December | 2016 | | Citizen Matters, Bengaluru

Best of Citizen Matters – 2016

December 30, 2016 News Desk

We couldn’t help sharing this curated list of stories we published in 2016 – so here we are, with special year-end edition of the newsletter! These are the stories that make us what we are;

Waste hair to wigs: who makes this happen?

December 29, 2016 Radio Active 90.4MHz

Ever wondered what happens to the your hair after it is cut ? Waste hair can be and is upcycled.
(Language: Tamil)

Big challenge for Bengaluru’s Mayor at KR Market

December 27, 2016 Nikhil R Reddy

Every mayor wants to clean-up KR Market. G Padmavathi’s challenge is no mean task as this photo essay shows.

Hurdles aplenty for innovative start-ups in Bengaluru

December 26, 2016 Akshatha M

Bengaluru has been ranked as the second fastest growing start-up ecosystem in the world, but owners of new innovative businesses in the city find the journey far from smooth.

BWSSB STP rules: Creating more problems than solutions

December 23, 2016 Nakul Heble

Recent BWSSB regulation requiring even existing apartments in core sewered areas of Bengaluru to compulsorily install STPs reeks of impracticality and an unfair targeting of apartment dwellers.

Wisdom of a timeless classic decoded for children

December 22, 2016 Nitya Deep

Roopa Pai explained how Bhagawad Gita was a maths puzzle book and a self-help book, and how one can leverage the wisdom of the Gita to win over the Kauravas in one’s own mind.

No more real estate scams please, involve people in Light Rail planning

December 21, 2016 Amith Subramanian Pallavoor

Bringing Light Rail system to Bengaluru will involve redeveloping 5042 acres of land. Can the government turn this into an example of participatory democracy?

Proposed suburban rail policy: will it help Bengaluru’s commuter rail dreams?

December 20, 2016 Khader B Syed

Bengaluru has an under-utilised railway network, through which activists hoped to realise the dream of commuter railway. Is the central government’s draft policy signalling the death of city’s ambitions?

City administration looks away as Anjanapura residents gasp amid garbage fires

December 19, 2016 V K Srivatsa

Continuous garbage dumping and fires on BDA land create grave health hazard for residents of Ward 198 in Anjanapura, but who’s listening?

Citizens board trains to ask for ‘Chukubuku’

December 19, 2016 Arunava Banerjee

Citizens of Bengaluru team boarded trains to spread awareness on commuter trains in Bengaluru.

Bellandur apartment citizens set example in reduce-reuse culture

December 16, 2016 Anandhi Balaji

Sobha Quartz resident Anandhi Balaji recounts her experience in leading the community on the way to a more responsible and environment-friendly holistic lifestyle.

Literature to interactions to workshops, something for all at BLF-2016

December 14, 2016 News Desk

Ramachandra Guha to Chetan Bhagat to Sanjeev Kapoor, many eminent speakers will participate in the literature festival. Children have a separate section with curated programmes exclusively for them.

Multiple mega-projects meant for Bengaluru yet to take off

December 13, 2016 Akshatha M

Traffic issues in Bengaluru have been unbearable. There are multiple projects announced by the government, that are either in cold storage or moving at a snail’s pace. Here’s a list and status of such projects.

A moth, not a hummingbird

December 12, 2016 Deepa Mohan

If you happen to see Hummingbird Hawk Moth this winter, be assured that you have a lot of good luck on your plate!

Damsels dancing in nature!

December 11, 2016 Deepa Mohan

These colourful ‘flying needles’ are a pleasure to watch – next time you go out to a nature outing, take care to notice them and enjoy!

Make cities better: Reality of managing one’s own sewage in Bengaluru

December 9, 2016 News Desk

Dear Reader, Before you move on to the news section, ponder this: 2018 is going to see elections in Karnataka – precisely 18 months away from now. Do you have any idea what the 28

Apartments struggle with ‘manage your own sewage’ rule

December 9, 2016 Pradeep Kuttuva

Following BWSSB’s 2016 regulation mandating all apartment complexes with more than 20 units to install their own STPs, a study finds many challenges before the ones already in place.

Bengaluru’s top architects open their studios to the public

December 7, 2016 Krupa Rajangam

Open Day by Bangalore Architects, River Hope’s fourth annual event, makes the city’s best known architecture firms and projects open to the public.

TenderSURE design may lead to tree-less future, says environmentalist

December 6, 2016 News Desk

Do wider footpaths mean more space for trees? What might happen if trees don’t have enough space for their roots? An analysis.

Your chance to chronicle Bengaluru’s forgotten local heroes

December 5, 2016 Raghav C Madhukar

A 15-year-old student’s urge to know more about the people after whom the city’s streets and parks are named has led to an important local history initiative. Ashoka Youth Venture Fellow Raghav Madhukar shares more about the project.