The Observer An IIJNM publication
Vol 20, Issue 8
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Poor sanitation in B’luru slums takes toll on women’s health Only 597 out of 2,000 slums get government help By Upasana Banerjee
Women living in slums of C.V. Raman Nagar are prone to urinary tract infections due to open defecation | Upasana B ration but they didn’t pay any heed. They said you can move out if you wish to. Where will we go in this big city?” Women here are confined to their homes for most of the day.
@theweeklyobserver Epaper:https://issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs Website: http://www. theweeklyobserver.in
Indian blind cricketers demand BCCI recognition, jobs under sports quota from the government | P4
Students returning to physical classrooms would entail them getting the Covid-19 vaccine | P3
Bengaluru: Of the 93 million slum residents in India, 85% have poor or no access to sanitation, according to the National Sample Survey Organization report of 2019-2020. This impacts women’s health more adversely than that of men. Rapid population growth has given rise to 2,000 slums in Bengaluru, out of which the government recognizes only 597. This has led to a significant increase in cramped living conditions. The alarming inaccessibility of clean toilets has led to women going out in the open to defecate. Sometimes one toilet is shared by more than 50 women. Anita Singh, who has lived in the Nagavarapalya slum for five years, informed The Observer: “We have tried conveying our problems to the municipal corpo-
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Toilet visits out in the open result in severe urinary tract infections, persistent diarrhea, and maternal anemia, directly associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Dr Shon R of the Bangalore Baptist Hospital said: “Women also catch diseases like sexually transmitted diseases from men who use the shared toilets with others. This is often life-threatening for women”. Women with such diseases don’t often get themselves treated due to shame. The Karnataka Slum Development Board (KSDB), which is supposed to improve the living standards of slum-dwellers, is yet to include most of the slums under its purview. Only a few slums have received individual toilets. Vinay Prasad, KSDB assistant Engineer of DJ Halli slum, said: “We are slowly constructing G+1 (ground-floor and first-floor) houses in some slums along with individual toilets. But we are not responsible for the maintenance of the toilets.” About most slums not being notified, he said: “Though the state government allots around Rs 1520 lakh for a notified slum; no sanction has come for these unnotified ones. The government is yet to respond.” Continued on page 4
News Briefs Former BARC CEO Dasgupta given bail The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Broadcast Audience Research Council's former CEO Partho Dasgupta, an accused in the alleged television rating points rigging scam.
Airtel buys 4G band worth Rs 18k cr India’s second largest telecom operator by market share, Bharti Airtel, on Tuesday acquired 355.45 MHz of spectrum band worth Rs 18,699 crore in the auction for 4G wireless service.
Ravi Shankar Prasad gets Covid-19 jab Law and justice minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has received a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna. “I have got a vaccine for Covid-19 in Patna. I have also shared the amount of Rs 250 with AIIMS, Patna,” he said.
NH-9 closed hours after reopening The Delhi Police on Tuesday afternoon closed the Ghazipur border, hours after it reopened a portion of NH-9.
Palike clinics got no TB Avian flu troubles state sanctuaries cases during lockdown Reduced footfalls, closures By Nishant Kumar
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few BBMP clinics haven’t received a single tuberculosis patient since a national lockdown was imposed on March 24, 2020. Dr Bhanu Prakash, a doctor at a BBMP clinic near Rajajinagar, informed The Observer: “After the national lockdown was imposed on March 24 because of Covid-19, BBMP health clinics have had no patient for the DOTS treatment.” Before the lockdown, 20 TB patients visited the clinic every month to receive DOTS treatment. “Either some patients have stopped the medication or moved to other bigger BBMP clinics due to availability of DOTS medicine all the time,” he added.
The Karnataka government, in a recent press release, said 48,242 cases of TB were discovered in the state between January and October 2020, according a Times of India report. Bengaluru accounted for 14,000 cases. The data were obtained from door-todoor surveys. In 2019, a total of 91,000 TB patients were detected in the state with a 6.2% death rate, the highest in the country. Tuberculosis and Covid-19 are infectious diseases which primarily attack the lungs of a person. They present with similar symptoms of cough, fever and difficulty in breathing. The prevalence of TB among Covid-19 patients has been found to be 0.37-4.47%, according to different studies around the world. Continued on page 3
impact their revenues
By Padmini Dhruvaraj
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fter the outbreak of bird flu and the Covid-19 pandemic, Karnataka’s bird sanctuaries have seen a dip in the number of visitors. Puttmadhe Gowda, deputy range forest officer of the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, informed The Observer: “We saw a major dip after the Covid-19 lockdown. However, the footfall steadily increased after November. But since January, due to the bird flu scare and schools reopening, there is a slight drop in the visitors’ count.” The Ranganathittu sanctuary, located in Srirangapatna taluk in Mandya district, attracts lakhs of people, between November and May, who come to see more than 200 species of migratory birds. This year, footfalls have shown a steady decline. “The behaviour of birds nestling is under watch. Any unnatural death of birds will be immediately reported. The visitors’ area is being sanitised as a precaution,” said Gowda. The birdhouse in Mysuru’s Karanji lake has been
Migrated south Himalayan Painted Storks at the Ranganathittu sanctuary | Padmini Dhruvaraj closed since January. “Footfalls in the lake have seen a downfall of 3040% since January. We have been sanitising more often now amid the bird flu fear,” said Mohan Kumar, a guard at the lake. Continued on page 2
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BBP RAISES Rs 25 LAKH THROUGH ADOPTIONS
The Observer Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Swimmers in a quandary as JP Park pool remains closed Parents demand a new tender for the facility By Abhishek Saini
The Bannerghatta Biological Park ramped up its adoption program during the Covid-19 lockdown. Since May 2020, 211 animals have been adopted. The zoo has raised more than Rs 25 lakh. The adoptions provide for food and treatment of the animals. M. Krishnappa, MLA from Vijayanagar, Bengaluru, has adopted a female Asiatic elephant for Rs 1.75 lakh and a Bengal tigress for Rs 1 lakh. Kannada film actor Vasishta N Simha has adopted a hybrid lion for Rs 1 lakh |Padmini Dhruvaraj
State on alert as sanctuaries fight flu Continued from page 1 ri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysuru, has also seen a fall in the number of visitors. The zoo management has been adhering to precautions after a bird flu outbreak in 2017. The forest department has sounded a high alert across the state following the bird flu outbreak in the country. Far of the bird flu in the Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) is almost negligible, said Dr Manjunath V, a senior veterinarian. “We have only caged birds here. The virus is seen in migratory birds. However, if we find any positive cases, we’ll lock that particular area.” “Whenever there is a bird flu outbreak in the country, the BBP stops feeding carnivorous animals with chicken as a precautionary measure,” said Manjunath. Sandy T, a consultant at Karnataka Tourism, said the department is incurring a loss of Rs 5,000 crore every month. “The bird sanctuaries have experienced a double blow. Revival cannot be predicted now as the pandemic and the flu are still ongoing.” The Union Budget has disappointed the tourism sector by not offering relief to the industry. “With the ongoing pandemic, investing in tourism is futile. All we
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Karnataka Tourism Department is incurring heavy losses due to Covid-19 and avian flu | Credit: Padmini Dhruvaraj can do now is release precautionary tourism guidelines. The Karnataka government was the first government to release tourism guidelines in the country,” Sandy added. Bird flu was first discovered in 2006. India has experienced 14 outbreaks since then. In 2020, the
country recorded the second-highest avian influenza outbreak. Every year, the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries says that migratory birds are behind the bird flu outbreak. However, with no serious precautions taken, these rare migrant varieties too face the threat of avian influenza every year. The bird flu has impacted the poultry industry as well. According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation, India, which is among the five biggest poultry producers, suffers huge losses every year. In February, Russia registered the first case of H5N8 influenza strain in a human. “This is repeatedly happening every year because of the change in climatic conditions. Environmental conditions play a huge role in virus mutation. Taking precautionary measures only during the outbreak is useless,” said Dr Anthony PU, retired head of the zoology department at Christ, said. “Now with the mutation infecting humans, it’s high time the government gives importance to curing this epidemiology,” he added. With the country experiencing a second wave of Covid-19, and the never-ending bird flu cycle impacting, the road to recovery for bird sanctuaries looks distant.
Bengaluru: The closure of the BBMP swimming pool at JP Park since March 2020 has affected the training schedules of swimmers competing in national and international events. “As the pool is closed, I am finding it very difficult to train,” said Sambhav R, a national-level swimmer. In 2020, Sambhav and his family had shifted their home from RT Nagar to JP Park to reduce transit time, and allow him to focus on academics as well. “I now go to Seshadripuram to train due to which I miss college,” Sambhav added. The pool is given for maintenance by BBMP to a third party via a tender. The previous tender expired in March 2020. The pool has been left unattended since. The water in the pool appears green due to fungal growth on the floor tiling. The parking space in front of the complex is now used to park BBMP waste trucks. Cracks have developed on the walls. The BBMP lists a tender on its website for the period of 2019-20 to 2023-24. However, a former manager of the pool, Chandra Soni, claims the term of the tender expired last year. “Our term got over when the tender’s term expired just before the lockdown.” Parents of the swimmers are concerned about the delay in retendering of the pool. Hanumanta Raju B, father of Thithikshaa H who represented Karnataka in the Khelo India Youth Games 2020, said: “The interruption has affected our ward. It is high time a new tender for the pool is released.” Another parent, Mahesh Kumar, shifted his house from Yeshwantpur to Muthyala Nagara to facilitate his son Dhyan M’s training. “We shifted to a rented house near the pool to save time, but now the pool is not operational.” Dhyan M, who represented Karnataka in the National Swimming Championships, now trains at a smaller pool in Seshadripuram, along with other swimmers of the JP Park pool. The Bangalore Swimming Research Centre used to train children at the JP Park pool when it was operational. After the pool closed, the centre’s coach, A C Jayarajan, started giving training at Seshadripuram and bore the
The water in the pool appears green due to fungal growth Photo credit: Abhishek Saini expenses. “Ultimately the children are losing. The pool will take at least three months to repair as the filtration system needs to be replaced. Training cannot stop for that long,” Jayarajan informed The Observer . The problem of poor maintenance is not new at JP Park swimming pool. In 2020, Srihari Nataraj, a swimmer who is set to represent India at the Tokyo Olympics, stopped training at the JP Park pool and shifted to Dolphin Aquatics. “One of the reasons of shifting was the pool not being in an appropriate condition,” said Nataraj. The parents now plan to form a committee and take their grievances to the local MLA and deputy CM Ashwath Narayan CN. “Earlier we did not need such a committee. But now we will formalise the details and register the society,” said Mahesh Kumar. Some parents are of the opinion that BBMP should hand over the maintenance of the pool to the association. “If BBMP really cares about helping its young swimmers, then it should hand over the pool to us. The parents and the coaches are ready to run the pool,” said Hanumanta Raju B. Staff at the office of the executive engineer, BBMP BEML Layout, RR Nagar, said the tender had been released two months back and the financials for the same will be approved soon. Apart from the swimmers, shop owners in the vicinity have also been impacted. Jagdish, who runs a chaat shop near the pool, said: “I knew the pool was closed so I didn’t open shop for 10 months. Now I have opened but I don’t think I’ll earn much.” With almost a year wasted, the swimmers hope for the pool to take its old shape, so that they resume their older training schedules and continue competing at the highest level. abhishek.s@iijnm.org
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The Observer Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Vaccination not a must for pupils Buttheyhaveto followgovt’s Covidguidelines
Many behind bars for disagreeing with govt
We have normalized stalking of women The popularity of the song ‘Karabuu’ from the recently released Dhruva Sarja movie Pog› aru shows how we have normalized stalking of women and toxic relationships in movies. The performers should have some social responsibility Ashutosh Acharya
It is the same old story with President Biden To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, a significant portion of the country’s population will need to be vaccinated at the earliest | Credit: KPN safety, and learning with physical/social distancing. The guidelines detail how to keep schools safe. School administrators, teachers and other staff are supposed to follow them strictly. Krishnaji S. Kariyannavara, director of secondary education, said parents are not supposed to send their children if they have co-morbid conditions. Studies will still receive online education as
onsite classes are not compulsory for students to attend. The state is undergoing phase 2 of Covid vaccination and, at the same time, planning to initiate phase 3, increasing the wait of students for the vaccine . Tejashwini and Priyadarshini, botany students at Bangalore Central University, said: “We will keep on fighting against Covid19. We will take the vaccine once
it’s available for all students. However, if the institution makes inoculation compulsory for students, we will positively respond to it as Covid-19 has caused many deaths and disruption. People are skeptical about taking the vaccine. However, to our knowledge, it is safe. It will take a little time for people to get used to taking the vaccine.” queeneerich.k@iijnm.org
TB deaths in first 3 months of pandemic increased by 13%; WHO urges countries to continue DOTS Continued from page 1 OTS helps patients finish TB therapy as fast as possible. People have to register at primary health centres to receive the treatment. Each TB patient is assigned a social worker whose job is to deliver DOTS treatment; he/she has to ensure the patient swallows the tablets. Mayuri Johari, a resident doctor at the Chinmaya Mission Hospital, Indiranagar, said: “WHO recommends that TB patients should have six months of treatment. This consists of a two-month intensive phase followed by a four-month continuation phase.” TB treatment fails because a patient doesn’t take his medicines regularly; it leads to the development of drug-resistant TB, making drugs ineffective, she said. The Covid-19 pandemic has affected strategic interventions of tuberculosis programmes, resulting in an almost 35% decline in TB case notification in 2020 as compared to the previous year in Karnataka, according to the National Centre for Biotechnology Information. Devaraja, a social worker, said: “I have been assigned 14 TB patients to administer DOTS treat-
Citizen’s voice
While granting bail to Disha Ravi, the court said citizens cannot be jailed because they disagree with the government. This raises a major question over the handling of matters by the current government. Many people are in jail without any evidence. Anirudha Yerunkar
By Queeneerich K Bengaluru: Since children and young adults are at a low risk of coronavirus infection, vaccination is not compulsory for students. An officer at the district health office who requested he not be named said the health department cannot make vaccination compulsory for students. However, the department has strongly advised schools to follow all the guidelines strictly to prevent any further spread. Students have a low risk of having co-morbidities, but they must learn to stay safe, wear face masks, and maintain physical distancing for safety. M.S. Prasanna Kumar, executive officer of primary education, informed The Observer : “Parents are to provide asymptomatic reports of their wards attending onsite classes. Furthermore, it is essential for a student to be in quarantine if Covid symptoms are detected. School assemblies are banned to ensure greater safety of students. However, Covid tests for teachers are compulsory as directed by the health department in one of its SOPs.” The protocols ordered by the health department on September 30, 2020, under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, include guidelines for health, hygiene,
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Residents visit a BBMP health center in Gandhi Grama, Rajajinagar post-lockdown | Credit: Nishant Kumar ment. I currently work with nine patients; the other five have discontinued their treatment.” Those who stopped taking treatment had lost their jobs and returned to their native places.
N. Divakara, senior health inspector of the BBMP’s west zone, said: “Since the Karnataka government has done a door-to-door survey, we will plan accordingly on how to approach the DOTS
programme.” The government faced serious challenges during the first three months of the lockdown. Very few TB patients were given DOTS treatment. At present, health staff from the TB programme have been diverted for Covid-19 duties. Pulmonologists say that in the past 11 months, many cases have gone undiagnosed because of travel restrictions and a fear of the virus. They also believe that chances of the disease spreading is high as patients have not received full dosage of medicines, and interruptions can lead to drug resistance. WHO has urged countries to maintain continuity of essential services for people affected with TB during the pandemic as there was a 13% increase in TB deaths in the first three months of the pandemic and the undetected cases can be higher. In November 2020, launching a Jan Andolan against tuberculosis, Union health and family welfare minister Harsh Vardhan said: “We wish to make 2021 a year of Tuberculosis.” Under the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Elimination, the government is working to eradicate the disease by 2025. nishant.k@iijnm.org
While President Biden is a lesser evil than the opposition, he is cut from the same political cloth. Initiating strikes on Syria, and not focusing on his promises, marks a repetition of the same old pattern. Aayushi Parekh
Courts must correct society’s wrongs The Supreme Court asking a rape accused whether he will marry a victim in exchange for bail reiterates the lack of women’s agency in every aspect of her life. Patriarchal ideas of honour are deeply ingrained in our society. Courts have the responsibility of correcting wrongs, not aggravating wounds. Kivleen Sahni
Co-Win application needs improvements The Co-Win application’s interface looks like an IT college assignment. It has received bad reviews. People have urged the government to improve it as lakhs will be using it to get vaccinated. Dhruv Raghav
Skyrocketing fuel prices crush the common man The NDA government is doing exactly what it promised to stop. The triple-digit price for a litre of petrol, a large portion of which goes as tax, are proving to be a great burden on the pocket of the middle class. Nidhi Kajaria
Quiz Corner 1. In how many phases will West Bengal have assembly elections? 2. Which city will build the first undersea tunnel of India? 3. Which film won 'Best Film' at the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2021? 4.Which country honoured Indian social activist Anjali Bhardwaj with an anti-corruption award ? 5. Which nation has reported the world's first human case of H5N8 virus? Answers on page 4
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The Observer Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Blind cricketers seek recognition, jobs Regret that they are not accepted as proper sportsmen by Sports Ministry
Bengaluru: Despite winning four World Cups, Indian blind cricketers feel they do not get proper recognition from the sports ministry and BCCI. Lack of job opportunities, sponsorship, coverage, infrastructure and pension are their major concerns. They are cut up because they are not accepted as proper sportspersons. On the final day of the Nagesh Trophy T20 tournament, played between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, The Observer spoke to few players. Sunil Ramesh, skipper of the Karnataka state team and Indian player, said: “Right from the start of my career since 2013, I am lacking financially and don’t have the moral support of my parents. Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) and Samarthanam have been my only supporters. Last year I completed BA from the Mountain View High School. The sports ministry of Karnataka had promised to grant me a job under the sports quota, but still haven’t received it.” Indian blind cricket skipper Ajay Kumar Reddy said: “Previously it was tough to get grounds for practice. We don’t have proper equipment. We used to play with broken bats, had no proper kits or uniforms. We used to sleep in dormitory halls, and there wasn’t any reimbursement.” “The change has to be with the mindset. We need permanent sponsors, only then can we play more bilateral series. The BCCI should support us. That will be the main booster for us to identify
Words of the day Ineptitude: lack of skill or ability Zeitgeist: the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time Vagabond: A person who has no home and usually no job, and who travels from place to place Xenophobia: Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries Kludge: Something, especially computer hardware or software that has been put together from whatever is available especially when it does not work very well Abstemious: Indulging only very moderately in something, especially food and drink
Weather Max Temp: 32°C Min Temp: 17°C Precipitation: 0% Humidity:19% Wind: 11km/h
Indian blind cricket team has won four World Cups ( two T20Is in 2012, 2017 and two ODIs in 2014,2018),It still struggles to find recognition from BCCI and Sports Ministry |Viransh Shah talent.” “After one World Cup, the Pakistan blind cricket team, that won two World Cups, got recognition from the Pakistan Cricket Board. PCB used to sanction annual grants to the order of Rs crore for the team. They used to give annual contracts to their players apart from match fees. They have also built a home ground for their blind cricket team,”Reddy added. Mohammed Jafar Iqbal, captain of Odisha, said: “Usually, when domestic players get a chance in Ranji, their jobs and finances are secured by their respective cricket boards or BCCI.
They also get reservation for government jobs, where they focus more on their game. But in our case we have to focus on our work, finances and looking after our families.” “I am playing for last 18 years for Odisha. There has been no financial support or contract. Since 2017, international players receive match fees of Rs 3,000. It is not enough as most of it is spent on travel. The team has given four World Cups and one Asia Cup to India, but still the Indian government fails to recognise the efforts of the players and the board. In India even if we win
World Cup only those part of the squad get the price amount, what about the remaining 50 players,” added Jafar. Odisha player Sukhram Majhi, 24, said: “My dream is to cement my place in the upcoming 2021 World Cup. Currently the earning at our home is dried up. Whatever I make is through cricket. I won’t leave playing cricket since it is my passion, but I need to secure a job soon as my mother’s age is increasing and I need to look after her. My father left us when I was very small, her responisibility is on my me. ” Pankaj Bhue, 25, another
Lack of toilets forces women to defecate on railway tracks L
Continued from Page1 ack of toilets also forces many women to defecate along the railway tracks and manage their menstrual needs, making them vulnerable to different forms of abuse. They often face harassment from men who lurk around the area. Bharati Kumar, a mother of two from Raigad, Maharashtra, said: “We try to go in groups, but it’s not always possible. So whenever we see any man around, we shout to scare him away.” Residents living around a slum in C.V. Raman Nagar are annoyed with foul smell emanating from nearby bushes. H.G Chavareddy, a retired inspector, said: “We have been complaining about the filthy conditions to the ward councillor and BBMP health supervisor Meenakshi to take action, but they have paid no attention.” Some NGOs have come to the rescue of the slum-dwellers. They either help them build toilets or arrange community toilets with
Odisha player, has played for 11 years. His dream is to be selected for the upcoming World Cup. “When I started playing cricket, my father used to drive a truck for livelihood, I didn’t have enough money to purchase shoes, so I used to play barefoot. I am happy with my achievement and will push myself to different challenges.” According to the Lodha Committee’s recommendations, all bodies of blind, deaf and physically handicapped cricketers should come under one umbrella. “The physically handicapped team, blind team and deaf team should to form one body and register under BCCI. This is the obvious process they need to follow. CABI is officially not a part of BCCI. To be a member, it must tie up with other bodies to avail of the facilities of the board,” said Ratnakar Shetty, former general secretary of BCCI. “BCCI do not respond to our mails or letters. They say if all disabled cricketers like blind, deaf and physically handicapped come under one umbrella, they will approve one body. It is very difficult as blind cricket has different rules, structure and associations,” said Mahantesh G. Kivadasannavar, president of CABI. “We are slowly trying to acquire space in big cities and have our own facility. We are in talks with investors. Very soon in Bengaluru we plan to have our main academy for the national team. We are also planning to draft a proposal where retired players can get pension,” the CABI chief added. viransh.s@iijnm.org
Quiz Answers 1. 8 2.Mumbai 3. Tanhaji 4. US 5. Russia
By Viransh Shah
Team Observer
Residents living around slums in C.V. Raman Nagar are annoyed with foul smell origiating from nearby bushes |Upasana Banerjee government help. Harish Babu of Mythri Sarva Seva Samithi, one of these NGOs, added: “We are conducting training programmes to increase awareness on various diseases caused due to poor sanitation. We also educate them on how to make sustainable use of
soap and water.” With the consistent support from both the government, state & central, and corporate organisations, the slums can have better sanitation to prevent the outbreak of deadly diseases. upasana.b@iijnm.org
Editor: Abhishek Saini Copy Editors: Padmini Dhruvaraj, Queeneerich Kharmawlong, Nishant Kumar, Viransh Shah, Upasana Banerjee, Abhishek Saini Page Editors: : Upasana Banerjee, Queeneerich Kharmawlong, Padmini Dhruvaraj, Viransh Shah Reporters:: Queeneerich Kharmawlong, Nishant Kumar, Padmini Dhruvaraj, Viransh Shah, Upasana Banerjee, Abhishek Saini Photo Editors: Queeneerich Kharmawlong, Padmini Dhruvaraj