June | 2013 | | Citizen Matters, Bengaluru

Trees for Tomorrow

June 29, 2013 Suvajit Sengupta

Trees are being felled in Kaggadasapura for various reasons. Some local residents decided to replenish a part of the area’s vanishing green cover.

Do your duty before blaming the government

June 29, 2013 Gayatri Devulapalli

A citizen reminds us of our basic civic responsibilities.

Quality of Life goes down in Bangalore, says survey

June 29, 2013 Prachi Sinha

Quality of Life of Bangalore has declined since 2010. Vast majority of wards suffer from contaminated water, poor sanitation and high pollution levels.

Society

Atul Chitnis: You aren’t remembered for doing what is expected of you

June 28, 2013 News Desk

A technologist, open source evangelist and known for his FOSS.in initiative, Atul Chitnis is remembered by many in the tech field. Here’s a reflection by some Bangaloreans who knew Atul personally.

Education

CBSE school stands up for underprivileged children, with BBMP support

June 28, 2013 Nalme Nachiyar

At a time when the poor cannot afford to dream of quality education, here’s a model school that’s silently changing the lives of many poor children in Srirampur in Bangalore. It has proved that children can change a family.

Society

Mootoocherry and St Marks: These are districts, the English built

June 27, 2013 Krupa Rajangam

A series of unconnected incidents helped establish some of the key areas in the centre of Bangalore – north and south of today’s MG Road.

Governance

IT group’s skyscrapers recommendation to redeem Bengaluru sparks a debate

June 27, 2013 Sriram Vittalamurthy

At a time when unregulated real estate development all over Bangalore has put massive stress on roads, water and other resources, a working group on IT has proposed a skyscraper core with a funding model.

More than 27,000 residents oppose Agara SEZ project

June 26, 2013 News Desk

Citizens of Koramangala, HSR Layout and Bellandur areas have written to all industry bodies and government departments concerned, highlighting the violations in upcoming SEZ near Agara in Bangalore, developed by Mantri Developers.

Save KR Market from landgrabbers

June 25, 2013 Anil

The legendary market was demolished and rehabitants were allotted shops on lottery basis. Now Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is permitting illegal constructions and allotment of shops within the heritage structure.

Musings of an Indian woman in the 21st century

June 25, 2013 Usha Srinath

A student of Manipal 30 years ago, Usha Srinath reflects upon what is leading to the incidents of violence on women – whether it’s the dress, mindset or the media – on the backdrop of the recent rape incident at Manipal campus.

Environment

How to keep snakes away this monsoon, in Bangalore

June 25, 2013 Nalme Nachiyar

With the onset of monsoon season, low-lying areas like Kengeri in Bangalore have seen snakes entering houses. One more example of man-animal conflict, why does this happen? How to avoid it?

Governance

Housing cooperatives: Are they serving the purpose?

June 25, 2013 Navya P K

Many housing cooperatives have hit the headlines for all wrong reasons: violation of rules, mismanagement, non-allotment of sites and more. The question is, have they forgotten the original purpose behind their formation?

Commute

High Security Number Plates to make entry soon

June 24, 2013 Bosky Khanna

Introduction of HSNP will change the game in a system where private vehicles are fined but government vehicles are let scot-free for faulty number plates.

Maximize child safety, minimize accidents

June 23, 2013 Chetan Ginigeri

Children are often involved in accidents that can be prevented. A pediatrician lists important precautions to keep kids safe.

No water for peripheral areas of Bangalore: Gaurav Gupta

June 23, 2013 Nikita Malusare

The mindless planning of infrastructure in Bangalore has led to depletion and contamination of ground water. Bangalore is already drawing 140 MLD water from Cauvery, while the actual limit is 90 TMC.

Governance

No respite for these Bangaloreans, as relatives remain trapped in Uttarakhand floods

June 22, 2013 Bosky Khanna

These people are not able to reach the helplines that are ever-busy with the flood of calls. Those who have been able to reach out describe the plight of the victims who are suffering the shortage of food, healthcare and proper shelter.

Whitefield residents set goals on waste management front

June 21, 2013 News Desk

Here is a summary of a seminar on waste management, ‘Garbage to Green’ by the waste management team of ‘Whitefield Rising’ citizens’ group – yet another community initiative.

Manic pile ups at Marathahalli

June 21, 2013 R Sharada

A resident of Brookefield details the traffic bottlenecks that began with the construction of the railway overbridge and continue to rise.

Environment

Ibblur lake: Now a dumpyard

June 21, 2013 Mukund Kumar

Ibblur Kere has been the source of water recharge for the nearby areas. This lake is facing boundary issues and illegal garbage dumps. There is an urgent need to revive this dying lake.

Infrastructure

Price the water in your apartment right

June 21, 2013 News Desk

Right price for water and billing strategy can make the residents water-sensitive and reduce water consumption in Bangalore. Here’s an approach to pricing water right.