Observer issue 5

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The Observer

The Observer An IIJNM publication

Janaagraha officer Anil Nair says our urban plans are bad, not enough funds are allocated | P 2

@theweeklyobserver On the Web: issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs/ the_observer

Vol 17, Issue 5 Thursday, September 21, 2017

Poor state of pipes leads to uneven supply and fights among dwellers of Srirampuram slum | P 2

Horamavu lake turns a dumping ground Stink pervades the area as BBMP dumps, then lifts garbage

VOICES OF ANGUISH People don’t stop to buy my coconuts. Raveer, a street vendor

Barnana Hemoprava Sarkar barnana.h@iijnm.org

It’s like violating the movement of Swachh Bharat. Dr T. Ramachandra, a lake expert

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esidents around the Horamavu Agara lake, in east Bengaluru, have complained for almost two years about continuous dumping of garbage from neighbouring areas on the bank of the lake. Soumyaroop Mohanty, a resident of the area who works at Standard Chartered Bank, informed The Observer: “BBMP workers come to clean every weekend, but during the week they dump so much waste that there is no point cleaning anymore.” Activists and residents have complained to the BBMP several times, but it has taken no action. “This place was supposed to be turned into a park for people to walk, but nothing has happened,” he added. BBMP trucks carry garbage from all over Ward 25 and dump it all around the 50.34-acre lake. Water released into the lake contains waste material such

Garbage piled up at the Horamavu Agara lake bed I Credit: Barnana Hemoprava Sarkar as plastic, cement and bricks. Raveer, a street vendor, said: “It smells bad, no one wants to work here. People don’t stop to buy my coconuts.” The bank of the water body is used as an area to segregate garbage. Radhamma Venkatesh, the corporator of the area, said: “The trucks carry waste from nearby areas and segregate them near the lake. Once every three months, workers go to clean up the weed and grass which grow around

the area. Most garbage is dumped in Bellahalli.” However, urban planner Anirban Chaudhury said: “Most of the bulk garbage in the layout is collected by the BBMP. Even when you segregate the garbage, it gets mixed up. The waste is supposed to be composted, but that does not happen. Large complexes are classified as bulk waste generators. In such cases, the contactors compost garbage for free. They make money

from the dry waste. In small layouts with small flats, there is no control over segregation. It gets mixed up at the transfer station.” Though Bellahalli is the designated dumping area, BBMP workers continue to dump waste in Bengaluru’s lakes. Asked the reason for this, Chaudhury said: “The dumping sites are outside the city, so transporting garbage there consumes a lot of fuel. Instead of dumping outside, they

Instead of dumping it outside, they dump it in the lakes. Anirban Chaudhury, an urban expert dump it in the lakes.” Nupur Jain, trustee of the Puttenahalli Neighborhood Lake Improvement Trust, said: “The situation is different in every lake. Garbage is dumped, and once in two or three days a truck comes and lifts it.” But that does not help because the area continues to be infested with dogs and flies. Following heavy rain, the area becomes slushy, resulting in a stink around the place.

Evictees to shift to new homes Nobody cares about these pathetic roads

Anjana Basumatary anjana.b@iijnm.org

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ore than four and a half years after they were evicted from the EWS quarters at Ejipura, over 5,000 people will move into a new ninestoreyed building, the contractor says. Legal allottees who have ration, voter ID, Aadhaar and BBMP cards will shift to a 360sqft building at Sulekunte village, about 18 km from Ejipura.

2013 demolitions “The building is almost done; only electricity needs to be provided, and then the legal allottees will be able to shift to their new quarters,” said Maverick Holdings director Uday Garudachar. Each quarter has a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom and a drawing room. On the ground floor is a hall for handicraft workers. Living in roadside tin sheds since their eviction in January

The buildings at Sulekunte village for the evicted I Credit: Anjana B 2013, the evicted persons said they have inadequate access to food, sanitation and healthcare. Their children had to drop out of school and start earning to support their families. Many lost their jobs. The dwellings of 1,512 families were razed to the ground in January 2013 to make space for a shopping complex and a residential complex for the poor. Maverick Holdings, which was awarded the contract, had promised to build the building within one and a half years from the time of eviction.

Issac Arul Selva, a social worker, informed The Observer: “There are no human rights in India and no protection for dalits. Human rights are made only for politicians.” The allottees can shift to their new homes only after paying Rs 15,000, he said. They have filed a petition in the high court against the contractor so that they are allowed to move in without paying. Lakshmi, one of those evicted, said: “Living on a footpath is really hard during rain. Rainwater floods our tents.” Stella Mary, another evicted person, said their life is hard not just in tents, but also at their workplaces. They are discriminated against and seen as thieves. “In past two months, three people died of cold and rat bite. We are waiting to have our own homes so that we are considered human and we are no longer discriminated against in our workplaces.” said Shanti Kumar, who lived in the EWS quarters.

Rachel Dammala Priyanka dammalar@iijnm.org

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he condition of roads in Kumbalgodu Industrial area, lane number 8, has worsened following heavy rain, making it difficult for heavy vehicles to traverse the narrow way. Workers of Vinpack India Private Ltd, informed The Observer the condition of the road has made it difficult for them to commute to their workplace. According to their understanding, the roads have to be built by the gram panchayat, and not by them (the factory) as they are not authorized to do so. Nazeer, a truck driver, and Imran, a welder, who work at the factory, said it isn’t a new problem. Nobody responds if they complain. A worker at a silicate factory said that they have learned to live with the bad roads.

The road in front of one of the industries I Credit: Rachel Sachin HS, field officer at Sree Factory said: “It’s not just these ditches, the road is always full of dust. When the factory next to ours washes their plant and tankers, it floods the area, making commutation a nightmare.” Kumbalgodu gram panchayat secretary YV Balasubramaniam denied responsibility for the roads, saying, “The workers should approach the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board.”


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