True, Bangalore must be able to handle more flights, passengers and air freight to meet current demand and future growth. But London’s Heathrow airport sits on 1000 acres less land, and yet flies 14 times more passengers than Bangalore's new airport will. What's going on? Jacob John investigates.

There is no overlap between the administrative jurisdictions of various city agencies, or congruence with political boundaries. The result: the citizen is confused, the local politician is confused, the agency representatives are confused. Ramesh Ramanathan calls for a transformation of this chaotic situation.

The potential of rainwater harvesting has been much talked about in recent times. But that an ordinary plastic water storage drum connected to the roof through a pipe will turn this potential to reality is surprising many citizens in the Bangalore-Mysore region, reports Shree Padre.

Water table reports in Karnataka show that the future looks bleak. While rainwater harvesting (RWH) is looked upon as a viable solution and has become a buzzword, the state has only taken an incremental implementation path, with urban areas currently leading rural areas, reports Padmalatha Ravi.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India is the nation's supreme audit institution. It is widely respected for its unshaken independence in auditing government expenditure. But in its scrutiny of Karnataka's Gerusoppa dam, it let off the Karnataka Power Corporation on two key counts. Himanshu Upadhyaya interprets the CAG's 2004 report.

A citizens forum at Bangalore has been spearheading interventions using the Karnataka Right to Information Act for the past year. The Katte members' focus has helped expose the law's weaknesses and make recommendations to better the recently passed Central Right to Information Bill. Kathyayini Chamaraj reports.

Residents of seven villages in Kolar district depend on water from the Mudiyanur tank which is not in good shape and in need of de-silting. Still, the villagers' worship of goddess Chowdeswari has helped them preserve an age-old tradition of water allocation, finds Surekha Sule.

A Karnataka district that has been reeling under three successive years of drought may be bouncing back. The state government's top bureaucrat in Bagalkote district led civil society groups in a water harvesting campaign between 16-27 June, just as the monsoon rains had begun. Shree Padre reports.

Three generations of a farming family in Bagalkot district in Karnataka campaigned to drought-proof the fields and to conserve the soil and water. Their inspiration was a 170-year old book that until recently remained only in manuscript form. Shree Padre reports on the enviable results.

It may take more than random coverage of dramatic developments on the civic front for the media fulfil its promise of connecting citizens and governments. Mere reports based entirely on press statements and conferences in which plans are presented with little questioning won't do, writes Ammu Joseph.

Rainwater harvesting isn't just for drought-prone regions, nor is it an entirely recent development. Shree Padre travels to an old church in Dakshina Kannada district, where despite living in one of the rainiest places in the nation, monks put up a roof water harvester many decades ago, and maintain it to this day.

Talk of the city's future is a lament over failing infrastructure, encroachments, and neglected millions. Civic-minded citizens are critical of the latest Comprehensive Development Plan, and point to its legal flaws, mismanaged process for citizen inputs, and misplaced priorities. Arati Rao reports.

On 31 December 2005, the curtains are set to come down on the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd's long disputed mining operations in the protected Kudremukh National Park. But ensuring an end to mining in one of the most stunning landscapes of the country has not been easy. Pavithra Sankaran provides a telling narrative.

On 31 December 2005, the curtains are set to come down on the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd's long disputed mining operations in the protected Kudremukh National Park. But ensuring an end to mining in one of the most stunning landscapes of the country has not been easy. Pavithra Sankaran provides a telling narrative.

All the steel and glass towers of the glitzy facade of Bangalore cannot hide its seamy underbelly where life is pieced together under plastic tents, with fear and want as constant companions. The Bangalore Social Forum that came into existence on Independence Day believes that “another Bangalore is possible," writes Kathyayini Chamaraj.

Should Bangalore and its surrounding municipalities be merged into a single jurisdiction, as the state's politicians are now proposing to do? The Constitutional standard as well as Bangalore's abysmal record of administering even the core metropolis both argue against centralisation. The India Together editorial.

The area around the Nagavalli tank in Tumkur, Karnataka has been reeling under water scarcity for the past several years, with extensive sinking of bore wells not helping. But Jaya farm, owned by 75 year-old Jayanna and run by his middle-aged son Kumara Swamy, has become a ray of hope and self-help. Shree Padre reports.

The Greater Bangalore Water Supply and Sanitation Project aims to supply piped water to 8 townships on the outskirts of Bangalore, boldly proposing to unhook citizens there from reliance on tubewells, borewells and water tankers. Yet, the only certainty in the much debated project is that the waters are murky, muddy and unclear. Arati Rao reports.

Two farmers from Chamarajanagar, Karnataka, took the state government to court for not giving them water for the past three-four years. The twist is that they approached a district consumer court, and won the case in less than a year. Veena N reports.

Seven months after last year's disastrous flooding finally ended, residents in low-lying areas southeast of Bangalore are anxious what this year's monsoon rains will bring. With city authorities yet to tackle the infrastructure problems of the area, many can do little more than hope. Padmalatha Ravi reports.

Disregard for local sentiment is now the norm in most large projects. At Tadadi, which has faced a long line of threats of displacement, the latest struggle is against a proposed 4000 MW coal-fired plant. With Coastal Zone regulators not very attentive to the violations of law, the villagers can rely only on themselves. Sudhirendar Sharma reports.

There seems to be a steady increase in the acceptance of Bt cotton by Karnataka farmers. And, after experiencing the disastrous consequences of spurious seeds, farmers are particular about buying only from authorised sources. But disturbing and worrisome trends remain, reports Keya Acharya.

Rescue operations carried out with tactful involvement of media and the police can offer victims protection from further trauma, and also begin to sensitise a number of people on the complex issues involved. Kirti Mishra reports on the experiences and learning of Odanadi Seva Samsthe.

The Karnataka Governor, T N Chaturvedi, recently asked the state government for an explanation on why the state wants the central government to clear the Dandeli dam on the river Kali. This, in light of the fact that state government departments had themselves recommended and shelved the project earlier. An India Together report.

It's 'ready to serve' and like a soft drink bottle or tetra pack, you can take it inside any office, drink and then dispose. Sold with the brand name Tender Fresh, 1500 – 2000 tender coconuts every day are reaching a clientele that reads like the who's who of Bangalore's software companies. Shree Padre reports.

The proposed Hubli-Ankola railway line in Karnataka originally stirred up criticism because if built, it would pass through the ecologically fragile Western Ghats forests. Matters recently came to a head when evidence emerged of the Railways proceeding to construct a part of the line without forest clearance. Kanchi Kohli has more.

With a properly metered water bill, consumers have a much better chance of being heard than otherwise. Yes, there are justified concerns about rights and equity when we talk of water, but metering is not anti-poor. In fact, used well, it can address their demands powerfully, says S Vishwanath.

In a few weeks, Karnataka will once again seek public input in setting electricity tariffs. While the era of state electricity boards has ended, public participation is important to counter pressures from the government, utility companies, and the commercial private sector on regulators, write Lina Krishnan, Gautam Menon and M V Ramana.

The Belgaum City Corporation has in the last one decade has revived 16 big and 21 small dug-wells. Today, 2 million gallons (16 per cent) of Belgaum's water supply comes from these local wells alone, leading to precious cost savings that have paid back the revival expenditure long ago. Shree Padre reports.

School authorities say, and records show, that while enrolment has not been substantially improved as a result of mid-day meal programmes, school attendance has certainly gone up by 10-12%. However, there is still plenty of room for improvement in the management of the scheme. Padmalatha Ravi reports.

Setting himself a target of a thousand trees each year, Dr Mahantesh Tapashetti has greened his neighbourhood and surrounding areas in Hubli by himself. Many residents appreciate his work, and the Forest Department has been happy to support him, supplying trees for his care and planting them each year. Shree Padre reports.

What is the price of water to the supplier? What are people being charged out there? Where are our institutions headed in the balance between equity-accessibility and cost recovery? S Vishwanath looks at the example of Bangalore, and finds much room and need for improvement in water pricing.

Efforts to make learning more interactive and more fun for students appear promising, but it may be too soon to judge if they are positively impacting children's performance in standard tests and surveys. Meanwhile, teachers complain that these efforts have added to their already heavy burden. Padmalatha Ravi reports.

There is much that the nation's farmers need to hear in the Green Foundation's message, and avoid past mistakes. But there is also a positive message, reminding farmers that "traditional farming will help you gain control of your finances and your food security." Sudha Narasimhachar reports.

The devotees of historical Veera Narayana Temple at Gadag now have an important lesson to take home along with their theerth and prasad. That if they harvest rainwater falling on their land into the mother earth's womb, they won't have to suffer in the summer. Shree Padre reports.

A hurriedly passed amendment to the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act last week gives MLAs unwarranted powers over panchayats, which are themselves a separate tier of local goverment. Nandana Reddy and Damodar Acharya say the amendment is contrary to the spirit of decentralisation and the Constitution.

27-year-old Ratnamma, a garment factory worker, was forced to deliver a baby on the streets of Bangalore. 20-year-old Gayathri was run over by the bus belonging to the Bangalore garment factory where she worked. Garment workers in Bangalore are caught in an exploitative web, reports Padmalatha Ravi.

A three day festival of a special tender mango called appe midi held last month in Shimoga, Karnataka attracted 6000 visitors. The festival showcased a range of preparations including popular pickles, and gave a filip to the conservation of this wild mango variety. Shree Padre reports.

Recent research has shown that computer/digital technologies can help children with autism (and other disabilities) learn and communicate better. A computer training workshop for parents and children was held recently at Bangalore. Shuchi Grover reports.

When a teacher specially trained to handle children with special needs started work at a local government school in Bangalore, children were benefited and stopped dropping out. Padmalatha Ravi has more.

In Karnataka, job-training programmes are on offer at a number of institutes, and yet, students unable to make it into college are not lining up in large numbers. Ironically, a manpower crunch exists across industries at the entry level, placing employers in a bind. Padmalatha Ravi digs deeper.

A private high school in Sirsi, in northern Karnataka is not stopping at imparting academic education. It has also started teaching practical water literacy to the people of five Malnad districts. The rain centre at the school, with 28 examples of rain water harvesting, opened in early June. Shree Padre reports.

Two areca farmers of Sirsi in northern Karnataka, Ganapathy Dattatreya Hegde and his brother-in-law Ananda Subbray Pratakahal have become community leaders, workhorses and heroes, all in one. They have turned a situation of water-scarcity and soil-degradation into one of regeneration. Keya Acharya reports.

The latest vocational education courses are presenting job opportunities for high school graduates that their poor parents lacked. Institutes conducting bilingual training are particularly helpful for students who are very likely to have not schooled in English medium. Padmalatha Ravi has more.

The Karnataka state legislature's amendment to the Panchayati Raj law has already attracted severe criticism from civil society. The governor had also expressed his objections. There is now an outpouring of wrath from women panchayat members around the state as protests intensify. Kathyayini Chamaraj reports.

The village of Hebballi in the Krishna river basin is a striking example of a successful and sustainable piped water supply in rural India. While challenges still remain, this experience shows that some steps towards equity and sustainability can be taken in many other places too. S Vishwanath reports.

In the major metros, a range of new vocational courses is helping high school students find jobs in the rapidly industrialising sectors. What about job-seekers in small towns and rural areas? Padmalatha Ravi reports on two NGO-led training innovations in Tamilnadu and Karnataka.

Charles and Nirmala Sequeira were simply looking for something different to do. Little did they think that, many years later, their decision to start selling ice cream made from local fruits would catch on with customers, and open a new channel for value addition for local produce. Shree Padre reports.

Paradise Lost…almost! is a report on the Western Ghats written by Sudhirendar Sharma. The report follows the trail of destruction in the ghats and engages with those who have been engaged in the task of reversing the dominant trend. An IN-PICTURES feature.

By building tanks to catch run-off in the higher reaches of the land, a Karnataka farmer reaps the benefit of a higher water table in the lower areas. In doing so, he remembers that this was the practice for a long time in this area, and he has simply recalled an old tradition. Shree Padre reports.