Vol 12, Issue6 by IIJNM Bangalore

Vol.12 Issue 6

Bangalore’s first solarpowered bicycle? - Page 2

Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media, Bangalore

Bangalore police short on work force - Page 2

Petrol sold in plastic bottles endangers lives - Page 3

Residents at risk from high tension wires - Page 4

26 September 2012

Left in limbo: Students await final exams - Page 4

Rape and abuse cases spike in city By Amrita Ray

ported to have either been killed or have committed suicide because of dowry harassment.

he number of rape cases in Bangalore has increased by 24 percent since 2010 according to Banglore police.

There has also been an increase in the number of cases of molestation.

In 2010, there were 38 cases of rape registered across the city, while the figures went up to 50 in 2011 and as of July this year, another 38 women were reported to have been raped.

“I was molested by one of my colleagues. Though I registered a complaint against him, I had to quit that job due to family pressure. I do not want to recall it ever again as it fills me with disgust.” said one of the victims.

According to statistics in the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Bangalore was ranked third most unsafe city for women in India till 2010, but now it ranks second on the list. The number of cases of dowry harassment have also shot up from 557 in 2010 to 605 in 2011, showing an increase of 9.14 percent. The figure had already reached 357 reported cases by July of this year. The number of deaths related to harassment for dowry remained almost constant in the two preceding years with 49 and 52 deaths of women reported. By the middle of this year, 40 other women are re-

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Anand Sharma said: “Every day we get around two to three complaints of women getting sexually harassed on the streets via our helpline and these are just one-fourth of the number of women who get molested.” Also the numbers of female suicides has increased from 76 in 2010 to 101 in 2011. This year has witnessed 61 women taking their own live.“Some of these women are victims of assault or molestation”, added ACP Anand Sharma. Dr. Chandrasekhar, a psychiatrist, said: “the most common problem with such women is the fear of

“More women being attacked in Bangalore,” say Police society. Many victims are not able to address their issues openly. Their helplessness keeps piling up, resulting in acute depression. The most common outcome of this is suicide.” The numbers of domestic violence cases have also shown a marked increase, going up from

308 in 2010 to 1054 in 2011 and stands at 832 as of July this year. “Everyday at least three cases of female assault victims come to the hospital and some of the victims brought here are in terrible conditions” said Dr.Veena of KC hospital.Shakun Mohini, a member of Vimochana, a women’s rights

group said that Bangalore immediately needs a helpline to quickly help women who are abused and harassed on the roads. Though there are various helplines for women, they mostly deal with cases of marital discord.

Fungal disease may spell doom for India’s amphibians By Rohan D Premkumar

IISER Pune and another from the Zoo Outreach Organisation which are currently studying the effects of Chytrid fungus on amphibians. But it will take a minimum of 5-6 years to completely understand the disease,” he said. Chytridiomycosis, caused by the Chytrid fungus, is a disease which affects the immune system of amphibians, leading to the death of the infected animal in most cases. The fungus has been blamed for steep declines in the population of amphibians in numerous continents, including the Americas and Australia.

Malabar Tree Toad A fungal infection wiping out amphibian populations across the globe may have been found for the first time in the Western Ghats last year. A leading expert who docu-

K V Gururaja mented the disease last year, lieved to be Chytridiomycosis, says he believes that a full-blown outbreak could lead to mass extinctions of amphibian populations across India. K V Gururaja, a research scientist at the Indian Institute of Science,

Bangalore, and one of the premier authorities on amphibian life in the Western Ghats, says that in order to tackle an outbreak of the infection, a systematic study of the disease in amphibian populations needs to be undertaken urgently. “There are two groups, one from

“We believe that the fungus we found last year is that of the Chytrid strain. We have not been able to confirm it as the samples we had taken had become contaminated. But there is reason to believe that the fungus is Chytrid,” said Gururaja. Speaking about the vital role frogs play in maintaining the balance of an ecosystem, Gururaja said that frogs are a “link in the natural food chain”, and that a reduction in their numbers could have

severe repercussions for the animals which prey upon them. Gururaja also said that as there was a lack of research on the disease, the causes which precipitate the amphibians contracting it could not be ascertained. “As of now, it could be anything,” he said. “It could be (climate change), or pesticides in the soil. But until further research is done, we cannot be sure,” he added. Sushil K Dutta, a visiting professor at the Center for Ecological Studies, IISc, said that the Western Ghats were an extremely sensitive ecological area and that there were a number of variables which affect the animal populations which inhabit them. “Though there are reports of Chytrid fungus in the Western Ghats, we cannot pinpoint that as the single factor for falling number of amphibians in the region,” he said. Dutta believes that habitat loss and “habitat modification” is severely affecting the region, and believes that human activity is the region’s biggest threat.

The Weekly Observer

Light bulb moment leads to solar-powered bike By Deepu Varghese

Bangalorean invented city’s first first solar powered bike.

A.S. Krishnan, a resident of Ashraya layout, invented a solar motor bike that functions like any other bike, it has accelerator, gears and clutches but it runs on sunshine

Solar, a renewable source of energy is something that is found in abundance and as of now, free of cost too. Proper usage of it can help not only for substituting electricity but much other stuff as well. Lekshmi, his wife, said: “I use

He added: “Solar power is a good alternative for the normal power supply in our houses. A nonexhaustible source of power, we should start incorporating it in our need for power supply. Though a lot has to be done in this field, a

In the current scenario when the prices of the petrol and diesel are sky rocketing Krishnan is happy saving a few bucks on petrol.

26 September 2012

Anger directed at sustainable power policy by Nijhum Rudra

angalore Electricity Board received 800 complaints against the implementation of sustainable power policy .

than 800 complaints from the common people and the industry. In order to solve their problems we took this decision,” he added.

The Bangalore Electricity Board is about to implement a large number of power projects which exceeds 800 MW — four times more than the capacity.

Karnataka State Power Corporation is planning to install more than 80 transformers for enhanched electricity production. The crisis will be over soon, say officials.

It will affect the densely populated region and the resources and it will pose a serious threat to the overall welfare of communities, because electricity is generated from water and Bangalore city is having a scarcity of water it can only produce 400 MW of electricity.

MR Ramakrishna Technical Director of BESCOM said:”Although if the consumption exceeds more than 400 MW it will affect the natural resources and it will have huge impact on the environment.

MR Manivanan the Managing Director of Banglore Electric Supply Company Limited told that: “We, the board members are trying to generate it because Bangalore is the IT capital of India and in spite of that there is load shedding every day.”

The proud owner of the solar bike said, “This is one of my best inventions. I am really proud of this. I bought this bicycle and turned it into a solar motor bike three months ago.”

City

“We know that we cannot exceed more than 400 MW but we are taking precautions to stop this, there will be no trouble,” assure officials of the state electricity board. There is paradigm shift to the way in which people demand the supply of better electricity for better production of industries and to ensure social harmony in our society.

“Every day we are receiving more

Festivities over, lakes feel the hangover

Krishnan goes eco friendly not only on road but also at his home.

by Sumit

He has been using solar energy instead of electricity for over three First solar bike of Bangalore. years. solar energy to run my oven and His motto is to use solar energy television as well. At the beginning to the maximum and reduce conthe voltage fluctuates but later it sumption of electrical power in the stabilizes. ” house. He really hopes that the trend "The whole setup helps in not catches up and is confident that only reducing huge electricity bills, such use of renewable potentials but also teaches one to effectively will solve a number of problems, trap sunlight for household purfor which people are fighting. poses,” he said.

-krishnaprasad starting step is always welcomed.” “I have tried implementing solar energy as much as I can. In fact I am also thinking of opening a store that sells items which all run on solar energy.. I am still waiting for the license,” said Krishnan.

ollution level of impurity keeps increasing in lakes as people immerse Ganesha idols during Ganesha Chaturthi.

or its tributaries, but due to the absence of any river in Bangalore , the people immerse the idols in the various lakes which dot the city.

The Ganesha Festival began on the 19th September and people began immersing idols from 24th September as a part of the ritual of ‘Visarjan.’ According to the ritual, people are supposed to immerse idols in the water after worshipping the Lord Ganesha.

The lakes which are getting af fected are Ulsoor lake, Hebbal lake and Sankeytank lake. From 20th September to 24th September, there has been a huge increase in the level of impurities from theharmful lead-based paints.

The idols are supposed to be immersed in the holy river of Ganga

The fish and aquatic life in these water bodies are affected by the release of effluents from the idols.

Police vacancies increase, crime rates still decrease by Kriti Khandelwal the past years have occurred in the Indian Penal Court (IPC) cases which include rioting, injuries and kidnapping. The number of these cases registered was 16,032 in 2010 which fell to 14,001 in 2011. Every month, an average of 79-80 policemen retire, according to H D Ananda Kumar.

bangalore police short on work force

eputy Commissioner of Police claims crime in the city has gone down to 5.2 percent despite a lack of police officers. Figures show that 45,990 crime cases were registered in 2009, while 44,591 were registered in 2010 and 42,160 were registered in 2011. As of 31st August this year, only 29192 cases were registered in

Bangalore City. The total number of police enforcing law and order in Bangalore is only 11,701. While vacancies are open for 2447 policemen, according to a report given by the deputy commissioner. The majority of posts for Police Commissioners are vacant in every division across the city. The second most vacant positions are

This difference is seen especially in the thefts cases where the thief usually manages to hide from the police. Number of house thefts cases registered last year was 2149 out of which only 598 were arrested.

“

The dedication towards serving our Nation is not among the youth like it was in earlier days.

“

“Policemen are overworked most of the time. So they get fatigued and retire early,” he said.

Another problem is while the numbers of cases annually have been decreasing, the numbers of arrests have still not increased by much.

This year, 1609 cases of petty theft were registered until the end of August and of them, only 360 have been arrested “Just recruiting more policemen will not help. Knowledgeable people in department are more necessary,” A n a n d a added.

He added that he was extremly disappointed - Anupika these days as for Police Sub Inspectors in the there is nobody who -HD Ananda Kumar, Special Unit Department. DCP of City Crime wanted to serve the Records Bureau A census 2011 report released by country. the Government of India showed He blamed the heap of that the total population of Banga- well paying jobs available Upon asking lore is 95,88,910 citizens. in the market for today’s genera- how they still manage to curb Based on these statistics, there tion for people not wanting to take crime and keep it to minimmum, he is on average, one policeman for up government service, “The ded- said that they place more police in ication towards serving our Nation areas that are more vunerable to every 81, 000 citizens in the city. is not among the youth like it was crime. The most notable diferences over in earlier days.” he said.

The Weekly Observer

Safety ignored: Petrol still being sold in plastic bottles at city petrol pumps

26 September 2012

City

Picture Of The Week

same area, he said: “People whose cars or motorcycles run out of petrol prefer taking petrol in bottles instead of pulling their vehicles up to the pump.” In most of the cases, people are unaware of the rules set for the type of container. “I just requested the workers at the petrol pump and he filled my bottle” was the response of a person walking out the pump with petrol in a plastic bottle. Mr. C.R Abdul Rasheed, a criminal law practitioner, gave a clearer picture of this whole issue. “The major problem in fuelling petrol in plastic bottles is that the material of the bottle is corrodible. In this case it can pose a threat to the person carrying the inflammable fuel” he said.

Petrol in plastic bottles- a threat for people

By Sumit

etrol pump owners are risking lives by selling petrol in plastic bottles in Bangalore. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. has forwarded a circulation stating five rules which should be followed by the petrol pump authorities in Karnataka. These rules clearly set a directive for the petrol pumps to abstain from fuelling petrol in plastic bottles. However, the petrol pump owners are openly flouting the rules mentioned in the circular. People, too, are unaware of these guidelines since the petrol pump officials don’t feel it necessary to communicate the rules. The rules set up by the petrol ministry for fuelling of petrol at petrol pumps. These rules set a guideline for the type of containers in which petrol can be fuelled. The containers should be made up of

- Sumit

tin, galvanized or extremely rust proofed sheet iron or steel. The containers should be of types as approved by the Chief Controller. They should also have well-made fitting apertures fitted with air-tight screw plugs or screw caps. Though circulars ask the owners to avoid selling loose petrol in plastic containers, only a couple of petrol pumps in the BTM area adhere to the rules. “We strictly stick to the rules in the circular sent by BPCL. We have been avoiding the sale of petrol in plastic bottles since our petrol pump opened”, said Mr. Eknath, Supervisor at the HP petrol pump in BTM area. On being asked about the policies of other petrol pumps regarding fuelling of petrol, Mr Eknath said: “We just adhere to the rules laid down by the Ministry of Petroleum. What other petrol pumps do, we don’t know.” On asking the official at another petrol pump in the

For this reason, the petroleum ministry has given clear instructions about the containers in which petrol can be sold. These containers should be approved by the Chief Controller. Selling petrol in plastic bottles is not only about flouting rules but also about putting the lives of people at risk. These bottles are made up of material which can easily melt at high temperatutes. Petrol, being a highly inflammable fuel, poses a great threat in these situations. The containers that have been mentioned in the circular are either made out of iron or steel. The inner surface of these containers are tinned, galvanised and rust free. They can neither melt at slightly high temperatures nor can be corroded easily. The petrol pumps should also make people aware as citizens generally don’t know about these guidelines.

By Shruti Tiwari

With Gandhi Jayanthi just around the corner, this retailer has decided to cash in on the image of the Mahatma.

Illegal slum dwellers living under high-tension wires rent population. According to BBMP, the city hosts 569 slums — of these, 228 are authorised and 341 unauthorized. Nearly 1.7 lakhs people live in these slums. Bangalore East, has the largest number.

By Urmi & Shreya

ver 50 families live in a dangerous slum directly below high voltage power cables. The slum is mainly occupied by people from poor family and minor ity communities.

"As per the National Sample Survey conducted in 2007-08, the net migration in Karnataka is 10%, when it's 7% in other states, and in Kerala it is 44%." said S Madheswaran, professor at Centre for Economic studies, Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC).

A local resident Mr. Jagadish K said: “The former MLA Mr. Narendra gave the land to these people for winning the election. But once the election was over they never came to visit this place.”

This means that in Karnataka for every10 who move out, 20 move into the state.

Mr. Jagadish K also added: ‘the dalits are called the children of God, so, they get extra facilities wherever they go. No minister ever visits this place.’ The area is under high tension cables which put the lives of the slum people at stake. The only thing which attracts these poor people is that they don’t have to pay rent for these houses. This land comes under the jurisdiction of Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). According to Mr. B. Uma Shankar, a slum dweller: “more than 50 families lives in this slum for last 5years. “ He added that the government

"Migration is more among labour class in Bangalore and this directly influences the urban poverty level and, in turn, increases the slum population as a whole," he added.

A cobweb of electric wires hanging from a lamppost has promised to provide them with electricity. Their main complaint is that the MLA Priyakrishna never visits the place to learn about their conditions. However, Basaweshwaranagar’s minister, Priyakrishna sometimes visits this slum. The State Govern-

-Urmi

ment has provided them with proper sanitation .

have money to pay our electricity bills and we are used to it.”

All of them have their voter identity cards and they get corporation water. When asked if they are facing any kind of difficulties without electricity in their area, he answered: “No, it’s fine as we do not

They are happy with the fact that the MLA has allotted a land for them where they can live in. The number of slum dwellers in a decade has risen by 23%. It is nearly 30 to 40% of the City’s cur-

Mrs Krishna Murthy, a resident from the locality, said: “The slum dwellers have been given the place five years back by the former counselor for the sake of winning election.” “But such a decision are not only risking the lives of the people from the slum but also residents like us,” she added.

The Weekly Observer

26 September 2012

University leaves students in the lurch By Vintu Augustine

housands of students have been left in limbo after Bangalore University failed to hold the final year exams. The University has delayed the announcing the date of the exams for the past four months. The exams were supposed to have taken place in the months of May or June as it used to be every year, but the tests have never been held. “Yet every time we approach the University to have some clarity with regard to the exams, the only answer we receive is to wait. If they could at least let us know the time approximately we could plan out accordingly,” said Prof. Roy Dominic, In charge of university matters at Suvidya College. The students were all well prepared since April to appear for the exams and had been waiting earnestly for the announcement of the exam schedule. Thinking that it would take place soon, they have not been able to make any other alternative plans. “Unprecedented delay in the announcement of exam schedule has left us a bit bewildered and undecided as to get into some jobs or wait for the exams to be finished first,” said Walambor K, a student who has enrolled himself at Navya College. Most of the students who register for this course have an aim to pursue a degree and simultaneously work. It add up to their credentials to do a job and pursue studies simultaneously.

Left in limbo, students await final exams Ajit Daimary, a student from the North East said: “We have been waiting for the exams to be held for a long time. We have already booked, rebooked and cancelled our train tickets several times.” Since there was no confirmation on the exam, students from other states had to hold themselves back not able to visit their homes. The university does not give sufficient gap between the declaration of the schedule and beginning of the exams usually. Postponement of exams and delaying convocations with regard to correspondence courses has become a routine affair with Bangalore University. Mr. Chandrasekar, the Deputy Registrar, when contacted to clarify the delay said: “The delay occured due to a court case filed by

-Vintu

some of the exam centers. Now every such case is cleared and exams will take place soon.” “There weren’t any such cases as far as I know. We were only waiting for the declaration from the University to hold exams,” said Mr. Naveen, the principal of Navya College, one of the centers for the exams. The students are forced to stay in lodges and hotels because they are deprived out of the college as the course and exams are suspended for an indefinite period. “It is the responsibilty of the institute to provide lodging as the exams have been cancelled. I have spent more than Rs 5000 for my lodging. I find it very expensive for staying back in this city,” said Ajit Daimary. More than 200 students are facing the same issue.

Depression and suicide plague the city By Pyusha Chatterjee

ver 12000 people committed suicide in Karnataka in 2011.

According to a report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Karnataka ranked seventh in the country because of the state’s high rate of suicides.

Eighty percent of those who commit suicide are from nuclear families and the rest belong to joint families. “Patients diagnosed with depression have pessimistic views about life, feeling of hopelessness and worthlessness and death wishes,”

indirect clues before committing suicide.” He added that the families need to understand the problems faced by the patients. He shared two case studies in one of which a girl gifted her pet to her classmate and in the other case an old women gave all her belongings

The number of people who committed suicide in Bangalore in 2011 was 1717 and ranked ninth among Indian cities.

According to the statistics provided by NCRB, 25 males and 24 females committed suicide in Karnataka in 2011 as a result of marital problems. Out of every 100 patients suffering from depression, 15 attempt suicide. Seventy percent of the patients consume insecticide. The rest of them either burn themselves, hang, drown or take heavy dose of sleeping pills.

Sidharth & Sumit

The Observer Team Publisher: Indian Institute of Journalism and NewMedia Address: Opp. BGS International Residential School, Kumbalgudu, Kengeri, Bangalore, Karnataka- 560060 News Editor: Sidharth Shekhar

Two major reasons behind high rate of suicide cases are household conflict and depression. Around 30 percent of the people commit suicide due to conflict at home, 20 percent due to conflict between spouses and 10 percent due to parents’ scolding, said Dr. Chandrashekhar, Head of the Department of Psychiatry, Victoria hospital.

Rhetoric

Chief Sub Editor: Kriti Khandelwal Photo Editor: Rohan D. Premkumar Sub Editors: Urmi Sengupta, Priyanka Roy, Pyusha Chaerjee, Vintu Augustine Statistics showing the reasons for committing suicide said Dr. Chandrashekar. Patients not only need treatment but also attention, love and support but usually families misunderstand them as being lazy due to fatigue symptoms. A married woman committed suicide as her husband and family did not cooperate with her. He said: “In 90 percent of the cases, the victims give direct and

to her relative. In 2011, 200 males and 86 females committed suicide in Karnataka. Out of this 36 males and 29 females were from Bangalore. According to NCRB, failed relations is another major reason why individuals are committing suicides. Proper pre-marriage counselling would fix much of the problems according to experts.

Proof Readers: Shreya Mukherjee, Nikita Malusare, Sumit, Deepu Aby Varghese, Amrita Ray Printer: Lotus Printers, 32/25,, 2nd Main Road, Sir M.V. Industrial Town, West of Chord Road, Bangalore Mail us at : editor@iijnm.org