction, much against local residents’ objections. Despite numerous attempts to engage with BBMP, the authorities are insisting on going ahead with this project. This insistence is surprising even as BBMP itself has recently talked about rejecting underpass solutions. Announced in 2016-17, the project to construct an underpass on Sarjapura Road at Harlur Road Junction was estimated to cost Rs 23 crores. While the proposal was based on the situation back in 2016-17, the ground situation has changed now with traffic management measures being taken, as well as a post-pandemic…

At the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow on 7th November 2021, J R Bhatt, Adviser/Scientist in the Ministry of Environment, while presenting India’s third Biennial Update Report (BUR), referred to the significant uptake of its solar programme. India’s solar energy capacity has risen 17 times in the last seven years, currently standing at about 45 gigawatts. However, when one looks at the various targets set for the shift to solar, it becomes evident that there is still a long distance to be covered. An independent analysis by the Council for Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) had shown earlier that India’s…

The proposed letter from the building committee of the High Court of Madras to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), asking the latter to consider shifting Hynmers’ Obelisk from its present location, has brought into sharp focus the role of the ASI when it comes to protecting monuments that are under its control. Will it stand up to its mandate or simply give in is the question. We sincerely hope it will be the former option. Little protection for monuments As per the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958, it is forbidden to take up any…

Over the years, Bengalureans have protested against a number of infrastructure projects that they believed went against public interest. For example the protests against the proposed elevated road corridors in 2019. Or the recent protests against metro construction on All Saints' Church land. While the protests mentioned above were successful, many others were not. Citizens often are unable to get government agencies to listen to their concerns. In many cases, they become aware of the details of a project only when construction starts. But public consultations at multiple stages are mandatory for public infrastructure projects as per the Karnataka Town…