GENRE: In Focus

With no income in the lockdown, Abdul Sattar and other embroiderers in Bengaluru were desperate to return to their West Bengal village. Now, with no work in the village, Sattar is desperate to come back to the city.

The government has mandated one permanent shelter equipped with essential services for every one lakh people. Bengaluru has only 10 for a population of over one crore.

Slender lorises were commonly spotted in Bengaluru once, but with widespread tree felling, they are now cornered into isolated patches like IISc. Further tree loss is threatening the survival of the small population that remains now.

Bengaluru recently revived its Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC), which is supposed to be the local authority for biodiversity conservation. But lack of clarity on their roles and powers have made BMCs largely ineffective across the country.

Bengaluru invests crores in road construction, but very little in footpaths and pedestrian crossings. Why are pedestrians so neglected?

Many local, nutritious food varieties in Bengaluru have nearly disappeared over time. While millets like ragi are now making a comeback, there are still several crops we have not even heard of.

Bengaluru only has around 3% of its green cover left. Can the city cope if 5,000 trees in its periphery are chopped off for yet another road widening project?

Though the Forest Department says 5000-odd trees have to axed for the ‘Bangalore Surrounding Roads Project’, data discrepancies makes this number suspect. Secrecy around the project has made citizen engagement nearly impossible too.

ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸುವ ‘ಲಭ್ಯವಿರುವ ಹಾಸಿಗೆಗಳ ಪಟ್ಟಿ’ ಕೇವಲ ‘ನಿರೀಕ್ಷೆಯ ಪಟ್ಟಿ’

Why are the majority of footpaths in Bengaluru unusable? A major reason is that these are built as per the discretion of the local engineer and contractor, without adhering to any specific standards.

Many private hospitals that the government empanelled for COVID treatment don’t have the necessary staff and facilities. Also, despite government orders, hospitals are only willing to treat patients who are routed by BBMP.

Government data shows that over 13,200 hospital beds in Bengaluru are reserved for COVID patients. But the actual number is likely around 3,500.