Citizen Matters Koramangala - HSR Layout
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Koramangala underpass tales
BDA says Go, CM says Hmmm... HC says stop 6 Nimma Neighbour Vijay Thiruvady 6 HSR’s new residents’ federation gets into the act 7 So many into leaf mulching, but not BBMP
7 No wall for NGV drain, yet 8 No bars for Salad Bars 9 The wallet in your pocket 10 Gardeners’ own community project
Bengaluru ¹neóÉ£ï ªÉÄålgïìð
17 Weekend trip to Devarayanadurga Plus your favourite columns...
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Vol-4 Issue-03 10 - 23 mar 2012
Citizen Matters Vol-4 Issue-03, 10 - 23 mar 2012 KARENG/2009/28904. Published & printed by Meera K for Oorvani Media Pvt Ltd. Printed at Lavanya Mudrana, 19, 15th cross, Vidyapeeta Circle, BSK I Stage, Bangalore 560060 Place of publication Oorvani Media, 165, I cross, I block, Kmgla, Bangalore 560034. Editor Subramaniam Vincent.
SQUINT: All you need to know Introduction The importance of eyes not only lies in giving us vision but also in making us look beautiful. Nature has given us a pair of perfect and beautiful eyes. But due to certain aberrations, this perfection is lost and the eyes tend to lose harmony amongst each other and create several problems to the human being. What is Squint? Eyes are meant to be straight and properly aligned to provide good quality vision and any deviation of eyes from its normal axis makes a person look odd. This wrong alignment of eyes or crossed eyes is called Squint (Strabismus or Crossed eyes). Squint can be present in all age groups from a small child to an adult. A person may have normal straight looking eyes before and can develop squint later in life after any loss in vision due to injury to the eye or any ocular abnormality. How to detect? Squint in very young children is difficult to detect. Many times, child’s squint is detected by a child specialist or general physician when parents take their child for some illness or during vaccination process. Some observant parents may find changes in the alignment of the eyes in their child and report to the doctor very early. It is a very good practice to take children of age younger than 5 years to the eye specialist once to check for squint and also to find whether the vision is normal or not.
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Children often tilt their head or turn
Squint in right eye of a young child
becomes straight during other times. Some patients with squint will also have eye strain, double vision or difficulty in opening eyes in bright light. What is the treatment?
Before surgery
Early detection and treatment of squint is very important as uncorrected squint for a longer period will lead to decrease or loss of vision in one eye. Often, a squinting eye will have less vision compared to the other eye and this condition is known as amblyopia or lazy eye. A person suspected to have squint has to be examined by a qualified eye specialist (Strabismologist).
After Squint surgery Tips
Squint or crossed eyes can be seen in any age group. Detection of squint and its early correction is very important to maintain proper vision and prevent occurrence of lazy eye in children. During summer holidays, parents can schedule a regular eye checkup of their school going child. Evaluation of any refractive error and squint helps in improving the vision of the child. For any eye condition, consult a qualified eye specialist (ophthalmologist) to assess and get proper treatment. Avoid self medication and blind belief in myths. Shekar Nethralaya has an advanced squint speciality set-up with all the tools and advanced equipments like synaptophore, vision charts, stereoacuity charts etc. which will help detect squint properly and will be treated by highly trained eye specialists in the field of squint. their face to one side to minimize the effect of squint. A person with intermittent squint may have squint eyes only during stress or fatigue and
Assessment of any refractive error (eye glass power) is done first and if required spectacles are provided. Very often, squint is reduced or corrected by just wearing glasses. The doctor may advise patching of one eye to improve vision in the lazy eye. In other cases, eye surgery may be required for squint correction. Squint surgery involves adjustment of the eye muscles in order to correct the deviation. Correction of squint is also important in maintaining stereopsis (3-dimensional vision). Squint surgery can be performed on infants as young as six months old to elderly patients.
Dr Raja Shekar Y L is the Medical Director, Shekar Nethralaya
633, 100 feet Ring Road JP Nagar 3rd Phase, Bengaluru - 560078 Tel: 08026593210 fax: 08041209197 drrajashekaryl@shekarnethralaya.com Ph:9980562020 info@shekarnethralaya.com www.shekarnethralaya.com
Paan or Deh Daan (sacrifice of body) Chewing ‘paan’ is very common among the Indians and has been a part of Indian culture for centuries. It is a kind of leaf, called ‘betel’ which is chewed along with a few spices (‘lime’ and ‘catachu’ paste), small pieces of betel nut and sometimes, tobacco. Paan has religious connotations in India and in other parts of South East Asia. It is also believed to be a digestive if chewed after meals. It has been a very old tradition in India for the last a few centuries that Betel-quid is offered to a visitor to one’s place. People “enjoy” this habit and consider it as totally harmless. They just think that it just stains the teeth which does not seem to bother them. One interesting thing is that people are using betelquid without tobacco, they consider it absolutely harmless. No, it is not! Areca nuts are chewed with betel leaf for their effects as a mild stimulant, causing a mild hot sensation in the body and slightly heightened alertness, although the effects vary from person to person. The betel leaf chewed along with it contains eugenol, also a vasoconstrictor. Many chewers also add small pieces of tobacco leaf to the mixture, thereby adding the effect of the nicotine, which causes greater addiction than the drugs contained in the nut and the betel. Effects Of Paan Chewing The effects of chewing paan are very similar to that of chewing tobacco. Many people think that chewing paan is safer than smoking tobacco. But studies have shown that instead of
being safer, they are equally, if not more detrimental to one’s health. This is because, paan with betel nut and the other spices is kept in your mouth for minutes at a time, causing more harmful chemicals to enter your body than when you smoke - you just shift your lung problems to your mouth. Halitosis: Chewing paan causes bad breath in all users. Gum and Tooth Disease: Paan permanently discolors teeth. Its direct and repeated contact with the gums causes them to recede, which can cause your teeth to fall out. Cancer: Cancer of the mouth (including the lip, tongue, and cheek) and throat are very common among paan users. Cancers most frequently occur at the site where paan with tobacco is held in the mouth. Surveys reveal that risk of cancers of the cheek and gum may reach nearly fifty-fold among longterm snuff users. The surgery for this could lead to removal of parts of your face, tongue, cheek or lip. In addition to oral cancer, significant increases were seen among chewers for cancer of the esophagus, liver, pancreas, larynx, lung, and all cancer. Chewing and smoking, as combined by most betel chewers, interacted synergistically and was responsible for half of all cancer deaths in this group. Stains,sensitive teeth & Gingivitis: Regular betel chewing causes the teeth and gums to be stained red;
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however, it may also reduce cavities, and toothpastes were once produced containing betel extracts, and it is believed that it may reduce the number of cavities. However, the increase in mouth ulcers and the rotting of gums (leading to total removal of teeth) caused by betel chewing outweigh any positive effects. Long-term use has been associated with oral submucosal fibrosis, pre-
cancerous oral lesions and squamous cell carcinoma. Acute effects of betel chewing include asthma exacerbation, hypertension, and tachycardia. There may be a higher risk of cancers of the liver, mouth, esophagus, stomach, prostate, cervix, and lung with regular betel use. Other effects can include a possible effect on blood sugar levels, possibly increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Expectant mothers who chew areca nut formulations such as paan, during pregnancy, significantly increase adverse outcomes for the baby. The effects were similar to those reported for mothers who consume alcohol or tobacco during pregnancy. Lower birth weights, reduced birth length and pre term delivery were found to be significantly higher. In India, it is quite challenging for the dentists to dissuade people from using tobacco in various forms . At times we are successful – Old habits die hard!
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Koramangala & HSR LaYout
You can’t miss his love for trees every Sunday morning in winter, He can tell you a story about into the country side in Delhi into almost every kind of tree in the areas such as Suraj Kund, Bhatkal city. This Koramangala resident Lake and Najafgarh has compiled a book Nimma Jheel. on Bangalore’s trees neighbour (reported in Citizen Who has been your Matters, Feb 25th inspiration for your issue). Meet the author of ‘Heritage work on nature? Trees’ - Vijay Thiruvady, 70, Trustee, Bangalore Environment Trust. Specifically, I would say, Khushwant Tell us about your association with Singh, Zafar Futehally and Laeeq Futehally have over the years nature. influenced me. I grew up in a house with a 3 acre You recently released your book garden in Delhi which got me ‘Heritage Trees,’ how has the response interested at an early age in birds been? and trees. Further, I was fortunate in meeting a number of people I’m very happy about the response. who had a near-professional The book is not a detailed book on interest in the flora and fauna of trees, but just an attempt to know Delhi. Among these distinguished about trees in Bangalore. people was Khushwant Singh deepthi M S who used to lead a group of us,
Life when not counting trees Professionally, I have been working in the Oil And Gas Petrochemical Industry for the last 35 years. I have always been interested in nature, more specifically in horticulture. Now, I am a part of Bangalore Environment Trust as a Trustee. I conduct the Green Heritage Walks at Lalbagh. Back in college days, I was into Tennis and Hockey. I used to go on treks from Kashmir to Sikkim, but now my age does not permit me.
HSR’s new residents federation interacts with MLA On Saturday, 3 March, the HSR-x Federation invited Bommanahalli MLA, Satish Reddy and HSR Corporator Latha Narasimha murthy. The residents’ associations of about 15 apartments of Somasundara palya and Haralukunte, down HSR 27th Main Road have joined together to create a HSR-x Residents Federation. Virat Gohil, from Sai Poorna Paradise shared the problems of HSR Layout 27th main which has been dug up for BWSSB work and not repaired yet.
garbage near the substation. Reddy promised a garbage disposal drive with a 100 people workforce clearing the area from 10th March. Latha announced that an alternate land has been found and the contractors will shift their segregation spot. Residents plan to continue to engage with the elected representatives for speedy resolution of their problems.
meera K
Below: A BBMP official taking down citizen concerns. Right: MLA Satish Reddy (left) with the corporator. Pics: Meera K
To complaints on street lights, Satish Reddy said Rs 1.2 crores has been spent in the last one year. Reddy promised to fix 25 street lights and asked residents to contact the BBMP Engineer in charge of street lights. Residents also asked the MLA to resolve the long pending problem of contractors sorting and burning of 6 CITIZEN MATTERS 10 - 23 mar 2012 Vol-4 Issue-03
Health inspector: Basavaiah: 94487 08061 EE: Sreenivasa Murthy 9900134955 AEE Shivalinge Gowda AEE Ramesh 98862 49363 (street lights)
Left: Garbage set on fire . Pic: P S Ramanathan. Right: Leaf composting at NGV. Pic: Meera Rajesh
local matters
Leaf litter
Citizens show BBMP the way
BBMP said no, but leaves continue to be burnt. Meanwhile committed citizens take composting into their own hands. Rajee Shanker, a resident of Kalyan Nagar is troubled by falling leaves on all roads and empty sites. “For the past 5 months, nobody has been entrusted with cleaning of roads and removal of leaves,” she says. This is a common issue in all residential areas. Despite the BBMP Commissioner’s order, pourakarmikas often burn the leaves, to make their job easier.
Citizens initiatives Meera Rajesh and her team from the National Games Village apartments (Tungabhadra block) have been leafmulching at a community level for the
last year. More recently a collaboration with another interesting project has introduced a whole new dimension to collecting and mulching dry leaves. Balbir Bora, an engineer, is working towards mitigating climate change just by planting trees. Not one tree,
Balakrishnan K M has written to the BBMP Commissioner, on garbage burning on Adugodi Main Road, 8th Block, Koramangala. He has sent pictures showing the pourakarmika setting fire to the garbage pile. He says, “Last few days, (garbage quantity) was heavy and the flames used to last for hours throwing thick ashes to the entire neighborhood. I hope to receive the promised award (for reporting garbage burning). If not, at least request you to curb this nuisance.”
After a year, still no wall around SWD
but a few thousands involving the corporate world and the forest department. He has bought more than 4 tonnes of leaf mulch from Meera and composts them with cowdung to ensure better nutrition for the trees he and his volunteers plant!
BBMP does act on complaints of leaves burning S Laxminarayan of the Garden City Farmers Trust was pleasantly surprised at the prompt response he received for his mail to comm@bbmp.gov. in assuring him that the respective BBMP office will be informed to act on this matter. However K M Balakrishnan of Koramangala has had a different experience. After a positive response initially from the BBMP, he has found that the practice of burning garbage in his layout continues.
Vinita
Pic: Anisha Nair.
The residents of National Games Village (NGV) see no hopes of respite from the problems of the Storm Water Drain (SWD) beside their colony. The construction of a wall for the SWD system in NGV, which started around a year back, is yet to complete. Ravinder Sharma, a resident of NGV says, “We face the problem of foul smell and garbage getting collected there Continued in page 15 >> Vol-4 Issue-03 10 - 23 mar 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 7
check outs
Salads for the calorie counter in you mixture of fruits and dry fruits with a dash of fresh low fat cream and strawberry jam, this one surely stands out.
Indulging in chocolates and ice creams is surely irresistible. But along with it comes the fear of that bulging waistline. This time, how about some healthy treat to your body! Salads are the way to go. Mind you! It is not the usual boring carrots and tomatoes on a platter that I am talking about. I stepped out to check out some of the coolest salad joints in Koramangala. Namdhari’s Fresh One word that attracted me to Namdhari’s was “Organic”. The fruits and vegetables are grown in their own farms, the organic way. Indian ingredients get together with continental styles and gives you a blend of different variety of salads.
Address: #821, 20th Main, Koramangala 8th Block, Near Ko ra m a n g a l a Police Station, Bangalore. Ph: 41103777
Au Bon Pain Rich international flavours in your own city. This salad joint is famous for its cold salads. I couldn’t stop myself from trying out salads from this international cafe which has received America’s healthiest restaurant
Pic: All the pictures taken by Anisha Nair.
One of the most tempting salads that would bring you back to this place every time is Waldorf salad. A
The salads are priced from Rs. 60 to Rs. 95. Time for some organic indulgence.
award. Couscous and chickpea salad is one of the most preferred salads here. This one stands out in terms of its simple yet delicious flavours. A dash of onions and carrots, a hint of green chillies and there you go! Your healthy Couscous and Chickpea salad is at your table! The price of the salads here range from Rs. 46 to Rs. 143 Address: #124, 80 ft road, 6th block, Koramangala, Bangalore. Ph: 40934365
Daily Bread Known for its exclusive ingredients, this joint welcomes you with an aroma of freshly prepared salads. With an enchanting ambience, Daily Bread sure has some exclusive salads in store for you. To make it all the more exclusive, they give you a choice of making your own salads with the ingredients of your own choice. I picked up some of my favourite ingredients available there and sure was I in for a scrumptious treat. The price of the salad here ranges from Rs. 115 to Rs. 135. Address: #43, 4th B Cross, 5th Block, Koramangala Industrial Area, Koramangala, Bangalore-560095. Ph: 43436666.
Anisha Nair
8 CITIZEN MATTERS 10 - 23 mar 2012 Vol-4 Issue-03
Wallets for all pockets There is a considerable rise in the importance of men’s fashion world. How can we miss out on the most important commodity in men’s fashion – Wallets. Citizen Matters checks out some of the best places in Koramangala and HSR Layout to buy some of the smartest wallets. A well known brand in the world of shoes, Bata also has a great collection of men’s wallets. Located in the heart of Koramangala, Bata brings you a fine collection of wallets. Made out of upper leather and full leather, these wallets range from `499 to `799. These ambassador wallets that are priced `799 are made of pure leather. A great deal for your current wallets. Isn’t it?
If you are not one of those who go by the brand name, then here’s the place for you. Aishwarya Shopping Point gives you a variety and range of men’s wallets made out of rexine and leather. Situated in the middle of 3rd block, Koramangala, this store brings out the latest in men’s wallets and goes easy on your pockets too. The Black Wave wallets from wallets are available from ` 225 to ` 650. Samsonite have wave
shapes across the body. This helps the wallets retain their charm and the scratches are not seen.
No. 897/B, 80 ft road, 6th block, Koramangala
While talking about brands, how can one miss out Louis Phillipe? Situated amidst the hustle and bustle of the BDA complex of HSR Layout, this shop holds a great collection of pure leather wallets ranging from ` 599 to ` 3000. These wallets are exclusively designed and known to last for a really long period. Address: #4, BDA complex, HSR Layout, Bangalore – 560 102
Address: No. 1054, 7th main, 3rd block, Koramangala
If you want something really fashionable and long lasting, Samsonite, situated in the 4th block of Koramangala, has come up with a new range of wallet collection – Black Wave. These wallets have wave shapes across the body. This helps the wallets retain their charm and the scratches are not seen. All this makes the wallet durable and long lasting. The Black Waves are priced from ` 990 to ` 1590. The other simple leather wallets are available from a price of ` 700 to ` 990.
Address: #641, 4th block, Koramangala, 80 ft road.
Anisha Nair
Pics: Anisha Nair.
Vol-4 Issue-03 10 - 23 mar 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 9
exclusive
Small start, big dreams A 50x80 piece of land located amidst prime real estate in JP Nagar is now the site of a new community gardening initiative. Bangalore’s gardening movement has carved a new milestone. Nirmala H S, 38, a HSR Layout-resident has always been interested in gardening but had never been able to pursue it. That changed recently when she started volunteering at an organic community gardening initiative in JP Nagar. This is a 50x80 plot of land or ‘patch’ located amidst prime real estate on 17th Main Road on JP Nagar II phase. Nirmala and a number of other volunteers are together growing tomatoes, chillies, radish, coriander, dhantu soppu, and other produce at the patch now. “While growing up in Davanagere, in central Karnataka, I watched my father and grandmother growing vegetables” says Nirmala, She used to work for a major IT firm and is now a homemaker.
At work in the community garden patch on 17th Main Road, at JP Nagar II Phase. Pic: Jyothi Nagaraj.
Secretary of Garden City Farmers Trust, a green NGO that promotes organic farming, conservation of bio-diversity, and increasing green-cover. It is led by Dr B N Vishwanath and S Lakshminarayan, who along with Jyothi are helping set up urban farms and terrace gardens. It is Vishwanath’s talk that inspired Nirmala to get in touch with GCF. Jyothi is also an IT professional. She was a manager at HP before she switched to IT consulting and pursue her other interests.
“I am interested
BTM-layout based Aparna George, 35 is in finding more another volunteer. Aparna, like Nirmala, is an spaces to grow IT employee turned homemaker. Her tryst with and encourage gardening started last August at the Oota from organic farming” your Thota event held at BTM Layout by GCF. Citizen Matters was the media partner for the Jyothi Nagaraj, 37, an IT consultant and Secretary event. of Garden City Farmers
The community garden is the initiative of Trust. She is also an avid gardening enthusiast Jyothi Nagaraj, 37, amateur radio operator, a resident of RBI Layout in JP Nagar. Jyothi is painter and hiker. 10 CITIZEN MATTERS 10 - 23 mar 2012 Vol-4 Issue-03
The plot is owned by one of the residents on the same road. It has high tension lines going over it and as a result cannot be used for a building as per city rules. The owner, who did not wish to be named, was interested in supporting the initiative. For her part, Jyothi wants to take this further. “I am interested in finding more spaces to grow and encourage organic farming”, she says. Jyothi herself has been inspired by the organic vegetable garden movement in Cuba. 90% of Havana’s population is fed by vegetables from inner-city garden patches, BBC has reported. In its own way, the initiative is also helping volunteers along their own journeys. Nirmala has her own dreams. “I want to promote gardening in schools” she says. Aparna, also wants to promote the cause, although for the moment she is eyeing the produce to come. “The only big dreams at the moment are concerning future ‘veggie’ harvests”, she quips. Subramaniam Vincent
underpass/flyover work at 4 koramangala junctions
cm special
BDA had not completed feasibility study for the project even six months after tenders were invited and awarded in June. Also, work was started without completing the DPR (Detailed Project Report) for 16 other junctions in the corridor. The DPRs were prepared only for the Koramangala junctions, and are still being prepared for other junctions. BDA’s reason for starting work was that land acquisition would be minimal in Koramangala. However, residents allege that the work started in a hurry to benefit builders of upcoming projects in Sarjapur. Another major aspect of the PIL is the variance in data from different traffic studies. Due to residents’ protest, BDA had done a second traffic study in November 2011, in which the numbers varied highly from its initial October 2010 study.
Why the Court stopped BDA’s work BDA can no longer work on the five grade separator projects planned in Koramangala. On February 27th, High Court ordered a stay based on a PIL filed by Koramangala residents. Residents had been in discussions with BDA for over six months to reconsider flyover and underpass projects at Koramangala water tank, Krupanidhi college, 80-feet road - Sarjapur road intersection and Jakkasandra junctions. These works alone cost Rs 120 cr. This is part of the larger signal-free corridor project from Agara to Sirsi Circle, planned by BBMP in 2009. The project is implemented by BDA. Residents had filed the PIL as BDA was not responding to their objections. Though BDA stopped works after discussions, it was restarted soon after, discreetly. In a meeting in December, Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda told residents and BDA that the project will be stopped until a detailed review is done. But in January, work started again and had to be stopped by residents. In the petition, residents have not demanded termination of the project, but have said that detailed studies should be done and alternatives considered. Vijayan Menon, one of the petitioners, says, “We are using this case to highlight problems in all infrastructure projects in the city. Residents should be consulted and information disclosed for every project.”
Take the case of Krupanidhi College junction. Here BDA’s old figures had shown that the 7.5 m underpass would carry 64% of the traffic, and that the 5.5 m slip road towards Madiwala will carry 36% of traffic. These numbers are almost reversed now, with only 35% vehicles going towards underpass direction and 65% vehicles going in slip road direction to Madiwala. PIL also says that congestion on Sarjapur road is caused mainly by vehicles coming from Hosur road and IRR; and that if these roads are improved, the new project would not be required. There are also concerns that while the corridor will bring
Residents’ objections to the project -The project had no proper traffic study and feasibility study -Disrupt local traffic and ruin Koramangala's residential character. -No Environment Impact Assessment clearance for cutting 88 trees for the four junction works. -No planning for pedestrian, non-motorised traffic. arterial road connectivity, it will affect local traffic. Slip roads planned beside the grade separators are too narrow and will cause congestion of vehicles that are moving around in Koramangala, petitioners say. Hence they demand elevated corridors instead of grade separators, as elevated corridors consume lesser space and do not affect on-ground traffic. Congestion will affect the residential character of Koramangala, they say. BDA had rejected the elevated corridor plan, citing paucity of funds, but the Chief Minister had agreed to consider it.
Who are the petitioners? Civil society group CAF (Citizens Action Forum), RWAs of Koramangala 1st and 3rd block, Kuvempu Nagara and Visvesvaraya Nagara, and three individual residents of Koramangala. Case is against BBMP, BDA and traffic police.
A BDA engineer in charge of the project has confirmed that the project has been suspended. “Since the stay is on the entire corridor, we are not working on the DPR for the other junctions also,” he says. Next hearing of the case is on March 20th.
Navya P K
Cover Pic: Deepthi MS
In the PIL, petitioners point out that Vol-4 Issue-03 10 - 23 mar 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 11
for your Info
DEMYSTIFYING THE MYTHS OF ANTIBIOTICS - II ÑAntibiotics need to be taken after food, at least after milk. Col (Retd.) Dr Mukul Saxena üOne needs to enquire Cough and cold specifically with a doctor. Some antibiotics should be cured have their absorption delayed after milk. with antibiotics ÑI need not worry about infection or my workplace or dining area being dirty. I can without always take antibiotics. consulting your üAntibiotics are no substitute for doctor. You hygiene, hand wash and preventive certainly cannot practices. buy them over the ÑDoctors keep spreading panic about counter. Here are drug resistance. I have been taking ciprofloxacin at the drop of a hat. Nothing some truths about happened to me. antibiotics that üPossibly nothing happened to you you did not know. but an 18 year old boy had to undergo surgery for perforated intestinal typhoid ulcer, because he had taken antibiotics against typhoid, for his frequent cough and cold, and typhoid microbe became resistant. This boy could have been yours. ÑI can take antibiotic injections at home health matters
given by a nurse. üSome antibiotics cause severe allergic reactions even leading to death. In hospitals, there is expert staff and equipment available to save life, in the event of reactions. At home, such facilities do not exist. Confirm with your doctor whether the antibiotic can be given at home. ÑI can just walk up to the nearest chemist and buy antibiotics. üAlthough it happens frequently, but the chemist is not supposed to give you antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription. ÑDoctor gave me antibiotics for five days. I am alright after two days. It is a waste of money to take them for next three days. üYou must take antibiotics as directed by doctor. Stopping antibiotics too soon may allow some bacteria to survive, reinfect you or produce resistant strains.
Weed is good! Most of us who have tried to grow plants are sure to have encountered these ‘troublemakers’. They have often ‘spoilt’ our well-laid plans for the garden, or harassed us into spending extra time, clearing them from the garden.
Why are weeds useful? For one, weeds are actually an important indicator of the quality of soil. For instance, the clover or hulichikku soppu is something that grows prolifically in my garden. And guess what - apart from being told not to pluck it by my 6 yr old because she The berries from Kaasi soppu taste great. Pic: Vinita
and her friends love to eat it (it’s tangy I believe!), and finding out that it has medicinal properties, I discovered that this plant actually indicates a low level of nitrogen in the soil. Weeds also usually have a long root system that penetrates through the soil and enables better aeration and drainage of the soil. If it were not for the weeds, we would have lost most of our top soil by now. Over time as they grow and decay, they improve the soil by providing it necessary nutrients; thus preparing the soil for other species that will follow. These pioneer plants usually have either a bitter taste, thorns, or may even be poisonous, so that they are uneaten by animals and are left to do their work of soil building and improvement. And yet, this is not to say that one can let weeds take over the primary plant. Observe the plants and soil and take
12 CITIZEN MATTERS 10 - 23 mar 2012 Vol-4 Issue-03
Edible weeds - Clover / hulichikki soppu. Rich in vitamin C, with a lemony taste. - Similarly the nelanelli soppu. Looks like the drumstick plant, it has medicinal value. - Hongone soppu grows tall with alternate leaves and white flower. - Ganke/kaasi soppu with black berries. - Daglaare / Keere soppu - Mullu harive soppu has thorns necessary steps to improve the soil so that the primary plants thrive and the weeds don’t necessarily become too numerous. In fertile soil, that is alive (with microbes) and rich in humus, weeds are not such a problem because the rich soil will decompose and digest some of the weed seeds, preventing them from sprouting. When looking at controlling these plants, we can make sure that we use only organic methods such as mulching and hand-weeding.
Vinita
womens day
womens’ day
What men think...
An entire day dedicated to celebrating womanhood. She’s egged on to claim her rights, her individuality, to embrace her womanhood, buy jewellery, go to spas and celebrate. What does the ‘other half’ of the population think of this celebration? Do they embrace it or do they question it? Abhishek Chakraborty, 31, Software Engineer, Indiranagar “The role of a woman is very important in society. But it is insane to attribute this only on a particular day. Dedicating a day to her will not make a difference. Instead, show her that you care for her everyday and you wouldn’t need a day to make her feel special. But yes, to take an initiative for this, Women’s Day can be considered.” Vijaykumar Jiandani, 45, Restaurant Businessman, Cooks Town
“In today’s hustle and bustle, people have forgotten the importance of women in their lives. Like we need Valentine’s Day to make our love special, Friendship Day to make our friends feel special, we do need a Women’s Day to make all the women in our life feel special. Though I never really get any special gifts for my wife on this day!” (looks at wife and grins) Deepak R, 24, consultant, Electronic City
Col. Devbrat Ohri, 48, Recruitment Leader, Hebbal
“Socially and culturally our country is biased towards men and it needs to be balanced as our country grows. This day helps us realise their importance in our lives.”
Ram Chandran, 39, HR, Old Airport Road
“In today’s age men and women are considered equal. They both support each other in every spectrum of life. They walk shoulder to shoulder in every field and so this day is important to let them know that they are great achievers.
Aritra Sarkhel, 23, Mission road “Be it Women’s day, Father’s day, dog day, cat day. The list goes on. Celebrating specific days don’t give any particular impetus to the cause of women’s upliftment or any other motive. It’s just hyperbole when we decide to celebrate and highlight issues. If we do have to work for any cause, then let’s just do it rather than celebrating days.”
This day is celebrated for the inclusiveness of women. And it can be used to launch a lot of women centric programme and encourage a lot of participation from women all over. A tribute to the way women are growing in every field these days.” Anisha Nair
Vol-4 Issue-03 10 - 23 mar 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 13
EDITORIAL
Gardeners hit back with green There’s been plenty of loss felt at the cutback on trees due to Bengaluru’s rapid expansion. Equally, there has also been anger felt at the enthusiasm of city authorities to build all over the city and uproot trees, virtually at will, on questionable projects. Bengaluru’s ‘Garden city’ tag has thus been under a cloud for a while now, especially for new comers who only find a city jammed with traffic and dust-laden air.
Another movement has been quietly mushrooming. This one may get Bangalore back to being a garden city after all.
Citizens have tried to hit back. While the most evident form has been increasing protests and action at the High Courts, another movement has been quietly mushrooming. This one may get Bangalore back to being a garden city after all, even if in a different avatar. Across the city from Hebbal to Electronics City and Vijayanagar to Whitefield, more and more citizens are getting interested in gardening and growing vegetables. Well-attended events, expanding nurseries and
FORM IV (See Rule 8) Statement about ownership and other particulars about newspaper Citizen Matters to be published in the first issue every year after the last day of February. 1. Place of publication: Bangalore 2. Periodicity of its publication: Fortnightly (alternate Saturdays) 3. Printer’s Name: Meera K Nationality: Indian Address: Flat No. 7G, West Wing, Fernhill Gardens, No.46, Ring Road, HSR Layout, Bangalore-34 4. Publisher’s Name: Meera K Nationality: Indian Address: Flat No. 7G, West Wing, Fernhill Gardens, No.46, Ring Road, HSR Layout, Bangalore-34 5. Editor’s Name: Subramaniam Vincent Nationality: Indian Address: A1205, Mantri Elegance, Bannerghata Road, NS Palya,Bangalore 560076 SHAREHOLDERS 6. Names and addresses of individuals who own the newspaper and partners or shareholders holding more than one per cent of the total capital.
EDITORS
MKTG/CIRCULATION
Subramaniam Vincent Meera K Padmalatha Ravi
Raghavendra 98455 06477 Satvik Koushik 9886754908 circulation@oorvani.in mktg@oorvani.in
Navya P K Deepthi M S Vijayalakshmi Bhat Anisha Nair edit@citizenmatters.in
Gardening is special also because people find it quietly rewarding and even stress-relieving. Working with the earth appears to also root us in better things even as our city lives proceed at a reckless pace. The comeback of gardening is also special for another reason: this generation of citizens getting into it are more industrious, methodical, and ambitious. One of them, who has launched a community garden initiative in JP Nagar in inspired by Cuba’s famous organic garden movement, which is rooted in the cities. And all this is only going to deepen and expand Bangaloreans’ green consciousness further. So much for authorities uprooting trees.
a) Subramaniam Vincent, A1205, Mantri Elegance, Bannerghata Road, NS Palya, Blr-76 b) Meera K, Flat No. 7G-W, Fernhill Gardens, No.46, Ring Road, HSR Layout Blr-34 c) V Ravichandar, 17, Moyenville Road, Langford Town, Blr-25 d) Rajiv Kuchhal, 612, Embassy Tranquil, Koramangala 3rd Block, Blr-34 e) C S Prasad Subramanian, B-204, Adarsh Residency, 47th Cross, 8th Block, Jayanagar, Blr-82 f ) Hari Krishnan and Usha Krishnan. Flat 241, TIME, 268, 6th Cross, 1st Stg, Indiranagar, Blr-38 g) Rajan Narayanan, C1103, Sterling Terraces, 100 Feet Ring Road, V Block, BSK 3rd Stage, Blr-85 h) V Boopathi, C-708, CASSIA Block, Brigade Millennium, J P Nagar 7th Phase, Blr-78 i) Vishy Kuruganti, G-104, Spruce Block, Raheja Residency, Koramangala 3rd Block, Blr-34 j) Anand Sudarshan, Flat No 604, Embassy Tranquil, 22, 8th Main, 3rd Block, Koramangala, Blr-34 I, Meera K, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief. Date: 12-Mar-2011 Sd/ Meera K Publisher
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garden businesses are good indicators. The growing may simply be in a few pots on a balcony or in a backyard full of vegetable patches, but gardening has surely bounced back as a leisure activity.
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14 CITIZEN MATTERS 10 - 23 mar 2012 Vol-4 Issue-03
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womens day
All you need is a pair of shoes
support of charity partners - ASHA and PARIKRAMA Foundation. 100 children from ASHA foundation flagged the event. The event was meant to bring awareness about women’s health. The money raised from the event will go towards educating girl childen.
Bangaloreans started their day with a run on Sunday, 4th March. Contours, a women’s only fitness gym held its third edition of fitness run of 10 kilometres. It is held every year close to Women’s Day. The run started at 6.30 am from Kanteerava stadium. More than 1000 runners participated in this Women’s Day run including
Mixing fitness, fun and charity more than a thousand people participated in the women’s day run. men and children. Participants were from the age group of 8 years to 70 years. The run was held with the
Anjana Sheshadri, a resident of Malleshwaram said, “It is a fun event and what better than starting my fitness routine with a fun run.” G Raman, a resident of Brigade Gateway said, “I came here to accompany my wife for the run. It is good that she is getting the opportunity to think about herself and stay fit,” The 10 km run started from Kanteerava Stadium and ended at Cubbon Park. Chandra Gopalan, the Director of Contours, India and the organiser of this event said, “It is the easiest form of exercise. All you need is a pair of shoes and there you go!”
Anisha Nair
After a year, still no wall around SWD <<Continued from page 15 on a daily basis since years,” the once closed drains were also opened last year due to water clogging. He further added, “… they have still not built the walls around this SWD and we face monsoon floods every year due to this.”
Anju Chhabra, another resident of NGV said, “I have been living here for the past 9-10 years and this problem has been going on and on. We face mosquito problems all the time and this becomes worse during monsoons,” The residents also complain of foul smell due to the garbage that has not been removed from there for a long time. The labourers say that they have been given the deadline of one more month to complete the pending work. Colonel S A Razack, the President of Ghataprabha block in NGV, said, “We have written to the BBMP many times but they do not respond. Foul smell and mosquitoes are only a few problems out of what we face everyday. The work is not constant. It goes on and off all the time”. The residents of NGV are still waiting, hoping the work completes soon.
Anisha Nair
Vol-4 Issue-03 10 - 23 mar 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 15
see & do music/dance HYBRID by Céline PradeuKanagasabai Lecture – Demonstration: A fusion of Bharatnatyam and Contemporary Dance. Thur, 15 Mar, 7.30 pm, Alliance Française, Vasanth Nagar, Ph:40808181
BV Karanth Road, Bangalore 560070 | Ph: 080 26711785
TALK
NGMA Arboretum Walk Vijay Thiruvady will tell us about the trees in bloom during this month. 10 Mar, 3.30 pm, NGMA. Manikyavelu Mansion, 49 Palace Road
Nadasurabhi Concert Grand Vocal Concert by Abhishek Raghuram, BU Ganesh Prasad - Violin, Arjun Kumar - Mridangam, Pramath Kiran - Morsing Sunday, 18th March 2012 at 4.15 PM, The Indian Heritage Academy Hal~ 6th Block, Near Police Station, Koramangala
“The Question Hour in India - Some Diagnostics” by Dr. Srikrishna Ayyangar, RSVP phone No. 98865 99675. Fri, 16 March, 6.30 pm, Bangalore International Centre,TERI Complex, 4th Main, 2nd Cross, Domlur II Stage
Waterlines Devised by the children of HeadStart Children’s repertory, directed by Abhishek Majumdar and Ashwini Kumar Chakre on the partition of India. Tickets:9538041764 7.30 pm , 17 Mar; 3.30 pm & 7.30 pm, 18 Mar, Auditorium , Alliance Française, Vasanth Nagar,
Rangashankara 9 Fri to 11 Sun: Stories in a Song EngHin (also at 3.30 pm on Sun) 13 Tue: Karvalho -Kan 14 Wed: Rama Dhanya -Kan 15 Thu to 17 Sat: Tango – Eng (also at 3.30 pm on Sat) 18 Sun Ranga Ugadi – A day long celebration of Dr. Chandrashekhara Kambar. Play - ‘Ali Baba’ – (for children above 5 years) Laavani – ‘Helatene Kela’, Play -‘Kharokhara’, Play ‘Karimaayi’, Recitation of Kambar’s poems, Play - ‘Chaalesha’, Discussion with Dr Kambar 20 Tue-21 Wed: Mandra Kannada 22 Thu-23 Fri: The Devil’s Tree English Rangashankara, JP Nagar
Alivilla Vishvakke Mankutimma 125th Birthday celebration of literatteur Dr D V Gundappa special programmes. 17th Mar 10.30 am to 8.00 pm, Gayana Samaja, K R Road, Basavanagudi, Ph: 9448171069 , 9986372503, 9886721181
FILMS
Kannada Feature Film “KRAURYA” Directed by: Girish Kasaravalli Sunday 11 Mar 5pm, K V Subbanna Aaptha Rangamandira, Teachers’ colony 1st stage, Kumarswamy Layout Partners in Crime A rollicking trip through the grey worlds of copyright, art and the market in a story about love, money and crime. 11 Mar, 11 am, : Suchitra, 36, 9th Main,
Theatre
August: Osage County India Foundation for the Arts is bringing Lillete Dubey’s play, written by Tracy Letts, is directed by Lillete Dubey. The star cast includes Lillete Dubey, Deepika Amin, Sandhya Mridul, Suchitra Pillai, Nandita Dubey, Denzil Smith, Amar Talwar, Maneesh Verma, Danny Sura, Auritra Ghosh and Mita Vasisht. Donor passes atindianstage.in,
16 CITIZEN MATTERS 10 - 23 mar 2012 Vol-4 Issue-03
bookmyshow.com and also at Super Market, 5th Avenue, Brigade Road Tel:25581248 and at Café Pascucci, 191/1, 6th Main, Defence Colony, Indiranagar. Tel:25200522 Sun 11 Mar, Chowdiah Memorial Hall at 7.30 pm.
Workshops
SYMPOSIUM ON CARNATIC MUSIC APPRECIATION - 1 Sun 18 Mar 10 am, Auditorium of Bangalore Gayana Samaja Story & craft hour (4 to 9 yrs) Ph: 8762462302. Limited Seats! Sat 17 Mar, 11am, Just Books 3rd Block Koramangala “Practical Philosophy” 1st level course For new comers tryout: first class with admission free. Ph: 9663326625, 42065280. Starts March 13, every Tuesday 7-9 pm, 14 sessions. New Acropolis Bangalore, #203 HM Studios, 67 St. Mark’s road AHA! Summer Express ‘12 16 workshops for 7 to 17 year olds, by 14 of India’s well-known arts practitioners. There are workshops on Theatre, Acting, Music, Filmmaking, Writing, Visual Arts, etc. 9 Apr -7 May. Registrations begin on 10 Mar. Rangashankara Art workshops in Apr-May Ph:98863 94195, 98861 53297
feature
Devarayanadurga â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A splendid wilderness Devarayanadurga in Tumkur district is a well-known pilgrim spot amidst green hills and is guaranteed to revive your spirits with its beautiful rocky terrain. A coup dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeil of Devarayanadurga history The place is also known as Karigiri which means elephant hill in Kannada. When the Devarayanadurga hill is seen from the east side it resembles an elephant. The hillock got its name Devarayanadurga after it was captured by Mysore king Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar in 1696. Earlier it was known by the name Anebiddasari and later Jadakana Durga when a chief named Jadaka ruled the town. The hill is situated at an altitude of 3940 feet and is home to diverse flora and fauna. Devarayanadurga is the birthplace of rivers like Jayamangala which joins the Krishna river and the Shimsha river, both of which join the river Kaveri at Shivanasamudra. The hill chains at Devarayanadurga also mark the boundary of Krishna and Kaveri river basins. Seventeenth century fort ruins, historical remains dating back to Hoysala and Vijayanagara period, and the traces of Wodeyar dynasty rule can be seen in Devarayanadurga village and the Kumbhi hills of Devarayanadurga.
Just 60 kilometres away from the hustlebustle of Silicon City is a quiet countryside with breathtaking views, century-old temples and rocky hills. This is an ideal place for those looking for divine blessings or adventure. The rocky terrain offers opportunities for trekking. The hill is at about 1188 metres and is great for moderate trekking. Check out bmcindia.org/ events/ for more details. Cycling enthusiasts can register for cycling events at www.icycle. in The trails are not f o r beginners as they are level 3 trails. But you can check out level 1 trails meant for beginners.
When to go Two important festivals taking place at Devarayanadurga are the car festival during March/April and the Narasimha Jayanthi during May. How to get there The route to be followed is Bangalore-Nelamangala - Dabaspet - Devarayanadurga. When you reach Dabaspet you need to take a right under the flyover. After another 20 kilometers you reach Devarayanadurga. If you are planning to travel by bus then there are buses till Dabaspet from Majestic bus stand. From Dabaspet you will need to take an auto to reach the temple. Where to eat? En route to Devarayanadurga you get popular hotels like Kamat Ruchi and CafĂŠ Coffee day. The base of the hill also has shops selling tender coconut and light snacks like biscuits, cut fruits and salted cucumber. Usha Hariprasad is a freelance writer.
Pics: Usha Hariprasad
Vol-4 Issue-03 10 - 23 mar 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 17
last word
Avoid competition, listen to your child Once, when the older brat was two years old, I was visiting relatives in Delhi and came across a bubbly young lady who was thrilled at having won a very special gift hamper. It turned out that her son, also two, had just been judged ‘Best smile’’ baby in a Healthy Baby Competition he (or rather she) had participated in. My eyes had almost popped out of their sockets. Did such competitions still exist? Weren’t they rather regressive, pitting one baby over another purely on the basis of their looks and if I may add, chubbiness?
committed some parenting faux pas by letting him avoid it and not egging him on like the good mothers in Bournvita ads. Then I thought, he’s six. There will be enough competitions all throughout later in life. More importantly, I decided to change channels during the Bournvita ads.
I may have dismissed Mommy Best Smile and her competitive streak but did wonder for a split second if the boy would have made the cut. You see, competition is like that ad for Rin soap. You may not be a participant but you can’t help but wonder- Bhala uski kameez meri kameez se zyada safed kaise? Especially if you have children.
confessionS of a second time mom
Last week, the son’s Karate organisation had a competition. I kept him out of it as it fell on a day when we had prior engagements and mainly because he wasn’t much interested. But I also wondered if I had
Reshmi Chakraborty Jokes apart, there is something like ‘healthy competition’ also, but many people would call it an oxymoron. “A little amount of pressure is good,” says clinical psychologist Anupama Rajagopalan Shah, “It makes people want to do their best.” The trouble, Anupama thinks, arises when the pressure to excel becomes so much that kids end up compromising on their sleep, rest and free time. Anupama, who has two and half year old twin daughters of her own, feels competitions are best avoided
Pic: Wikimediacommons
18 CITIZEN MATTERS 10 - 23 mar 2012 Vol-4 Issue-03
until children are at least six. “As they grow older they understand that there is something happening in terms of group activity and they want to do well.” But what if your child is not ready? My friend Arshia Das had a tough time trying to convince her son to participate in a skating competition. “I thought he was good at it, and so did his coach. But he was just not interested as he had school projects to complete. Eventually, I let it be.” Anupama thinks children generally tend to say no but as a parent you need to explain and expose them to things as much as you can to see if they like that activity/competition or not. But she also warns parents against forcing a child who comes across as repeatedly disinterested or majorly upset about having to take part. Listen to your child, she says, especially once they are older and able to express themselves. Arshia agrees. “It took me some time to convince myself that my son is eight and knows his mind and to accept that. He completed his project and he’s ready to take part in the next skating competition once it comes up.”
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