The Observer

Overtime, irregular workhours taking a heavy toll on B’luru cops’ health

By Abhishek Saini Bengaluru: Police personnel in Bengaluru are at a risk of having stress­induced problems like hypertension, cardiovascular disease and depression, a study

by Dr B.G. Sudarshan, medical officer and professor at the RV College of Engineering, reveals.

As many as 57% of police personnel in Bengaluru could be facing stress. This can be due to operational or organisational factors. The operational stressors include overtime work and irregular workhours.

Organisational factors that cause stress were found to be lack of promotion opportunities, inadequate pay and an understaffed police force.

Records from the administration department shared with The Observer show that Bengaluru police are understaffed. As on September 30, 2019, the force was short of 1,664 constables. There were also over 400 vacancies of the post of sub­inspector. Owing to this,

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he paper industry in Mumbai has seen a fall in demand since the central government enforced Janata Curfew on March 22 due to the COVID­19 pandemic.

Shops in the financial capital opened only after orders from the Ministry of Home Affairs under Unlock 3.0 guidelines.

The Observer spoke to several paper traders at Kandawadi, a major market for paper in South Mumbai, "The business of paper industry in Mumbai has slipped to 10% after the lockdown was imposed. Pre­ Covid the growth was up to 40­ 50%, but due to COVID­19 the business has been adversely affected,” said Ashok Shah the president of the Paper Traders Association of Kandawadi.

Full story on Page 3

personnel have to work overtime and at irregular hours.

Sub­inspector Nagesh informed The Observer that stress is a part of the job. “A police job comes with challenges like stress and irregular work hours, but I knew this when I joined the force. It is an honour to get a chance to wear the uniform. I am satisfied that I contribute to society.”

Nagesh, posted in Kumaraswamy Layout, shared that he exercises every morning to stay fit and keep up with the

Sitamarhi: Residents of Sonbarsa village, near the India­ Nepal border, have been adversely affected economically after the government imposed a nationwide lockdown and closed the border.

The lockdown across the border restricted Indian farmers from selling their produce in Nepal.

The main economic occupation in Sonbarsa is farming, with rice, pulses and wheat being the major crops.

Road connectivity between Sonbarsa and Sitamarhi town is in shambles; it takes about three hours to cover the 30­km distance.

Ashok Kumar, a farmer, informed The Observer: “I have no other source of income and my

physical requirements of his job.

Sub­inspector Chandan Kale of the Jayanagar police station shared similar thoughts. “I enjoy my job. However, we have to be ready for overtime work.

Whenever the demand comes, we have to be prepared.” He also added there are good promotion opportunities available in Bengaluru police.

Out of the total 1,555 police personnel included in the study, ranging from 25 years to 55 years of age, personnel in the 30­ 35 age group were found to have

more operational and organisational stressors than other age groups. As a result, this age group showed adverse results in health parameters like blood pressure, pulse rate, ECG and heart rate variability.

Dr Devvarta Kumar, associate professor, department of clinical psychology, NIMHANS, said: “Anyone can have stress and mental health issues – a journalist or a doctor. And the same applies for police personnel as well.

Stress has complex psychophysiological mechanisms.

Prolonged or chronic stress may lead to problems related to physical and mental health.”

Dr Kumar said NIMHANS has initiated a police well­being programme in collaboration with Karnataka police. “Well­being officers have been recruited who carry various activities related to positive mental health, on a regular basis, for the staff and their family members,” he informed The Observer.

CBI told to probe Uttarakhand CM Rawat SC has asked the CBI to investigate corruption charges against Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. The court asked the agency to take drastic steps towards this issue and take necessary action.

The first email was sent 49 years ago, on this day The first email was sent out by American Ray Tominson, 48 years ago on 29 October 1971.

It introduced a new generation of communication, which has become a favoured tool to exchange messages.

Active coronavirus cases continue to fall New Covid­19 cases have remained below 7 lakh for a week in a row. The discharge ratefrom hospitals has also improved to 87.9 per cent.

However, Health Minister Hard Vardhanis advocating taking extra precautions during the festive season.

NIA raids 6 NGOs, trusts in Kashmir The NIA has raided six NGOs and trusts in Jammu and Kashmir on suspicion of divertingfunds meant for charitable activities.

The agency has seized several documents andelectronic devices.

Delhi mini temp dips to 12.5 degrees Delhi has witnessed a minimum temperature of 12.5 degrees Celsius, the lowest in October.

The normal temperature for this time of the year is between 15 and 16 degreesCelsius, said the India Meteorological Department. family of five depends on land produce. Since the lockdown was imposed, I am unable to get even daily wage jobs.”

In 2006, Bihar abolished the APMC mandi system and set up local bodies to buy farm produce.

These bodies charge 1% from

farmers and buyers.

Bhola Gupta, a daily­wage worker, spoke to The Observer.

“Finding work in towns is more difficult now, and we are paid less for the same work we did before.”

Temperature Maximum ­ 27 degree Celsius Minimum ­ 18 degree Celsius Precipitation ­ 5% Humidity ­ 55% Wind ­ 13km/h

Road in HSR Layout on the mend after a long wait

Bengaluru: After a long wait, the users of 11th Main in HSR Layout’s Sector 6 can finally look forward to travelling on a smooth surface.

Residents of the area have welcomed the repair work. “I feel like that villager who got a road for the first time,” said Harsh Jalan, a resident. “Also, I hope they will fix this unscientific footpath that does not allow the rainwater to flow,” he added, referring to the recently heightened concrete footpath.

The muddy pavement with ankle­deep potholes has been reinforced with gravel and cement, “Right now we’ve gravelled the road, and soon we’ll fit in holder drains to avoid waterlogging,” said Ravi, assistant executive engineer, BBMP, Bommanahalli Zone. He conceded the job was stalled due to BWSSB work, lockdown and the exodus of migrant workers, “We’re looking forward to finishing the Sector 6 work

within 15 days,” he added.

J. Mohan Kumar, the contractor for the job, said migrant workers are heading back home for festivals. “Once they return, our priority will be to fix this completely. The gravel needs a little time to settle and we can tar only when it’s compact. The residents need not

worry as the work will be completed within 15 days.”

The BBMP had failed to adhere to the deadline mentioned in the February 24, 2020, tender that said: “The work has to be completed in a period of six months, including monsoon.”

When the work resumed post­

lockdown, the BWSSB informed the contractor that a problem in the existing sewage lines had to be fixed before the road was tarred. The BWSSB took almost a month to repair the lines. In May, the residents hoped their trouble would end within a few days. But BBMP workers never showed up to repair the road.

A continuous downpour filled up the potholes, creating a fear of waterborne diseases and dengue.

People found it difficult to walk and drive on the road. “Let alone driving vehicles, it becomes difficult to even step out of the house when it rains. With this constant waterlogging, the mosquitoes count has increased,” said Ram Murthy, a resident of the locality.

Praveen Kumar, a resident, said: “Food delivery and courier boys have also been complaining.

We can understand it’s delayed due to the lockdown, but other roads have been tarred.”

Raghavendra, an employee of MLA Satish Reddy M, informed The Observer: “Relaying of sewage pipes had delayed the road work. There are two houses on this road that are undergoing construction, and the repeated heavy vehicle movement has worsened the road. That is why we are delaying retarring of the road.”

This is yet another example of lack of coordination between the BBMP and the BWSSB. However, now that the work has picked up pace, residents are hoping the work will be completed without any further problems or delays. padmini.d@iijnm.org

A MANHOLE THREAT ON BANNERGHATTA ROAD

Continued from page 1

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he Model Police Act, 2006, was enacted to ensure that police personnel get health insurance cover and regular check­ups. The act proposed to set up a Police Welfare Board to look after these requirements. This board will also ensure there is a limit on the working hours of personnel in the state.

Speaking to The Observer, Nisha James, DCP Admin, said: “There is no Police Welfare Board for Bengaluru, but we have the Arogya Bhagye Yojana and annual health check­ups for our police personnel.”

The Arogya Bhagye Yojana, a scheme launched by Karnataka Government in 2018, provides healthcare to police personnel and other government employees, as well as their

family members, at subsidised rates across government hospitals and a few empanelled private hospitals.

The study by Dr Sudarshan also proposes ways to solve these problems. It advises frequent and rigorous health check­ups for police personnel, including psychological evaluations. It also advises revising pay scales and promotional policies, and action to maintain adequate police staff in the force.

These measures will help in ensuring the reduction of operational and organisational stressors which these personnel face, therby improving their performance.

This will help to build a police force that operates effectively and efficiently, according to the standard set by the Model Police Act, 2006. abhishek.s@iijnm.org

Demand dries up, paper industry groans Traders want PM Modi to help the sector

By Viransh Shah

: The paper industry in Mumbai has seen a fall in de­ mand since the central govern­ ment enforced Janata Curfew on March 22 due to the Covid­19 pandemic.

Shops in the financial capital opened only after orders from the Ministry of Home Affairs under Unlock 3.0 guidelines.

The Observer spoke to several paper traders at Kandawadi, a major market for paper in South Mumbai. ”The business of the paper in­ dustry in Mumbai has slipped to 10% after the lockdown was im­ posed. Pre­Covid, growth was up to 40­50%, but due to Covid­19, business has been adversely af­ fected,” said Ashok Shah, presid­ ent of the Paper Traders Association of Kandawadi.

“Only regular customers are purchasing our products. Wed­ dings are at a halt. Schools and colleges have shut down. Our

According to India Ratings report, India is the fifth-largest paper consumer with the annual demand for 1 9million tonne, 4 per cent of global demand share. | Viransh Shah business isn’t consistent. We are working with zero employees.

Till everything returns to nor­ mal, we cannot predict any im­ provement. We have press and shop owners who take our pa­ pers for their billings. But since they have thin business, they do not have enough bills to make,” said Mansukh Savla, owner of Savla Paper Pvt Ltd.

”The (paper) mills have reduced the price to Rs 8­10. On an aver­ age day, I can sell four bundles of A4­size paper. My main product was drawing books of A4 size.

Sales have been very low as schools haven't reopened yet. I have opened the shop because it is better to see the crowd on the streets rather than sit idle at home with pessimistic thoughts,"

said Sunil Shah, owner of Ujala Traders, a paper retailer.

In the absence of local trains, transportation has become diffi­ cult for those who commute from the suburbs to the city. In such times, traders have hired a com­ mon taxi driver to transport their goods from one place to another.

“Until trains do not function and things do not get easy, we cannot predict anything. I have to hold my supply with no action in the market and restrictions on transport. In the absence of workers, traders have a common taxi driver who transports our limited orders. My personal busi­ ness has decreased to 30%,” said RS Yadav owner of Yadav Paper Mart.

“Since lockdown, the demand for A4­size paper has plunged.

Only when things get back to normal, we might be back on our tracks. As long as local trains don’t run, there won't be regular business,” Hitesh Gala, owner of Zalani Paper Stores, shared.

“PM Modi must look at the in­ dustry, and his government must provide assistance to help us re­ main afloat,” he added.

The Observer spoke to a few students about their need for writing material.

“All of my study material is available in soft copy. I would purchase 3­4 notebooks each semester, but this year since every submission is done through email, there isn’t much demand,” said Himesh Bhatia, a BBM student at Hinduja College.

Kalpesh Mehta, a mechanical engineer student at DJ Sanghvi College, said: “I already have spare notebooks from the ones I purchased last year for me and my brother. We usually buy two dozen so that we can stretch it for a year.” With study material and submissions being shared di­ gitally, they do not need note­ books.

Sanket Goreganokar, a stu­ dent at the National Institute of Fashion and Technology (Chen­ nai), said: “I have online classes, so I don’t need material like trace papers, design papers or drawing books. However, I will need to buy them for onsite classes.”

According to a report in Busi­ ness Today, CMIE had projected the output of paper to drop by 4.8% in 2019­20. It said the de­ mand for corporate and pack­ aging paper will remain depressed. viransh.s@iijnm.org

Across the state

People are still reluctant to take public transport

By Queeneerich . K

Shillong: Daily wage earners like taxi drivers have seen a sharp decline in their daily in­ come be­cause of the high price of petrol.

Tike, a taxi driver in the Lapa­ lang area, informed The Observ­ er: “The government’s decision to cut the passenger capacity to 50%, and a majority of daily commuters’ reluctance to take public vehicles because of the virus, has made the situation worse.”

B.Warjri who works for Shil­ long’s Tourist Information Centre, said since restrictions on inter­state travel were lifted, he has been able to make a small income, but he has to find book­ ings on his own as his tourist agency hasn’t reopened. “I know I am risking my life, especially by meeting unknown people who are likely to be infected…, but I have no choice.” He is the sole breadwinn­der in his family.

With school and colleges still closed, drivers are banking on people going to work.

College student Iba said: “I un­ derstand that the drivers need to make an income, but there is

Few taxi drivers arrive at the stand in Lapalang,Shillong, because not many people want to hire taxis. | Queeneerich Kharmawlong also a need to shut educational institutions for safety.” She had to let go of a taxi driver she had hired to drop her to college daily.

Vegetable vendor Phiba goes to the market only on weekends as she cannot afford high taxi fares.

On weekdays, she sells her goods from home. . Homemaker Wanda said she does not leave her home if the work is not important. She attributed fewer taxis on the roads to people’s reluctance to venture out.

Taxi driver Babu said he used to make around 40 trips a day before the lockdown, but now he struggles to get 15­20. With taxi fares being high, he earns barely Rs 1,000 a day after paying for petrol. “With the odd­even sys­ tem, I have to lay off from work every alternate day,” he added.

The drivers are worried for their health. Ferrying people from all over Shillong has put them in a dilemma. They don’t know whether following social

distancing, using hand sanitisers and wearing face masks will keep coronavirus at bay.

H. Khongsit, assistant com­ missioner, transport, at the Dis­ trict Transport Office, said: “The gov­ernment has fixed rates for taxis. Passengers can file com­ plain to the traffic police or to the Dis­trict Transport Office if taxi drivers charges them more.”

In the coming months, the im­ plementation of plastic protect­ ors is being planned as these provide protection to both drivers and passengers. “If the situation changes with public transport, we will have to set up a meeting with the committee concerned to handle the situation,” he added.

John Khongwir, who works at Rapido, an online bike taxi com­ pany, said: “Rapido has been get­ ting more commuters because we provide passengers a flexible op­ tion to travel with a fare calcu­ lator that charges passengers per km.”

A traffic policeman on duty at Rynjahsays said: “There seems to be no easy solution to the prob­lem as of now, but the drivers have been making a bet­ ter income since the local market has reo­pened.”

Owing to the pandemic, educa­ tional institutions were ordered to shut down. This forced most peo­ple to work from home. It is a struggle for taxi drivers as they do not have an assured income. queeneerich.k@iijnm.org

Bengaluru Utsava Deepavali Carnival Date and Time: 30th October, 11AM to 8th November, 7PM Registration link: ­ https://in­ sider.in/bengaluru­utsava­ deepavali­shopping­carnival­ oct30­2020/event Kuntibetta Sunrise Trek with Water Activities Date and Time: 31st October, 4AM to 1st November, 4AM Registration link:­ https://in.bookmyshow.com/acti vities/narayanagiri­sunrise­ trek­withwater/ET0089263 Date and Time: 1st November, 12AM to 7PM Registration link: ­ https://m.facebook.com/events/ 770891783676391

Quiz Corner 1. Name the US politicians who visited India for a 2+2 dia­ logue this week.

2. Who has been appointed as the president of People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration?

3. Hero Moto Corp has entered into a distribution agreement with which motorcycle manufac­ turer?

4. Which country, via a refer­ endum, has voted to draft a new constitution?

5. Which cricketer has been handed a maiden Indian­team call­up for India’s tour of Aus­ tralia commencing in November?

For answers see page 4

With Kolkata’s bars closed, singers find the going tough

They are unable to pay rent, kids fees, buy meds

By Upasana Banerjee

Kolkata: Bar singers and mu­ sicians of Kolkata are struggling for survival following the closure of bars and restaurants due to the Covid­19 pandemic.

Kolkata has had a thriving bar culture which has been a major source of entertainment to cer­ tain sections of the population.

But due to the imposition of re­ strictions, these public places had been closed for an indefinite period.

Singers who would sing every evening at bars are now looking for jobs as maids and corporation workers.“Those were good times, we earned as much as Rs 35,000 a month,” singer Ra­ jarshri Mitra informed The Ob­ server. She had had to pull her children out of school because she could not pay their fees.

These artistes have families depending on them. Besides their remuneration, they earned money from tips given by cus­ tomers.

Another singer, Mampi Das, said: “I am surviving on my fixed deposit; now it is drained too. I have no money to pay my rent so I am trying to take shelter at dif­ ferent places.”

Two types of people perform at bars: Those who are trained mu­ sicians but couldn’t establish themselves and others who have no formal education. Bars

in Kolkata mainly organize song­ based performances, often on re­ quests by customers.

Dancing is illegal. Police routinely crack down on bars that organize dances.

With their jobs gone, the sing­ ers and musicians have had to change their lifestyle.

Musicians who worked on con­ tracts with three or four bars at a time are now looking for odd jobs to make ends meet. One such musician, Chotka Roy, said: “I have never imagined that I would be selling vegetables in my locality. My parents are out of medicine for days now.”

Women singers are finding it difficult to get jobs because most middle­class families are unwill­ ing to employ them as domestic workers given their so­called questionable professions. Many

of them are not qualified enough to get jobs in companies, though a few have managed to do so.

One such singer, Alka, was re­ lieved to find a job at a call centre. “After my husband and I lost our jobs, we struggled to make ends meet,” she shared.

No relief measures have been taken by the Bengal government.

Picklu Dutta, the organizer of the Bengal Stage Performance Association, shared: “We tried fixing a meeting with Nabanna, the administrative office of the West Bengal government, but were ignored.”

Before the pandemic, promin­ ent figures enjoyed these per­ formances, but during their hour of need, nobody has helped.

During the later days of lock­ down, when virtual events surged, singers used to digital

platformscould earn better.

With the commencement of Unlock 4.0 across Bengal, res­ taurants and bars were allowed to open with 50% occupancy.

But the artistes have not been called back since the restaurants cannot afford to pay them salar­ ies.

The manager of Tumi Ashbe Bole bar said: “We have a low seating capacity, and on top of that if we have to pay the sing­ ers, we won’t be able to sustain the restaurant for long.

Everything is at stake anyway.”

The sub­inspector of the Sur­ vey Park police station, B.K. Roy Chowdhury, said: “There are no clear instructions from the gov­ ernment to allow bar perform­ ances so it’s strictly prohibited.”

Two types of customers visit the bars: The working class and the business class.

But due to the economic downturn, even the most fre­ quent visitors have stopped visit­ ing the bars.

One such visitor, Kisholoy Sil, said: “Visiting a bar and watch­ ing women perform is nothing but a kin of addiction. I’m glad it is restricted because if it hadn’t been, I would have spent money from my family budget to visit the bar.”

With Covid­19 cases rising, the situation looks bleak for these artistes.

Though the hospitality sector is slowly opening up, employ­ ment opportunities are limited . The artistes are hoping that performances start again so that they can get back to their jobs.

BJP’s vaccine promise

Stubble burning

Tree cutting carnage

Assam NRC a blunder

Eating out

upasana.b@iijnm.org

Quiz answers Continued from Page 1 Job schemes like MGNREGA are stalled, and no other construction work is hap­ pening neither in the vil­ lage nor in town.

The neighbouring sugar plant has been closed for almost two years now, as the dues are not paid to the farmers.

Every year the Sonbarsa vil­ lage faces monsoons wrath, and the flooding hampers the road connectivity for almost four months.

Adding to their misery, the long traffic jams dur­ ing the day discourages the farm­ ers from traveling to the town . These bad roads don’t just af­ fect the farmers but also affect the general public. Keshav Ku­ mar, a resident, said, “To avail better medical facilities, we have to depend on Sitamarhi town.

Last year, a man died of a snake bite as he could not reach a hos­ pital in time”.

Sunita Devi, Sarpanch, said, “The blockade in 2015 imposed by the Indian government for months has hurt the local com­

Potholes and water logging on Sonbarsa Road after monsoon season | Nishant Kumar munity the most. The longstand­ ing demand for cold storage for the area is pending with the state government for years.”

In Sitamarhi town, there is only one working cold stor­

age negating to the five sanc­ tioned storage.

Since cold storage is necessary for perish­ able items like wheat, rice, veget­ ables, the farmers are now forced to sell in villages for a low price

or consume it themselves.

Kamla Devi, Block develop­ ment officer, told the Observer that the district Sitamarhi comes under the flood­prone area, there is hardly anything that the government can do. And when asked about the potholes, she claimed that roads are not dam­ aged regularly.

She acknowledged that the loc­ al municipal bodies take time to buy rice and pulses, and delay to disburse money. This is why the farmers prefer to sell their crops in Nepal. “The land for cold storage has been pur­ chased, and the construction work will begin shortly,” she ad­ ded.

With Nepal blaming India for their rise in COVID­19 cases, fir­ ing along the Indo­Nepal border, and claiming Indian Territory as their own, shows no positive signs. Despite after entering into Unlock 5.0, there is still no official statement re­ garding the opening of the border.

nishant.k@iijnm.org

1. Mike Pompeo and Mark Esper 2. Farooq Abdullah 3. Harley Davidson 4. Chile 5. Varun Chakravarthy

Editor: Queeneerich Kharmawlong.

Copy Editor: Queeneerich, Viransh, Abhishek, Upasana, Nishant.

Page Editor: Viransh, Nishant.

Photo Editor: Nishant Page Layout: Padmini Dhruvaraj Reporters: Nishant, Viransh, Padmini Queeneerich, Upasana, Abhishek Supplements: Viransh and Upasana

The Observer

SUPPLEMENT

Thursday, October 29, 2020

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The three­time champions reliance on experience over enthusiasm cost them dearly, writes Viransh Shah This has been a year of unpleasant surprises, not least for Indian cricket. If MS Dhoni’s retirement came as a shock in August, his supporters were in for another one when Captain Cool’s team crashed out of the Indian Premier League in Abu Dhabi on October 25. Chennai Super Kings, with just eight points, were relegated to the bottom of the table.

For the very first time in IPL history, the three­time IPL champions have been knocked out from the playoffs or semi­ finals.

CSK’s disastrous performance has largely been attributed to its excessive dependence on seniors. With 13 of its 24 players over 30, it was derided as a Dad’s Army.

“Any good IPL team must have a proper blend of experience and youth,” former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar told India Today.

“Does CSK have the kind of youngsters whose energy can lift the team? That is a huge question the Chennai team faces.

Due to this factor, I feel CSK will find the going a little difficult this IPL.”

Ngidi was benched after his expensive spell in the second match against Royals at Sharjah where he yielded 56 runs.

Bowlers KM Asif (26) and R Sai Kishore (23) were left warming the bench throughout the season. The latter was one of the four signings the franchise made in the IPL 2020 auctions.

He was chosen for his exuberant performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he ended as the leading wicket­ taker with 20 scalps from 12 games.

CSK has been eliminated from the group stage for the first time in IPL history, with eight points from 1 2 games MS Dhoni's side sits on bottom of the table | Credit: iplt20.com Speaking after the loss to the Rajasthan Royals, Dhoni said, “You don’t want to chop and change. Insecurity is something you don’t want to prevail in the dressing room.

Also, the youngsters, we didn’t see the spark to push the guys.” Former India opener Kris Srikkanth questioned Dhoni’s judgement and asked why Kedar Jadhav,

who has scored only 62 runs from five innings, found a place in the team.

In fact, of the six players under 25 only Sam Curran has played all 12 games. Before the Rajasthan game, Ruturaj Gaikwad played just two games and Narayan Jagadeesan played once against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Pace bowler Lungi

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he big trick Dhoni missed this season was not using his frontline three spinners. Only twice did CSK play with three spinners and on both instances they returned victorious. In CSK’s home ground Chepauk, the track is a slow turner where stroke play is difficult. Last season, their five spinners claimed 62 wickets, while this year they collectively managed to dismiss 15 batsmen in total. Piyush Chawla, who replaced Harbhajan, with six wickets lead the charts.

Chennai’s batting, in particular the middle order, spectacularly failed. CSK scored 1,786 runs in the tournament, out of which 977 came from their top­order batsmen Shane Watson (285), Faf du Plessis (401) and Ambati Rayudu (291), accounting for 54% of the total.

The middle order, with Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, compiled 635 runs from a total of 485 balls, a major weakness the franchise has to rectify in future.

As Gavaskar had predicted, the absence of Raina and Harbhajan has left a huge void in the CSK team. It was apparent as they struggled to chase a meagre total of 150 or find breakthrough when needed.

Will Dhoni continue with the franchise?

Will the team management invest in younger players? Will the collapse force the team management to rewrite the playbook? The early exit gives them plenty of time to think these questions through but that will do little to lift the gloom that has descended over the dressing room.

FC Barcelona faces the toughest transition in its 220­year history, writes Abhishek Saini

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fter an agonising 3­1 defeat at the hands of arch­rivals Real Madrid in Saturday’s El Clasico, the Barcelona faithful were handed some good news. The club’s controversial President, Josep Maria Bartomeu, resigned from his post along with the entire board. This announcement came after a no­confidence motion initiated against him at FC Barcelona gained wide support, and just 24 hours after he publicly refused to quit.

This is the latest twist in a saga that has bedevilled the Spanish football powerhouse over the last 2 seasons.

Barcelona’s 8­2 thrashing at the hands of German football club Bayern Munich, in last season’s Champions League quarter­final, seemed to be the final nail in the coffin of the current board. But they refused to take responsibility for its poor showing.

Instead, manager Quique Setien and sporting director Eric Abidal took the fall.

To save face, changes in the squad were promised. Dutch manager Ronald Koeman was brought in and the fans were expected to believe the worst was behind them.

Then club icon Lionel Messi announced he was leaving in the summer, sending shock waves

across the footballing world.

After much haggling between Bartomeu and Jorge Messi, Lionel’s father and agent, over transfer fees and contract details, it was decided that Messi would stay until his contract expired in 2021.

Following the Messi transfer fiasco, a no­confidence motion was introduced against Bartomeu. It needed 16,521 member signatures to initiate a referendum on his presidency.

Backed by 3 president candidates ­ Victor Font, Jordi Farre and Lluis Fernandez – it managed to secure 20,687 signatures. The club will now appoint an interim board to oversee day to day functions until the next elections.

Originally scheduled for March 2021, they will now take place within 3 months.

FC Barcelona’s administerial disorder has had an evident impact on the team’s performance on the field, feels British columnist and football writer Sid Lowe. “Barcelona have a sporting crisis due to their institutional crisis,” he claimed on the ESPN FC YouTube channel.

The club has had three managers in a span of three seasons, yet its problems only seemed to get worse. The team has seen itself humiliated in

Barcelona skipper Lionel Messi was in shock after the Bayern Munich defeat 8-2 in the 201 9/20 UEFA Champions League quarter-final held back in August in Lisbon, Portugal | Credit: Sky Sports back­to­back Champions League campaigns, with embarrassing defeats at the hands of Roma, Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

Each new defeat seemed to surpass the trauma of the previous one.

Ronald Koeman, the manager appointed this season, has led a mini revamp in the Barcelona camp. Ageing players like Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal and Luis Suarez were shown the door.

Their place has been taken up by youngsters like Ansu Fati, Pedri and Trincao. The return of club’s

record signing Phillipe Coutinho from Bayern Munich has further bolstered the attack.

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he season started on a positive note with two consecutive wins, but only a single point from the following nine available has left Barcelona reeling at 12th spot in the La Liga table, their worst start to a season since 1987/88. Lowe feels that Koeman needs time with this new team. “It is legitimate to demand time, this is still a team in transition and it is only week

seven,” he wrote in his column for The Guardian.

While Sid Lowe might be right, it doesn’t change the fact the club is at one of its lowest points.

With Messi approaching the twilight of his career, a clear vision from the new board and president is the need of the hour.

For FCB, managing a smooth transition from the old guard of Pique, Busquets and Messi to the new squad led by teenager Ansu Fati, dutchman Frenkie De Jong and Riqui Puig is critical to revive its fortunes.

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Not very, when you consider the source of their power and their hazardous components, reports

he prospects of the electric vehicles’ (EV) market look very rosy right now.

Mumbai-based investment- bank Avendus estimates that India’s EV market could be valued at Rs. 50,000 crores by 2025. And why shouldn’t it? The perils of using oil-based fuels are pretty well known by now. Emissions of carbon, sulfur and nitrous oxides and acid rainare all by-products of oil burning that cause respiratory illnesses. A recent Lancet study on the Global Burden of Disease said that air pollution is one of the top causes of deaths in India.

“You have got to be responsible,” says Shreyasi Sharma, a former NITI Aayog intern whose family was planning to buy an electric vehicle. “Our decision towards a possible shift to EVs was prompted by awareness about vehicular pollution,” she adds.

Rita Nahata, an environmental activist concurs saying, “I started using electric vehicles the day they were introduced.” She drives a Mahindra Reva.

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However, the environmental benefits of switching to electric vehicles may not be so straightforward. Before we charge our cars and go about our merry ways, we need to examine the source of our car’s power. We need to look at how the electricity we use to charge our cars is being produced.

Currently, more than 55% of India’s electricity is produced by burning coal. BP Energy Outlook 2019 estimated that India’s

dependence on coal will only reduce by about 8% to about 48% in 2040. This still means that the maximum chunk of India’s electrical output would be based on coal. Now add an increased number of electrical vehicles to the demand for power.

A study conducted by Radboud University, Netherlands, claimed that while using electric cars would lead to an overall reduction of carbon emissions, the same is not advisable for

countries like India. The reason is that India’s dependence on coal for electricity generation could make the switchcounterproductive.

“It is not actually very green,” admits Nahata. One has to take into account the electricity it runs on, and the lithium-ion batteries on which they are run is also an issue, she adds. “(But) we don’t have any other option, right? Because you have to replace the carbon fuels and what do you replace them with?” she asks. mit Kumar Mishra, assistant professor at School of Environmental Studies, JNU says if you replace fossil fuel-based vehicles with electric ones, at the very least you are reducing the total pollution level in urban areas. “In metropolitan cities like Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai, you would see a shortterm reduction in pollution. But you will not see any (long-term) benefits in terms of the larger problem of climate change,” he

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says. “When you say climate change (and then look at) emissions of carbon dioxide, they are more or less the same whether you are using an electric vehicle or petrol vehicle or other fossils fuel-based vehicle,” he adds.

Air quality in India’s cities will certainly improve but the at the expense of that in coal mining and power- generating areas that are disproportionately concentrated in states like Jharkhand and Bihar. Nahata says that while comparing an electric car with an internal combustion car, it is not the greenest option, but a greener option, and definitely not a zerocarbon option. “You cannot claim that once you have an electric vehicle, the job is done,” she says.

For Shreyasi Sharma, a student, buying an electric vehicle is still too expensive. Her family now looks at other alternatives. Taking public transport is one way she thinks she can contribute to tackling the problem of air pollution in India.

The coronavirus has given us pause to think about the havoc we inflict on the environment, says

ccording to a recent Global Project report, India is the third-largest air polluter in the world.While 21 cities around the country rank among the world’s worst polluted in IQ Air Visual 2019 World Air Quality Report, with Delhi topping the list.Stubble burning in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana, and everincreasing use of fossil fuels for transport and energy production are the principal causes. Apart from the obvious health consequences, it also contributes significantly to global warming and climate change.

In the last decade alone, India has experienced an unprecedented number of freak weather incidents resulting in a massive loss of human life and property. The Uttarakhand floods of 2013 were the harbinger of what was to come over the rest of the decade. Cloudbursts over North India caused devastating floods and landslides resulting in 5,700 dead or missing, crores of property damages in the worst disaster the country had seen since the 2004 tsunami.

A year prior to that, similarly heavy rainfall caused the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries to overflow in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. The resulting

f l oods and landslides caused huge economic damages and killed hundreds of people in the northeastern states, particularly in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

These aren’t isolated incidents either, since 2015 floods in south India during monsoon season is a common occurrence. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Northern Karnataka have all faced massive floods regularly.

Chennai and Kerala were hit particularly hard in 2018.

Monsoons are the result in part of changes in surface water

temperature in the Indian Ocean, a phenomenon known as the Indian Ocean Dipole. When it’s positive, the surface temperature of western Indian ocean is greater than average, and the surface temperatures in eastern Indian ocean is cooler than average. This causes heavy rains in India and Africa, while simultaneously causing droughts in Indonesia and Australia. The negative phase is when the opposite phenomenon occurs and causes heavy rains in Indonesia and Australia while causing

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droughts in Africa and India. lthough this phenomenon is normal, the extreme temperatures are not.

According to the Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, the difference in temperatures in late 2019 across the Indian Ocean was close two degree Celsius – the highest ever measured and was determined to be the cause of the East African droughts and Australian Bushfires to which more than an estimated 480 million animals succumbed The hordes of locusts which

plagued northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan, and some parts of India were also the direct result of this phenomenon. “Heavy rain triggers the growth of vegetation in arid areas where desert locusts can then grow and breed,” Dr. Roxy Mathew Koll, a senior scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology told CBS news. “These locusts, which migrated to India early this year, might have found greener pastures as the premonsoon rains during MarchMay were in excess over north India.”

India pledged to limit power generation from fossil fuels to 40% by 2030 as part of its commitments to Paris Agreement. Five years on India has already reached 38% according to a report by NRDC and looks set to surpass its goal as it continues to be one of the bigges investor in wind and solar energy. In 2020, India also introduced Bharath Stage VI emission norms for automobiles, based on the tough Euro 6 norms. BS-VI ensures new vehicles are much cleaner and is a welcome relief.

The strict lockdown measure enforced around the country has given a much-needed respite.