On a fast track to death

People in Hampi Nagar routinely crossing over railway tracks around the Krishnadevaraya Halt railway station By Niket Nishant The residents of Hampi Nagar in Vijayanagar continue to cross railway tracks illegally, despite the Railways’ crackdown on unmanned level crossings (ULCs). The fracture in the wall separating the tracks from the road has allowed the residents […]

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Playgrounds give way to parks, illegal structures

Bengaluru’s unplanned growth has hit playgrounds and open spaces hard. Authorities prefer to carve parks out of playgrounds rather than upgrading them. Lack of grounds in schools adds to the problem. By Manasvi Gupta Authorities are turning open spaces into fancy parks but not into playgrounds. A 2017 survey by Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship & […]

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Tataguni in need of a Midas touch

Dependence on water ATMs is causing Tataguni residents to hoard the new five-rupee gold-coloured coins. This has endangered potable water availability for many in the village. Pradnya Desai “25 Rupees,” said a fruit-seller to Rathna, who handed over Rs. 30 to the fruit-seller. The vendor gave back a five-rupee gold-coloured coin. As Rathna was about […]

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Indiscriminate garbage dumping attracts snakes

Human-snake conflicts are on the rise in Bangalore due to garbage dumping which is attracting rodents and ultimately snakes. By Swati Ekka More snakes have been showing up in the city lately due to indiscriminate dumping of garbage, according to experts. People for Animals (PFA) say that in 2018-19, 457 snakes have been rescued by […]

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Seller beware: online selling fraught with danger

If you are not sure how apps like Olx and Quikr work, you may fall prey to fraudsters and lose money. Vivek Madhu Online fraudsters are using online selling platforms like Olx and Quikr for stealing money from users, who are unaware of their intentions. The fraudsters take contact numbers of the users from these […]

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Public transgender restrooms, a basic right denied

Toilets in Bengaluru are still about binary ideas of male and female. By Apoorva GS There are no separate restrooms for the transgender community in Bengaluru. Thousands of non-binary people in the city face discrimination and are subjected to nasty remarks, every time they visit a toilet designated for either males or females. “Whenever I […]

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Fire Extinguishers missing in BMTC Buses

About 25 per cent of Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses do not have fire extinguishers despite two fire incidents this year. By Shalu Chowrasia, Lives of daily bus commuters are at risk as 1620 BMTC buses do not have fire extinguishers installed. Dharini, a frequent traveller says “It is the duty of the BMTC […]

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