The Observer
The Observer An IIJNM publication
Actor Prakash Rai sends notice to BJP Lok Sabha member Pratap Simha for defaming, trolling him | P 2
Vol 17, Issue 14
@theweeklyobserver On the Web: issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs/ the_observer
Thursday, November 23, 2017
Radioactivity levels go up in Bengaluru, raising concern about the health of citizens | P 3
Vrishabhavathi becomes a trash dump Mounds are set on fire, making the air fouler Shiny Kirupa shiny.k@iijnm.org
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he bank of the highly polluted Vrishabhavathi river has become a dumping ground for garbage. Vehicles carrying waste arrive at the riverside at night and unload the garbage, people who have seen it informed The Observer. The dumping has added to the stink of the river water, caused by industrial waste. Twenty-two members of five families live by the river in Kumbalgodu not far from the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway. The Observer had written about their living conditions in its September 5 edition. The dumping of garbage began about a month ago. It is a disgusting sight for passersby and pedestrians. There is an unbearable stench. Dogs and cows feed on the waste. The situation worsens when it rains. Some of the garbage falls, or is
Contractors collect the waste from households and dump it by the side of the Vrishabhavathi river at night. Some of the trash falls into the river. Animals feed on the trash dumped on the bank | Credit: Shiny Kirupa blown, into the river, forming tiny islands of filth that impede the flow of water. Peter, an autorickshaw driver who ferries people to and from Kumbalgodu, said contractors of the Gollahalli gram panchayat collect waste from households and
dump it near the river. A resort and an orphanage on the Kumbalgodu-Gollahalli road dump trash in the river, said Peter, who lives in Gollhalli. Dr Malatesh, a general physician at a clinic in Golahalli, said: “Residing near a littered place
The destruction of a child starts with a puff: Doctor Debanjali Kabiraj debanjali.k@iijnm.org
Chain snatching rises in Basaveshwaranagar Pracheta Panja Pracheta.p@iijnm.org
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survey says 25% of schoolgoing children in Mumbai consume tobacco on a daily basis. In Karnataka, tobacco consumption is on the rise. The Karnataka government’s ban on the sale of loose cigarettes has failed. A state-level campaign, ‘Protect Children from Tobacco’ was inaugurated by Dr Kripa Amar Alva, chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, at Freedom Park, Bengaluru, on Thursday. Hundreds of schoolchildren and college students are participating. Dr Vijayalakshmi Balekundri, cardiologist and president of The Consortium for Tobacco-Free
will affect people’s health in the long run. It even reduces one’s lifespan.” The mounds of garbage are often set on fire, causing air pollution. Raja, who runs a sweetmeat shop a few meters away from the
Children from different schools and colleges assemble at Freedom Park. on Thursday | Credit: Debanjali Kabiraj Karnataka, said a cigarette has 4,000 substances. Out of these, 60 are carcinogenic. Cigarette-smoking causes a minimum of 25 diseases, some of which are stroke, cancer, heart attack and paralysis. “Hookah clinics are the point
of initiation of tobacco nowadays. From hookah, they move to tobacco, and from tobacco, they graduate to drugs.” A child’s destruction starts with a puff, Dr Vijayalakshmi added. >>Continued on page 3
river, said residents of the area toss waste into the river because they do not have an alternative. The stench near his house is worse than that near his shop. Dr Kiran B.G. of Mahalakshmi Poly Clinic said burning plastic and rubber — part of the dumped garbage — leads to air pollution. Inhaling noxious gases can lead to nasal congestion and breathing difficulties. If a person is exposed to such fumes for a long time, he can suffer lung failure. “The river water contains high levels of nitrate and lead, which are very harmful for humans,” Dr Kiran added. Sheshadri, a priest of a temple situated beside the river, said it is horrible being there. “But as I’m engrossed in poojas and prayers, I hardly care about it.” Dumping takes place mostly at night. When a mound forms, it is set on fire, said the owner of a mobile shop near the sweetmeat shop. “This happens regularly,” he added. BBMP joint commissioner for solid waste management, Kengeri, Balaji said he is not aware of garbage being dumped by the river. Asking this reporter for the location of the garbage dump, he promised to look into the matter as soon as possible.
ncidents of chain snatching are increasing in Basaveshwaranagar locality in west Bengaluru, police data show. The west division of the police is dealing with several such cases. Basaveshwaranagar police recently arrested two chain snatchers and recovered more than 20 chains from them. Chain snatchers target mostly women. Police have urged women to beware of motorcycle riders and not walk alone on roads after dark. Data provided by the Basaveshwaranagar police station show that all the 36 cases of chain snatching filed with them in 2015 were solved. The following year, 29 cases were filed and 27 solved. Up to July 1, 2017, 18 cases were registered, of
which 12 have been solved. Most of the victims are from Vijayanagar, Basaveshwaranagar and Magadi Road, according to police. Police now book chain snatchers under Section 397 of the Indian Penal Code (“robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt”). Under this section, an offender is punished with imprisonment of not less than seven years. “Snatching a phone or a gold chain from the neck is easy. Offenders have found an easy way to make money,” deputy commissioner of police M.N. Anuchet, IPS, informed The Observer. Asked about the precautions citizens should take, the senior officer said: “These are non-preventable offences.” >> Continued on page 2