Articles by Ekta Sawant

Ekta was the Engagement Lead at Citizen Matters. She is interested in urban development, and understanding voluntary organisations and civic action groups in Bengaluru.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the country amidst rising COVID cases and states resorting to lockdowns, curfews and more to contain its spread.  As a young person, I was drawn toward one statement from the speech: "I call upon the youth of India to form small committees and help in COVID administration in their areas. If that happens, the government will not have to put containment zones or lockdowns..."  The PM's comment made me ask myself: are Bengaluru’s youth totally disconnected from social realities? Are they doing nothing about this health crisis? The answer is a resounding NO.…

Read more

As COVID-19 cases are steeply rising in Bengaluru, some citizen groups are demanding pedestrian- and cycling-friendly streets, that would help ensure social distancing in public spaces. For a start, they have sent a proposal to the state government and BBMP, specifically asking for three market streets - Commercial Street, Gandhi Bazaar and Malleswaram 8th Cross - to be closed to vehicles and be made pedestrian/cycling-friendly. The proposal was sent by the NGO Evangelical Social Action Forum (ESAF), and endorsed by groups like Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB), Malleshwaram Swabhimana Initiative, Bangalore Apartments’ Federation, CIVIC, Jhatkaa.org, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy…

Read more

Senior citizens everywhere are a particularly vulnerable section of society in these times of COVID-19 lockdown. Not only has this made it difficult for them to manage their day-to-day needs, their age and related health conditions make them more vulnerable to contracting the virus. A number of initiatives have sprung up in Bengaluru to specifically help senior citizens get medicines, groceries, mental health counselling, and help with hospital visits. We give below a list of such ongoing initiatives that senior citizens and those who know of seniors in need, can reach out to. 1. Relief Riders: “We carry supplies, not…

Read more

COVID-19 has put the spotlight back on Bengaluru's government hospitals. When COVID-19 cases started to be reported in the city, authorities rushed to ensure that these hospitals were cleaned up and prepared to deal with the situation. But on an average day, how well-maintained is an average government hospital in the city? These hospitals are all spruced up now, but how do we ensure this becomes the norm? First, let's see how hospitals are supposed to be maintained. The Centre's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has issued several guidelines on this. Most recently, this January, the National Centre…

Read more

Several reports from across Bengaluru point to tenants -- migrants, students, young professionals, flight attendants and others -- being asked by house owners to vacate their accommodation without prior notice. With the 21-day nation-wide lockdown in force, some helpless tenants are in a state of trauma after being forced to vacate. The lockdown clearly means that no one should leave their homes. According to a news report, an airline stewardess living in Kothanur was asked to vacate her apartment after her rent agreement expired on 28 March 2020. With all flight operation suspended and her monthly salary not credited, the…

Read more

The pandemic has forced most of us to stay put at homes and adapt to new ways of getting things done. While many of us have adjusted to this new life, several people across the country have been hit hard. With no food, water, shelter, access to public health and awareness, this vulnerable population, which includes daily wage workers, homeless, migrants, and senior citizens, is at risk of contracting the coronavirus. In most cases, this is after they have lost their jobs or have no way of earning. However, there are several individuals and groups who have come out to…

Read more

A couple of months ago, a mother and child met with a serious accident on the Varthur-Gunjur road. Passersby rushed them to a nearby hospital after they suffered injuries. Earlier this month, the condition of a Whitefield road became so poor that a school had to come forward to fix the road. A teacher from the school had met with an accident on the pothole-ridden road; one can only imagine how unsafe the school children would have been. We know of many such instances where commuters got injured or even lost their lives due to the poor condition of roads in Bengaluru. In…

Read more

Today, the BBMP Council elected M Gowtham Kumar as Bengaluru's new Mayor. Kumar, the BJP corporator from Jogupalya ward, replaces Gangambike Mallikarjun of the Congress. Here is a look at Gangambike's accomplishments, and the causes she had taken up in her tenure as Mayor. Pushing for ward committee meetings: In BBMP Council’s monthly session in November 2018, Gangambike announced that ward committee meetings should mandatorily be held in all 198 wards on the first Saturday of each month, starting immediately. Her announcement came after the city’s civic activists ran several campaigns for the cause over the years. Ward committee meetings…

Read more

This year, thousands of Bengalureans could not vote in the Lok Sabha election since their names went missing from the electoral rolls mysteriously. Among them were people who had voted in the assembly elections just last year. Thousands of applications for new enrolment also lay unprocessed for months before the election, which prevented many others from voting. Those who couldn't vote took to social media to voice their anger, and some even went to the High Court. The problem of voters missing from electoral rolls was reported from other cities too. From September 1st to October 15th, Election Commission of…

Read more

Two days ago, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao tweeted that the number of traffic wardens in the city would be increased from 390 to 2500. He requested citizens to get in touch with their nearest traffic police stations to apply to be a warden. Traffic wardens are volunteers from diverse backgrounds who support the police in traffic management, especially as the city’s increasing vehicle numbers have put pressure on the latter. The wardens are part of the Traffic Warden Organisation (TWO) of Bengaluru City Police. Traffic wardens need to be on duty only 16 hours a month, but can do…

Read more