The Observer An IIJNM publication
Stench from BBMP waste processing plant in Banashankari makes life miserable for citizens | P 2
Vol 22, Issue 13
Thursday, November 10, 2022
Just 22.5% use mobile phones for transactions By Priya Pathak
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Commuters find it difficult to travel on Varthur Kodi Circle
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mid the flyover construction near Varthur Kodi Circle road, many problems arise on the road, reports Yashaswini Sri. Commuters find it difficult to travel on it without risking their safety on the road. Absence of traffic signals from Kundalahalli flyover to Hope Farm pose an inconvenience to both traffic police and citizens of Whitefield. There are manhole covers and potholes on the surface, making the road unsafe. There are ten hazard sites and 20 potholes in the Varthur Kodi Circle road, according to the residents and traffic police officials. Full report on page 2
Cash payments are difficult when a seller does not have UPI options | Credit: Ahona Roy know how to use online payment apps. It gets difficult dealing with customers as they insist on paying even Rs 30 to Rs 50 online.” Lata, who creates imitation
jewellery, said: “I recently started using online payment apps as my customers would say they did not have cash or change. My customers still fail to pay me
money and leave with jewellery, due to which I face losses.” Prasad and his wife Harsha, who sell bags and shoes outside Vidhana Soudha, said they make a decent earning every day because they accept money digitally thorugh UPI applications. “Owing to a lack of knowledge, we could not earn more. Prasad’s friend helped us learn how to use digital payment and educated us how it works and is useful for business,” Harsha said. Vignesh, a student, shared: “I prefer digital payment (apps) to cash because they are easy to use. They do not restrict users with a limited amount in hand. They give you the liberty to pay from the lowest to a high amount.... Cash payments are difficult when a seller does not have UPI.” The government of India has started schemes like Pradhan Mantri Digital Saksharta Abhiyan and Pradhan Mantri Grameen Digital Saksharta Abhiyan to educate people about digital transactions. They aim to help people understand the importance of digital transactions not only individually but to run their business also. priya.p@iijnm.org Read the complete story on www.theweeklyobserver.in
Help centres for women give no legal aid, only send cases to cops Try to make both parties reach a compromise By Arsha B.S.
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elp centres at police stations whose main function is to provide legal assistance to women complainant have been working only as counselling centresin the stations. It is mandatory to have a women’s help desk in every police station in accordance with the Nirbhaya scheme. While there
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Post-pandemic, very few customers visit Avenue Road bookstalls as they prefer reading online | P 3
Women who aren’t good at tech lose out in work and business ack of awareness about the Internet and digital payments has set back women who own small businesses. According to the fifth National Family Health Survey, 53.9 percent of women in India own mobile phones; but among them, only 22.5 percent reported using mobile phones for financial transactions for running the business. An International Monetary Fund survey says women are less proficient in the use of technology in comparison to men. This leads to them being given low-level jobs or losing out in business. Not knowing how to use online payment apps leads to them earning less than those who are comfortable using these enablers. Women who are not tech-savvy also fall for false promises and are scammed by customers. Chandramukhi, a flower vendor, informed The Observer : “I have been in this business for more than 20 years. I still do not
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Complainants are sent back to their families | Credit : Arsha B.S. are help desks functioning in major police stations, they do not appear to give legal assistance. Afreen A, who works in the help desk in a major police sta-
tion in Bengaluru, informed The Observer: “There are many cases that come to us. We usually make both parties compromise and settle the matter among themselves. we provide counselling. We usually just deal with family conflicts and issues like them. We don’t deal with serious issues; we just forward them to the police.” “There was this old woman from Mysore who came to us to file a complaint regarding her family not letting her stay in the house. We called up her family members, who asked us to send her back, and we sent her to the bus stand,” Afreen shared. Continued on page 3
News briefs Nine Indians among 10 killed in Maldives fire Ten people died in a fire that broke out in a garage in Male, the Maldivian capital, early on Thursday. The victims were nine workers from India and one worker from Bangladesh, authorities said. The Maldives Police Service is working to confirm their identities, a top government official in Male said. Mohamed Nasheed, Parliamentary Speaker and former President of the Maldives, offered his “deepest condolences” over the fire tragedy. The Hindu
BJP nominates Jadeja’s wife for assembly
The BJP on Thursday announced the first list of 160 candidates for the Gujarat assembly elections. Rivaba, the wife of cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, will contest from the Jamnagar North constituency. Hardik Patel, who quit the Congress and joined the BJP, will contest from Viramgam. Business Standard
Quake of 5.7 magnitude hits Arunachal’s WSiang
An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 hit West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday morning. According to the National Center for Seismology, the earthquake hit the area at 10.31 at a depth of 10 km. West Siang's District Disaster Management Officer Nima Dorjee said no damage to properties or loss of lives was reported. PTI
Nepal suffers a jolt of 4.1 magnitude
A 4.1-magnitude earthquake hit western Nepal on Thursday, a day after a powerful 6.6-magnitude earthquake jolted the Himalayan nation, killing six people and spreading panic. The National Earthquake Monitoring & Research Centre said the earthquake occurred at 5.13 am, with its epicentre in the rural Kada area in Bajura district. PTI
Putin won’t attend G-20 summit in Bali
Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t attend the G20 summit in Indonesia next week, an official said on Thursday, avoiding a possible confrontation with the US and its allies over his war in Ukraine. The Chief of support for G20 said, Putin’s decision to not come is best for all of us. AP
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URBAN MESS
Citizen’s Voice Crack down on those who don’t leave setbacks A common sight in Bengaluru is multi-storied buildings without setbacks. Their neighboring buildings seem to have no issues with it. Builders want to use the carpet area of the land to the fullest. BBMP officials seem to have disappeared without examining the buildings. Those who use the full carpet area must be penalized heavily . PV Jeevan Kumar
BBMP changing dates to fill potholes is not good
Earlier, BBMP promised potholes would be filled by November 5; later, it changed the date to November 10. It is becoming troublesome for people to move around potholes as they fear for their lives. Citizens would not fill up the potholes by themselves, if BBMP works properly and sets itself fewer deadlines, it will do Bengalureans good. Janani Srinivas
Number for mental health queries doesn’t work 24/7
The government launched TELEManas,a toll-free number (14416) on october 10th, that was to be available 24/7 for any mental health query. But the number functions only between 8 am and 8 pm. What if a person needs mental help after 8 pm? Shouldn't the government think twice before launching such initiatives? Also, people do not know if the persons answering the calls are trained psychologists or not. Navya Sruthi
The Observer Thursday, November 10, 2022
There are 20 potholes on 350m stretch at Varthur Kodi Circle Streetlights are missing; bikes ride on footpath By Yashaswini Sri
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he 350-metre road at Varthur Kodi Circle, Whitefield, has more than 20 potholes and 10 hazardous obstructions. A major inconvenience to commuters, these have caused several accidents. Anjali Saini, a volunteer at Whitefield Rising, an organization that tries to make people aware of civic problems, said: “This road is a state highway, and traffic is heavy. So when someone falls because of the poor maintenance of the road, it is going to be fatal. The road surface is dangerous because the existing potholes and manhole covers are not scientifically made. I’m talking about 20 potholes on just a stretch of 350-meter road. We cannot even imagine what the condition of the rest of the city is.” Baddi Yaswanth, a resident of Whitefield, said: “One of the problems I have faced is vehicles in traffic jams trying to overtake each other. The divider at this road is a joke; it’s a small elevated space between the road that doesn’t do its job. People just overtake
Though people complain about bad roads to BBMP, there is no proper response and permanent solution | Credit: Yashaswini Sri and use dividers to take U-turns. At night, most of the streetlights do not work. Also, there are no traffic signals from Kundalahalli flyover to Hope Farm. Traffic police manually regulate traffic at Varthur Kodi Circle.” Residents and traffic police officers have identified 20 potholes and ten hazard points in the area. Vehicles are seen on the divider and the footpath despite traffic police penalizing their drivers for
breaking traffic rules. Shivakumar Angadi, a sub-inspector at the Whitefield traffic police station, said: “Potholes are an existing problem, but not only the problem. Streetlights on this 350-meter stretch are not working, the footpaths are deteriorating. BBMP and us (traffic police) are government servants and we should be accountable, but there are certain things that people should cooperate with us in.
Stench from BBMP waste-processing plant makes citizens’ life miserable Protests, appeals to Palike have had no effect By Janani Srinivas
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esidents of Lingadheeranahalli, a neighborhood in Banashankari 6th Stage, 4th Block, are troubled by a bad smell emanating from a wasteprocessing plant. Saroja G, a shopkeeper, informed The Observer: “The problem has been there for two years. Even after people held strikes and complained several times to the BBMP, the civic body has refused to reach out. We are fed up with this continuous stench, and request the civic body to work on this issue in a swift manner.” Vinod K, a worker, said: “Nobody knows for how long this issue of stench is going to stay. There is no peace at all. We complained to the BBMP ample number of times, but they are not ready to work on it. Even if they visit the place, there are more fake promises than actual action on the waste-processing plant.
The stench coming from the plant is unbearable not just for residents but also for the daily-wages workers | Credit: Janani Srinivas Nor does the local MLA realize that the matter is serious. I am worried as to what the future would look like for Lingadheeranahalli residents.” Despite knowing the gravity of
the problem, the civic body does not want to find an effective solution, he added. Somashekhara S, a real estate contractor, said the stench has spread across the place. “People
have been facing so much trouble through the years that they even held a strike against the BBMP. For how long is this going to go on? Don’t people here have a life of their own...? This must stop.” Dr Harish Kumar, BBMP commissioner for solid waste management, said: “As the matter is still ongoing in the Supreme Court, I cannot comment on this. Solutions are being brought over the Lingadheeranahalli issue, but it is going to take some time.” Chandru K, a worker at the plant, said: “Earlier, the National Green Tribunal had filed a case against the BBMP in the Karnataka High Court, but the case stopped mid way. After some years, the case was brought up. The matter is now being heard by the Supreme Court...during evenings, the smell increases and causes trouble to people living around. Meetings were held by resident associations with local MLA Somashekhar, but all he gave was promises. Approximately only 60 tonnes has been cleared; 150 tonnes more is yet to be cleared.” janani.s@iijnm.org Read the complete story on www..theweeklyobserver.in
...commuters should be careful while driving on road.” A. Noli, a regular commuter, said: “There are no signs on this road, no traffic signals tops the problems at this intersection. The undergoing construction of a flyover near Varthur Kodi Circle creates traffic jams at odd hours of the day. It occupies a bigger half of the road and poses a problem for smooth traffic flow. We write complaints to BBMP, but we see no permanent solution.” On July 6, 2022, the Whitefield traffic police took to Twitter to inform citizens that Varthur Kodi Circle’s potholes had been temporarily fixed. Y.R. Ramesh, assistant engineer, road infrastructure, BBMP, said: “The Varthur flyover construction started four months ago. Along with the construction, we are filling the potholes simultaneously. We are taking the complaints seriously... and making sure that we are doing our jobs diligently.” According to a New Indian Express report, BBMP chief commissioner Tushar Giri Nath promised Bengaluru would become pothole-free by November 10. “As many as 1,000 to 1,500 potholes are being filled on a daily basis, and by November 6, we will be able to cover 95 percent of the target.” he said. yashaswini.s@iijnm.org
Around the city The SteppinOut Carnival, 12 13 November, 5:30 pm Jayamahal Palace Hotel 1, Jayamahal Main Road. Bengaluru FC and East Bengal match, 11 November 7:30 pm at Sri Kanteerava Stadium, Kasturba Road. . Connect Karnataka - A Mega Manufacturers & Franchise Expo, 12 - 13 November, 10 am to 6 pm, Palace ground. Emiway Bantai live in Bangalore, 26 November, 9:30 pm, Phoenix Marketcity, Whitefield
Quiz 1. Who is the youngest actor to win an Academy Award and at what age? 2. The Peloponnesian War was fought between which two Greek city-states? 3. Suriname is located on which continent? 4. Who founded the Commonwealth Games? 5. Name the world’s first Sunday newspaper? Answers on page 3
Tweetcasm “Funny how you eagerly wait for something to happen and when it happens, you are no longer that excited as you were before.” - Sahil Patni (@vibewithsahil)
CITY
Post-pandemic, few customers visit Avenue Road bookstalls Sales have gone down by 70%, say owners By Hamsaveni N
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ellers of second-hand books on Avenue Road have suffered a big drop in sales post-Covid, forcing many to end their businesses. Online book platforms have curbed physical sales at bookshops. These bookstores were a favourite among students. More than 300 books shops sell secondhand books. Academic and competitive books, comics, novels and spiritual books attract people from across Bengaluru. Fesenta Praiselin, a student, said: “This is my first visit to this place, on a friend’s suggestion. I have come to buy a few books for my upcoming PGCET exam.” Books stalls and shops nowadays see no crowds. They make just Rs 700 to Rs 800 a day, a result of a 70 per cent drop in sales. P.D. Anjanappa, owner of Sree Dhanalakshmi Book Centre, informed The Observer: “I have been running this business for the past 30 years. Currently, almost 80 per cent of my sales have dropped because people have turned to PDFs and Xerox copies
Nirbhaya Kendra office has no lawyers at present Continued from page 1 ashmi (name changed), a complainant who was sent by the police to the Nirbhaya Kendra in Majestic, said: “Police sent me here as they wanted me to settle the matter with the help of counsellors here. They have asked me to write a request so that I get the help I need. I don’t know how to move the matter legally.” The Nirbhaya Kendra office was opened earlier this year to assist women and children if they faced any issue. There were no lawyers present in the office. There were a few counsellors. When The Observer asked for public domain information regarding the number of lawyers hired and the number of women getting legal assistance, Soumya S, the administrator of the office, said: “We don't provide any kind of data regarding the office to anyone.” Mohan, one of the officials concerned with the Nirbhaya Kendras scheme, denied The Observer permission to access data regarding the same. He said they avoid journalists. Read the complete story on www.theweeklyobserver.in
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People across Bengaluru visit Avenue Road’s bookshops which sell a variety of second-hand books | Credit: Hamsaveni N instead of physical textbooks. Academic textbooks were the most sold books in my shop; now nobody comes to buy these.” Along with the bookshops, there are a lot of book stalls on the Avenue Road footpath. Anjaneya C, who sells books on the footpath, shared: “Previously, we never had problems with our business, though there were so
many... shops have been closed. Most of my neighbouring shops have vanished. I have no business these days.” A.N.S. Murthy, another bookshop owner, said: “These days the number of people reading physical books has drastically reduced. Kids and youths... totally different. Before Covid, we used to earn Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 every day.
Now we hardly earn Rs 600.” Availability of online platforms for books has made the buying and selling of books easier and cheaper for readers. Ramachandra, another bookshop owner, explained: “Online stores offer books cheaper. They have a return policy as well, which we can’t offer here. Home delivery... authorized books Book readers have reduced these days.” Dr Harrison Michael, a regular customer at Avenue Road, said: “I am sad to see few people near bookshops. I started buying books from Avenue Road from my PUC college days. Now I have come to purchase a few medical books. It is true that customers prefer to buy books from their comfort zones. I see people complaining about health effects on children due to long hours online. There’s a hope that these sellers will improve their sales slowly. The physical touch can never be lost.” Manju M.J., owner of Thejas Bookstore,: “I am in the last stage of shutting down my shop and moving back to my village. Business is dull, and I am unable to manage to pay the rent….” Most booksellers are converting their shops into stationery shops. A few who can’t do any other business have been forced to shut down their shops and move back to their villages. hamsaveni.s@iijnm.org
Prices of vegetables, pulses surge because of unseasonal rains; roadside eateries hit Profits have dived as prices of veggies skyrocket By Ahona Roy
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he business of roadside eateries has been adversely affected by the rise in prices of vegetables and pulses after unseasonal rain destroyed crops. Raju Rajanna, owner of Kolimani Family Restaurant, near the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway, informed The Observer the prices of the vegetables and pulses have increased by 20 per cent. He now spends more to buy vegetables, lowering his profit. “Previously, there was a 40 per cent profit; now it has gone down to 5 per cent,” said Rajanna, who buys onions, capsicum,chillies, coriander leaves, garlic and other vegetables. Onions, which previously cost Rs 25 a kg, now cost Rs 30 to Rs 45. A kilo of dal used to cost Rs 80; now it is Rs 120. The prices has left everyone shook. Krishnadeva Yadav, the owner of a small eatery on the highway, shared that ever since the unseasonal rainfall, the prices of all vegetables have increased. How-
Owners of roadside eateries say they pay more for their inputs than they earn | Credit: Ahona Roy ever, prices in his eatery remain the same. “Previously, a samosa used to cost Rs 15, and it still costs the same. I am not able to make any profit.” Yadav has to buy 10 kg of potatoes daily. A kilo of potatoes which previously used to cost Rs 25, costs Rs 45 now. The price rise has affected his daily earnings. “Previously I used to earn Rs 500 daily, but now I earn Rs 150.” Syed Sajid, who along with his
brother runs Hotel Hajes Saheb near the highway, said their profit has decreased by 40 per cent due to the price rise. The brothers buy onions and tomatoes from markets in Ramanagar, 48 km from Bengaluru, as local vendors charge more. “In local areas, we getting a kilo of tomato for Rs 50, but in markets we get it for Rs 30,” he added. Saroja TM, a vegetable vendor from Kumbalgodu, said she buys vegetables worth Rs 5,000 to Rs 6000 from vegetable markets in Ramanagar every day. She sells 5 kg of vegetables each day. Ever since the prices of vegetables have increased, she has been forced to buy these vegetables at higher prices, forcing her to charge her customers more than she used to previously. She sells chillies for Rs 80 a kg, coriander leaves for Rs 20, and onions and potatoes for Rs 50 a kg — double of the price before. Mansur, a diner at one of the eateries, said he is not willing to pay more for food if the restaurant increases prices. The small roadside eateries will continue to make meager profits as long as the prices of vegetables and pulses keep on rising. ahona.r@iijnm.org
3 Wonders of World
The city of Petra The ancient city of Petra, Jordan, is located in a remote valley nestled among sandstone mountains and cliffs . It was purported to be one of the places where Moses struck a rock and water gushed forth. Later the Nabataeans, an Arab tribe, made it their capital, and during this time it flourished, which became an important trade center, especially for spices. Noted carvers, the Nabataeans chiseled dwellings, temples, etc. into the sandstone, which changed color with the shifting sun. Credit:HGTV
Quote of the day “Schools serve the same social functions as prisons and mental institutions – to define, classify, control, and regulate people” — Michel Foucault
Did you know? A cat will spend an average of 15 hours a day sleeping. Some cats can sleep longer to a total of 20 hours a day. These felines sleep during the day as they are active during the night.
Quiz answers 1. Shirley Temple at the age of 6 2. Athens and Sparta 3. South America 4. Melville Marks Robinson 5. The Observer
The Observer Thursday, November 10, 2022
Weather Minimum temperature: 18°C Maximum temperature: 27°C Humidity: 55% Forecast: Sunny intervals with light winds
The Observer Produced by the Print students of the Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media at Nityananda Nagar, Kumbalgodu, Kengeri hobli, Bengaluru 560074. Editor: Priya Pathak News Editor: Hamsaveni N Copy editors: Yashaswini Sri, Janani Srinivas, Arsha B S Photo editor: Ahona Roy Other IIJNM publications l The Beat magazine l CityCast l The SoftCopy