The Observer An IIJNM Publication
The Bull by the Horns | P 2
Vol 18, Issue 19
@theweeklyobserver On the web: issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs/the observer
Elements of the Dance | P 2
Danger dangles from trees on Magrath Rd
Cables pose a threat to walkers and scooterists
Homeless people clueless about shelters for them
Bengaluru has just 6 of them
Athul M.
Manikankana Sengupta
T
hey travel from tree to tree, forming U-like shapes wherever they slump. To an approaching motorcyclist, they might appear like a hangman’s rope that is black and thinner. They are almost as dangerous. On solitary trees, they form numerous coils. It’s hard to tell where a coil, black or orange, begins and ends. Clunky cylindrical and tablet-like objects dangle from the same trees. Some disappear into bushes; others into the ground. One doesn’t know whether they begin or end there. Cables hanging over Magrath Road, central Bengaluru, pose a big danger to pedestrians and two-wheeler riders. They are a combination of electricity, telephone and television wires. Lalit Sareene, manager of Home Stop, a showroom opposite Garuda mall, informed The Observer: “They cause difficulty for our customers. There has been no action from authorities concerned. Last month, I saw a short-circuit in the wires.” Imran, a manager with Delsey India, a company that has an office on the road, said: “It’s a major inconvenience for our customers as they have to negotiate these while coming to our shop. We complained about the issue to the management of our building last month.” Taruni Pani, a pedestrian, said nothing has changed in two years. “The situation has been the same. These hanging wires are dangerous, especially during the rainy season.” “These wires should be inside. An agglomeration of wires hangs from trees on both sides of the road. This is not good for the trees. Even they are living beings,” said R. Lokesh, security supervisor with Eagle Eye. A short-circuit can damage appliances, Lokesh said. “The contractor must erect a pole and tie these cables to it.” Says Ankit, a student of NIFT, Hyderabad, who was in Benga-
Thursday, February 8, 2018
The Observer
T
WHEN WILL CIVIC AGENCIES ACT? Countless wires seem to suffocate trees on Magrath Road and threaten the safety of pedestrians and motorcyclists. A biker’s helmet got entangled in one of the hanging wires. Businessmen in the area say the cables is causing inconvenience their customers. | Credit: Athul Swapna Prakash luru for a short visit, “I have not seen such a thing in Hyderabad or Kolkata, the city I come from. These wires should run from pole to pole or be put underground. ” “Bescom has been trying to fix these wires for four years. Once the helmet of a bike rider got stuck in these cables. Luckily, he escaped without any injuries,” said Sundar Poojary, the owner of a paan shop nearby. The BBMP promised to address the problem. “BBMP is planning to lay all the OFCs underground. As part of this, works is already going on in Kasturba Road, Church Street
and Commercial Street. After this, we will covering Magrath Road as well,” L. Suresh, public relations officer, BBMP, informed The Observer. BSNL GM, Karnataka, Gubbi Ramachandra Ravi made a similar promise: “We will look into the matter. We will send our technical staff and get the problem fixed very soon.” Jayanthi, General Manager, customer relations, Bescom, informed The Observer: “This is a wider issue and we are trying to fix such problems across the city at the earliest.” athul.m@iijnm.org
here seems little hope for Bengaluru’s homeless people because the city has just six centres to house them. The BBMP, which is tasked with the construction and maintenance of these shelters, has failed to live up to the responsibility. Some of these shelters are at Murphy Road, Hoodi and Goodshed Road. Manjunath T., manager of the shelter at Murphy Road, said: “We provide food, hot water, beds and bedsheets for the night to homeless people. We also help them with a number of social security schemes like getting Aadhaar cards. We get 40-50 people a day.” The money they receive from the BBMP is not enough. “We get Rs 60,000 a year from the BBMP. But we never receive the funds on time and it is not enough,” Manjunath said. Joseph Jerald, 42, who lives on the streets in Vivek Nagar, said: “I have lived here for years. My family and I have erected a makeshift tent, but if it goes, we will sleep in the bus stand. I had no idea that such shelters exist in the city.” Vailet Mary, 76, who has lived on streets in the same area for eight years, said: “I did not know that such homeless shelters existed in the city. No one ever informed us of these.” Mary and her husband survive by begging in front of the nearby Infant Jesus Church. Chinamma, 70, another streetdweller, said she did not know of such shelters either. “I have lived here for years. I did not know that there was anywhere else for me to go.” Narasimhappa TV of the Alternative Law Forum who focuses on urban homeless shelters in-
Vailet Mary(top) and Chinamma | Credit: Manikankana Sengupta formed The Observer: “According to Supreme Court guidelines, for every 1 lakh population, there should be one homeless shelter. They should provide toothpaste, soap and other things, but it is not happening. We have no statistics on how many homeless people have died in Bengaluru due to the cold at night. A lot of NGOs do not get proper funds, and that is why they had to shut down. There are no shelters near markets or bus stands – places where they are needed most such as Shivajinagar and Bowring Hospital. We have written a number of letters to the BBMP regarding this but to no avail. The BBMP puts the number of homeless people at 17,000, but it is more than that.” Abdul Karim, 52, who lives on streets near K.R. Market, agrees with Narasimhappa on the need for shelters near markets. The condition near the market is “dirty and unhygienic, but I do not have any other choice.” BBMP welfare officer Janardhan said: “There are eight zones under BBMP where homeless shelters have been sanctioned. There are six shelters running at the moment. We plan to have one shelter in each assembly constituency. We get Rs 2 crore for the maintenance of night shelters.More shelters are yet to be constructed.” manikankana.s@iijnm.org
The Observer Team
Editor: Manashaa G. News Editor: Rayan Mitra Copy editing: Ayushi Singh, Rachel Dammala, Athul M., Pracheta Panja Page Layout: Manikankana Sengupta, Manashaa G. Magazine Page Layout: Shiny R. Kirupa