The Observer Edition 15 Volume 22

The Observer An IIJNM publication

Slush-filled Carmelaram Road causes misery to residents; no action from BBMP on complaints | P 2

Vol 22, Issue 15

Thursday, November 17, 2022

People unaware rule came in September 2016

By Hamsaveni N

C

Source: Traffic Management Centre Bengaluru (TMC) the penalty in Benagaluru was tion is growing day by day and sireduced to Rs 500. multaneously cases registered are M.C. Kavitha Kariyappa, assis- also increasing. Vehicle movetant commissioner of traffic po- ment in the city is more, and it is lice, East Division, informed The not possible to stop every vehicle Observer: “Bengaluru’s popula- and tell them (the riders) to wear

helmets. We are trying our level best to educate the public on the importance of helmets…. Traffic rules education should start at a very young age.”

Rajendra Swamy, a traffic head constable, said: “Negligence by the public is the main reason for the rise in cases registered. I see no fear in the public of being fined for breaking traffic rules. We see a lot of people carrying their helmets in their hands or in the bike dicky. They wear their helmets as soon as they see traffic police and remove (them) once they pass by an officer. There is no use if people wear helmets only to escape from officers. Awareness about traffic rules should come within.”

A traffic constable who refused to be named said: “A lot of people think if they escape from traffic police they are safe, but Bengaluru is completely under CCTV surveillance. Traffic rules violations are recorded and (people) fined. Hence, cases registered are also increasing. People tend to take traffic rules for granted and endup paying fines.”

Continued on page 3

Bengaluru temples struggle with waste management Not all depend on BBMP to take trash away

By Yashaswini Sri

O

nly a few of the 40-odd Bengaluru temples that began segregating waste a few years ago are doing so now.

T. Sundar, the head of management of Gali Anjaneya temple, Mysuru Road, said: “Disposing of waste was never a problem at our temple. Recently, we saw littering in and around the temple as a rising problem. Now we have combated that. We do not have two bins to segregate wet and dry waste. We leave it to the BBMP. They have never told us to segregate, nor have they provided an alternative option.”

The head priest of Kadu Malleshwara temple,

BBMP cleans the waste from temple streets only once every 15 to 30 days because they are chocked with vendors. | Credit: Yashaswini Sri Malleswaram, said: “We composted the temple’s waste at the beginning. Somewhere in between we stopped doing it. One of the major reasons is that we do

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

Homeopathy becomes popular after Covid; the Ministry of AYUSH approves its usage | P 3

Number of pillion riders not wearing helmets shoots up

ases of pillion riders not wearing helmets are increasing drastically in Bengaluru every year.

Though the wearing of helmet by pillion riders was made compulsory from September 1, 2016, people still don’t wear them, many pillions carry them (helmet) around their elbows.

The number of cases registered for the offense were 8.97 lakh in 2016; 5.96 lakh in 2017; 12.97 lakh in 2018; 10 lakh in 2019; 19.1 lakh in 2020; and 23 lakh in 2021, traffic police data show.

These cases were registered by traffic police officers or recorded on CCTV cameras.

The fine for not wearing helmet was Rs 1,000. After strict implementation of the The Motor Vehicle act from September 1, 2019,

@theweeklyobserver

not do gardening near the temple.

BBMP takes our waste and recycles it, so it seems futile to continue composting.” .The Observer noticed that dur-

ing the early hours of the day, workers take the previous day’s waste to the nearest municipal waste bin. The temple segregates wet and dry waste before disposing of it to BBMP..

Shakthi Kalyana Maha Ganapathi temple in Kalyan Nagar was one of the first temples in Bengaluru to have started composting. Former temple trustee Ashok Betraj said the said thepotential for composting was obvious from the start. “We made our rules certain that noplastic was brought into the temple by devotees.”

According to a Times of India report, 25 temples in Karnataka were declared zero- wastezones.

The government had allocated Rs 25 crore for waste management.

Sri BanashankariAmma temple is the only temple in Bengaluru to be a part of this project. The Iskcon temple on Chord Road on does not depend on BBMP to clear its waste.

Continued on page 3

News briefs Congress demands Bommai’s resignation The Congress in Karnataka has demanded the resignation of chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, alleging he is directly responsible for a corrupt electoral practice by asking a private entity to collect door-to-door voter information.

The charge was rejected outright

by Basavaraj Bommai who said the opposition party was bankrupt with ideas. PTI

Republican Party wrests control of US House

Donald Trump’s Republican Party has wrested control of the US House of Representatives with 218 seats against the 211 seats of the Democratic Party, setting the stage for a showdown with Joe Biden in the next two years of his presidency. PTI

SC to hear fresh plea of Gautam Navlakha

The Supreme Court agreed to list for hearing on Friday a fresh plea of activist Gautam Navlakha, who has not been shifted to house arrest despite the court’s directive in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case. A Bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud took note of the submissions of a senior lawyer appearing for Navlakha that the court’s order has not been complied with so far. PTI

Army deploys new docks, upgrades speedboats

The Army has deployed new landing docks and speed boats for patrolling on the Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh, matching the Chinese deployments on the lake. This is part of an overall capability enhancement and infrastructure development taken up by India since the 2020 standoff in Ladakh to plug deficiencies and catch up with a Chinese build-up along the Line of Actual Control. The Hindu

Russian missiles hit Ukraine’s Dnipro city

Russian missiles and projectiles hit Ukraine’s southern Odesa region and the city of Dnipro for the first time in weeks on Thursday morning. Air raid sirens sounded all across the country amid fears that Moscow had unleashed another large-scale attack. At least four people were killed and 11 others wounded in drone and missile strikes around the country of Ukraine authorities said. AP

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CITY

The Observer Thursday, November 17, 2022

Slush-filled Carmelaram Road causes misery to residents Residents say BBMP, MLA have not acted on their complaints

By Janani Srinivas

S

lush on Carmelaram Road is causing major inconvenience to residents. It has been in a bad condition from thelast five months.

Biju Kunikannan, a shopkeeper in the area, informed The Observer that often people have injured themselves while travelling through the route.

Yusuf Kunhimoosa, who has lived in that area for 15 years, said the condition of Carmelaram Road is at its worst. “…What is the point of complaining to the civic authorities when they themselves leave the area in a shoddy condition like this?”

Since the installation of a GAIL pipeline, no official from BBMP has bothered to take a look at the bad condition of the road. “Now that the BBMP elections are coming, we will see action…. People like us will keep complaining to BBMP, but things are going to move at a slow pace,” he added.

Murali Behra, a chef who lives in the area, said it is only after the installation of the GAIL

Around the city Indiegaga International Music and Arts Festival, 19 November, 1:00 PM – 11:59 PM,Bhartiya Mall Of Bengaluru,Thanisandra Main Road, Bengaluru, Free Bengaluru FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan FC, 3 December, 7:30 PM, Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru, INR 99 Sunday Sunny Tunes, 6 November- 27 November, 3PM, Hard Rock Cafe Bengaluru Whitefield, Bengaluru, Free

Tweetcasm “8 billion people in this world but it still feels like a lonely planet sometimes.”

Pankhuri (@UriUdiJaye)

Quiz 1.First held in 1907, in which sport is the Waterloo Cup contested?

2.How many self-referential cameos did Alfred Hitchcock make in his films from 19271976?

3.Which singer fronted the 1970s’ pop group Showaddywaddy?

4. When was the first contraceptive pill made available for women?

5.Who invented Cat’s Eyes in 1934 to improve road safety?

6.What is lifespan of dragonfly?

Answers on Page 3

Due to slushy roads, children cannot to go to school, residents are unable to walk and vehicles can’t move| Credit: Janani Srinivas pipeline that the problem started.

Suprith N, an urban planner who lives in the area, said the pipe work has made it more difficult to walk or drive on the road.

The BBMP is taking a long time to repair the road, with few workers on the job.

“The authorities need to look into this issue and stop troubling residents once and for all, rather than lending a deaf ear to our continuous pleas to repair it as

soon as possible,” he added.

Narasimha B, a businessman, said the issue of Carmelaram Road was raised with the local MLA and BBMP, but no action was taken by either. Because of the slushy roads, children are unable to go to school, residents cannot walk properly, and vehicles can’t move smoothly.

“It is like inviting accidents to our doorstep. It has become difficult…to live here as it is messy

.Now as the BBMP election is approaching, we don’t know what the future holds for Carmelaram Road,” he added.

Prof. M.N. Sreehari, a road expert, said the condition of the road can lead to a loss of human life. Slushy roads are caused due to improper planning and not allocating enough money. BBMP’s inaction is nothing new.

“Even after an instruction from the High Court, BBMP is not bothered. They may think that they are above the lord…. If the BBMP cannot do its job properly, then citizens need to take the matter in their own hands.”

BBMP officials have promised that the work will be completed

by December 15.

Shivananda,assistant executive engineer,Mahadevapura division, BBMP, commented: “The road work at Carmelaram Road is still in progress.” Repair was delayed because of rain. Once the work is over, the road will again be free for vehicles to ride.”

According to Section 198A of the Motor Vehicles Act,1988, “failure to comply with the standards for construction and maintenance of roads would lead the authorities to impose a penalty.”

This rule further implies that the BBMP needs to work over their promises . If there will be further delays citizens will lose their faith over the civic body. janani.s@iijnm.org

Citizen’s Voice Is our law strong enough to punish sex offenders?

It is unfortunate that women and children in India become victims of sexual abuse. What’s even more depressing is that convicts who had killed in most terrible ways are released years before they complete their sentence. It seems the law is not powerful enough to punish those who are at fault.

Siddhi Chauhan

A crime series inspired Shraddha’s murder

Sometimes it is difficult to understand whether TV shows are based on real events or real events inspired by TV shows. The gruesome murder of Shraddha Walkar has shown that a series can actually lead a person to kill somebody. Aftaab Poonawala was apparently inspired by ‘Dexter’, leading him to kill his girlfriend.

People who commented on the murder on social media want a series made based on the case. Mixing real life with an imaginary world can create wrong inspirations, escalating crimes.

Yukta Mudgal

Crack down on those who don’t leave setbacks

A common sight in Bengaluru is multi-storied buildings without setbacks. Their neighboring buildings seem to have no issues with this. Builders want to use the carpet area of the land to the fullest. BBMP officials seem to have disappeared without examining the buildings. Those who use the full carpet area must be penalized heavily.

PV Jeevan Kumar

Campaign cuts decibel Namma Yatri yet to click as fares aren’t less levels in Cubbon Park

By Priya Pathak

F

ares not much different from Ola and Uber fares, and drivers demanding extra, seem to be preventing commuters from using the Namma Yatri app.

Namma Yatri autorickshaw drivers ask for Rs 20 to Rs 30 more than the fare shown on the app. Also, fares fluctuate there.

The Observer found that the fares of Namma Yatri autorickshaws are similar to those of Ola and Uber. A lot of people still prefer to book Ola and Rapido to Namma Yatri.

Shaleen, a resident of Koramangala said: “The initial auto rides on Namma Yatri were satisfactory but at times they ask for more…. The fare keeps fluctuating, so it does not help. Namma Yatri also needs more advertising to reach out to more people.”

Suman, who works in a cafe in Indiranagar, said: “Ola fares are less than Namma Yatri’s.

Namma Yatri drivers do not accept rides at times.”

S. Riya, a resident of Indiranagar, said, “I have not heard about Namma Yatri. I prefer to use Rapido as they are cheaper than

the normal autorickshaw fares.”

Raju, an autorickshaw driver, said: “I do not want to switch from Ola because it has better business than Namma Yatri in terms of fare.” His fellow drivers ask for extra when customers book on the Namma Yatri app.

Satish, another driver said: “Business is already profitable as we have converted from CNG to LPG…. The higher margins of Ola or Uber helps us to earn more, and better with it.”

Suresh D, a driver who switched from Ola to Namma Yatri, said: “The experience of using the Namma Yatri app is better than Ola’s.”

Kapilan, a business analyst, said: “As this is a new project, it… has not become citizens’ priority app yet, and the fares are not always less. They have a high margin on their fare, but less than Ola or Uber charges.”

Namma Yatri was launched on November 1 to help commuters troubled by high Ola and Uber fares and make it easy.

It could be a bane or boon depending on how driver treat the customers,whether to ethically charge,dictate higher prices. priya.p@iijnm.org

By Arsha B.S.

T

he success of an awareness campaign in Cubbon Park seems to show that Bengaluru has the potential to be free of noise pollution, activists say.

Rajkumar Dugar, convener of Citizens for Citizens, who was a part of the campaign, informed The Observer that many people are unaware Cubbon Park is already a silent zone. “Within minutes of the team taking position with placards along the roads inside Cubbon Park, we noticed a significant drop in the usage of horns. People were consciously avoiding using horns when their attention was drawn towards this aspect of the matter.”

Silent zones are areas where honking and bursting of firecrackers are prohibited.

Rajani Korah, an Mount Carmel College professor, said boards put up by the horticulture department to make people aware are not serving their purpose. “We need to have bigger boards put up at the entrance and exit to make people know that the park is a silent zone.”

Jayaprakash B, assistant scientific officer of KSPCB, said: “We

The campaign was carried out in Cubbon Park to make it honkingfree | Credit: Arsha.B.S. do noise monitoring and disseminate the information to line departments. Even though it is an industrial area, the noise pollution in the Peenya Industrial Area was within limits in the month of October.”

The KSPCB has launched initiatives to check vehicles around the city to ensure they are not causing noise pollution.

Kiran, a vendor in Cubbon Park said: “I am here from dawn to dusk. After the campaign, I see that honking has reduced.”

Considering Bengaluru’s traffic, it might look like a far-fetched dream, but the reduction of noise pollution in Cubbon Park is a sign that this could be followed in other areas too. arsha.s@iijnm.org

CITY

Homeopathy found an increase in takers during the pandemic Allopath says there is no proof it works

By Ahona Roy

T

he popularity of homeopathic treatment has seen a rise among the public post Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Jagdish K, a homeopathic practitioner, informed The Observer: “When people saw that even after vaccinations, Covid cases were abundant everywhere, and some cases were severe, it led to a loss of faith in allopathy and vaccinations.” This led to an increase in the number of people turning to homeopathy. In fact, during the pandemic, the ayush ministry suggested Arsenicum Album 30 for treatment, he said.

Previously patients used to visit him only for the treatment of chronic health cases such as asthma or kidney problems, but now they have started coming for treatment of acute health problems such as diarrhea and dysentery. He receives six or seven patients daily, he shared.

Homeopathic treatments are available for common illnesses such as cough and fever to even serious medical conditions such as cancer, he claimed. “Homeopathy works on the sole principal axiom that your natural body has

Homeopathic treatments are available for common illnesses such as cough and fever to even serious medical conditions such as cancer, claim practitioners. | Credit: Ahona Roy an ability to combat foreign items; only you have to stimulate it. Homeopathy is that stimulus…. The medicines we use are mineralbased, vegetable-based, animalbased. Homeopaths have not made alterations to any of their medicines. This means whatever homeopathic medicines were available from the time of invention of homeopathy are used even now on patients,” he said.

New homeopathic medicines

are coming out based on research.

The Central Council of Homeopathy receives vast funding from the central government.

Dr Pritaranjan Banerjee, an allopathy doctor, said though homeopathy is mainly used to treat chronic health cases, there is no concrete scientific proof of its effectiveness. It is mainly used for cases such as cough and fever.

Asked whether people lost faith in allopathy during the coron-

avirus pandemic, he said that for viral diseases such as Covid-19, medical treatments are usually ineffective. Only a few allopathic antiviral medicines and vaccines are effective. “Viral diseases are usually very hard to treat, but this does not mean that homeopathic system of treatment is effective against Covid.”

Anjan Sengupta, a patient, informed that he uses homeopathic medicines only for his mild health issues such as cough, fever and stomachache, etc.

Amrita Choudhury, another patient, said she uses homeopathy for only minor infections and mild pains. “Consuming allopathic tablets for the treatment of minor infections or mild pains can lead to side-effects. Which is why I use homeopathic medicines.”

Dilip Sahoo, another patient, said that he uses homeopathic medicines like Nux Vomica for mild seasonal fever and cough.

In India, homeopathy is believed to be the second most popular medical system after allopathy. People use it extensively to treat their ailments The European Academies’ Science Advisory Council and the Russian Academy of Sciences have called homeopathy ineffective and recommended stopping of further funding for it. But India’s ayush ministry recognizes homeopathy as a scientific method of treating patients. ahona.r@iijnm.org

‘Awareness about traffic rules Compost can help temples should come from within’ with waste management Continued from page 1 .V. Srinivas, another rider, said: “I unexpectedly picked up my friend on my way to work one day. I just had one helmet and we were caught for the pillion rider not wearing a helmet. Sometimes I forget to carry an extra helmet because of work pressure or in a hurry. We don’t have any other option but to pay fines to them.”

Prof. M.N. Sreehari, traffic advisory consultant to the Karnataka government, said wearing a helmet can help one escape head injury during accidents.

“Self-discipline is the best. Not wearing a helmet is very risky... trouble. I blame the public for not following the rules set by the government…; there is nothing a traffic police officer can do.”

Most people who died in Nimhans from head injuries did not wear a helmet at the time of a road accident, he added. Head is the first body part affected when a person falls from a bike.

According to a Times of India article dated September 30, 2021, one of four deaths in road accidents occurs because the rider did not wear a helmet. There is no separate data available on deaths that happened due to pil-

G

Continued from page 1 shwath Narayana, head priest at Maramma temple, said: “Every morning at 7, a BBMP van collects the temple’s waste and leaves. We never had any problem... have to segregate.

The BBMP does all the work. Littering is observed in and around the temple, but we clean it early in the morning and add it to the waste bin.”

The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 state that each waste generator must separate their waste, store it separately, and hand it over to municipal employees or authorized waste pickers.

K. Malavi, wife of the priest of Subramanya Swamy temple, said: “We have discontinued seeking help from BBMP regarding the disposal of waste. BBMP waste collectors charge us between Rs 50 and Rs 100 per day to remove the temple’s waste.”

BBMP waste collectors have demanded money from Sri Varasiddhi Ganapathi Sannidhi, Malleswaram, too. H Nagaraju, the caretaker, recalled an incident: “The driver of the van had asked us to pay some money.

When we refused... for a few days.

Later, the priest filed a complaint with the BBMP, and the van re-

A

Wearing helmets can save the riders from fatal injuries. | Credit: Hamsaveni N lion riders not wearing helmets.

Antony Joseph, who was fined by police for not wearing a helmet said: “My friend had come from Kerala to see me two days ago. I just had one helmet. When my friend and I went out, I wore the helmet but my friend didn’t. I was not aware that the pillion rider must compulsorily wear a helmet in Bengaluru.” hamsaveni.n@iijnm.org

sumed collecting temple waste.”

T Mahantesh, a devotee, said: “The roads near these temples are always chaotic. I have never seen these roads clean. The BBMP van is always overflowing with waste..

Traffic is a big issue here.”

K Anil, health inspector, solid waste management, BBMP, said: “We avoid leaving any kind of waste at any place, including temples. Every morning, our collectors pick up wasteand send it to the processing plant. We make sure no violations of the law happen under our watch.”

Savita Hiremath, an expert in composting said: “Every day, we generate at least 65% of biodegradable waste. If we deposit the remaining nonbiodegradable waste at dry waste management plants, we will have no problems at all. This shows how most of our problems can be solved with a minimum of effort.”

The temples which are being controlled by the state of Karnataka are divided into three categories. Temples earning more than Rs 25 lakh a year fall into category A, those earning between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh in category B; and those earning less than Rs 5 lakh in C category. yashaswini.s@iijnm.org

3 Wonders of World

Stonehenge, England Stonehenge is one of the best known ancient wonders of the world.The 5,000 year old henge monument became a World Heritage Site in 1986.Despite numerous theories, no-one knows for certain the reason why Stonehenge was built. The stones that form the inner ring came from the Preseli Mountains in Wales. The stones have inspired many legends and folklore over the centuries as people try to explain the origins and function of the henge.

Stonehenge has been variously described as the work of giants, gods, wizards and the devil himself.

Courtesy: BBC

Did you know Pigcasso, is a 700-kilogram painting pig from South Africa whose artworks have been sold all over the world for millions of rands and is the first nonhuman artist to host her own art exhibition.

Quote of the week “I'm not strange, weird, off, nor crazy, my reality is just different from yours.” – Lewis Carroll

Quiz answers 1. Crown Green Bowls 2. 37 3. David R. Scott 4. 1960 5. Percy Shaw

The Observer Thursday, November 17, 2022

Weather Minimum Temperature: 14 C Maximum Temperature: 28 C Humidity: 84 % Forecast: Sunny intervals and Light winds

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

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