The observer volume 14 by IIJNM Bangalore

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

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

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

CITY

Citizens must raise voice against trolling: Prakash Rai

The Observer Thursday, November 23, 2017

TRAFFIC DISCIPLINE & COPS MISSING HERE

Barnana H. Sarkar barnana.h@iijnm.org

ctor Prakash Rai on Thursday asked citizens to speak up against online trolling and misquoting. “We need space for people to express their anguish and seek answers to their questions,” he said at a news conference in Bengaluru. His campaign against trolls is not against any party and does not have a political agenda, he clarified. “Let us differ, but not hit below the belt.” He came up with the concepts of '#justasking and '#trollvandalism. Asked whether he would support enacting a law against online trolls and vandalism, he said: "Yes. Let them know that they cannot get away with trolling…. Freedom of violence should be stopped.” The actor said has sent a legal notice to Mysuru MP Pratap Simha over his social media comments against him and has been given 10 days time to accept his crime. Simha had allegedly made personal attacks on the actor in his posts on Rai’s Facebook and Twitter profiles on October 2. The “notice of defamation” sent to the BJP MP’s residence in Mysuru is not limited to the politician’s social media posts. The notice says Simha tried to defame Rai in his television interviews too. In a post on Rai’s Facebook profile, Simha had said: “Your name in Karnataka is Prakash Rai and Prakash Rai in Tamil Nadu, you change your name and identity

Prakash Rai at the press conference | Credit: Barnana H. Sarkar according to your convenience and necessity in different states.” Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code says: “Whoever, by words either spoken or intended to be read, or by signs or by visible representations, makes or publishes any imputation concerning any person intending to harm, or knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm, the reputation of such person, is said, except in the cases hereinafter expected, to defame that person.” The actor also spoke about the suicide of movie director Ashok Kumar on Tuesday. Ashok Kumar had mentioned in his suicide note that he was harassed by film financier Anbu Chezhiyan over a pending debt. The actor said: “It is a tragic incident. We have filed a case. This is how you get to know what kind of situation the film industry has got into.”

Police trying to make people aware >>Continued from page 1

nuchet said: “The gangs are of locals and also come from outside. Mostly women are attacked. They mostly come on bikes. Police are creating awareness by creating a community that has public participation, and distributing pamphlets.” “There are instances where people have been caught two or three times,” Anucheth said.

Another police officer of the West division said: “Riders follow people in dark areas and snatch their jewellery.” The Bengaluru city police website cautions citizens: “Pickpockets and snatchers work in teams. While one distracts, the other clears your pocket If someone bumps into you especially in a crowd, even by mistake, check your wallet and other belongings.”

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

Nettakallappa Circle, at the eastern end of Subbarama Chetty Road, south Bengaluru, has vehicles jumping the traffic signal. Even when the red light is on, most vehicles rush to pass by it, making it difficult for buses and other big vehicles coming from Majestic to enter the road. The junction doesn’t have a single traffic constable. A netizen belonging to the Citizens for Bengaluru,

a group working for a better city, brought this to the notice of the Bengaluru Traffic Police by sharing it on his Twitter account and tagging the traffic cops. The traffic police, in their reply, promised to address the issue, but there is still no traffic constable at the junction. Chickpet police could not be reached for comment. Photo and text: Rachel Dammala

Students should be trained well in food tech: Maiya Arlene Mathew arlene.m@iijnm.org

Anil Shetty‫@ ‏‬iamanilshetty

s mechanization takes over most of the manufacturing process, lack of proper skills among students could affect the future of the food industry. Big companies like MTR and Maiyas Beverages & Foods have mechanized much of their production. Every year, colleges produce thousands of hotel management students who hope to get jobs in reputable companies. The industry has stepped up standards and now has increased expectations from them, food entrepreneur P. Sadananda Maiya said on Tuesday. “It pains me to say it, but what our colleges teach students today is far from what the industry requires. There is a lack of dedication among those who teach and those who study,” the founder of Maiyas Beverages & Foods said. Lack of skills is a reason for food industries being hesitant to hire fresh students. “Esteemed hotels are moving away from manual labour. It worries me as to what job prospects I’ll have left for me when I graduate,” said Shruti T., a hotel management student from Jain University. Mechanization is adding to the problem of unemployment.

Twitterati take on Bangalore #PotholeYatra @NavBharatDP to demand better roads from BBMP @CMofKarnataka 7nights/8days/210kms #Bengaluru. Plz join

Both teachers and students lack dedication, Maiya said | Credit: Arlene Mathew Getting back the cost of a Rs 85-lakh vada-making machine took only two years, said Maiya. “We do not lose money by not taking more employees, as machines require only an initial deposit,” he said. “Unless the students learn to innovate and improve, nothing will set them apart from the machines that do perfectly what they are programmed to do.” Our poor training is why Make in India doesn’t work, he added. No company would want to spent hours to train their employees.

@kiranshaw @narendramodi @rk_misra @ashwinmahesh @kris_sg @rajeev_mp @WFRising @SriSri @harishbijoor @AshwiniNachappa @bhogleharsha @anilkumble1074 @NandanNilekani The Metro Rail Guy‫‏‬ @TheMetroRailGuy Nov 20 #Bangalore Metro's MD will make an exit this month. Hoping the next one is more candid on the system's progress and timelines TOI Bengaluru‫‏‬Verified account @TOIBengaluru Karnataka government moots independent body to probe negligence by doctors

CITY

The Observer Thursday, November 23, 2017

Radioactivity level Athletics meet held for differently abled students goes up in Bengaluru Athul M. athul.m@iijnmorg

Radioactive rays may be reason for rising cancer cases

he Karnataka government’s disabled welfare department is conducting an athletic meet for disabled children at the Kanteerava Stadium. The prizes will be given away on World Disabled Day, which falls on December 3. Sampath Kumar, an organizer, informed The Observer: “We conduct this every year in collaboration with the disabled welfare department of the government. Students from more than 200 schools for differently abled children in the city are participating.” Deaf and dumb children, those suffering from autism, those cured of leprosy, and physically disabled and visually impaired children are participating. Parveen, a teacher from the Sheila Kothavala Institute for the Deaf, said: “The meet usually happens in the last week of November; this time it's a little early.” Jesi Samuel, principal of the institute, said: “The meet brings together wonderful students from different parts of the city.” College alumnus Ansil Pinto, who works for a technology company,

Anjana Basumatary anjana.b@iijnm.org

The meet, held in November every year, brings together students from different parts of the city. Students from more than 200 schools for differently abled children in the city are participating | Credit: Athul M is playing in a cricket league for in our school, is now a BCom the deaf in Bengaluru. first-year student in a Ben“I feel there should be more in- galuru college. Like Mahendoor events as well because kids dra, she was good in athletics. standing in the sun at Kanteer- Both Mahendra’s sister and ava Stadium develop problems.” mother have hearing impairMahendra, a class 10 student ment.” from the institute, said: “My A drawing competition for diffavourite sports are cricket and ferently abled students was orshot put. MS Dhoni is my fa- ganized at Cubbon Park on vorite cricketer.” Mahendra has Wednesday. The three-day prohearing impairment and cannot gramme will conclude on Friday talk. Samuel said: “Mahen- with cultural programmes at dra's sister, who had studied Balbhavan, Cubbon Park.

‘Like other cities, B’luru has systemic problems’ Kritika Agrawal kritika.a@iijnm.org

mart ASIA Summit 2017 was held at Manyata Tech Park. In this event the Taipei World Center, Taiwan's foremost non-profit trade promotion organization, showcased its products for smart city solutions. Products for energy conservation, intelligent transportation system and smart waste management from Taiwan were demonstrated. Asked how prepared Bengaluru, a city known for its potholes is, Raj Cherubal, CEO of the Chennai Smart City Cooperation, informed The Observer: “Bangalore has a lot of expertise, TenderSure roads, but like any other city, it has systemic problems. The major problem is the

basic data collection; we look at the road and say widen it, but what we don’t realize is that probably many more people are walking on the road after widening it." "Not only do we need standards and capability but we also need ability to plan in an integrated manner," he explained. When asked about the corruption in the city, he said: "We should not look at corruption as an isolated fact but it is the systemic problem that lies in between; nobody is held accountable here." On the other hand, urban planning expert and head of advocacy and reforms at Janaagraha Anil Nair said: "All it takes is political will for these technologies to come to India. Lack of knowledge and corruption at every level are the major hurdles involved here.”

TV, films blamed for tobacco consumption >>Continued from page 1

ach cigarette contains 1 mg of nicotine. Experts say TV and movies are responsible in part for the rise in tobacco consumption among children. Dr Alva said: “If you idolize someone, you tend to follow them.” When children see superstars on the screen and try to emulate their style, they follow their bad habits too. “It’s all about fashion. What the stars do becomes fashion, so a small part of the problem lies with the media.”

Pratima Murti, a psychiatrist at NIMHANS, said: “Cinemas can be a way to lure people towards tobacco consumption or can be a way to spread awareness against it. The use of media has to be done in a positive manner.” Awareness has to start from the ground level. It has to be done by parents, teachers and elders. They should not smoke around children. Even passive smoking affects children adversely. Schools in Bengaluru have started staging skits and street plays to spread awareness.

engaluru has higher levels of a radioactive gas called Radon than normal level 222Rn and 220Rn, which is a large component of the natural radiation, and people’s health in Bengaluru are under serious threat. According to research done by Bengaluru University, in ground water across Bengaluru, Radon level is higher than the normal radon level of 222Rn to 220Rn. When higher level of Radon is inhaled by human lungs, it comes in contact with alpha particles and 222Rn, which are decaying particles and it can cause serious health issues. High levels of radon has been found in underground water, and Bengaluru has reported highest number of cancer patients in the year 2013, exposure to radioactive elements being one of the

causes of this diease. However, nuclear energy has always played a major role in human life, both in a positive and negative way. Nuclear energy is used in the field of producing electricity, industries, technology, medical treatments, and food processing. It is also present in the source of energy production in the sun and other stars of the universe. Prof. N Nagaiah, chairman of the Physics department of Bangalore University said nuclear energy plays an important role in human life and its safe use is vital. Standard measurements need to be taken in order to prevent effects on human health. M R Iyer from Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai, said a lot of research is involved during work and people need to be well acquainted to deal with nuclear energy but people don’t take proper measurements, therefore come across serious health issues. People need to be aware of the consequences and should know well about measurements, the scientist said.

Healthcare, transport facilities have given this village a miss Legislator Santosh Lad last visited them in 2013 Arlene Mathew arlene.m@iijnm.org

ack of adequate public transport in Damrikoppa village in Kalaghatagi taluk of Dharwad district has left the residents helpless. They have no means of even taking sick people to the nearest health facility. Situated almost 8 km from the nearest bus stop, the village also lacks primary healthcare facilities. Only two buses ply to and from Damrikoppa daily. At times, even these buses do not come. The village has a total of 150 houses, with most of the people working as manual labourers. Bhimappa, 29, a labourer, informed The Observer: “We have no hospitals nearby. The nearest hospital is in Dharwad. We struggle a lot during medical emergencies.” Kalaghatagi MLA Santhosh Lad, had last visited them during the 2013 elections when they apprised him of their problems. But after winning the election, they have not heard from him. Lad, who belongs to a mining family from Sandur, Ballari district, is a member of the Siddaramaiah ministry.

Damrikoppa has two borewells, one of which is dysfunctional. With groundwater levels falling, the residents fear that they will be left without water in the near future | Credit: Arlene Mathew The villagers don’t know whom to approach. “If the MLA can’t help us, then who can?” asked Nagendra, a construction worker. Nagendra, dejected, also complained of water shortage problems in Damrikoppa. The village has two borewells, of which one is dysfunctional. With the groundwater levels falling, the residents fear that they will be left without water in the near future.

S.R. Murugod, headmistress of the Damrikoppa primary school, said no survey has been conducted on the conditions in the village in the past 10 years. The villagers appear to have lost all faith in any sort of help on the acute shortage of transportation and medical facilities. They seem to have no option but to wait upon the hanging promises of local MLA.

Development

The Observer SUPPLEMENT

Thursday November 23, 2017

The Poor Man’s Burden India can defeat tuberculosis only if it tackles widespread rural poverty, says Debanjali Kabiraj

In 1994, the WHO devised a strategy to called Din March 2017, union minister of health and family ficer, says that most patients live below the poverty line. welfare JP Nadda announced that the government had They don’t have funds to pay for the basic treatment rectly Observed Treatment, Short Course, and (DOTS) to set 2025 as the new deadline for the “complete elimi- needed to cure TB. Tuberculosis results in severe weight ensure that TB patients complete the course of medication. nation” of tuberculosis (TB) in the country. To comply loss and weakness. So people affected are often unable to In DOTS treatment, once a case is detected through spuwith the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) standards, do manual labour, which in Mundargi, is what most TB tum-smear microscopy the patient is supposed to be under observation for 6-9 months. “elimination” would require an infection rate of less than patients depend on to support their families. Even after the completion of the one in a population of one million people. course the patients are monitored for The problem for the government is some time to see that they do not get rethat about 40% of the Indian population infected by the bacteria. This results in a carries the TB bacillus. The vast majority massive additional caseload for doctors of them have “latent” TB rather than the and social workers. full-blown disease, so are passive carriers of the disease and not infectious. ore recently, a modified Nonetheless, WHO in 2015 estimated that DOTS-PLUS treatment is India has approximately 2.84 million TB available where patients have cases, the most in the world. to take anti-tuberculosis drugs every day. Evidence on the ground would sugAccredited Social Health Activists gest that containing and reversing the (ASHA) workers have been appointed spread of the disease is, if anything, getby the government to give daily doses of ting harder with every passing year. In DOTS PLUS and are also trained for the Mundargi taluk of Karnataka, for inmulti-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDRstance, cases of TB have been steadily inTB) programme. There is supposed to be creasing with the number of new cases one ASHA worker for every 1,000 parising from 57 in 2015 to 81 in 2016. tients and easy access to medicines and Tuberculosis is an air-borne disease guidance in even remote rural areas. caused by bacteria that generally affects The DOTS PLUS scheme could the lungs. The classic symptoms of pulbring a decline in TB cases. Increased monary TB are chronic cough, blood in Increasing cases of tubercolosis show the government’s lack lustre attitude awareness about the disease, especially the sputum, fever, night sweats and weight towards it’s prevention the fact that it’s curable if a patient comloss. Full-blown TB infections can be Another reason why TB is on the rise is because many pletes the course of prescribed medication, will have a brought on by any organism or health condition that weakens the immune system and is thus common among HIV+ patients do not complete the full course of treatment. huge impact. But it’s a reduction in poverty that would tilt When the patients feel they are getting better they discon- the balance. Work opportunities and increased earnings patients. The increase in the incidence of TB is due to various tinue treatment. Due to a lack of awareness, they do not would help more patients gain access to treatment while reasons. One is the cost of treatment that patients have to realise that even if they’re feeling better, the bacteria may improved nutrition would vastly increase their chances of getting cured. bear. Manjula Sajjan, Mundargi taluk’s medical health of- not have been completely eliminated from the body.

Suit-Boot Sarkar India’s poor have learnt that the government’s welfare schemes are rarely meant for them, says Anjana Basumatary

hehzaad B Mushtakh, 58, a resident of Shisuvinal the housing scheme are unaware that it’s intended only for village in Shiggaon taluk, Haveri district, has been particular social groups. They are asked to complete the struggling to get the government to rebuild her formalities of the scheme but then receive nothing. But house. She has been living with her daughter in law in a they’re told why not. dilapidated house, whose roof collapsed in heavy rains this Khairun Hissa Khatim, who also resides in Shisuvinal August. village, says that when she made a request to the governBut that was just the latest in a string of disasters that ment for housing assistance, they asked for legal docuhave befallen the poor daily-wage labourer. Her husband ments and photographs but after complying with their died of a heart attack and, two months later, her son died requests, received no help at all. She has been waiting for of dengue. the past 5 years. Along with her there are another 10 famShehzaad has struggled to make ends meet and she ilies residing here who has been asking for help. and her daughter in law sometimes go hungry. But they Panchamitra records shows that 12,006 residents of continue living in the house, having partly covered the broken roof with a polythene sheet. Since they had no money to repair their house, Shehzaad asked the panchayat to help her get it repaired. Shisuvinal gram panchayat head Ratna Godwad promised to help her but even 3 months later, she has received no help whatsoever. When asked, Ratna says she hasn’t received a request for assistance from Shehzaad. Shehzaadis trying to get her house repaired under the government’s Ambedkar Housing Scheme, which provides subsidised housing to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Under this scheme, government provides Rs.1.50 lakh and Rs.1.80 lakh as subsidy in rural and urban areas respectively. People those who are eligible for the beneficiaries are selected through grama sabhas. However, several poor families Dilapidated buildings in Shisuvinal village have repeatedly failed who seek to avail of the benefits under panchayat’s attention

Shisuvinal village have received benefits under the rural housing scheme. But inquiries in the village show that there’s more to this than meets the eye.

any families have been turned away on the ground that they are not entitled to benefits under the scheme because they don’t belong to either the scheduled castes or tribes specified under the rules. But several families belonging to these very communities say that they too have been denied benefits. Privately they say that the operation of the scheme in the village is riddled with corruption. Only those who pay the panchayat and other officials receive any benefits whatsoever, whether for a new-house construction or for repair of an existing one. “Social workers who tried helping poor families in the village have been driven away from the village. They are not allowed to stay in the village anymore,” says a villager who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal. Other villagers say that a some ‘outside’ people came and threatened the social workers and forced them to leave the village. No one knows who they are, where they come from and what they do. Poor families in Shisuvinal have come to accept the situation, saying they’ve seen worse. Shehzaad says they have lost trust in the panchayat and she doesn’t expect to receive help from anybody. The residents of Shisuvinal village have to make do with what they have, having learnt the hard way that governto get the ment, in rural India at least, exists only for the rich.