The Observer Edition 11, Volume 22

The Observer An IIJNM publication

BBMP pays no heed to the damaged Hennur Road flyover underpass, riders worry for safety | P S2

Vol 22, Issue 11

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Customers ask for it, says restaurant owner

By Arsha B.S.

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Young people move out, elderly shift to old-age homes

By Ahona Roy

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here is a rising trend of elderly people moving into oldage homes. This is linked to young people moving out for education or jobs.

According to sociology professor Saheli Guheneogi, this trend can be linked to the changing cultural and social structures in India.

“The previously existing families … joint families have been replaced by nuclear families in the recent times . Most children move away from their families in pursuit of further education or jobs.

It’s hard for their children to look after their parents whilst pursing their studies,” Guheneogi informed The Observer.

Continued on page 3

Halal meat is not only limited to religious beliefs; it also provides economic support to many migrant Muslim workers | Credit: Arsha B.S. nesh, an MBBS student, said: “I prefer halal meat even though I don’t belong to the community. It is cleaner than other meat. It feels safer to eat halal meat.”

Halal meat is not only limited to religion or religious beliefs but also provides economic support to many migrant Muslim workers.

Nageen Taj, owner of Nageen Taj Restaurant, which serves

halal food, said: “There is a sense of hygiene associated with halal meat. There are customers who ask for it. Because they do, we employ people from the community to cook. As customers started thinking of halal food as clean, more people from the community are finding work in restaurants.”

Farzan, who works in the Fisherman’s Meat restaurant, which

serves halal food, said: “It’s high time that we stop thinking of it from a religious perspective.People should understand that halal meat is cleaner and safer as blood doesn’t get clotted and bacterial infection is avoided.”

K.B. Nagaraju, assistant subinspector of the Basaveshwara Nagar police station, said though there are strict instructions that all protests should be held only at Freedom Park, no complaints were registered against the protesters or the protest “There are protests happening every day for different reasons .

But there aren’t any cases registered against them so far.”

When contacted on email, the Hindu Janajagruti Samithi, which staged the protest, said its website has all the information regarding the matter.

The website says: “The Halal Economy System has crept into our Secular system of our country. The parallel economy in secular India is a very serious matter for the security of this country and the Government should immediately stop this system of ‘Halal’ certification.”

There is no ban on serving halal food in restaurants in Karnataka. arsha.s@iijnm.org

Many vehicle owners unaware they have to carry insurance papers Collection of fines for the offence rises

By Yashaswini Sri

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engaluru has seen an increase in the seizure of vehicles and collection of fines over missing insurance documents — a result of drivers being unaware of the law that they must carry these.

In 2018, the fine collected across Karnataka from vehicle drivers who did not have insurance documents was Rs 56.36 crore. This rose marginally to Rs 56.46 crore in 2019. The year

Website: theweeklyobserver.in Epaper: https://issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver

Frequent accidents and traffic congestion trouble motorists and pedestrians in Thubarahalli | P 3

‘Food should be tasty, hygienic’; halal row doesn’t bother diners he serving of halal food in restaurants recently faced a backlash from a right-wing organization, but diners say they don't bother whether their food is halal or not.

On October 18, the Hindu Janajagruti Samithi (HJS) protested in front of McDonald’s and Pizza Hut outlets in Basaveshwara Nagar against halal meat being served to people.

Srinivas R., a regular customer at Nageen Taj restaurant, Kengeri, informed The Observer: “I’m a Hindu, but I don’t see a problem here. I come here regularly for lunch as I work nearby. As long as the food is tasty and hygienic.”

Prasanna S., an autorickshaw driver in the Basaveshwara Nagar area who eats at halal restaurants, said: “I don’t care about this. I didn’t read or watch anything about the protest. It did not feel important.”

Another customer, Abhilash Di-

@theweeklyobserver

Carrying insurance papers gives security to drivers and accident victims | Credit: Yashaswini Sri 2020 recorded a collection of Rs 56.75 crore.

B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda, Joint Commissioner of Traffic Police, said: “We are creating awareness among people about this issue.

We collect fines because it’s our

job…trying to keep it down.”

H. Swamy, Joint Commissioner of Transport, said: “Every year, the number of fines collected by both RTO and traffic police has astonished me. Government tried to impose stricter laws and make it compulsory for vehicles to have insurance, people are still unaware of it.”

According to an Economic Times report, for driving an uninsured vehicle, the fine collected earlier was Rs 2,000 for the first offense, Rs 4,000 for the second and subsequent offences.

Under any circumstance, the vehicle owner and the driver are liable in court if there are no insurance papers have to pay twice the amount imposed.

Continued on page 3

News briefs Gujarat polls on Dec. 1, 5; results to be out on Dec. 8

Gujarat assembly elections will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5, the Election Commission announced on Thursday. The results will be declared on December 8. Indian Express

SC confirms terrorist’s death penalty

The SC on Thursday dismissed a review petition by LeT terrorist Mohammad Arif against the death penalty awarded to him by the Delhi High Court in connection with the 2000 Red Fort attacks case. It was affirmed by the Delhi High Court’s view. Indian Express

Elon Musk plans to cut half of Twitter jobs

Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk plans to cut about 3,700 jobs in order to cut the costs. This will affect the employees from November 4, and reversal of the policy of work from anywhere to work from office. The Hindu

Fire at Vrindavan hotel leaves 2 employees dead

Two employees died when a fire broke out on the top floor of Hotel Vrindavan Garden on MathuraVrindavan road early Thursday.

It broke out at 4.30 am in the kitchen storeroom on the top floor of the hotel. One man was critically injured. ANI

Metro Phase III gets govt approval

The Phase III (A) project of Metro construction has been approved by the government. Consisting of two lines, it has been allotted Rs 16,368 crore. It includes a total of 22 stations and six interchange stations. Deccan Herald

Kohli did ‘fake fielding’, says Bangladesh player

Bangladesh’s wicketkeeper batter Nurul Hasan has accused Virat Kohli of “fake fielding” and robbing his team of five potentially vital penalty runs in their T20 World Cup game on Wednesday.

He demands a penalty imposed on the cricketer.Deccan Herald

North Korea launches ballistic missile

North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile above its eastern waters, adding to a recent barrage of provocative weapons demonstrations that officials say may culminate with a nuclear test in coming weeks.AP

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URBAN MESS

The Observer Thursday, November 3, 2022

Despite complaints, Hennur Rd flyover underpass is horrible BBMP bothers only when polls are around

By Janani Srinivas

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here have been several accidents on the damaged Hennur Road underpass on Outer Ring Ro-ad, causing concern to riders of two-wheelers.

Srinivas, a real estate contractor, informed The Observer: “Often, I have found it difficult to travel on this road.”

The road urgently needs maintenance; otherwise, there will be no end to accidents taking place, he added.

Raju Madaya, an insurer, said: “On busy days, it is difficult to drive in the area. The road is in a terrible condition. The BBMP needs to understand that the road requires urgent repair…. I wish to take another route to reach K.R. Puram, but since this is the only route, I have no other option left to resort to.”

Aditya Kumar, an autorickshaw driver, said: “I have travelled this way several times.

When senior citizens come along, they find it difficult to sit inside any vehicle… they get severe backaches. What is the point of

Quiz 1. Who discovered the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun?

2. From where the does the word “lesbian” originate?

3. Who was the first fashion designer to introduce the Little Black Dress?

4.Which animal has four noses?

5. A dollar can be changed in how many ways?

Answers on page 3

Around the city 18th General K.S. Thimayya Memorial Lecture, Nov 5 (6 PM onwards), Good Shepherd Auditorium, Residency Road The Unstoppable & the Unknowable, Nov 9 (6:30 PM – 8:00 PM), Bangalore International Centre, 7, 4th Main Road, Domlur II Stage Global Ed Interaction, Nov 4 (11:00 AM – 5:00 PM) Taj MG Road Golang Workshop at ASAPP Bengaluru!, Nov 04 (05:00 PM) 43, Residency Rd, Ashok Nagar

Tweetcasm India can win any match that has 18 or less overs. @sagarcasm

The underpass has seen several accidents, but not one authority has looked into the situation | Credit: Janani Srinivas having civic bodies and corporators if they cannot do their work efficiently? The road has also seen frequent accidents. If the BBMP wishes to do something for the welfare of the people, they need to first work on the basics — that is, repair the road going to K.R. Puram so that vehicle owners like us will be eased of tension. Traffic is observed to be not regulated.”

Citizens like Cariappa Mallikarjun, a sugarcane stall owner, have been around the area for five years. “The underpass here has seen several accidents, but not one authority has looked into the situation,” he said.

“I have observed motorcyclists and car drivers passing through this underpass expressing fear.

Hoping the authorities work on this in a swift manner,” he added.

Officials care only when BBMP elections are around the corner.

Rajan Antony, who lives in the Hennur Road area, said: “People here have complained to BBMP authorities several times as frequent accidents have taken place on this road.”

Hanouk H, a central government employee, said: “I have travelled through the Hennur Road underpass and observed that there is no change.

The traffic police here may say that people should drive carefully, but that can only happen if roads are maintained properly.”

Hucheer Naik, a traffic constable, said: “We are trying to reach out to people’s needs.The road at the Hennur Road flyover underpass has been damaged due to Metro work because of which no motorcycle or car can drive smoothly. Because people try to overspeed, it is obvious that accidents happen.”

BMRCL executive engineer Mahesh C.B. said: “The service roads are duly maintained and issues are resolved. However, since the Metro work in the underpass area cannot be stopped, we shall try to resolve citizens’ issues as soon as possible, so that there is ease upon traffic and that vehicles don’t face further problems.” janani.s@iijnm.org

Citizen’s Voice Strays could become a huge burden tomorrow Owing to a financial crunch, the BBMP nearly stopped its dog birth-control programme. As a result, dozens of stray dogs roam each neighbourhood. I have seen hungry dogs attacking piglets. We need to work together to find a solution, but everybody’s cooperation is crucial. I hardly see anyone caring about this problem, which could become a huge burden tomorrow.

P.V. Jeevan Kumar

Inflow of sewage is killing our lakes A major issue that’s adversely affecting the biodiversity of Bengaluru is the unabated flow of sewage into its lakes. As per a recent report, there is not one lake in Bengaluru into which sewage does not flow. This a matter of concern.

Mithilesh Kumar

Most Metro stations and coaches are overcrowded Despite constant reminders to maintain distance and wear masks, major Metro stations like Majestic see large crowds entering trains at a time, with most of the people travelling without a mask. The coaches are mostly chaotic and overcrowded, leaving little air for passengers to breath.

Janvi Goel

Work on Suranjan Das Rd underpass delayed because of heavy showers Citizens agonize as only 40% of the work is over

By Hamsaveni N.

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ork on the Suranjan Das Road underpass has been delayed due to heavy rain. One side of the underpass is to be ready within 40 days.

RNS Infrastructure Ltd was awarded the contract to build underpasses at Kundalahalli, Wind Tunnel Road and Suranjan Das Road as part of the central project. The Kundalahalli underpass was opened to users in July 2022.

Only 40 per cent of the construction of the underpass is complete. Blocks have been laid for one half of the underpass.

On Suranjan Das Road lies the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited main gate signal a busy junction connecting NGEF, MarathahalliWhitefield and Domlur.

People waiting for buses stand right behind the construction zone which appears to be dangerous for them. There is no bus stand. It takes at least 15 minutes to cross the HAL signal

There is no space to wait for buses as the construction of the underpass has taken over most of the road | Credit: Hamsaveni N. while traveling from Domlur to Marathahalli during peak hours.

Rajesh (name changed), a regular user of the road, informed The Observer: “We are looking forward to this underpass opening as early as possible. We wait in the signal for a long duration.

There is no space to wait for the bus as the construction of the underpass has taken over most of

the main gate junction road….

The road is too short now... traffic is too heavy to travel.”

Referring to the crowd of vehicles,a resident who refused to be named said: “I get really irritated while traveling through the HAL route in the evening.” Roads are damaged due to the delayed work, leading to traffic jams.

G.B. Narasimhappa, an HAL

employee, explained: “The underpass work has been going on for a very long time. We can’t completely blame the government for the delay. The soil in the area is not suitable for construction….

The Covid outbreak and heavy rain forced the work to come to a halt. It’s true that traffic is really bad. I hope the underpass will be ready soon to travel.”

Dhananjaya Naik, a site engineer, said: “The construction should have been completed by now, but unexpected heavy rains hit our work. The soil here is sandy. We had to remove the soil.

The cost of the construction increased and we had to stop the work in December 2020. After revised funds were released by the government, work resumed in April 2022. We had a high court stay for a few days on the chopping of 32 trees at the HAL junction. The utility space is very small, though we have occupied 70 per cent of the road.”

A traffic police officer in the Suranjan Das road said that the road is narrow due to the underpass construction, so vehicles cannot move freely. “Bikers use the footpath to escape long crowds mostly during peak traffic hours.” ḥamsaveni.n@iijnm.org

CITY

The Observer Thursday, November 3, 2022

Travelling on Thubarahalli roads poses a challenge for citizens 2 persons died in accidents there in October

By Priya Pathak

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Insurance can save from road accident risks Continued from page 1 T Srinivas, a traffic inspector explained: “It’s important for any vehicle owner to have insurance. One of the many benefits of having insurance is when the situation involves an accident. The vehicle owner can claim his insurance and pay for the damages caused by him to a third party. Without insurance papers, vehicle owners can get into trouble. While the first and second-time violations invite a penalty of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 respectively; for the third violation, police can seize the vehicle and register a case against the offender.”

S. Niha, a vehicle owner who recently paid a fine for not having insurance papers, shared: “Honestly, I was not aware of availing insurance. I recently purchased my Scooty, and nobody informed me about this. Until I was asked to pay a fine, I didn't realize the importance of getting insurance for my vehicle. Soon after, I got my vehicle insurance.”

The Motor Vehicles Act states that a person is required to pay Rs 2000 and serve a three-month prison sentence if caught driving without insurance papers. yashaswini.s@iijnm.org Read the complete report on: www.theweeklyobserver.in

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Poor drainage system and accumulation of rainwater have increased the risk of accidents | Credit: Priya Pathak increase the risk.”

Smeha, a resident of Whitefield, informed The Observer: “Roads were reconstructed before rains. They do not even sustain for two or three months. It becomes difficult in rains.” The condition of the roads affects the balance and stability of twowheelers and even cars.

“Pedestrians are also at risk of

getting bumped by vehicles because of narrow roads and sharp turns,” Smeha added.

Rajesh, a resident who did not want to be named, said Whitefield, supposed to be one of the best areas of Bengaluru, but suffers frpm potholes and bad roads.

Shangnika, a student living near Whitefield said that despite the BBMP repairing the road,

Women outnumber men in old-age homes; most of them are widows They are visited periodically by their families

Continued from page 1 usy work schedules, rise in living costs and lack of available places contribute to the rise of elderly people being admitted to old-age homes. “Most of the elderly women admitted into the old-age homes are widows as they usually outlive their male partners,” she added.

Bhubaneshwari Ramesh, who handles customer service in Athula Assisted Living, said that in most cases, children live far away from home, which is why their parents move into old-age homes. The home has 50-60 people inmates, most of them 60 years old or more.

“Some elderly people seek admission themselves; while some are admitted by their children as they are out of the country,” she shared.

S.G. Raghunanda, managing trustee of Sudhama old-age home, said: “Some admit themselves voluntarily as their children are busy working or are out of station. Some have health issues and cannot take care of themselves….”

Mostly they suffer from in-

Wonders of World

Jökulsárlón

Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lake in southern part of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland. Situated at the head of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, it developed into a lake after the glacier started receding from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The lake has grown since then at varying rates because of melting of the glaciers. It is now about 8 km (5.0 mi) away from the ocean's edge and covers an area of about 18 km2 (6.9 sq mi). There are huge blocks of ice that calve from the edge of Vatnajökull are about 30 m (98 ft) high, which fills the lagoon stocked with icebergs.

Credit: Wikipedia

Quote of the day “It is not necessary to bury the truth. It is sufficient merely to delay it until nobody cares.”

– Napoleon Bonaparte

Did you know?

John Wilkes Booth who was known for assassinating President Abraham Lincoln, had a brother Edwin Booth, who saved the late president’s son, Robert Lincoln from being run over by a train car.

Quiz answers 1. Howard Carter 2. Greek island of Lesbos 3. Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel 4. Slug 5. 293

hubarahalli, a part of Bengaluru’s tech hub, has been facing traffic congestion and accidents, leaving commuters worried to travel The Observer found many potholes on the way to Thubarahalli main road from the Baiyappanahalli Metro station. The presence of potholes leads to traffic jams during peak hours, making it risky for motorists to take sharp turns. It is equally dangerous for them at night.

Construction on one side has narrowed the road, making it difficult for pedestrians to walk.

Two road accidents in October that killed two people in the Whitefield police station limits have brought into focus the dangers commuters face.

Raju, an autorickshaw driver in Whitefield, said he finds it difficult to navigate the pothole-riddled and congested road.

“Two-wheelers trying to overtake other vehicles in heavy traffic lead to most accidents; bad roads

potholes always appear within two months of the repair. When it rains, potholes filled with water make travel even more difficult.

Police constable Vittal Nandeppanavar shared with The Observer: “When we are on duty, we witness accidents because of potholes and traffic. citizens come to us and complain about potholes.

“Repairing potholes is not our job. We are only asked to click photos of bad roads and send them to the nearest police station so it can sent ahead to BBMP.” According to Prof. M.N. Sreehari, a traffic expert and adviser, said the absence of an effective and efficient mass transportation system has led to an increase in the number of vehicles. Sixty per cent of the city’s roads are still narrow, resulting in congestion.

Parking on roadsides and Metro construction have added to the mess. Roads are not constructed using sound scientific methods. Poor drainage system and accumulation of rainwater have increased the risk of accidents.

To counter the problem, Sreehari said, public works should be completed fast. Officials should be made answerable and accountable to the public. This will earn citizens’ confidence. priya.p@iijm.org

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Weather Maximum Temperature : 25° Minimum Temperature : 19° Humidity : 87% Forecast : Light rain showers

The Observer Mostly people suffer from increased blood pressure, diabetes and mild dementia, nurses are available round the clock to check on the residents’ health | Credit: Ahona Roy creased blood pressure, diabetes and mild dementia. If the health issues are serious, their families are informed and they are shifted to hospital. The relatives usually visit on alternate days or on a weekly/ monthly basis. Others call regularly and visit often. The average age group of elderly people admitted is 80 years with

most being widows. Presently, Sudhama has 21 elderly inmates, most of them are women.

As people live away from their house, old age homes engage them with cultural programmes, singing and yoga classes. ahona.r@iijnm.org Read the complete story on www.theweeklyobserver.in

Produced by the Print students of the Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media at Nityananda Nagar, Kumbalgodu, Kengeri hobli, Bengaluru 560074.

Editor: Janani Srinivas News Editor: Yashaswini Sri Copy editors: ArshaB.S, Ahona Roy, Hamsaveni N Photo editor: Priya Pathak Other IIJNM publications l The Beat magazine l CityCast l The SoftCopy