Citizen Journalism | Citizen Matters, Bengaluru

Why Koramangala looks like a war zone: Five ongoing projects in 4 sq km

August 19, 2019 Muralidhar Rao

With five major infrastructure projects, and several smaller ones, Koramangala resembles a massive construction site these days. Neither the hapless residents nor the authorities are clear about the details of these projects, or why they are needed at all

All you need to know about composting garden waste

August 16, 2019 Luke Dhanaraj

Pit composting is perhaps the easiest way to dispose of garden waste – it takes minimal effort, and gives you high-quality manure for your garden. But what exactly happens in a compost pit? And how do you ensure the right conditions for composting? Here’s an explainer

How this Bellandur apartment saves Rs 25,000 a year composting garden waste

August 14, 2019 Luke Dhanaraj

The residents of Sobha Quartz once used to pay tractor operators to dump their garden waste. But once they started composting this waste instead, their garden has thrived from the compost, and they now save around Rs 25,000 a year

Why Bengaluru’s draft transit policy is unlikely to make the city more liveable

August 8, 2019 Dr. Anjali Karol Mohan

Bengaluru’s upcoming TOD (Transit Oriented Development) Policy is expected to ease commute and reduce urban sprawl in the city. But the policy will be successful only if several gaps are fixed

How a residents’ group saved Benniganahalli lake from going the Bellandur way

August 6, 2019 Manini Mandal

When Benniganahalli lake started frothing in 2017, residents of the nearby Pai Layout pushed BBMP to restore it. The cleaned-up lake bed is now filled by monsoon rains. The residents have also formed a Trust to develop a jogging track and other facilities here in coordination with BBMP

How to compost wet waste in your apartment with just a bucket

August 5, 2019 Abhijna N C

If you live in an apartment, you may find disposing wet waste difficult. But to compost this waste, all you need is an old bucket. Here’s a DIY guide on making your own ‘compost bucket’ and using the compost in your garden

Should you have to pay for parking in Bengaluru?

August 1, 2019 Vimal Simha

Bengaluru has taken any number of measures to stop parking chaos on the streets – from setting up MLCPs to mandating parking space in buildings. Why then is parking still an issue in the city? Will the recent proposal to end free parking make a difference?

Ten steps to make your ward committee meetings effective

July 26, 2019 Srinivas Alavilli

At ward committee meetings, you can highlight problems in your locality, hold authorities accountable, and plan local development. But how do you get started? Here is a step-by-step guide

Did your ward councillor win CfB’s Corporator No 1 Awards?

July 16, 2019 Srinivas Alavilli

This Sunday, citizens presented the ‘Corporator No 1 Awards’ to 51 BBMP councillors who had organised the most number of ward committee meetings. Read on to see if your corporator made it to the list

“To make the Volvo AC bus viable, link it with railways and Metro”

July 15, 2019 Uma Ranganathan

As BMTC’s Volvo buses are loss-making, the government recently suggested withdrawing these. But there are ways to turn the situation around, says the author

Residential areas illegally commercialised, JP Nagar-ites protest

July 12, 2019 Anand Mangalam

The area around 24th Main road in JP Nagar is to be largely used for residential purposes, as per the city’s Revised Master Plan (RMP 2015). But illegal commercialisation, and that too without adequate parking facilities, has made life here a nightmare for residents

Plan local development, highlight civic issues at your ward committee meeting

July 11, 2019 Pravar Chaudhary

At ward committee meetings, you can discuss any local issue – from potholes to your ward’s annual budget. Know more about how you can make a difference in your locality by taking part in these meetings