Articles by Meera K

A group of environmental and social activists are organising the Bellandur Lake Run this Sunday, February 6th at 10 am. This run is a demand from citizens for government action and it is also intended to spread awareness of the situation.This event is for all of us in Bangalore, our children, our health and well being. We can get back our wonderful lakes, not to mention valuable drinking water for the future. The froth from the polluted lake flowing outwards, and the waste/garbage that has accumulated from the flow. Not a single bird of any sort was to be found…

Praveen Sood, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) talked recently about effective traffic management.Given that only about 1% of the total traffic violations are actually ever fined and the traffic police department is just 2500 strong, what is the way forward? Sood has mentioned (The Hindu, January 31) how about 40% of road space is taken up by parking mostly unauthorised. Earlier at the Jayanagar meeting, Sood talked about active Residents' Welfare Associations can replicate the Brigade Road parking model and charge vehicles for parking. They can also help prevent illegal parking - Clamps, he said, can be bought by the…

Praveen Sood, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) talked recently about effective traffic management.Given that only about 1% of the total traffic violations are actually ever fined and the traffic police department is just 2500 strong, what is the way forward? Sood has mentioned (The Hindu, January 31) how about 40% of road space is taken up by parking mostly unauthorised. Earlier at the Jayanagar meeting, Sood talked about active Residents' Welfare Associations can replicate the Brigade Road parking model and charge vehicles for parking. They can also help prevent illegal parking - Clamps, he said, can be bought by the…

I don’t know what school authorities have in mind before they decide the colour of school uniforms. But making the lives of moms simple is not one of them. Which shade of white? Pic: Meera K. Many schools have white uniforms to be worn daily, or on the days they have the sports period. You send the child out in a crisp white shirt and shorts in the morning, by the end of the day you encounter him in a garb quite unlike the morning version. Large patches of reddish-orange on the back are remnants of playtime in school. A…

I don’t know what school authorities have in mind before they decide the colour of school uniforms. But making the lives of moms simple is not one of them. Which shade of white? Pic: Meera K. Many schools have white uniforms to be worn daily, or on the days they have the sports period. You send the child out in a crisp white shirt and shorts in the morning, by the end of the day you encounter him in a garb quite unlike the morning version. Large patches of reddish-orange on the back are remnants of playtime in school. A…

Every season when the avenue trees in Bangalore burst into bloom, I try to memorise how the flowers look. When I get home, I try to refer and identify them. Some recommend Pradeep Kishen’s book on trees of Delhi. But I much prefer this blog post from S Karthikeyan. Read more about him here. It lists the most common trees in Bangalore, has nice closeup pictures of the flowers and local names. It would have been useful to see a closeup picture of the leaves and an picture of the whole tree too. Karthikeyan has even created a pdf version…

Every season when the avenue trees in Bangalore burst into bloom, I try to memorise how the flowers look. When I get home, I try to refer and identify them. Some recommend Pradeep Kishen’s book on trees of Delhi. But I much prefer this blog post from S Karthikeyan. Read more about him here. It lists the most common trees in Bangalore, has nice closeup pictures of the flowers and local names. It would have been useful to see a closeup picture of the leaves and an picture of the whole tree too. Karthikeyan has even created a pdf version…

S Viswanath, from Outer Ring Roads Association shares the following information on the state of Ring Road at Bellandur junction. The U-turn at Intel junction after Bellandur is now completely blocked, so please drive carefully and move to the right lane after the Intel junction. The traffic police and ORRCA team is doing all possible to ensure smooth traffic. BDA work has created muddy messes at each junction. BDA has not cleared the sand/mud and this is blocking smooth flow of water at various spots. At the connections between service road/main road, the gutter is blocked and huge pile of…

S Viswanath, from Outer Ring Roads Association shares the following information on the state of Ring Road at Bellandur junction. The U-turn at Intel junction after Bellandur is now completely blocked, so please drive carefully and move to the right lane after the Intel junction. The traffic police and ORRCA team is doing all possible to ensure smooth traffic. BDA work has created muddy messes at each junction. BDA has not cleared the sand/mud and this is blocking smooth flow of water at various spots. At the connections between service road/main road, the gutter is blocked and huge pile of…

The Ambalipuralake rejuvenation work has progress very well, as mentioned earlier. Purple Heron at Ambalipura Lake. Pic: Rajesh Rao. Yesterday, Rajesh Rao, a resident of the adjoining Trinity Woods, spotted a Purple Heron, and says, "So nice to see the birds coming back!"Meanwhile, the grass has grown very rapidly in the lake, and apparently it can cause the lake to dry up by december if we just let them grow. Rao says if the deep end is cleared, new grass will not grow as there is two foot of standing water.So residents are planning to work this Sunday and clear…