For every controversy that Bengaluru has courted, be it the proposed steel flyover or the frothing of Bellandur and Varthur lakes, there are data, analyses and studies that could possibly provide perspective or even solutions.
A citizen-driven and citizen-owned data repository that is now in the offing promises to offer any available data about the city on a single platform. It is set to be christened ‘NIGA’, which not only translates to ‘vigil’ in Kannada, but also expands to ‘Numeracy and Information for Governance and Action’. The repository will be ‘online, offline and academic’.
Architect Naresh V. Narasimhan, who was actively involved in the ‘steel flyover beda’ movement, said the project could take up to a year to complete. Once ready, citizens will have the data necessary for better decision-making and validation of proposals. At present, most decisions are based on what the government agencies ‘feel at an intuitive level’, he said.
Multiple non-governmental organisations, including educational institutions, are expected to be a part of the project, as the city’s problems are ‘inter-connected and trans-disciplinary’.
“A lot of data is available and Bengaluru has a lot of scientists who can see patterns in the data. It is going to be a virtual institution and the idea is to make data visible,” Mr. Narasimhan said, adding that a lot of information about civic agencies is in the public domain. “What is not available, we will have to put in a request,” he said.
On getting the government to utilise the data, film and theatre personality Prakash Belwadi, who was also at the forefront of the anti-flyover campaign, said, “It is complicated for institutions, but caring citizens will take the trouble to make the government take note. One should never underestimate the power of citizens’ passion.”
‘NIGA’ would be able to aid policy and intervention, he said. “In Bellandur Lake, for example, a study of the entire length of the lake may reveal where it is most polluted,” Mr. Belwadi added.
