http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/view/1103-workshop-on-metro-route-alternatives

WORKSHOP ON METRO ROUTE ALTERNATIVES
On Metro, bulldozing its way through South Bangalore
Public workshop organised by Hasiru Usiru dissects social, economic, and environmental issues related to Metro work in the southern reaches.
Kanishka Lahiri , 20 May 2009

On the afternoon of Sunday, 2nd May, a group of citizens came together at a dance auditorium at Jayanagar to discuss one of the city’s burning issue: the “Namma Metro” project.
Organised by Hasiru Usiru, the discussion focussed on social, economic, and environmental impacts of the construction of the Metro at Jayanagar. The four hour long discussion also included a critique of the current plan, alternative designs, as well as legal issues surrounding the controversial project.

The participants said that they have very little knowledge about the plans of Metro. While some appreciated the introduction of Metro in Bangalore, others opposed the idea. However, all of them agreed that the proposed plan of Metro passing through Lalbagh and Nanda Road horrified them. They said that they felt insulted as the public had no say in the decision making process. The attendees committed themselves to active participation on issues including meeting the BBMP Tree Officer, filing an appeal to prevent further felling of trees, organising protests on Lakshman Rao Park and spreading awareness in the community regarding the impending destruction of the neighborhood.

Bangalore Metro: More questions than answers

(more…)

Yay, we are on the front page of LWN. The article on GlusterFS 2.0 release here : http://lwn.net/Articles/333397/

ನಾವು ಬಂದೆವು , ನಾವು ಬಂದೆವು LWNಗೆ

The Mottled Wood Owls of Turahalli have disappeared too. A friend told me how he had seen a stone in the tree hole. Almost everybody who visit Turahalli regularly, have seen these owls. When we stand at an open place for a long time watching these sleeping birds, it certainly makes the kids around curious. Pelting stones into a nest is one of those “curious” attempts I suspect. I don’t know if they are ever going to make a comeback.

Anyway, back to birdwatching. Since it had rained there yesterday too, the ground was wet. Shikras, Ashy Drongos, a tree filled with Coppersmith Barbets, Eurasian Golden Oriole, White-browed Bulbul, Jerdon’s Bushlark, Grey Francolins calling, all at the beginning of the trail got us excited. We had just continued walking along the trail after stopping for a small bite of refreshments when a friend alerted about the Eurasian Eagle-Owl just taking off. It was very very close to us but he had realised that it. Unbelievable camouflaged. It took off and perched on a Eucalyptus tree. We hid ourselves and watched them happily. But still it kept an eye on us. It moved to a rock close by, posed for a while and then went and hid itself in a Palm tree.

One of the hidden agendas of visiting Turahalli is to sight these birds. Wish fulfilled .. ah. We walked further to the other side of the hill and again we sighted another of the Eurasian Eagle-Owls and this time it was close too. There was a lot of activity. An Asian Paradise Flycatcher(male) with its long rufous tail was found hopping around. A Female Black-headed Cuckooshrike was hopping around the same area too. We went a little off the trail to sight the dancing White-throated Fantail, Blue-faced Malkoha, Male Black-headed Cuckooshrike, Oriental White-eyes, Black-naped Oriole and a brief sighting of a courting Common Ioras. We had to head back early to take part in the protest against Tree felling in Lalbagh. We walked back along the foothills. There weren’t many birds there , but the Brown Shrike was a real surprise. Didn’t know that these migratory birds stayed that long. Anyway, the last bird sighting was of the two Black-rumped Flamebacks at the entrance. I had sighted them at the same place last time too.

The protest was good. About 250-300 people turned up and walked from Lalbagh West Gate to Nanda Road shouting slogans against illegal tree felling for the Metro project. I think for the protest to be really effective, we need more people joining in. A couple of us who were at the protest, treated oursleves for an yummazing lunch at Kamat Buglerock.

The Kodachari hills looked beautiful that evening. It was a bit cloudy and really really hot. A visit to the temple during the troubled times comforts a lot of them. It was a Friday which is a special day for the Devi temples. I sat outside and watching the preparation for the evening puja. Outside the temple is the Deepa Stambha which is a pillar to hold lamps. The pillar with 21 concentric circular holders for oil lamps looks beautiful. Two priests reached the top of the pillar on either sides and filled each of the circular plates with oil and cotton wicks. They then lit each of them from the top and it really looked beautiful against the sky. I felt nice at that moment. A huge devotee crowd had gathered around it now to watch the fully lit Deepa Stambha. A processing of the Devi Kavacha (mask) was taken on a procession around the temple with men dressed in a traditional attire. The watchman of the temple dresses himself in a royal attire and leads the procession. Little things never fail to amaze me.

Its tough. But the worst in yet to happen

The 1-lakh car is not going to do good to this city atleast. The Bengaluru roads will never be able to accommodate them. But now an average middle class family will be able to afford a car. It will certainly lead to a traffic mess. People who can afford cars already own one and we cannot deny the until now unprivileged class the right to buy the cars. I can see a lot of people who own cars commenting nastily about it , thinking hard on how peer pressure, status symbol and other reasons which tempt people to go for cars. These are the same reasons why these privileged men and women bought their cars too and now refuse to step out of their homes without a car. Public transportation might not help you achieve faster commute, but I don’t believe that one is always in a hurry to reach somewhere. It would be good if the citizens of this city could atleast give the other modes of transportation a try. Yes, you’ll crib a few times, but then for a mass transportation system one will have get used to it than the system getting used to us.

I am worried about this city. I hear that the Nanda Road tree pruning has started. An *official* figure of 136 trees will soon vanish. If they are gone, we’ve have failed as city.

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Asian Koel (Male)

Asian Koel (Female)

Apparently these orchid flowers bloom up only during the christmas season

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