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City news that matters
Before our Bengaluru This Week roundup, here’s the curation of latest city news.
The city is gearing up to welcome the Prime Minister – Narendra Modi is visiting Bangalore on September 24th. He is expected to stay at Raj Bhavan.
Red Bull Flugtag, a fun contest, will take place on Sankey Tank on September 28th. Locals fear that it will cause problems to the birds around.
HAL chief suggests that HAL airport be reopened. This means stricter aviation norms around the aerodrome.
Government has closed down Jakkur Flight Training Centre, as the project caused “obstacles” to the elevated highway nearby.
BBMP’s plan of re-opening Mavallipura landfill has received resistance from an unexpected corner. Kempegowda International Airport Limited (KIAL) has written to the government asking not to re-open it, because if the garbage attracts more birds, it will be a serious threat to aviation safety.
Urban Development Department will hold a public consultation on ward committee rules on Friday September 19th, at 3 pm in Vikasa Soudha.
This week’s highlight: East Bangalore’s traffic nightmare
Pashmina Waterfront as seen on Google maps.
Imagine this: 26 new projects coming up in the Whitefield-KR Puram-Mahadevapura area could add 19,000+ cars to the road, and up the water demand by 10.5 million litres! Is the area prepared for this? Read: A case of real estate growth with no planning?
Big News
>> The state government is finally setting up the Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) for Bangalore, after a High Court directive. Kathyayini Chamaraj’s analysis of the Metropolitan Planning Committee, exposes its unconstitutional spirit and several other chinks in its armour. Read: How Siddaramaiah’s government crippled Bengaluru in 11 ways recently.
>> The mayor is supposed to be the official head of the city government. However, she has no place in the new MPC, while her fellow councillors are its members. Read: Bangalore Mayor has no role in planning the city.
>> If you are in the city only for a few months or years, want to move out later, would you want to pay life-time road tax for your vehicle? Some people feel this is injustice. Read: Non-KA vehicle owners want road tax rules changed.
>> If you are new to Bangalore, you can be rest assured that the city and its people will welcome you. These tips could make your stay all the more enjoyable. Read: Ten tips for a happy stay in Bangalore.
A walk down memory lane
>> ‘The composting plant was not as smelly or dirty as one would imagine; it was a haven for me’ – Retired IAS officer, T R Raghunandan goes down memory lane: How Bengaluru got its first composting plant.
Civic initiatives
>> NGOs and lake activists, under the banner of ‘One Bengaluru for Lakes’, have called for people to come together and demand for the government to implement 6 steps in the interest of the city’s lakes. Read: Bangaloreans come together to save the city’s lakes.
>> The past fortnight at Bellandur – BBMP pilots a waste segregation drive, residents clear up roads to up the pedestrian safety quotient and a ‘wealth from waste’ workshop for children. Read the Forward Bellandur newsletter.
>> Street games, gully cricket, Dollu Kunitha, taekwondo, and of course, cycle rides – there was plenty in store for the 4,500 participants at the second edition of the Cycle Day in Allasandra Lake on September 14th.
>> The storytelling workshop at Puttenahalli Lake on September 6th had more than 40 kids mesmerised as the Storywallahs took them on a journey on the occasion of International Literacy Day.
Events this weekend
>> Watch Oh Boy, an award winning German film that chronicles a day in the life of a young university dropout, at Max Mueller Bhavan on Thursday September 18th.
>> Catch the screening of Ranganayaki (Director: Puttanna Kanagal), a that explores the nuances of the Oedipus Complex at Shambavi Dance Theatre, Kengeri on September 20th .
>> We the Goondas is screening Internet’s Own Boy, a documentary about Aaron Swartz on September 21st. This will be followed by a discussion about the issues with the Goonda Act amendments.
>> To join the journey of reviving lakes in Bangalore, attend the One Bengaluru, One Voice, One Demandseminar, being conducted by One Bengaluru for Lakes on September 21st at Senate Hall, Central College.
>> Watch Ek Ant Ki Shuruaat, a political satire that portrays what could happen if there were only two political parties in the country – a male party and a female party. The play will be staged at Alliance Francaise on September 21st.
>> Get your children to participate in the Agrasen Run 1098, an initiative to create awareness about 1098, the Childline number. The run will be flagged off from Press Club at Cubbon Park on September 21st.
>> If you work in an organisation where the focus is on social change, consider attending CSIM’s one-day workshop on Impact Assessment Measurement and Social Audit on September 22nd at Shilton Royale.
>> Participate in a book discussion on Gas Wars: Crony Capitalism and the Ambanis, along with lead author Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Dr Vinod Vyasulu and BK Bhattacharya on September 20th at the Bangalore International Centre.
“Community funding is the only way to build a true public media, which produces consistent and quality journalism. I can’t think of any better candidate” – Thejesh G N, Technologist and Co-founder of Data Meet
BBMP will mandate agencies that dig up roads, to pay a security deposit that covers 100 percent of the road restoration cost. Also from now, BBMP – not the agencies – will restore the dug roads. Read more on this, and other news from the city over the past week, in our roundup
In this edition, read the second story in our new series, Insights into Bengaluru: Why bank loans aren’t meant for the poor. We also have several guides: how you can retrieve stolen items from the police after a theft, how you can switch to solar power, and what you should do if you purchase medicines that have been tampered with. All this and more…
