Save Kadugodi Forest: An Urgent Call to Defend Bengaluruās Last Urban Green Lung
Bengaluru Cannot Be Dug Out of Congestion: A Citizenās Appeal to Halt Tunnel Roads
Save the Aravallis: A Citizenās Appeal to Protect Indiaās Ancient Ecological Shield
- Water security is collapsing across the Aravalli belt Independent citizen reports and groundwater assessments show alarming levels of over-extraction in districts such as Gurugram and Faridabad, with withdrawal far exceeding annual recharge. Delhi and adjoining NCR areas continue to witness steady declines in groundwater levels year after year. These are not abstract statistics. They mark the difference between a living aquifer and a dead one. The Aravalli system remains among the last meaningful recharge zones for large parts of NCR, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
- Air quality and dust control depend on these hills and forests The Aravallis act as a natural barrier against dust storms, heat waves, and advancing desertification. Their degradation directly worsens air quality in Delhi NCR and intensifies extreme summer conditions. No technological intervention can substitute this ecological function once it is lost.
- Enforcement gaps are visible on the ground Across the region, citizens continue to report illegal mining, stone crushers operating beyond permitted limits, and dumping of waste in forest and revenue lands. Regulatory action often follows after irreversible damage has already occurred. Where enforcement is weak or delayed, destruction proceeds silently.
- A landscape-level Aravalli protection map and public dashboard covering Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, with cadastral overlays showing forests, water bodies, wildlife corridors, and mining leases, updated regularly. Protection must be based on ecological continuity, not just elevation.
- Strict no-mining zones in high-recharge and high-biodiversity areas, with independent verification of compliance and transparent enforcement.
- A single empowered Aravalli enforcement task force with joint command authority to act against illegal mining, crushers, and dumping, supported by time-bound prosecutions.
- Non-negotiable groundwater regulation in Aravalli districts, including compulsory metering, extraction caps, and penalties for violations, especially in severely over-exploited blocks.
- Ecological restoration with measurable outcomes, focusing on native vegetation, soil moisture, recharge capacity, and prevention of further encroachment, rather than symbolic plantation drives.
The Case of the Missing 4 KM: Where Did the ā¹9.5 Crore Go?
- The Tender: Improvements for 7 KM.
- The Cost: ā¹9.51 Crores (Agreement No. 44/2024-25).
- The Reality: Only 3 KM has been completed. The remaining 4 KM remains incomplete and dangerous
"If the contract was for 7km and the funds were allocated, why is the work stopped at 3km? This raises grave concerns regarding the possible misuse of taxpayer money."
Four Years of Silence: Why Bengaluru Desperately Needs its "Micro-Voice" Back
It has now been over four years since Bengaluru had an elected council to govern its affairs. As highlighted in a recent Times of India feature, "Elusive BBMP Election," the term of the last elected body ended on September 10, 2020. Since then, the city has been run by bureaucrats and MLAs, leaving a massive vacuum in local accountability.
The Core Issue:
While the government focuses on macro-projects and "Brand Bengaluru," the day-to-day reality for citizens is very different. This is exactly what our Founder, Mithilesh Kumar, pointed out when speaking to the Times of India about the campaign to demand immediate elections.
"We realized that without corporators, we don't have any voice to raise micro issues. Corporators know the grassroots but it's very difficult to even hold a meeting with the MLA."
ā Mithilesh Kumar, Founder, Civic Opposition of India
Why This Matters:
Mithileshās statement hits on the fundamental flaw in the current administration: The Accessibility Gap.
- The "Micro-Issue" Blindspot: MLAs manage constituencies of hundreds of thousands. They are policy-makers, not pothole-fixers. When a street light is broken, a drain is clogged, or garbage isn't picked up, these "micro-issues" are too small for an MLA's radar but are massive hurdles for the daily life of a citizen.
- The Missing Link:Ā Corporators are the first line of defense. They live in the ward, know the specific streets, and are practically accessible. Without them, citizens are forced to navigate a bureaucratic maze or chase unreachable MLAs just to get basic services.
Our Stand:
At Civic Opposition of India, we believe that governance without local representation is not just inefficientāit is undemocratic. As Mithilesh stated, the delay in elections isn't just a political scheduling error; it is a systematic silencing of the grassroots voice.
We continue to stand with the Citizens Movement and all Bengaluru residents in demanding:Ā
Conduct BBMP Elections Now.
#BBMP #BengaluruElections #CivicOpIndia #GrassrootsGovernance #MithileshKumar
Bengaluru, it's time to rise up!
Bengaluru, it's time to rise up! šØ
The state of our city is a disgrace. Our roads are in shambles, traffic is a nightmare, and lake encroachment is a slap in the face to our heritage. š”
We've had enough of the persistent disregard for the rules and the lack of city planning that has brought us to this point. š¢
It's time to take action. Conducting BBMP elections is the only way to bring about the change we so desperately need. š³ļø
Let's channel our anger and despair into a movement that will transform Bengaluru into the city we deserve. šŖ
Share this post to show your support and let's make our voices heard! š£ #BBMPelections #Bengaluru
Urgent Request to Conduct BBMP Elections and Uphold the Constitution | Day 5 Demand
Respected Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar,
The 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution of India grant urban local bodies the authority to govern themselves and provide for decentralised decision making. In the absence of an elected body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike is virtually defunct and is being run by unaccountable government officers. This situation goes against the spirit and ethos of the Indian Constitution. We urge you to uphold constitutional values in our glorious Kannada state.
We respectfully request you to conduct BBMP elections and return power to the citizens. It is deeply painful to witness our city reduced to such lows in our #NammaBengaluru.
Yours sincerely,
Citizens of East Bengaluru
Urgent Request to Conduct BBMP Election | Day 3 Demand
Respected Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar,
Garbage is plaguing Bengaluru. BBMP hardly collects garbage. One of our volunteers reached out to a local MLA to help with the regular collection of garbage in his area. He was scolded by the MLA, who said his job is not to collect garbage but to make laws.
If the MLA cannot help, who will ensure garbage collection in the absence of elected BBMP corporators? We do not want to approach the Office of the Chief Minister, Karnataka for garbage collection.
Please conduct BBMP elections and transfer some power back into citizensā hands. It is painful to see our city sink to such lows in our #NammaBengaluru.
Yours sincerely,
Citizens of East Bengaluru
Urgent Request to Conduct BBMP Election | Day 2 Demand
Respected Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar,
Yesterday, a Class 7 student fell and broke his right hand while cycling to school due to potholes on the road. This incident may not affect the day-to-day functioning of your offices, but the child and his family will have to suffer the consequences for an entire year. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. There are countless similar stories that citizens of Bengaluru face every day because of poor road conditions.
Whenever we approach our Member of Parliament regarding road safety, we are referred to the local MLA. The MLA, in turn, says that BBMP will handle the issue. However, BBMP rarely does. With no elected body in place, there is no accountability and no one the citizens can hold responsible.
We urge you to conduct BBMP elections and transfer some power back into the hands of citizens. It is painful to see our city descend to such lows in our #NammaBengaluru.
Yours sincerely,
Citizens of East Bengaluru
The Broken Windows Theory: Why Bad Roads Become Garbage Dumps
A recent viral post captioned "As if the roads aren't trash enough already" captures a frustrating reality in our city. It highlights a psychological phenomenon: when infrastructure is neglected (potholes/bad roads), it signals that "no one cares," encouraging citizens to further degrade it by littering.
Mithilesh Kumar, Founder of Civic Opposition of India, calls this the "Cycle of Apathy."
"We fight the government for better infrastructure," Mithilesh notes, "but we must also fight our own lack of civic sense. Treating a pothole as a dustbin doesn't punish the authorities; it punishes our own community."
We cannot demand world-class infrastructure while maintaining third-class civic habits. The change must happen on both sides of the street.
#Bengaluru #SayNoToTaxes #BrandBengaluru #CivicOpposition #UrbanDecay #RoadSafety #Responsibility #WasteManagement