Bangalore Sweatbox

Apparently 25 degrees C (77 degrees F) seems quite cool to residents of Bangalore, at least following the stifling heat of spring. According to this story, they're practically building snowmen.

It's mon-soon! Bangalore cool, heavenly
The Times of India

Bangalore: After sizzling for two months, Bangalore is now basking in the cloudy, pleasant weather that it's known and loved for.

With the onset of the south-west monsoon quite early, the mercury has dipped from a cruel 37 degrees Celsius and is cooling at a mild 25 degrees. The cloudy sky, strong and intermittent drizzle seem to be the perfect weather for the average Bangalorean. The rainfall has been mild so far, not exceeding 1.8 mm.

According to the Met department, this weather pattern will continue in the coming week. The rain, that is brought in by the moisture-laden south-westerly winds from the Arabian Sea, is likely to go up after that. For the Bangalorean, the monsoon that has set in a week early, has been a pleasant change. The demand in coffee bars has changed from cold coffees and granitas to cappuccinos and warm doughnuts. Teeny-boppers dressed in summer outfits are now sporting jackets and sweatshirts. And every evening, a piping hot snack is almost mandatory with filter coffee in every household. As for the nights, quilts have replaced cotton sheets and airconditioners have been switched off.

Even as Bangaloreans are soaking in the weather, they're not looking forward to heavy rain. "The light drizzle now is simply beautiful and I love every minute of it. But in a few days, there will be power cuts, traffic jams and waterlogging, and so frankly, the rain scares me," says Milan Dheer, a project manager.

posted by The Bangalorean @ 5/30/2006

 

In an answer to the story cited in the last post, Karnataka's Chief Minister announced the state would build the Bangalore monorail on its own, without help from "the Centre" i.e. the national government. 

Contrary to reports as recent as this week that a private consortium would start building a monorail in Bangalore by the end of the year, the state minister for urban development said he was not aware of any such project.

The Union government has not received any proposal regarding implementation of Mono Rail in Karnataka. Kumaraswamy met me in New Delhi where we discussed the Metro project. I am not aware of this new proposal and I don’t want to react on the issue.

No wonder nothing gets done. 

The Chief Minister (of what? Karnataka state?) has announced the launch of a momorail project in Bangalore, according to the Times of India. The 18 km. project is expected to cost about $1.4 million. This is in addition to a light rail ("Metro Rail") project also being planned. 

I am planning on going to India this summer for my company, and incidentally to research my novel in progress. Since the trip is work-related, I mentioned in the last "weekly accomplishments" email sent to managers at work that I was going this week to get my shots.

This brought a visit by the VP, who happens to be from Banaglore, asking what my email meant. "What do you mean shots?"

"You know... injections. For travel."

"Do you think you need shots for India? You're not going to a third world country! In fact I asked my wife, who is a physician, 'Is there something going on I don't know about, some need to get shots?' and she said no. So in fact... Unless your doctor has said you need to..."

"Well, no... I just thought..."

"We'll talk later. When are you going? Late July, August, right?"

"The last time we talked about it, we said early July..."

"Well, I'm going in June. We'll talk later. But perhaps late July or August... And no shots."

travel, India

 

Courtesy Desicritics.org, I ran across a blog called Blame India Watch, which looks at how Indian call center workers and others who have taken outsourced jobs are scapegoats for "Bush's failing economy." 

From Bangalore Buzz:

A place for the youngsters to hang out and families to shop

The Hindu

# Malls attract a wide cross section of people
# Brands are categorised product wise
# Different labels are able to feed off one another
# Restaurants and cafes do the best business

BANGALORE: Malls have moved from being the latest fad to a noticeable part of our lives. It is where youngsters go to "hang out", families go for an outing, shopping enthusiasts go on a buying spree, and where various brands desperately seek some space for themselves. But, why there is the desperation? The question many seem to ask is whether these outlets do any business at all. With the majority of people content with various forms of recreation such as movies alongside plain window shopping, does any actual buying take place?

"Why not? Obviously the business is good, or else this wouldn't have been running successfully for two years now," says Naresh, one of the department managers at Bangalore Central. He explains the mall's layout strategy as the key; "It is a seamless mall".

More at Bangalore Buzz. 

Rain halts city

Tree Crushes Father, Son To Death
Puttenahalli Turns Into Pool Again

The Times of India

Bangalore: Heavy rain and accompanying stormy winds felled many trees, flooded areas like Puttenahalli and created traffic jams in the city on Friday.

An 11-year-old boy and his father were crushed to death by a tree. Murugesh and his father Gullappa (45) were taking shelter in a temporary shed put up by road construction workers when the tree came crashing down, on Binny Crescent Road in JC Nagar around 6 pm. Gullappa’s other son Balu (9) sustained injuries in the leg.

Murugesh died on the spot, while Gullappa succumbed at hospital. The family is from Andhra Pradesh.

On Chamarajpet III Main Road, auto driver Krishnappa was grievously injured when a tree crashed on his vehicle. Passers-by shifted him to hospital where he is said to be out of danger. Another motorist escaped with minor injuries when a tree crashed near Infantry Road, the police said.

The BMP control room said two trees fell opposite CM Kumaraswamy's house in JP Nagar, a tree crashed into DGP Sial’s house on Nrupatunga Road, three trees fell at Jayanagar, two each at Brunton Road and Nandidurg Road, one each near M N Krishna Rao Park, on Promenade Road and M G Road. The horticulture department had recently conducted a survey to identify weak trees.

The rain, which has been lashing the city for the past three days, upset peak-hour traffic at most places. The traffic was held up at Assaye Road, near Ulsoor, for hours and it moved slowly on Richmond Road, Residency Road, Hosur Road, Sarjapur Road, Navarang junction and parts of Malleswaram.

Areas near Ulsoor were flooded. Resident Nauman Khader said, "The Promenade Layout Park is under water. It is up to 3 feet, and there is no outlet. In some low-lying layouts, houses were flooded long after the rain stopped. Construction material and debris have blocked the Ulsoor Lake drain, leading to flooding."

As always, Puttenahalli turned into a pool, with residents having to wade through 3 feet of water on roads. Right in front of Brigade Millennium, where the CM conducted a surprise inspection recently, residents couldn't cross the road. The BMP control room also received complaints from HAL III Stage.

Power shutdowns were reported from various parts of the city. Alice Mani, a resident of Kodichikkanhalli, said power goes out whenever there is rain and for the past three days there have been frequent cuts.

Till 8.30 pm, the city had received 33.6 mm of rain, the Met department said. Met department director A L Koppar explained, "The pre-monsoon rain is responsible for facilitating the monsoon. Rainfall in the second week of May is normal; this time, it has been in good measure. But the past four days have given out a peculiar situation: the skies are clear till the evening and then it pours."

posted by The Bangalorean @ 5/13/2006

 

A "stage" is a neighborhood, or part of one; I think it is derived from a "stage" of a housing development that was, at one time at least, ongoing. Also, this story reveals the acronym "CMC" often cited in news stories: City Municipal Council.

Nagarabhavi in a state of neglect

The Hindu

Residents suffer due to bad roads, uncleared garbage

# The layout was formed in 1987 by the BDA and handed over to the CMC for maintenance
# Contractors have dumped debris on either side of the road
# Rs.12 crore earmarked this year for improving amenities


BANGALORE: It is the bad roads in Nagarabhavi Second Stage that caused Mangala Gowri's fall. She was trying to negotiate a U-turn on her scooterette when her leg twisted on one of the loose rocks on the untarred road and she fell.

Ms. Gowri was not immediately able to get an autorickshaw to go to a hospital. She had to limp for over a kilometre to flag one down. "The roads are so bad here that autorickshaws do not come often. When you find one, you have to pay more than the regular fare," she says.

Almost all through Nagarabhavi, the roads are in pathetic condition. On most roads the asphalt has worn away leaving huge craters. Last year's incessant rains and the constant flow of traffic have loosened several of the rocks and pebbles on the untarred roads. The 40-foot main roads and smaller side roads have become narrower because building contractors have dumped debris on either side of the road. Many of the streets do not have streetlights.

S. Prabhakar, Gowri's husband, who travels 15 kilometres on his motorcycle to work, says that he has developed back problems because of bad roads. "My neck and back hurt as I go on the roads. I have to wear a brace for my back at times," he says.

Balakrishna Rao, vice-president of the Nagarbhavi Residents' Association, says the maintenance of the layout has been neglected for the past few years. The layout was formed in 1987 by the Bangalore Development Authority and handed over to the city municipal council for maintenance. "For the past few years, we are suffering due to bad roads and poor maintenance of amenities," he says. He adds that the residents of Nagarbhavi held a protest to highlight the poor condition of the roads a few months ago. "But the situation has not improved," he says.

Throughout the layout, plastic bags and waste lie scattered by the side of the road as garbage bins overflow. "The garbage cans are not even cleaned once a week. No one comes to collect the garbage," says Mr. Rao.

Residents complain that the uncleared garbage is raising a stink in the area as well as causing health problems. "There are too many flies and mosquitoes in the area now. Several children are falling sick," says Ms. Gowri.

Areas that have been earmarked as parks are also a picture of neglect. They are overgrown with weeds and cannot be used for any recreational activity by the residents. "We cannot walk in the park because it is overgrown with weeds and we cannot walk on the road because there are no lights," says Ms. Gowri. D.L. Narayana, Commissioner of the Rajarajeswari Nagar City Municipal Council, said parks would be beautified this year. "It is part of our action plan," he said. He said Rs.12 crores had been earmarked this year for improvement of the CMC of which Rs. 5 crore would be utilised for civil works. Tenders had been called for asphalting works.

posted by The Bangalorean @ 5/11/2006

 

Foreigners feel at home in Bangalore;
Find infrastructure to be a major problem

# Many of them find travelling in the city a problem
# They find people friendly and helpful

The Hindu, 12 May 06


BANGALORE: When foreigners first arrive in Bangalore they are greeted with chaos at the airport with its claustrophobic passageways, yelling taxi drivers, jostling passengers, noise, colour and confusion.

However, their opinion is bound to change when they have had the time and leisure to take in the city at their own pace. Since Bangalore is in essence a crowded, noisy, chaotic city, their initial opinion does not undergo a dramatic change, but other aspects of Bangalore soon begin to make an impression on them.

Rebecca, doing her international traineeship in Accenture, is from Poland and says she rather likes living in Bangalore. However, even to an outsider the problems in our infrastructure are quite apparent and she says that travelling in Bangalore is quite a problem because of the state of our roads. According to her, traffic and pollution is another glaring flaw that detracts from Bangalore's otherwise pleasing atmosphere.

Ursula, also doing her traineeship is from Poland and finds communicating with auto drivers taxing. Travelling by bus is not an alternative for her because she finds it too hard.

She too finds the people friendly but is not taken in by Bangalore's famous weather as is everyone else, finding it "too hot" for her liking.

Ms. Ursula says that she finds the city's plants and trees rather exotic as well as the cuisine. Considering the rate at which western culture has infiltrated our lives and the lengths to which Indian teenagers go in order to emulate them, this is not very surprising. Oddly though, what she really finds unusual about the city is how the houses seem to encroach upon the streets instead of being set apart from the main roads and divided by lawns or gardens, which is what she is used to back home.

Rodolfo from Brazil finds that the main problem lies in the electricity and water supply, which is irregular and unpredictable at best. He describes the profile of the city in one word: competitive. The similarity he finds between his country and Bangalore is concentrated to the areas Frazer Town and Cox Town, which remind him of neighbourhoods in Brazil.

Rosemary, a student of Canadian International School, likes the laidback culture and the fact that one is exposed to so much in this city. However, she does not like how the moneyed elite who vacation in Bangalore bring their snobbery and prejudices along with them and alter the face of an essentially non-biased and simple society. She likes the pleasant weather Bangalore has to offer from November onwards and is a big fan of the city's pub culture.

Damein from Switzerland loves the city and finds it a unique blend of cosmopolitan and ethnic culture.

What really gives him a chance to enjoy the city is the fact that most Bangaloreans know English, not to mention the fact that they are friendly and eager to help. His favourite place in Bangalore strangely enough is City Market.

Damein finds that the IT boom has really set Bangalore apart from other Indian cities.

posted by The Bangalorean @ 5/11/2006

 

bangalorebuzz posted these stories:

Software companies gear for monsoon

This story is almost entirely about other things than the preparations of software companies for the rainy season. When they finally get to software companies in the last graf, they cite exactly one company which has done something to "gear up" -- they've moved stuff up a floor. Other than that, Accenture said they hadn't planned anything, and the only other person quoted, a solitary engineer, said he would "opt for the office vehicle" rather than trying to drive himself.

In other news, this story cites local government preparations, while meanwhile an early rain caused traffic snarls and the Chief Minister -- who I think is sort of equivalent to the provincial governor -- said he was worried. 

"The poverty that you see at such an in-your-face level, and so much of it, gets really tiring," Anderson said. "You get up and drive to work in the morning, and every day four little girls come up to you and beg for money."

From An Assoc. Press story about Americans working in Bangalore.