The Observer
The Observer An IIJNM publication
Shopkeepers in complexes enraged after BDA asks them to vacate shops within a week | P 2
Vol 18, Issue 2
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
@theweeklyobserver On the Web: issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs/ the_observer
Open drains in K Golahalli spread diseases, but village panchayat has no plans to cover them | P 2
Metro construction on Rise in road stunts ORR causes traffic woes makes cops sit up Mostly performed by underage riders
BMRCL says work will be over by 2021
Sayantan Sarkar
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Sounak Das
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he upcoming Namma Metro Phase 2A project along Outer Ring Road (ORR) is causing traffic chaos. Chandra Shekhar, a resident of the area, informed The Observer:“If we compare the traffic here before the project began and now, it has increased exponentially, but we are hopeful that once the elevated corridor comes into operation, it will minimise the traffic burden on this route.” Traffic has been affected mainly in KR Puram. Construction on Old Madras Road has encroached on road space,leading to traffic snarls regularly. People are upset over the situation. ‘’This is a temporary inconvenience which will disappear once the project gets completed.30% of traffic has reduced on Mysuru Road after the Metro project began there... Tech parks such as Bellandur RMZ Ecospace, which comes under the project, will benefit,’’ said Raghavendra Shanbag, deputy chief engineer (planning and monitoring), Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. “There is constant traffic congestion on this stretch of the road since work began. Traffic police installed a signal on August 15 to
The cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 4,200 crore. It will be shared by the state and central governments | Credit:: Sounak Das mitigate the problem,’’ said M Ravichandra, who owns a food stall near Tin Factory. According to the Namma Metro website, the project is meant to be a 19.45-km elevated line which will connect KR Puram with Central Silk Board. The cabinet had approved the line’s Detailed Project Report in March 2017. The cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 4,200 crore, which will be shared by the state and central governments. The project has been marred by controversies over landacquisition.Properties along Old Madras
Road are being demolished.However, BMRCL maintains that property owners have been amply compensated. BMRCL is confident of finishing the project by 2021 – the original deadline was 2020. “We shall finish this project within the stipulated time of 27 months,’’ said AK Sharma, assistant executive superintendent of ITD Cementation India, the company that has been awarded the project. ‘’We are sure of finishing the project by 2021. We have the expertise and the time,’’ Shanbag said. sounak.d@iijnm.org
Govt efforts to curb child labour fail R. Yohanjali
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overnment schemes have failed to curb the practice of child labour in Bengaluru. Hundreds of children below 14 work in homes, restaurants, shops and small industries. A few are found selling roses and pens near MG Road. “Action Plan of Karnataka in 2000 identified 39,000 child labourers and aimed at eliminating it by 2008. Even after 10 years, the aim has not been
reached. The time for the aim to be reached was extended to 2010, then to 2014; now it is completely forgotten,”Satish GC, associate director at Child Rights Trust, an NGO, informed The Observer. According to the 2011 Census, the number of child labourers in India was 43, 53,247. Karnataka had 2,49,432 child labourers. Vasudeva Sharma, executive director of Child Rights Trust, said: “Child Labour reduces the employment opportunities for adults.” He also spoke about “disguised child
labour”, which involves bringing a child from a town or a village promising him/her education and opportunities but forcing him/her into labour. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, amended in 2016, prohibits children who are below 14 from working in any occupation. It is a cognizable criminal offence to hire a child for any work. The Act says children between 14 and 18 can work but not in hazardous places. lContinued on page 2
he increase in cases of freewheeling and speed trials since 2016 has prompted traffic police to launch awareness campaigns in schools and colleges. “It is a dangerous situation.... Stunts and freewheeling need major attention,”Traffic Management Centre DCP Anupam Agarwal informed The Observer. Freewheeling refers to riding or driving vehicles with disregard to traffic rules.Speed trials are performed by two-wheeler riders to clock the top speed or ride a vehicle faster than the speed limit. Data from the website of Bengaluru Traffic Police shows an increase in the number of cases of speed trials and racing; 1,983 cases were registered in 2016 and 2,515 in 2017. In 2018, various cases have been registered under the head ‘Freewheeling and Performance of Stunts on Public Roads’. The data reveals 20 such cases were registered in January and February. Twenty two-wheelers were seized and 12 persons, including three minors, were arrested on Aug 12 for performing dangerous stunts on NICE Road. “Such offences are mostly committed by underage motorcyclists. These incidents mostly take place when the minors are returning home after school or in the mornings when roads are relatively empty,” Agarwal said. Police have started campaigns at schools and colleges to curb these practices. Rev Fr Melvin Lobo SJ, principal of St Joseph’s Pre-University College, said: “We prohibit students from bringing their twowheelers to the college. The
Most of the illegal modifications are done by garages across the city | Credit: Pranay Prakash parents are also against the idea of allowing their kids to ride on public roads.“Last year, there was an incident with one of our students who was caught... for performing stunts. We did not give him the hall ticket to sit for his examinations, and expelled him.” The DCP said police have conducted routine drives in the past two months, but have not met with much success. “They perform stunts for the thrill. Most of the illegal modifications are done by garages across the city,” Shamanth Chetan, owner of Monkey Auto Craft, a two-wheeler modification shop near Cubbon Park, said. Stunts and freewheeling put people at risk. Dr Raghavendra S, a consultant spine surgeon at the Rajarajeshwari Medical College and Hospital, said performing these could lead to broken limbs and neck. “Injuries can happen to both riders and pedestrians. People can suffer head injuries and possible injuries on their thighs.” sayantan.s@iijnm.org
The City Speaks Sreeram Ranganathan @cheen77 #ModaluTrainBeku 2 hours by road and 36 minutes by train! Isn't this the need of the hour? C'mmon Bengaluru, rise for the need! Get going! We need more trains and not elevated corridors! Spread the word #Bengaluru , be the change you want to see. Rakesh Singh @rakeshvani The fastest conviction to prevent disfiguring the city but what about the BBMP/BDA officials making the life of citizens miserable by not preventing buildings by law or unauthorized constructions in Bangalore city? @icindngr @Hebraising @HAL2S_RWA
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The Observer Tuesday, September 4, 2018
CITY
Shopkeepers are in shock after BDA sends eviction notices Say promise of compensation has been forgotten Shashank Dipankar
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hopkeepers of the BDA complexes in RT Nagar and Austin Town are distressed because the BDA has abruptly asked them to vacate the shops. The notice didn’t mention about any compensation. Shopkeepers of other BDA complexes in Indiranagar and Koramangala,on the other hand,haven’t received any notices regarding evacuation of shops. These complexes are also on the list of complexes to be pulled down. “First they sent a notice about the demolition of the complex and plans to safeguard interests of existing tenants, but now they have sent a notice to clear our rent and vacate our shops in aweek which is very rude,” Edward, a florist in the RT Nagar BDA complex informed The Observer. The shopkeepers received notice from the BDA on July 28 stating that they must pay pending rents as they are cancelling the licence deeds of the RT Nagar com-
Shopkeepers of Indiranagar and Koramangala have not received eviction notice from BDA | Credit: Shashank Dipankar plex. The shopkeepers at Austin Town received a similar notice on August 1asking them “to clear the rent and evacuate the shops within 7 days after receiving the
Open drains spread disease, but GP lacks plan to cover them Shrabona Ghosh
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Drains are the breeding grounds for mosquitoes | Credit: Shrabona Ghosh
bottles, polythene bags and other trash from the road accumulates in these drains. Manjula, another resident,has no problems with open drains as, she says,these are cleaned every six months. Gokarna and his family also said they have no problem with the drains being open. S. Surya Kumar,a second division account assistant of the gram panchayat, said:“Currently, the panchayat is facing a financial crisis, so these drains have not been covered. The tax collected from residents will be used towards this end within a year or two.” Panchayat president R Muniswamy declined comment. shrabona.g@iijnm.org
Shopkeepers at the BDA complex in Vijayanagar said theyhaven’t received any notice regarding demolition. Shopkeepers pay a monthly rent of Rs 3,500 to the BDA. There are 61 shops in the RT Nagar out of which 51are operational. In Austin Town, there are 99 shops, out of which 70are operational. The Indiranagar complex has 66 shops and the one Koramangala 53. BDA chief engineer Shiva Kumar refused to comment saying: “I have no information regarding this.”The BDA announced earlier this year that it would rebuild, under the under the Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) model,seven out of the 11 commercial complexes it owns.The seven complexes are:Indiranagar, RT Nagar, Austin Town, Koramangala, Vijayanagar, Sadashivanagar and HSR Layout. It decided to rebuild the complexes because the maintenance cost far exceeds the rent it receives. The approximate cost of rebuilding these complexes is about Rs 700 crore. The BDA opted for the PPP model because it is strapped of cash.The ownership of the land will remain with the BDA. shashank.d@iijnm.org
The Ugly Indian prepares to rescue Garbage City Yajush Gupta
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pen drains in K.Golahalli, a village 20 km from Mysuru Road Metro station, are causing health hazards. But the village panchayat has no plan to close them. “Filth in the drains is causing diseases. The drains should be cleaned and covered up at regular intervals.The panchayat should come up with immunization schemes for the villagers,” Dr Malatesh, who has treated around 20 cases of typhoid and six cases of malaria in the past three months, told The Observer. ”These drains are a breeding ground for mosquitoes and a threat to health. During heavy rain, water currents take away all the rubbish accumulated in the drains which otherwise remain stagnant. Thestench emanatingfrom these drains during the rainy season is unbearable. The panchayatshould take steps,” Himesh Peter, a resident, said. “Open drains should be covered. Maintaining hygiene is very important,so I regularly clean thedrains next to my house to keep diseases at bay,” said Ashwini Vijayakumar. Water from the washing of floors, clothes and vessels finds its way into the drains.Plastic
notice. If they fail to do so, the lease will be cancelled”. “BDA never maintained this complex even when they sanctioned money for it every year.Now they want us to leave our shopswithout any compensation.This is unfair,” said Casper, owner of a photocopying shop in the Austin Town complex. They had received a notice onMarch 20 stating that during reconstruction period, they would be relocated to a temporary structure so that their business remains uninterrupted. The BDA then said them once the reconstruction was completed, the existing tenants would be allotted space in the new complexes. The shopkeepers of the complexes in Indiranagar and Koramangala say they did not receive any notice regarding evacuation after the March 20 notice.“BDA officials and its departments are not coordinating among themselves,” said Rajagopal, who runs a garment shop in the Koramangala complex. Similar is the situation in the Indiranagar complex.“We have not received any notice after the first one.Residents of Indiranagar are against pulling down the complex,” claimed Salim,a shopkeeper.in the Indiranagar BDA complex.
hile the Garden City is sinking in its own dump, a group of anonymous Bengalureans have picked up brooms to clean the streets. Nearly 4.5 lakh Indians have signed up for the Ugly Indian (TUI) initiative, which highlights the idea of an individual’s contribution towards cleanliness. “The Ugly Indian is an idea It is a positive cando attitude that is demonstrated by thousands of anonymous citizens across India who do spot-fixing. It has no office or leadership or founders or local chapters,” TUI wrote to The Observer. TUI is a Facebook based group where they post a “before” and “after” spot-fixing picture. It is one of the largest voluntary citizen-government partnerships that focus on cleaning public places such as underpasses, footpaths, Metro pillars and parks. “TUI is currently active in the west and east zones. We are supporting the group by contributing manpower. There were projects where the volunteers teamed up with thepourakarmikas,”said Sri
Lakshmi, assistant executive engineer, BBMP. TUI has initiated an anti-defacement drive in collaboration with the BBMP to spot-fix Namma Metro pillars by painting them with soothing colours. “We have to be clear that we don’t cross any political, ethnic or religious lines. We try to be neutral, it has to be universally favourable and must not offend anyone,” a TUI volunteer said. “Ugliness attracts ugliness, but if you preserve it and look after it, people will start to care for it,” a volunteer said.They have dealt with issues such as filth on footpaths, paan Credit: Ugly Indian stains, open dumps, cigarette litter, death traps and public urination.According to a report of the Central Pollution Control Board, garbage generation in Bengaluru has increased more than 17 times in the past 15 years. One of the organizers, an active member, said: “All volunteers are requested to come with appropriate gear and tools. Material and instructions are provided on the spot. All spot fixes are self-funded; a contribution of Rs 200 is entreated towards material costs.” yajush.g@iijnm.org
Around the City •4th Bangalore Business Literature festival: conversation with authors by Management Next on September 8,at We Work Galaxy, Central Bengaluru from 9am to 6 pm. •Blogging and Earning at Digitalshala, East Bengaluru on September 5,from 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm. •Be a POSH enabler: “Prevention of Sexual Harassment of women at the workplace”, by Evento on September 6 and 7,on OYO Townhouse14 MG road Bengaluru. •Hindustani Classical Vocal workshop with Ranitendranath Tagore, aka Ranit By Bloom and Grow, South Bengaluru on September 8, from 10.30 am to 1.30pm. •Preface to Mindfulness by Dialogue Café at JP Nagar, South Bengaluru, on September 9,from 10 am to 1 pm.
A distant dream:Child labour department Continued from page 1
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here have been instances of individuals coming forward to help working children.Anil Venkatesh (17), a student of the Bishop Cotton Boys School, sponsored food for the pen and rose sellers of MG Road. “I did it in the name of humanity. Their mother did not buy food for them, so I did. I did it out of sympathy,” Anil said.Sashikala SM, administrative officer of the child labour section at the Karnataka labour department,said: “A budget of Rs 5 crore was given by the government to the child labour department for 2018-19. The managing committee held a meeting to come up with awareness programmes to reduce child labour. Karnataka is taking all possible steps for complete elimination of this problem.”The government’s goal of declaring Karnataka a ‘Child and Adolescent Labour Free Zone’ seems a distant dream. yohanjali.r@iijnm.org City Weather Forecast: Generally cloudy sky with light rain. Minimum: 20oC Maximum: 30oC Rainfall: Nil Humidity: 49%
Observer Team Editor: Renuka Thakare Page Layout: Sayantan Sarkar, Shashank Dipankar Photo Editor: Shrabona Ghosh Desk: Sindhuja M, Sahana S,Yajush Gupta, Yohanjali R Reporters:Sounak Das, Sayantan Sarkar, Yohanjali R, Shashank Dipankar, Shrabona Ghosh, Yajush Gupta