Observervolume11 by IIJNM Bangalore

The Observer An IIJNM publication

Delay in pipeline work disrupts lives of residents of Ranasinghpet | P 2

Vol 17, Issue 11

Monday, November 20, 2017

creased, the number of crimes solved is low, citizens (particularly women) are discouraged from lodging FIRs, and so on. The

problem is largely because approved police vacancies have not been filled and some of the police force is deployed for non-police duties. This is felt on a daily basis in poor traffic management.” Tanvi Shenoy, a student at the National School of Journalism, said strong citizen-police interaction is important. “I think such an interaction is extremely important to maintain law and order. But people often have no way of knowing where and how they can be useful to the police. Furthermore, the general public probably has a sense of mistrust when it comes to police, thinking they are corrupt or inefficient. I wish police campaigned better to involve the public. The BTP, for example, have tried to reach out with an active Twitter account. Maybe they could try to reach out like that more.” Ekta Sawant, a post-graduate student of economics at Azim Premji University, feels that the young population of the country could play an important and more active role in improving the efficiency of the police. “I see myself working with police. Not all youth think of maintaining law and order in a public space. So if some want to help in doing that, why not? Youth relate more to youth. I am bringing the youth point up because more than 50% of our population is young.”

Shopkeepers of the Shrungar complex fear they will lose their client base after shifting to a different place | Credit: Shiny Kirupa

than what we pay now.” He would probably shift his shop near his home in Marathahalli. Riyazz Hussain, owner of Mona Cottage, which sells Kashmiri shawls, carpets and stone jewelry, said: “Now that we have been asked to move out, we are selling most of the products at a 60 % discount. Due to our relocation we are probably going to lose our years old clientele base.” Rasheed, owner of a watch shop in the complex, said: “This shop brings sweet memories. My grandfather started it 47 years ago and I took over the business and have successfully run it after my father. I will have to pay higher rent for another place.”

One policeman is responsible for 1,000 people Manikankana Sengupta manikankana.s@iijnm.org

Shiny Kirupa shiny.k@iijnm.org

hopkeepers at the Shrungar Shopping Complex on MG Road are worried as the period of their tenancy is coming to an end. The extended lease came to end with the Karnataka High Court’s order to vacate the complex by January 31, 2018. Establishments in the complex, such as Bookworm, Mona Cottage, Queens restaurant, AM Jewelry, Nobles Art Expositions, etc. are set to relocate. The Bookworm owner said that the land is owned by the Thambuchetty family. “They gave it to a private firm named DNL Enter-

Shortage of policemen in the Karnataka capital, with over a crore people, is leading to crime rates rising | Credit:: Rachel Dammala Recruiting Director of ABC Consultants, informed The Observer: “The city police do not function efficiently. Crime rates have in-

prise for a 32-year lease from 1968. When the contract got over in the year 2000 they were supposed to vacate, but somehow they got another 10 years hold.” Abdul Nazar, who has run a perfume shop in the complex for over 11 years, told the Observer: “The lease ended long back when the DNL exited in 2013. But we all hoped it would somehow get extended.” Manoj, who runs the Ganesh Fruit Juice Centre, said he did good business in 20 years. “The shop was set up by my father long ago. We got accustomed to this place and people. Shifting elsewhere is very difficult. A new place would demand higher rent

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

Diabetes now common among young people and women | P 5

Bengaluru needs more cops arnataka has seen an enormous amount of migration after the IT boom in Bengaluru. This has caused a steady increase in the state’s population. But there aren’t enough law-keepers. Latest data compiled by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) states that every police personnel in Karnataka caters to 541 citizens, 23 per cent more than the United Nations standard of one cop for 440 citizens. However, the ground reality may be worse. Srinivas BT, a writer at the Kengeri police station, informed The Observer: “One policeman is responsible for almost 1,000 citizens in the city.” Elaborating on the reasons, he said, “We get just 15 days’ leave in a year. There are no holidays for festivals and celebrations. It can be a tough job.” Bengalureans say the shortage of men in uniform is affecting them adversely. Gaurang Nagaraj Udiaver, 55,

The Observer

This is how Narayanapura lives: Power cuts and filth all around Sreejani Bhattacharyya sreejani.b@iijnm.org

esidents of the Narayanpura area in Pai Layout near the Tin Factory, K.R. Puram, lack basic facilities. The Observer noticed that the roads in the area have huge potholes. The bad roads make it very difficult for vehicles to move, causing traffic jams. “It is difficult to walk on these roads, especially at night,” Kala, a resident, said. The residents complain that there is an acute water shortage in the area. Vineeta, a pre-university student residing in the area since her birth, says: “Water comes here two days in a week. We have to buy water from shops to survive on the other days. Each water drum costs Rs 600 to Rs 700. For an average family they last two days. We cannot manage the whole week with the drums as they are too expensive.” There is load shedding too. “There is no power in the afternoon on most days. Electricity is there only in the morning and at night,” Vineeta said. The Narayanpura area has people living in temporary sheds with plastic sheets for roof. Garbage is dumped around these dwellings. Garbage trucks are parked in the area, making it a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The residents also complained that the area has no proper waste-disposal system. They have to dump trash near their houses,which makes the surroundings unclean. When contacted, V Suresh , corporator of the area, informed The Observer: “We will clean up the area as soon as we can and try to address the grievances of the residents. We had put up streetlights some time back in the area. We will do whatever is possible.’’ The residents see no immediate solution to the problems of water shortage, power cuts or garbage strewn around their area. They are left with unfulfilled promises of the BBMP officials, .

CITY

The Observer Monday,November 20, 2017

Women entrepreneurs emerge strong despite multiple obstacles & taunts Manikankana Sengupta manikankana.s@iijnm.org

‘VERY FULFILLING EXPERIENCE’

angalore Utsav began on Monday at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath with over 90 stalls. The event, which will go on till November 26, promises to be an excellent platform for artists and entrepreneurs to showcase their products. The products on offer range from jewellery to kitchenware to home decor to clothing. A special focus of the event is small-scale, hand-made handicrafts and women entrepreneurs. Aftab Majid, one of the organizers, informed The Observer: “Of the 90-odd stalls that are set up here, 60-70% are run by women. We wanted to encourage this sort of participation.” Madhumita Uday Kumar was in a hurry as she arranged her wooden and stone kitchenware in her stall, named The Indus Valley. For this entrepreneur from Chennai, the journey till here has not been easy. “I started this venture in January last year. I have eight people in my Chennai warehouse who are involved in packaging, sales,

There are a lot of opportunities for women to come forward and do something for themselves. Probably if you're beginning your career, it can be a little difficult. But it is a very fulfilling experience. — Rajni Iyengar of Gaathakatha Sahana Ramachandra, one of the women behind Gaathakatha, a handloom stall at KCP | Credit: Manikankana Sengupta delivery and collection. Apart from these, I have 70-80 artisans who work with us full time. But it has not been easy. It’s very difficult to be taken seriously as a woman entrepreneur, especially when you go for negotiations. At the negotiation table, investors prefer to speak to my husband, who is a co-founder, even though packing and pricing are my de-

partments. I have people come up to me and ask, why don’t you sit at home. They see weakness in women, they don’t see the strength in us and hence don’t take us seriously. Online retail has been helpful. Sitting in Chennai, I would have a geographical disadvantage. But since I started selling my products on Amazon and Flipkart, I have been able to

reach customers in Delhi, Chandigarh and a lot of small towns.” Madhumita Jain, who started a home decor store called Happie Homes in Basvanagudi with her sister four years ago, echoed Madhumita's sentiments. “Initially, it was difficult to start out in this business. My husband and family have been very supportive. Initially, we had to put in a lot of hard work into the promo-

tion.... There were a lot of doubts at the beginning. People asked me if I was sure I wanted to do this and if I would be able to manage it. But my husband was really encouraging and wanted me do something on my own.” Stall No. 24 at the Utsav saw five women come together to support an NGO called Gaathakatha, which was started by women and is for women. Rajni Iyengar, who was at the stall, shared with The Observer the history behind the venture and her experiences as a woman entrepreneur. “I was an engineer at Infosys for 18 years. I quit my job a couple of years ago because I wanted to spend time with my children, but I always wanted to do social work. So I tied up with a NGO called Seva International. Gaathakatha is an initiative under Seva International. It focuses on building toilets in rural India and educating girls. Our project manager, Jayanti Ramanan, noticed that handloom weavers were losing their jobs after the advent of powerlooms. So we decided to help these weavers. Whatever we make goes straight to the weavers.”

Women and young people Many BMTC buses have no first-aid kits are increasingly prone to Commuters don’t know that most diabetes, say researchers boxes are empty

Pracheta Panja pracheta.p@iijnm.org

Ayushi Singh ayushi.s@iijnm.org

esearch says that women and young people are the new victims of diabetes. Earlier, doctors used to attribute diabetes to urbanization, but now even women living in rural areas are vulnerable to it. “Thirty years ago, medical technology was not advanced enough to detect the disease. Now research and statistics say women in urban as well as rural areas are affected by diabetes,” Dr Shiva Kumar B.R, professor of medicine at Dr B R Ambedkar Medical College, said on Monday. Due to urbanization, people forget to walk, as they can access transport using their smart phones. Working women do not find time to take care of themselves. Earlier the doctors got patients above the age group of 50 but now people in the age group of 20-30 also become victims of diabetes. “Our society is still male-dominated. Female members of our families take care of us, but we do not bother whether they have their meals on time,” said the professor, who took part in the awareness programme organized

Dr Shiva Kumar B.R., professor of medicine, explains about diabetes at the “Diabetes awareness programme in Bengaluru on Monday.The programme aims to make it to the Guinness Book of World Records | Credit: Pracheta Panja by Lions Club. S. L. Venkatesh, Region Chairman of Lions Club, who took the initiative to organize the programme, said, “Among non-communicable diseases, diabetes is one of the killers, so we chose this subject. We should spread awareness among people on the effects of diabetes. We do creatinine clearance to

extract sugar from blood. If it does not work, then we need to replace the affected kidney.” “We do not have enough facilities in rural areas, where diabetes is striking due to lack of awareness and treatment. After menopause, the complication multiplies, the women need special care which they do not get,” he added.

ost BMTC commuters don’t know that these vehicles should have firstaid boxes. Those who know are unaware that most first-aid boxes are empty. According to the BMTC citizen charter, every BMTC bus is provided with a well-stocked, easily breakable first-aid box for use in an emergency. A suggestion box is provided in every bus to collect feedback, complaints and suggestions from commuters. Shilpa S, a commuter who travels from Majestic to HSR Layout daily for work, informed The Observer: “I take bus route 349E every day. I have noticed empty first-aid boxes many times, but nobody says anything because first-aid is not required. People think they have to take a bus from one place to another and these are of no importance to them, not realizing they might suddenly need it someday.” This reporter travelled on four buses last week – Kengeri to KR Market, KR Market to Majestic, Kumbalgodu to Mysuru Road, and Majestic to Basaveshwara Nagar. Only the

Many BMTC buses do not have firstaid boxes despite the rule | Credit: Ayushi Singh bus from KR Market to Majestic had a proper first-aid kit; the rest had either no first-aid boxes or empty boxes. Suryakant K, a commuter who travels from Hebbal to Bellandur, said: “It’s going to be really difficult if someday someone gets injured due to a broken window or something else. Just Dettol and cotton could help stop the bleeding.” Shyamala S Maddodi, chief PRO of BMTC, said: “Many a time, the first-aid boxes are left empty or removed once the kit has been used or when the bus is sent for servicing.”

The Observer Monday, November 20, 2017

Vehicles left on roadside hinder traffic flow, but police have no solution Saket Tiwari saket.t@iijnm.org

undreds of vehicles, many wrecked in accidents, have been dumped on the roadside across Bengaluru. Most of them are found parked near police stations, occupying considerable space on busy roads and hindering smooth movement of traffic. The Observer found scores of vehicles – seized or unclaimed – dumped on the roadside in Majestic, Shivajinagar and the Nayandahalli-Kumbalgodu stretch of Mysuru Road. Many of the vehicles were involved in accidents or other cases, DCP Traffic (West) T.P. Shivakumar informed The Observer. “We cannot touch them once a case reaches a court. Once a case concludes, the court advises us what to do with the vehicles.”

CITY

Govt school teachers happy as no-detention policy is scrapped Say it has badly affected quality of education

Kritika Agrawal kritika.a@iijnm.org

eachers of government schools in Bengaluru have welcomed the Centre’s decision to scrap the no-detention policy till class 8. Under the present Right of Child to Free and Compulsory Education Act, also known as Right to Education Act, students are not allowed to be detained until they complete elementary education. “Out of 50 students, only five or six are capable of reading and writing,” Pushpa, a math teacher at the Government Primary School in JP Nagar, informed The Observer. “Nowadays the quality of education has become zero because we are blindly promoting each and every child,” she added. Veda, a science teacher from

School teachers in Bengaluru say the no-detenion policy adversely affects students who perform well | Credit: Kritika Agrawal the same school, said: “Children are losing interest as they know they are going to be passed. If they don’t know the letters in English or Kannada, then how are they going to read?”

M Sujata, headmistress of SJBSS Public School in Rajajinagar, noted that “there are some students, who, due to social problems, can not do well”. She cites the example of a class 9 student

Stray dog menace mounts in Kumbalgodu, but GP unaware Athul M athul.m@iijnm.org

An abandoned vehicle dumped on roadside | Credit: Saket Tiwari According to data this year, 356 vehicles were found unclaimed or abandoned. The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, says police are responsible for the removal of vehicles that have been abandoned or left unattended in public places. A vehicle parked in one place for more than ten hours. The Act empowers the state governments to enforce these provisions. Commuters are inconvenienced because they have to navigate around the abandoned vehicles. “I do not come here daily, only once or twice a week, but I have seen traffic jams in the area. They (dumped vehicles) occupy about half of the road, causing a huge mess,” said commuter Trupti about the problem near the Upparpet traffic police station. Police are running out of space to keep these vehicles. They also seem to have no plan to tackle the problem. “Vehicles are on the road because we don’t have enough space to keep them. If a court orders us to auction or demolish a vehicle, we can hold a public auction, which can be done in 80% of cases. But if a trial takes longer, we have to sell the vehicle to a scrap dealer,” a police official said.

Letters to the Editor False promises by BBMP on potholes The BBMP had promised all the potholes would be filled by November 10th. But there are quite a few still left to be filled in and around Kengeri and Kumbalgodu. BBMP keeps extending its deadlines, but fails to meet its goals. The suspension of engineers and contractors has not made any difference. Debanjali Kabiraj

he number of stray dogs in and around Kumbalgodu is increasing. The dogs chase and attack residents, students from colleges in the area and motorcyclists. According to Shubha, a staff nurse at the Gollahalli PHC, the problem has been pronounced in the past two or three years. “In the past two months, we have had 20 cases of dog bite. On an average, 50-55 cases are reported at the hospital every year.” People bitten have to complete four doses of anti-rabies vaccination, but some fail to comply with this requirement. “The public is at the risk because of these street canines,” she added. At the Nalakambha junction, a marketplace in Kumbalgodu, venturing out after 9pm has become nearly impossible. Geetha, a woman who runs a stationery shop at Kumbalgodu, said that despite residents complaining to panchayat officers several times, they have taken no action. “The officials at the gram panchayat are neither bothered about garbage piling up in the area nor are they addressing the problem of canine proliferation. The dogs also attack construction workers and people who they find new to the street. Mostly of them are my customers.” Sai, a student at BGS Architecture College, Kumbalgodu, informed The Observer: “Two weeks ago, I was chased by couple

at her school. “Mageshwari is very quiet and does not talk to anybody. She hails from a poor background and has only her mother. Apart from writing her name, she does not know how to write simple words in English or Kannada. There are quite a few students like her in this school.” “The results of class 10 board exams are going down,” said Laxmi, a social science teacher at the Government Primary and High School in Gayatri Nagar. “This policy adversely impacts students who perform well. I strongly believe that students who willingly do not study should not be promoted to next class,”she added. On August 11, minister of state for HRD Upendra Kushwaha introduced in the Lok Sabha a bill to scrap the no-detention policy. The amendment was cleared by the Union cabinet on August 3. 25 states are expected to agree with the Centre’s decision. Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are likely to stick to the no-detention policy.

Spare a thought for the disabled

Residents of Kumbalgodu say it is difficult to venture out after 9pm because the dogs take over the roads | Credit: Athul M of dogs around 10pm when I was coming back from hospital with a friend on my bike.” But authorities say they don’t know about the issue. Gollahalli gram panchayat (GP) bill collector R Manjunatha said they have not received any complaints regarding stray dogs. The BBMP launched its new ABC (Animal Birth Control) policies last week in collaboration with NGOs and animal lovers. As per the new policies, the city will be divided into eight zones, where centres will treat stray dogs. “These dogs earlier were treated and released within one day, but now the treatment will be done effectively over three days in spacious centres,” said BBMP joint

commissioner (health and SWM) Sarfaraz Khan. Dilip Bafna, a volunteer in the Bangalore South division, said: “Piling up of garbage is one of the major reasons why the stray dogs multiply all over the city.” According to authorities, the new ABC policies, if executed properly, will reduce the stray dog menace the city has been experiencing over the past three years. Asked if the ABC plan will be extended, Sarfaraz Khan said: “Right now, the scheme will focus on the city. Once it is accomplished, it may be widened.” This gives some hope to the residents of Kumbalgodu as they eagerly wait for schemes like ABC to be implemented in their areas.

Measures taken by Bengaluru companies in employing disabled people are a big positive. Steps to provide easy access for persons with disabilities are laudable. The government needs to address the problems faced by visually impaired people in a city full of uneven roads and broken slabs. It should provide facilities to people who use wheelchairs. Anjana Basumatary

Sorry state of our water bodies

A report says the water of not a single lake in Bengaluru can be used for drinking or bathing. It is distressing to know that out of 681 water bodies, 85% come under Class E category, meaning that their water can only be used only for irrigation or industrial cooling only. The BBMP should take firm steps to check the garbage menace. Kritika Agrawal

CITY

Krishi Mela ends on a positive note, raising hopes for the farming sector

TWiTTeraTi’s Take on Bengaluru

Gautham‫@ ‏‬G_autham #steelflyoverbeda chopping trees building bridges and fancy Bhavans, gvt is planning to gift us a free microwave the next summer #thugs VijaySH‫@ ‏‬vijsh #kpmea #KPME ...Basically everyone wants free health care, so Govt should buy & run all Private Hospitals? Why not KPMEA apply to Govt Hospitals? Is it because, People are happy with Govt Hospitals? ComicSandy‫@ ‏‬Comic Sandy1 On the way to office, as usual thanks to #bangaloretraffic for giving me lot of time to read #DCMetal. Today’s Weather Maximum Temp (degrees Celsius): 29.0 Minimum Temp (oC) : 20.7 Relative humidity at 08:30 AM (%): 86 Relative humidity at 05:30PM (%): 55 Today’s Sunset : 05:50 PM Tommorow’s Sunrise (IST): 06:21 IST Rainfall: No rain expected Fog/mist in the morning and partly cloudy sky later

Potholes remain in Kumbalgodu despite five deadlines | Credit: Rachel Dammala

The Observer Monday, November 20, 2017

Ten lakh people visited the mela this year to enhance their awareness and knowledge about agriculture and latest technologies, says official Saket Tiwari saket.t@iijnm.org

rishi Mela organized by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, has come to an end. The mela was held in Gandhi Krishi Vijnan Kendra campus from 16 to 19 November, 2017. The mela this year was a bigger success than the previous one held in 2015. The Mela aims at spreading awareness among the farmers and familiarizing them with more mechanized instruments for efficient farming. Around 10 lakh people visited the Mela that was held over 4 days. There were about 700 exhibition stalls put up to demonstrate and teach the farmers and other visitors about mechanical instruments, disease resistance, animal husbandry, and fertilizers. This time about 140 SHGs (self help group) participated in the Mela. A self-help group (SHG) is a village-based financial intermediary committee usually compris-

A scene at the Krishi Mela at GKVK | Credit Saket Tiwari ing 15-20 local women or men. There has also been participation of government institutions like universities and agriculture departments. The Mela could not be held last year due to drought in the state. But the Krishi Mela this year has managed to attract more number of people compared to one held in 2015. Dr.Nataraj, Director of Extension informed The Observer: "This year we have seen farmers

Violated traffic rule? Watch video, don’t pay a fine

coming in huge numbers. About 700 stalls were installed out of which 200 were for farming mechanism and instruments, about 70 stalls were related to animal husbandry including diary & poultry, farming seminars, horticulture,etc" . He added that, “Since the Mela is held in Bengaluru, some farmers find it difficult to travel down from their villages. Naagraj, a farmer from Ram-

agondahalli said, “The mela is really far from my place and I have stopped going to the Mela since the last two years because every time I applied for subsidy I failed and now I cannot spend money to get to the Mela.” There are certain schemes which provide financial aid to the horticultural farmers in Karnataka such as Drip irrigationSpecial Subsidy for horticulture crops, Maintenance of horticulture crops, Scheme for Seed Coconut Procurement and Nursery Maintenance. K.Shivram, Professor and senior information specialist at the University of Agricultural Science said, “We don’t provide any subsidy in Horticulture, although there are a lot of takers for Horticulture product these days. Farmers from around 10 taluks sold their products and made profit in the Mela.” Awards for best farmers were also given away in the Mela. 145 farmers from around the State have won this award.

An autorickshaw driver who is also an actor, social worker and polyglot Rachel Dammala dammala.r@iijnm.org

People watching the traffic video in front of Forum mall, Bengaluru | Credit: Sreejani Bhattacharyya Sreejani Bhattacharyya sreejani.b@iijnm.org

engaluru Traffic Police have come up with a new plan to check traffic violations by motorists. Instead of charging the violators a fine, they are now making the violators watch a 25-minute instructional video. “People think that the traffic police only collect fines to increase the revenue,” Abhishek Goyal, DCP-East (Traffic), said at the 13th Traffic Day at St Joseph’s College. Fines collected so far this year have doubled since 2016. “We are trying to create awareness among people; we are not interested in collecting Rs 200 fines.We will soon set up kiosks at other shopping malls in the city,” Goyal said. However, people The Observer spoke to have a different opinion on the matter. Dilip Jatolia, an IT professional who resides in Brookefield, said: “I don’t think this helps. People actually treat it as a time pass and it does not solve any problem. The police

should take stricter measures.” Allister Sequeira, another IT professional, said: “This should be shown in theatres instead of wasting our time. If people are caught not wearing helmets, traffic police should make them buy the helmets right there and then.” Nine videos, each of about 90 seconds, are played to traffic violators. They depict the usefulness of skywalks and the results of druken driving. Several people come to Forum mall to watch the videos voluntarily. Vinitha, who is volunteer at Forum, said: “The video is quite effective. We had around 200 people turning up since we started playing the videos four days back.” Nazar Abbas, who was caught riding a bike without a helmet and a driving licence, said: “I support this initiative. I got many useful tips from the video. It is a good initiative. From now on, I am going to follow traffic rules.” Mukhtar Baig, another citizen who watched the video, observed: “The tips are effective, especially those on drunken driving, wearing seatbelts and using skywalks. Everyone should watch them.”

ne day, a foreigner hailed his autorickshaw and spoke to him in English. Although he did understand what the passenger was saying, Mohammed Rafeeq was unable to reply. That was when he decided to learn English. Rafiq, whose mother tongue is Urdu, can now converse in six other languages: Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Arabic. Born in Sampithkota village in Andhra Pradesh and raised in Bengaluru, Rafeeq, 42, earns his livelihood by driving an autorickshaw. He lost his father when he was five and his mother recently. When he was three years old, he was afflicted by polio and has a twisted leg. But that did not stop him from becoming what he is today: A polyglot, philanthropist, actor, social worker and sports enthusiast. He and 11 of his friends are members of a charitable trust founded by them. The trust, which has close to 200 donors, helps people in need that they come across – especially widows and people who cannot afford medical treatment. “I don’t want to tell people about these deeds, but I’m only answering because you asked me,” he informed The Observer. The eldest among three children, Rafeeq had to discontinue his education after class 10 to look after his family. His sisters are proud of him. Rafeeq was a volleyball cham-

The multifaceted Rafeeq pion in school and was awarded “The Tiger of SAI” medal by the Sports Authority of India. He has acted in two Bengaluru Urdu movies. While one has released, the other is in the post-production stage. Asked what he wanted to do as a child, he said: “I just wanted to be someone who helped people in need. I am so happy doing what I am doing.” He says his passengers are his teachers of languages and life lessons. He is happy to be “learning while earning”. He loves to mingle with children in his neighborhood. “Practice doesn’t make a man perfect; perfect practice does,” Rafeeq says. “Unless you know, plan and execute your learning, you can not be what you want to be.”

CITY

The Observer Monday, November 20, 2017

Pipeline work leaves residents of Ranasinghpet high & dry Started four years ago, it may take 2 more years

Pracheta Panja pracheta.p@iijnm.org

G. Manashaa manashaa.g@iijnm.org

n inordinate delay in the laying of a new water pipeline has disrupted the lives of residents of Ranasinghpet, a locality off Mysuru Road. The BWSSB began replacing the old Cauvery water pipeline following residents’ complaints that it was broken. When the work began four years ago, the residents were informed the work would take three months. “Since the old pipeline is very old, a new one is being laid. Due to breaks and cracks in the pipeline, sewage would get mixed with drinking water,” Nawaz, a resident of the locality, informed The Observer. Nawaz is unable to use the toilet in his residence because of the delayed work. The old 100-mm pipeline is being replaced by a 150-mm pipeline that can support the en-

Motorists and pedestrians say they find it difficult to commute due to pipeline-laying work in Ranasinghpet, going on for more than four years I Credit: G. Manashaa tire street. Anand S, a shopkeeper, said: “We do not get water at times due to the broken pipes. The work started years ago and is still on. Commuters face a lot of difficulty. Our business gets affected as people avoid this route due to the ongoing work. The sooner they finish the work, the more convenient it will be for everyone.” Although JCB machines can be

used to speed up the work, labourers are being used, residents say. “BWSSB passed a contract to replace old water pipelines following complaints from residents of many parts of the city,” said M. Murugan, a contractor of the water board. “Many want the process to be speeded up as the work is affecting their daily activities. The proj-

Rayan Mitra rayan.m@iijnm.org

Debanjali Kabiraj debanjali.k@iijnm.org

I to encourage cashless transactions and is currently working on several new projects to provide commuters the best possible facilities. “We cannot do much about that. (But) we still have a commuter base of more than 5 million.” Phase 1 of Namma Metro has been a huge success. Just five months after the rollout of phase 1, the Metro boasts an average daily ridership of 4 lakh. “Our first priority is public service; revenue status may fluctuate, but we are committed to public service more than anything,” Shyamala S. Maddodi said. The Metro has not yet spread to the entire city, and BMTC still the only mode of commuting in some parts of the city. Asked about the fall in ridership, a BMTC conductor said it became evident after the rollout of Namma Metro’s phase 1. “Metro does not get stuck in traffic,” the conductor commented sarcastically.

ect started about four years back and will take another two years to be completed. The cost entirely depends on the work, and the different types of pipelines used. I’m not aware of how much money is being spent on the project,” Murugan added. So far, the BWSSB has replaced Cauvery pipelines in six localities including Rajajinagar, Malleswaram and Srirampuram.

Despite cuts, GST weighs down on use of credit cards

BMTC keeps it chin up despite losses due to Metro Rail

fter losing around 3 lakh commuters to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) and seeing a dip of 2-3% in its revenue, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is not yet ready with a plan to come back stronger. With 43 bus depots and 53 bus stations, BMTC extends its service to all parts of the city. “After phase 1 of the Metro became fully functional, people found the Metro more convenient and timesaving, but the BMTC still successfully maintains 6,134 schedules every day,” BMTC chief PRO Shyamala S. Maddodi informed The Observer. “We knew that the advent of the Metro rail would affect BMTC’s revenues and people would go for the more convenient option. But BMTC is not profit-oriented.” Maddodi said. Vishwanath, a regular Metro commuter said: “I used to take a bus to office regularly, but now I take the Metro. But I still have to take a bus to Kengeri from the Mysuru Road Metro station, so I think buses never fail to serve their purpose.” Shyamala Maddodi stated that BMTC has introduced smart cards

Healthcare is on sick bed in backward taluk of Hosanagara

n many parts of Bengaluru, shopkeepers are not providing customers computerized receipts to avoid paying GST. The shopkeepers refuse to accept credit cards and ask customers to pay by cash. They do not keep credit card-swiping machines and give discounts or small additional items as gifts if customers pay by cash. Shahibey Alam, a shopkeeper at the Chitrakala Parishath, informed The Observer he earns a meagre profit. GST will drive customers away, wiping out his profit. So cash payments help. Balaram Sadhu, who runs a shop that sells embroidered sa-

rees, said there is a minimal margin in cloth trade. Due to GST, it has decreased. Although the Centre has cut GST on many items, shopkeepers are not willing to keep credit card-swiping machines or give computerized receipts. Shubhangi Parashar, a customer at Chitrakala Parishath, said: “It is inconvenient to pay by cash because I do not carry cash everytime I go shopping. I prefer paying by card even if I have to pay GST. Moreover, it is our responsibility as citizens to pay GST.” Snehali Kumar, a customer, said there are very few people who carry cash, and even if they do it is for emergency purposes only. So buying with cash is inconvenient to the shopper.

Observer Team Editor: Rachel Priyanka Dammala Desk: Ayushi Singh, Arlene Mathew, Debanjali Kabiraj, Athul M., Anjana Basumatary, Barnana H.Sarkar, Kritika Agrawal Reporters: Rayan Mitra, Pracheta Panja, Saket Tiwari, Shiny Kirupa, G. Manashaa, Manikankana Sengupta, Sreejani Bhattacharyya

he General Hospital in Hosanagara taluk in Shivamogga district, has only one general physician who treats all cases from fever to chronic diseases. Apart from him, the hospital has a dentist hired on a contract basis. Hosanagara, one of Karnataka’s backward taluks, has poor health infrastructure. Apart from the General Hospital, it has five public health centres (PHCs) and five round-the-clock PHCs. Like the General Hospital, most PHCs lack facilities. Lack of medicines at the hospital pharmacy is another issue. The government is supposed to provide medicines free of cost. The hospital, which is short of facilities, has to refer most of its patients to the Shivamogga district hospital. Dhanya Kumar, pharmacist of the General Hospital, informed The Observer: “We don’t have cesarean facilities here. We send

SORRY SCENE

l Most of the PHCs have one doctor, are short of facilities lGeneral Hospital can’t perform cesareans lDrugs are in short supply at the hospital pharmacy lDoctors don’t want to work in an underdeveloped taluk lEducational facilites in the taluk are inadequate such cases to Shivamogga or Sagara.” “We need specialist doctors at this 100-bed hospital. Patient pressure is immense. We have reported this to the government but not received any response. Because the taluk is underdeveloped, doctors from outside do not want to come here,” Dr Lingaraju said as he wrote out a prescription for an 11-yearold-girl who was suffering from stomach pain. “Last year, I had to attend 64,528 out-patient cases, 270 delivery cases and several emergency accident cases all alone,” the doctor added. Most of the PHCs have only one doctor. Once such doctor, Tejaswi, said: “This is the only PHC where we perform deliveries.”He also conducts autopsies at the mortuary. Sushma S, a resident of Hosanagara, said: “Doctors do not come here because they have families. They do not want to bring their children here. Educational facilities here are poor. There is no private hospital. We need to go to Shivamogga, the district headquarters, for critical tests and treatments.”

Education

The Observer SUPPLEMENT

Monday November 20, 2017

The Power of Compassion Karaunalaya helps the differently abled make new lives for themselves, writes Shiny Kirupa

e buttons his shirt, pulls on his trousers and after disability but, “with constant exercise and practice in a hurried breakfast, picks up his stick to head out movement of muscles and bones, Ramu is now able to to work. Somu, 13, was admitted in Karunalaya, walk without support,” said Jeyakumari, a physiotherapy a school for disabled children, in 2006 and received voca- teacher tional training for 8 years. He suffered from a severe learnThe children have multiple disabilities beside intellecing difficulty and had an IQ level below 20. “He was a very short-tempered student” recalls his vocational skills teacher, Mamatha, “but it gradually subsided as he received personal attention and care.” He now tends to his 10 goats and 3 buffaloes and has become a majorsupport to his family. His mother Mahadevamma, the sole bread winner after her husband’s death, works as a coolie and earns a daily wage of Rs. 100. She says the meat and the skin of the goats and buffalo milk fetches them around Rs. 5,000 in a month. She also said that after her husband’s death, due to heart failure, her family of five received a monthly government subsidy of Rs. 12,000. Now that Somu has learnt how to handle the livestock, he’s become a very real help to the family. The PMSR Karunalaya School, located in Kollegal district,empowers mentally challenged children like Somu. Staff and children of Karunalaya Students are taught basic words like amma, appa, their own names, the alphabet, rudimentary tual impairment and thus yoga, music, games and dance math and to identify colours and shapes. therapies help the children in multiple ways. Several of The staff trains the children not only in basic aca- them have orthopedic disabilities and speech impairments. demic, motor and vocational skills (gardening, small busiAdiss Arnold, school secretary, says almost 50% of ness and cattle rearing) but also in social interaction. the children are affected with speech impairments so the Students are also encouraged to participate in recre- school uses the services of the Institute for Speech and ational activities. Ramu, a 7-year-old-boy had a walking Hearing at Mysore as well as psychiatrists who visit the

school monthly. Anisha was identified with a speech impairment when she came to the school a year and a half ago but, after rigorous oral practice, is now able to say her name as well as those of her fellow classmates and relatives. he effort and dedication put in by the caretakers of the school has won the trust of parents. When asked about the difficulties faced while taking care of the children at night, Hema,a caretaker, says there are some instances of bed wetting. “They are like our own kids. Without seeing them my day is incomplete” she adds. Manjunatha, 19, is all smiles and energy when I meet him at the roadside eatery where he has been working for the past few months. He cleans vessels and ferries cans of water from a tap100 meters away. He earlier worked in a nearby mechanic shop. He was admitted in PMSR Karunalaya School in the year 2007 and was trained for 9 years. He has a slightintellectual disability with a below-level IQ and speech impairment. His father Shanaswamy works as an agricultural worker while his mother Bahagyamma collects and sells flowers. He gleefully says that he hands over his salary of Rs. 150 per day to his mother who is so proud of him and happy for her son’s improved life. “Though he cannot work here every day, he likes to spend time with us,” say his co-workers in the eatery who mill around him. “He loves to imitate actors and it is a joy to watch him while he performs.”

Window on the World A community library helps poor slum children dream big, reports Arlene Mathew

ear bustling Banashankari Metro Station stands an among many other activities. unremarkable old-age home that holds a hidden During the book discussions, the children get to talk surprise. Nestled on its second floor is a colourful about the books they have read. Buguri also has a ‘roll of and innovative community library set up for children of honor’ announced quarterly, in which they reward kids garbage collectors, who live in a nearby slum. Buguri is who’ve read 10 or more books. the brainchild of Lakshmi Karunakaran, a volunteer with “I wish we had just Buguri and no school,” says a Bangalore-based NGO Hasirudala. sixth grader. “At school, we have teachers who punish us Says Pallavi Chander, another Hasirudala volunteer, for every little thing. At Buguri there are no punishments. “We named it Buguri, after a spinning top -- except here We get to read and have fun.” at Buguri, we spin stories and ideas instead.” When they arrived, the children could barely read or On entering the library, one comes face to face with write Kannada despite several years of schooling. But after beautifully decorated walls, clearly the handiwork of some joining Buguri, their vocabulary has dramatically invery creativechildren. The adjoining classroom, has an en- creased as has their enthusiasm to learn. tire wall painted to depict two children playing with a top. Slum life is grim and the kids live its daily reality of violence and substance abuse. Some of the unoccupied buildings in the neighbourhood, meant to rehouse slum dwellers, have become a hangout for kids sniffing glue. They see their parents working as waste collectors and can scarcely imagine any other life for themselves. “The idea is to create a space for the children they can call their own,” explains Pallavi, who’s trained as a creative-arts therapist. “We want them to be able to imagine other realities for themselves.” After much persuasion, the parents of about 45 children agreed to let them attend the library after regular school hours. To facilitate this, the library runs from 4-7every Wednesday to Sunday evening and the kids are introduced to new books, art, games and drama Children participate in a book discussion at Buguri

“We love Ravi sir’s stories, he often talks about society and everything that goes on in our country. Poornima ma’am is also amazing. She paints beautiful murals,” says an enthused eighth grader. The excitement is apparent on the children’s faces, as they talk about the play that they have organized based on ‘Snow White and the seven dwarfs’. It was all their idea, says Sangeetha, a regular volunteer. hough reading is the main focus, Buguri goes out of its way to ensure that all the kid’s concerns are addressed. The ‘tell-back’ sessions are essentially for the children to speak about their problems, telling the teachers about the hurdles they face in their daily lives. The hurdles could be as small as how the boys make fun of girls their age. “The children here are very different,” says Pallavi. “They may have worn or torn clothes, their teachers should not call them out on these; they should understand the plight of these students and the poor background they come from.” Securing space for the library was no easy task, recalls Pallavi. The building owner initially had qualms about renting space to an NGO working with the children of rag pickers. Nor was there any help available from the government. “We would love to have more volunteers,” says Pallavi. “You should see the excitement on the children’s faces whenever someone new comes to visit.” “It would also help to have a more reliable funding system,” she says. “These children, for once, have an option to dream a little bigger. If this community continues for long, there will be farreaching results.”