- “HAaL ya B(IA)haaL!!”

May 22nd 2008, yes that’s the date! Just a day before HAL is pushed to cease domestic travel. Despite formal position of the civil aviation ministry is that metros require two airports likes of Mumbai and Delhi….

In an interlocutory petition filed by social worker B Krishna Bhat, Bangalore City Connectivity Foundation (BCCF) and advocate G R Mohan, SC sought the details regarding the meeting’s held involving the Chief Secretary and other senior officials on April 19 and May 12, it is learnt that in these meeting they found it impossible to retain the HAL airport.

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So despite all the controversies about keeping our HAL airport open, according to the latest reports and press releases, the BIAL Airport will finally open its doors at the stroke of midnight (00:01 hours of May 23). All flights landing and departing after midnight will operate from the new airport and flights arriving before midnight (on May 22, 2008) and departing after midnight will operate from the new airport.

To refresh your memory (in case you haven’t been reading enough of it already!), the new airport is on the National Highway 7 and is 40kms from the city’s central business district.

Meru and EasyCabs are the taxi services which have tied up with the airport. An indicative price from the airport to MG Road is around Rs 600 including waiting charges of Rs 60 per hour. And if that’s a little scary, the shuttle services that connect the airport to different parts of the city might be a better option. There’s also an option of long term and short term parking at the airport.

So hope you folks are all geared up for the new BIAL airport!

For more information, go here: www.bengaluruairport.com

My friend Anush Shetty spotted this poster just opposite the Bangalore Fort in the K R Market area…..

The hero of this recently released movie is obviously using this drainpipe to “pour his heart out” to his beloved….but, as two ladies near me kept giggling and pointing out, “Where’s the water going to come out from?”

We kept laughing about it all the way home….people who put up posters may lack imagination, but people who look at them certainly make up for that!

http://bcp.wikidot.com/city-walks:old-city-urban-space-event

BANGALORE CITY PROJECT PRESENTS
PAYTAY, KOTAY, KERAY, THOTA
AN OLD CITY URBAN SPACE EVENT
8.00–11:30 A.M. ON SUNDAY, 18 MAY 2008

Now that you have explored Gavipuram (the first BCP Urban Space Event, held on March 8, 2008) and the Whitefield heritage space (held on 26 April 2008), it’s time to delve deeper into the City’s history and culture – with the Old City Urban Space Event; a walk titled “Kotay, Paytay, Keray, Thota – Changing Geographies & Fragile Futures.”

The history of a place is writ large on its cultural landscape. Opportunities exploited, imaginations expressed/withheld, memories recollected and forgotten, injustice and inequality negotiated from different positions of power and powerlessness. The city is fraught with complex and not-always-pretty stories.

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I have been involved with Environment Support Group and can vouch for the work that they have been doing on the environmental and ecological fronts in Bangalore. I would like to pass on their announcement regarding a workshop they are conducting:

Environment Support Group, Bangalore announces a Summer Workshop for students in the age group of 13-16 years, from 19th -21st May 2008.

The three-day workshop aims at sensitizing children to the environment- development debate, with a special focus on analyzing the changing urban environment of Bangalore. A Pedagogy of experiential learning has been followed in the Workshop Design.

The workshop will be held at S-3, Rajashree Apartments, 18/57, 1st Main Road, S.R.K Gardens, Bannerghatta Road, Jayanagar Bangalore-41.

For further details and registration, contact Divya Ravindranath or Nandini Chami at 26531339/22441977

Or, email

bhargavi@esgindia.org

More details at

www.esgindia.org

I have gone for workshops at PfA and have done some voluntary work for them, and been impressed with this animal shelter and the work they are doing for distressed animals. So I am happy to post an announcement from Ranjan Chacko of PfA. Do participate if you can (though I cannot understand why a marathon event should be scheduled at the height of summer) and make the event a success!

Click on this for one of my previous postings about PfA

Here’s a marathon to bring together the City of Bangalore, to create a platform where its people can gather to show that they truly
care. PFA (People for Animals) Bangalore takes this opportunity to unite Bangaloreans in also spreading the message of conservation through protection of urban wildlife.

PFA, recognised by the Karnataka Forest Department, is an organisation where we believe and work towards being committed to the rescue and rehabilitation of urban wildlife. Through the shelter in Kengeri, the members of PFA and its volunteers have been successful in giving over 7000 avian, mammals and reptiles, a new lease on life.

The marathon, organised by PROCAM, is also a way of being the voice for the voiceless. And this can be achieved through your participation and commitment.

PFA is an officially listed NGO in the marathon and participants can choose to run as an individual or as a corporate team for the organisation. Please remember to select PFA (People for Animals) in the registration form as the NGO you wish to support.

For more information on the same please contact me on 98452-09623; the event helpline: 080 23161416 or email me at ranjanchacko@rediffmail.com

Forms are also available at various branch offices of Standard Chartered, Manipal Cure and Care outlets, Nike Outlets, Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Radio Mirchi office and The Windsor Manor, Bangalore. Those interested can also register online at www.sunfeastworld10k.indiatimes.com

Please pass this email on to your friends and spread the word.

Regards

Ranjan and everyone at PFA.

Here’s a message written by Nitin Shenoy, one of my fellow-volunteers on “Hasiru Usiru”:

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Please cast your vote tomorrow.

To look for your name in the voter list:

click here

Put your name (check the spelling- they are way off mark) and the pin code and it works.

In case the link doesnt work.. go to this link and search name under BBMP area.

To find your polling booth:

click here

“Instead of searching for the polling booths on the day of exercising their franchise in a hurry, he said that the voters could contact the helpline. This facility is available to all voters through out the State on a common number 155212.

For Bangalore Urban and Bangalore Rural Districts, in order to make a clear distinction, owing to the same STD code, a suffix (1) for Bangalore Urban and (2) for Bangalore Rural is attached to 155212, i.e.1552121 for Bangalore Urban and 1552122 for Bangalore Rural district.”

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It *is* we who can make a difference to the governance of this city, this State, and ultimately, our country…so do vote!

This is something that I have noticed, felt, realized every time I pass this stretch. I feel this phenomenon is more evident for those of us on a two wheeler. May be a few of the four wheel users also must have felt it. And I am sure there are many such stretches around here in Bangalore. But since I travel regularly that way I am able to point out only this.

In the evenings, when I get onto Kasturba Road from the Hudson Circle, I feel the air around there becoming cooler compared to how it was say at Hudson Circle. It pretty much stays that way all the way up to Vittal Malya Road-Kasturba Road junction & is back to normal once you cross the signal & head towards MG Road.

My only guess for this is the vast number of trees in Cubbon Park that adjoins Kasturba Road. It’s a nice experience really especially now that is summer time here. In the winter it gets much cooler on this stretch compared to how it is elsewhere.

If it is the trees then just imagine what an impact these trees make to the city’s weather conditions. And its general knowledge that the tree cover in the city is on the decline.

Perhaps this adds one more reason for my liking towards Bangalore, the city gets rains in the midst of summer…while rest of the country fights it out with mercury chasing all time highs. This indeed is a solace….

Been two weeks out of city and returning to get a great news that it rained cats and dogs was really pleasing… that to when I could enjoys some drizzles just same evening I returned to help me cool down a bit was too good to resist!!

Hey dear Bangalore, and howdy rains…I like you so much!!

If you get into ‘Blue Bell Sweets’ located at Unity building JC Road, don’t miss trying ‘Turkish Halwa’..
The name may sound a little weird but the taste is awesome.

This is how it looks but hey don’t go by the color of it.

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