DataJam - May 2026
2026-05-28
2026-05-28
I recently attended a Data Jam, an initiative by civic bodies in Bengaluru, aimed to allow citizens to come up with data-driven solutions for urban challenges. It was my first, below is my experience and outcomes of the event.
We were asked to look at storm water drains, the problems surrounding them, and provide solutions backed by data. These are very old waterways spread across the city to capture the natural rainfall and trap them in a system of lakes. At the DataJam, we were presented with themes that we could pick from. Our team focused on analyzing how the storm water drains are impacted by land use patterns. Our first hurdle was finding the data. We have data about land use only from 2017, the city has evolved significantly since then. Below are a few interactive visualizations we developed as part of the event.
First, a map of all storm water drains across the city along with existing lakes. Bengaluru has a well connected system of drains that feed different lakes, some of which we have lost. Data from here - Stormwater Drains Data
Next, we overlayed onto this map, the land use patterns - residential, industrial and other open areas. We wanted to identify those parts of the city where the stormwater drain or a lake is built over (or too close).
Intersections between storm water drains and properties.
The map depicts a well known problem in Bengaluru. Properties routinely encroach on Lakes or storm water drains without accounting for adequate buffer zones.
We also looked at a few other interesting questions.
To answer the above questions, we used recent survey data collected by volunteers who visited parts of the drains and recorded their observations.
Overall, the event was very well organized. The problem statements were structured, time allotted was sufficient, and the presentations were thoroughly critiqued by the judges.
But, I felt that there was a lack of technical depth in the analysis and discussions presented by participants (including our team), more hypothesising based on anecdotal evidence and less empirical evidence. As a result, the judges seemed more skeptical of the results presented. I am less hopeful that beyond a new editorial, any real policy change will come out of this exercise.