Category: Explainers

  • BBMP RTI documents

    BBMP RTI documents

    OpenCity.in recently accessed documents from BBMP on standard procedures. These documents were obtained through RTI by Ravindranath Guru, an RTI activist and founding member of KRIA katte. They were digitized with the help of Omshivaprakash of ServantsOfKnowledge. The main advantage of the digitization is that the documents are available as text pdfs which can be… Continue Reading

  • Explainer: Changes in the 225 BBMP wards between the proposed and final delimitations

    Explainer: Changes in the 225 BBMP wards between the proposed and final delimitations

    Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) proposed a new delimitation of wards on the 18th of August 2023. This delimitation divided the area under BBMP into 225 wards instead of the 243 wards which was the regime that was brought into force in 2022 under the then BJP government. This delimitation was open to the public… Continue Reading

  • How to access the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Proceedings

    How to access the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Proceedings

    Proceedings in the legislative assembly are not only an important part of our democratic process, but also help us understand how our MLAs have been doing in the past 5 years – what issues have been raised by them and what issues matter to them. For the 14th Legislative Assembly of Karnataka (2013-2018), you can… Continue Reading

  • How to find your constituency in Bengaluru

    How to find your constituency in Bengaluru

    Use the map below to find your assembly constituency in Bengaluru district for the Karnataka elections 2023.Use the button the left of the screen to open the left panel. On this panel, you can choose to see the wards (198 or 243) overlaid, or unselect them see only the constituencies, and find the constituency that… Continue Reading

  • Resources – Karnataka Elections 2023

    Resources – Karnataka Elections 2023

    Here’s a list of resources, both in OpenCity.in and outside that you can use to find information regarding the elections. These resources are for Bengaluru Urban district polling information, and likely do not apply for the rest of the state. 2023 polling Your MLA’s performance Past elections These are some of the important resources that… Continue Reading

  • How to Access Government GIS Data for Indian Cities/States

    How to Access Government GIS Data for Indian Cities/States

    Different Indian states made public geo-spatial data about their states as well as important cities. This includes, among other things, important data like the following: Public domain Geo-spatial data: Not all states have made their data public. Some of the important ones that can be used are listed here: How to download the maps data:… Continue Reading

  • How to Download Maps from GIS websites

    How to Download Maps from GIS websites

    Many map sites as well as public utilities put out their maps for public consumption. This data is exposed in the form of Rest URLs and can be downloaded as map files with the right tools. What you need How to download map files Continue Reading

  • How to extract maps from pdfs

    How to extract maps from pdfs

    Many public departments put out maps in the form of pdfs instead of map file formats (kml/kmz, shapefiles or geojsons). These maps are usually generated with Autocad and you can see layers on the map which resolve as you zoom deeper. Extracting the map layers from pdf to geojson This explainer will walk you through… Continue Reading

  • Understanding the BMTC bus stops and routes data

    Understanding the BMTC bus stops and routes data

    Recently three Bengaluru techies got together to map the BMTC bus stops information. The information they managed to map wasn’t just bus stops, but also bus accessibility and other details at the booth level. A booth is the smallest administrative unit, smaller than a ward. The information here at booth level includes information like the… Continue Reading

  • How to use maps to visualise your data

    How to use maps to visualise your data

    Maps are useful to visualise data that is geographical in nature. For e.g. health parameters like Infant mortality rate or Maternal mortality rate given for all states of India can be better visualised as a map of India with the different values colour-coded. Maps in Opencity are of the format – kml. Kml is Google’s… Continue Reading

  • #Covid-19 explainer: Managing Municipal Solid Waste

    #Covid-19 explainer: Managing Municipal Solid Waste

    Advisory 1 For Door to Door Collection This is for citizens based on generator classification for handling #COVID19 Compulsorily segregate waste as per 2 Bin1Bag method. Make sure that all dry waste is rinsed and dried. Store coconuts separately for pick up. All used PPE must be disposed as sanitary waste double wrapped in a… Continue Reading

  • #Covid-19 explainer: Guide to documenting migrant workers in need

    #Covid-19 explainer: Guide to documenting migrant workers in need

    Even as NGOs and government agencies are involved in providing immediate relief (cooked food or dry ration) to the most vulnerable, the gap in their efforts is in the last-mile delivery of services. Janata audits can be a way to fix this. It is important to document local conditions of the community to which you… Continue Reading