We have lots in store for you this week!

No more gas cylinders? GAIL’s plans for Bengaluru will get piped gas to your kitchen as they plan to connect the entire city, over the next few years.

Do check out two important campaigns that you can easily get involved in – Green Spot Challenge and My City My Budget. We also have the first article in our series on Disappearing Professions. All this and more.

This week’s highlight: GAIL piped gas supply – When will it reach your home?

GAIL has begun the pipeline laying work for its PNG project in HSR Layout. Pic: Akshatha M

Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) has been busy laying pipelines across the city, but not too many people know what it is about. GAIL is providing piped natural gas to households in Bengaluru as a part of its City Gas Distribution (CGD) project. Read: An in-depth look at GAIL’s plans for Bengaluru.

Hebbal goes to polls

As many as 20 candidates are in the fray for the MLA election in Hebbal. If you are from Assembly Constituency 158, check the details of the candidates and how you can vote. Read: Hebbal by-polls on February 13th.

Your opportunity to make a difference

“Compost, grow and cook” is the new slogan of the Solid Waste Management Round Table. Their new ‎Swacha Graha campaign aims to get a million homes to start a green spot.

Would you like to ask the government to earmark funds to sort out specific civic issues in your neighbourhood? This is your chance to let them know. Read: Tell BBMP where and how to spend your money.

Living in the city

Bengaluru’s revenues from property tax was way below the actual potential, or so the BBMP feels. BBMP wants to hike the property tax, but there are no plans for property verification. Read: Here’s why property tax will be hiked.

Last November, B.PAC filed a petition against BESCOM’s unsafe electrical installations across Bengaluru. Now, KERC has directed BESCOM to rectify these on priority.  Read: KERC directs BESCOM to tie up loose wires.

Those who lose their land and livelihood for the sake of various projects become migrants in search of jobs. Should the governments evict them, or rehabilitate them? But what can be done when few govt officials turn up at the public discussion on slum evictions.

Moving around

At the first mention of the word ‘roads’, most people in Bengaluru can’t help but associate it with traffic. But there’s so much that actually goes into planning them. Ashwin Mahesh pens down his thoughts: Are we missing the bus? and Who has the right to park?

Also read: Reality check on the new helmet rule.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to Central Government Ministers and MPs, in order to garner support for commuter railway in Bengaluru, ahead of the Railway Budget. Here’s what the letters say.

Volunteers required for translation

Last week, we had published the Koliwad Committee report on the list of encroachments in Bengaluru. Since most of the document is not in unicode, we are not able to scrape the Kannada data and translate it easily to English. We invite you to help with the translation. Check this thread on Facebook.

Throwback Thursday special

Candy shaped like an airplane. Pic: Smitha Jacob

Presenting the first article in our collaborative series on Bengaluru’s Disappearing Professions: Remember eating cars and planes? In the past, children would flock around his cart as he molded candy into whatever shape they wanted. Meet the Bombe Mithaiwala!

If you would like to contribute to this series, here’s how you can do so.

Culturati

Bengaluru has become a melting pot of cultures. Have a look at these videos that beautifully capture the changing culturescape of the city.  See: Five videos that capture the spirit of Bengaluru.

The wonders of nature

Indian Pitta. Pic: Deepa Mohan

Do you know that Bengaluru gets visitors from across the world? And no, we’re not talking about people. Several birds make their way to India for the winter. Read: Visitors from near and far.

Deepa Mohan pays a visit to a bio-heritage site at Devanahalli to see a tree that was supposedly planted in the early 12th century by King Rajendra Chola. Read: A visit to the Nallur Tamarind Grove.

The heroes among us

On January 30th, an RWA teamed up with a corporate to make footpaths more pedestrian-friendly.  Read: Cleaning up HSR Layout.

The week that was

• In a shameful incident, a 21-year old Tanzanian girl studying in a private college in Bengaluru was reportedly stripped and assaulted by a mob in Hesaraghatta on Sunday night. On the same night, a woman had died at Hesaraghatta after a drunk Sudanese student ran his car over her. The Tanzanian student who was in no way connected to the incident and came to the spot only half an hour after the accident, became the victim of the furious mob.
• Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani has announced that a Centre for Innovation and Research in Aerospace would be established in Whitefield. Speaking at Invest Karnataka-2016, he said the Centre would be a world-class facility for research, innovation and development in aerospace technology.
• The installation of the bio-filter in the KCDC plant in HSR Layout has skipped yet another deadline. In June 2015, KCDC officials had said that an odour control bio-filter system would be installed in three months. In October, they promised that the system would be functional by December. However, in a recent meeting with HSR residents, BBMP Special Commissioner (SWM) has said that the plant will get the bio-filter only by March 2016.
• The Fire and Emergency Service department has asked BESCOM to disconnect power supply to Bengaluru malls if they are found violating safety norms for fire and emergency situations. The warning has come in the backdrop of the recent fire at Gopalan Arcade Mall in RR Nagar.
• CID’s Human Trafficking Cell has rescued eight minors from Bihar who were working as bonded labourers at a waste recycling unit in Chandra Layout. The raid was conducted based on credible information given by local residents, CID sleuths have claimed.
• In an attempt to encourage people to use the Metro, BMRCL has planned to allow third parties to rent out motorcycles outside nine metro stations for last mile connectivity. According to media reports, commuters can take the motorcycle on rent in the morning and return it in the evening.

Events this week

• Catch award-winning comedian Radhika Vaz at Unladylike for a dose of laughter at Alliance Francaise on February 5th.
• Wellness expert Dr Sujata Kelkar Shetty will be talking about how Wellness is a Journey at Bangalore International Centre on February 6th.
• Make your way to Alliance Francaise for Tortilla Theatre Festival which will feature 40 short plays/performance over the next three weekends.
• Bangalore Little Theatre is doing a play reading of Kurukshetra Burning, an adaptation of Kuvempu’s Smashana Kurukshetra at Alliance Francaise on February 7th.
• Watch Caprice and Heat Wave, two French films that are being screened on February 8th and 9th respectively as part of MyFrenchFilmFestival.
• French musician Mathias Duplessy is collaborating with Sufi singer Mukhtiyar Ali at a concert at Alliance Francaise on February 10th.
• Compositions for Rest and Play, an exhibition featuring the works of artist Fahd Burki is on display at Galleryske until February 12th.
• 24-year-old artist Ketaki Bali, whose work is inspired by nature, has her paintings on display at Urban Solace until February 13th.

To know more about events in Bengaluru, click here

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