Citizen Matters JP Nagar-BTM-Jayanagar
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will the monsoon
catch bbmp napping? Page 11
6 BANA met 7 Meet Raghavendra Raju 7 All about bus passes 9 Umbrellas or raincoats?
10 No more free parking in Bangalore 12 Self Medication: Don’t 17 Who eats the bees? 18 Confessions of a second-time mom
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www.citizenmatters.in Vol-4 Issue-11
30June - 13July 2012
Citizen Matters Vol-4 Issue-11, 30June - 13July 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, #98/1, MMR Plaza 1st Floor, Sarjapur Main Road, Jakkasandra, Koramangala 1st Block, Bangalore 560034. Editor Subramaniam Vincent.
Donate Eyes, Gift Sight If you are considering donating your eyes or just wondering about how it all works, and want to know more, read on. What is Eye Donation?
Eye donation is donating or gifting the entire eye organ. This can be done only after death. No living person, under any circumstance can donate eyes. During one’s life, a donor pledges to donate his or her eyes. Eye donations help people suffering from corneal blindness. There are estimated 25 lakh people in India having this form of blindness, which happens due to corneal opacity.
What causes corneal blindness?
Corneal blindness can be caused by a variety of different reasons. They include: poor nutrition, Vitamin A deficiency, eye injuries, chemical injury, cracker bursts, eye lid paralysis, etc.
How to Donate
To donate, you can sign up with an eye bank. Inform your family when you do this. Get a certificate. Display the certificate at your home or workplace with pride and encourage others too. Act as a messenger of eye donation. Eye bank phone numbers are in the first few pages of your local phone directory. Shekar Nethralaya has a 24x7 service of eye banking. 080 26593210 (8am to 8pm) 9880637371 (24 Hrs)
Can someone pledge your eyes after death?
A living relative of the dead can also decide to donate the eyes of a person after she or he has expired. Pledging to donate an eye is an individual desire. Discussion in the family is usually desirable. When you come across death in known circles, you can initiate a discussion as a grievance counsellor for possible eye donation. The law permits eye donation if close relatives of the dead person agree for this. Some people believe that those who donate eyes will be blind in next birth. This is merely a myth, and needs to be overcome by education about eye donations. This will help more people take pledges. What happens donation?
Difference pledging
between
donation
and
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A living person pledges his/her eyes for donation while alive, and the eyes are donated after death.
Cornea preservation in Lab
Corneal storage examined in the lab. The cornea taken from the donor is used for grafting. There are hundreds of people on the waiting list. The eye hospital will call and treat the recipient in 1-2 days. To donate your eyes, email eyedonation@ shekarnethralaya.com.
during
After the donor passes away, a phone call is made to the eye bank. The personnel will reach in 2-3 hrs. The tissue removal process takes 5 to 10 minutes. There is no disfigurement or trauma to the dead body. The tissue is
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
Taking art to the public park and JP Nagar Dhanvantri Park - a travelling exhibition of award winning images from the Frames of My City contest held last year by Red Frames, a photography portal. Residents of the neighbourhood and regular visitors got a chance to see the works of amateur photographers from across India in a convenient location in walking distance, without having to visit any gallery! Some of us from Citizen Matters were there, along with Perumal Venkatesan, better known as Peevee, of Red Frames. It was a great chance to interact with our readers directly.
“A
bove all, life for a photographer cannot be a matter of indifference” - Robert Frank Citizen Matters had organised the first Art4Public event at BTM 2nd stage
“It’s a great opportunity to get exposed to some art and we welcome any such initiatives.The pictures are very good. Every image shows the city’s unique culture and thanks to the team for bringing in this exhibition, said Arpan, a resident of BTM Layout 2nd Stage.
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Preetham, JP Nagar resident added, “It’s a different way of connecting art with the public.” An elderly gentlemen however protested that these pictures represented the negative side of India and photographers should concentrate on progress and developing country. We feel it is the photographers’ prerogative. They cannot ignore reality. They capture what they see, which reflects our world as it is, the good, the bad, the ugly. On July 8th and 9th, the next events will be held at Koramangala and HSR Layouts parks. Details at www. citizenmatters.in/art4public. We hope to have more such events at the neighbourhood level that brings community together and benefits residents. We want to hear your thoughts on this. Mail us at edit@ citizenmatters.in.
Meera K
Vol-4 Issue-11 30June - 13July 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 5
jayanagar jp nagar & BTM
Bannerghatta residents associations meet to work together
O
n June 24th, the Bannerghatta Road Neighbourhood Association (BANA) organised ‘Connect’, a knowledgesharing seminar at Purva Panorama Apartments at Bannerghata Road. BANA is a federation formed by a group of RWAs of apartments and layouts in and around Bannerghatta Road. The founding members include resident associations of L&T South City, Purva Panorama, South Avenue Layout, Pride Regalia, Ajmera Green Acres, Vithola Apartments, Nandi Park, Mantri Woodlands, Esteem Enclave etc. The seminar was inaugurated by Bangalore South MLA M Krishnappa. Dr Harsha, DCP South East, launched BANA’s online portal (www.nammabana.in). Krishnappa promised
the residents his support to solve major issues they face. Gurudutt Rao, Vice President of BANA, Vivek Baliga, Joint Secretary, and Kedar Nayak, General Secretary introduced BANA and its vision: to unite the voice and action of residents of Bannerghatta Road on a common platform in governance through active participation in local issues, through ethical and morally upright means. The attendees listened with rapt attention to the talks on managing security, understanding issues related to solid waste, water and waste water, legal procedures related to RWA registrations, etc. Raja Sekhar Kommu, Director of Apna Complex, an apartment management software company, explained how technology or e-governance can help make the work of an RWA easier. Nagesh explained the issues related to STP operation and KSPCB procedures. Meera K, co-founder, Citizen Matters talked about various community initiatives like lake rejuvenation, and neighbourhood planning. Akshay Yadav from Janaagraha introduced their portal, ichangemycity.in. The session concluded with Suneet Kumar V P of L&T South City explaining the importance of apartment associations registering under the KAOA act.
Newsdesk
BANA office bearers at the meeting. Prem Sarkar, Shankar Bharadwaj, Kedar Nayak, Vivek Baliga. Pic: Sankar C G.
Happy Birthday Nishka!
N
ishka Jain, a resident of Brigade Millennium apartments recently turned six and to celebrate her birthday, she and a dozen of her friends, spent the evening at Puttenahalli Lake.
Citizen Reports
They learnt the names of some of the birds and plants and heard a story on the importance of lakes and why we should work towards preserving them. We hope, it was an
enlightening hour for the children that they will long remember. Arathi Manay Yajaman is a trustee of PNLIT.
The lake tour was a part of the birthday party schedule and the little girls were thrilled at being outdoors during a party. Nupur Jain, Nishka’s mother, felt the children would be excited to see the birds as most of them had not seen the lake. The children took a long walk around the lake, spotting the birds in the water, on trees and in the sky. They saw families of coots and whistling ducks, The “blue bird” in the shallow waters (the Purple Swamphen) was a major attraction. 6 CITIZEN MATTERS 30June - 13July 2012 Vol-4 Issue-11
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Playing to build teams A
gaming environment is gradually improving.
n engineer by profession, 35-year-old Raghavendra Raju, calls himself an absolute Bangalorean who has lived across the city and knows it well. He now lives in JP Nagar. He is currently heading the marketing team at Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), Bangalore.
Excerpts from the interview.
How do you think the Bangalore based companies fare when it comes to team building? A lot of corporate companies have seen the benefits of this team building exercise; the learning is a part of the game. So while having fun, you learn a lot. It shows you how to manage resources, how to build leadership skills as well as work as a team.
Pic:Raghavendra Raju
Raju brought paintball gaming to India with his venture Yuyutsa. Later, he sold the business, and joined another startup as part of their marketing team.
What are your thoughts on team building activities?
Bangalore has become the paintball capital of India. Do you think there are enough arenas and coaches for the game? Nimma Not yet! There is enough neighbour potential but the main constraint here is space. You cannot have anything inside the city and space is expensive. At the same time, travelling so far for this
local matters
is also a challenge. Paintball even today is a very expensive sport across the world. So it’s going to take some time. But with the growing number of arenas and rising popularity of the game, the
It is absolutely important. We should believe, individually we can achieve something, but together we can achieve something extraordinary. That is very important. And in today’s life, everybody is focused on I, me and myself. So when you have such activities, you get to know the person sitting right next to you.
Anisha Nair
All about BMTC bus passes
W
ith soaring fuel prices, travelling by bus is a good option. Day passes, monthly passes and yearly passes, BMTC hasn’t made it too simple!
Vajra and A/C Suvarna Daily Pass Vajra Gold Day Pass: `90 - valid for travel on all services except Vayu Vajra & Bangalore Rounds A/c Suvarna Day Pass `50 - valid for travel on all services except Vajra, Vayu Vajra and Bangalore Rounds
Vajra monthly pass Vajra Monthly Gold Pass: `1450 (Requires a BMTC ID. ID can be procured at KBS for `100. Need a stamp size photograph, and id proof like Pan card, DL, Voters ID, Passport or Govt Employee ID. Vajra Monthly Student Pass: `950 (Requires college/Institution ID validation) Vajra Monthly Pass Holders can travel on all services except Vayu Vajra and Bangalore Rounds
Vayu Vajra monthly pass
Special Passes
Vayu Vajra Gold Monthly Pass: `2650. Valid for travel on all services
BMTC honours KSRTC issued special passes. Blind pass: Free. Physically Challenged pass: `550 per annum.
Ordinary monthly pass City pass: `550. Unlimited travel in all non-A/C services within city limit for one month. Suburban/Pushpak/Suvarna passes: `725. Unlimited travel in city, suburban and Pushpak/Suvarna services for one month.
Senior citizens monthly pass City: `495. Unlimited travel in all non -AC services within city limit for one month. Suburban/Pushpak/Suvarna: `650. Unlimited travel in all City, Suburban and Pushpak/Suvarna services for one month.
Day pass `40 (permitted to travel in BMTC’s city, Suburban, Pushpak/Suvarna services for one day) in possession of ID card.The cost is `45 if you don’t possess ID card.
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Student pass a) Primary/secondary students: `70 for a period of 10 months. b) Higher secondary school students: Boys: `770, Girls: `595, for a period of 10 months. c) College students (including PUC, Degree & Professional): `620 (5 months), `1170 (10 months), `1390 (12 months) d) Tech/Medical Students `770 (5 months), `1470 (10 months), `1750 (12 months) e) Professional Courses (ITI, Diploma, Nursing, B.Ed, D.Ed etc) `745 (6 months), `1420 (20 months) f ) Evening college students `770 (10 months), `1470 (10 months), `1750 (12 months). Student pass not applicable for Vayu, Vayu Vajra and A/C bus services.
Vol-4 Issue-11 30June - 13July 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 7
check outs Craving for authentic Italian cuisine today? A date, family gathering, friends outing or a formal office meet, Chianti in Koramangala, caters to the foodie in you.
B uo
o t i t e n A pp
Enter and you are greeted by a waiter who will assist you throughout your journey from the Zuppa (soup) to the Dolci (dessert). The attention you will get from the waiters will definitely make you feel special. Ten points for service. Delicious Bruschetta appetiser, the Italian way! You will find an instruction leaflet on your table. Don’t worry, It’s the instruction to dress your own Bruschetta (toast). Delicately rub garlic, basil leaf and cherry tomato on your toast. Then add salt and pepper to taste, pour olive oil to your heart’s content and, tadaaa! Your yummy Bruschetta is ready. Next, you get a bread basket with butter and sweet paprika dip to accompany your soup. A variety of veg and non-veg pastas to choose from the main course. Spinach flavoured Gnocchi di Patate served with cheese sauce, just melts in your mouth. Pollo en Salsa di Vino or chicken breast in white wine sauce with potato and
vegetables with capers and lemon if you are a meat lover.
Fresh Tiramisu made from coffee flavoured liqueur, cheese and egg yolk, will be a perfect ending to your lavish meal. Average cost for two is Rs 1000 (without alcohol). Alcohol is served here. 12, 5th A Block, Koramangala. Ph: 41132021
A place for vegetarianos Vegetarian delights! Eurasia Pasta and Barbeque in Jayanagar would be one of the best choices if you want variety, the vegetarian way. A plethora of starters to choose from. Tortilla chips with salsa, cheese corn balls, Crostini Vesuvio, Hummus and Mutabal with Pita bread, garlic bread and more. Well! This is just the beginning. Thin crust pizzas are the highlight here. Nawabi, Tabasco, Indian and the pizza list goes on. Live pasta counter with veggies of your choice is the USP. Mushrooms, garlic, broccoli, capsicum, jalapenos, olives and much more that can go along with your
8 CITIZEN MATTERS 30June - 13July 2012 Vol-4 Issue-11
penne or fusilli pasta. When it is time for some dessert, you will have to struggle a bit to make room for it. A wide range of desserts are spread across the table. Mango and strawberry cheese cake, fruit salad, brownies and more. You will surely be tempted to have a bite of each of them. So do not resist. Go and indulge in a sinful meal and pamper yourself with a buffet or pick your choice from a-la-carte. Average cost for two is Rs 1200. (without alcohol). Alcohol is served here. 12, 32nd Cross, Near Bangalore International Academy, 7th Block, Jayanagar. Ph: 22452202
Anisha Nair
anisha@citizenmatters.in
Citizen Matters reviews the restaurants anonymously and pays for the meals.
Eshanya, a new restaurant in Jayanagar, is a big no-no. Negative marks for hospitality. A beautiful rooftop ambience with an ample view of the city, can certainly not satisfy your hunger pangs. The ‘Rambo’ soup (as the waiters pronounce it), which is supposedly a rainbow soup, fails to grab attention. The half-cooked, literally raw rice is served for main course. Not to forget the awful pastry for dessert. All-in-all, it provides a below average service.
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Check outs
Pics: Padmalatha Ravi, Anisha Nair.
shifted more towards using jackets and umbrellas than using raincoats. But for children, raincoats are still the first choice.” Transparent raincoats with prints, and colourful raincoats with flower prints are popular.
Gear up for monsoon With the delay in onset of Monsoon in the city, you have more time to fill your wardrobe with monsoon gear. So what’s on the list? Umbrellas, raincoats, jackets, caps and the list is on. So let’s begin.
W
ith the delay in onset of monsoon in the city, you have more time to fill your wardrobe with monsoon gear. So what is on the list? Umbrellas, raincoats, jackets, caps, and the list is on. So let’s begin. Those plain, monotonous, blackcoloured umbrellas are passe. The bright reds, purple, blue and pink umbrellas with
prints are the in-thing. A plethora of designs and colours are available in the market to choose from. Polkadotted umbrellas have become a huge hit after the movie ‘3 idiots’. Who says umbrellas are used only to save yourself from drenching? It is a fashion statement too. Flaunt the coolest of umbrellas! And this is not just for grown ups, children have cool options too. Funky cartoonprinted ones are popular among tiny tots. How can we forget the super cool rain jackets? Multipurpose jackets that shield us from cold winds as well as rains are popular. Beige, grey and black are the popular colour choices. And the best part is, these jackets are unisex. Raincoats! Classic and evergreen. A manager of one of the leading stores says, “People have
If you grew up in the 80s then ‘Sandak’ was the only footwear for rainy season. Not the case today. Plastic or rubber Ballerinas or rubber slippers or sandals are most preferred when it comes to walking in the rains. For children, cute little colourful plastic sandals are all over the market. And here, definitely the choice of design and colour differs for boys and girls. Boots are another fashion for children. And Crocs, anyone can flaunt them in any season! There are also accessories like caps and waterproof bags in the market. So get your shopping bags out and get shopping before it starts to pour! Bangalore Central Mall, 9th Block, Jayanagar. Jayanagar Shopping complex, 4th Block, Jayanagar. Gopalan Innovative Mall, 3rd Phase, Bannerghatta Road, JP nagar
Anisha Nair
anisha@citizenmatters.in
Pics: TheBombayStore.com
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Vol-4 Issue-11 30June - 13July 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 9
Pic: Navya PK
exclusive
No more free parking Though watered down, the new parking policy does seem set to streamline the process.
I
n its March meeting, BBMP Council approved a new parking policy which would allow BBMP to collect parking fee from citizens. As per this policy, parking will be charged across the city, and parking lots will be set up in all areas. The policy aims to encourage public transport and reduce land use for parking. BBMP is now waiting for a study commissioned by state government’s DULT (Department of Urban Land Transport). This study will look at public transport and existing parking availability, identify parking demand and also areas where parking lots can be set up. DULT has commissioned the study to a consultancy named TTIC (Traffic and Transport Institute and Consultancy) and expects the study to be completed in eight months. “BBMP can just start off with nominal charges for parking rightaway. BBMP has also asked our help in framing the bye-laws to implement the policy,” says a senior official of DULT, on condition of anonymity. Basavaraj Kabade, Executive Engineer at BBMP’s Traffic Engineering Cell, says that parking fee will be charged in CBD (Central Business District) areas initially. “Once DULT frames bye-laws, we will make recommendations. It will
some of the provisions approved by Council Parking will not be free both on street and off street (vacant plots, basement parking, multi-level car parking (MLCP) etc). Parking lots with parking meters, sign boards and safety standards will be set up across the city. Fee will depend on reason for parking, duration of parking, land price etc. (for eg., rates for on-street parking will be higher compared to off-street parking) Park and ride facility will be set up at main transport hubs. Create MLCPs. then be sent to the Council and then state government, for approval. We may start implementation within the next six months,” he adds. The draft policy, which BBMP Council had partly approved, was made by DULT. The draft had stringent provisions, many of which were rejected by BBMP Council. For instance, the provision that parking fee during peak hours should be higher than that during non-peak hours, was not approved. DULT had also suggested differential pricing for A, B and C zones which
10 CITIZEN MATTERS 30June - 13July 2012 Vol-4 Issue-11
In areas, where parking demand is high and public transport coverage is good, pricing will be on hourly basis. In other areas, it can be a monthly rental. On-street parking will be allowed for short durations only. Heavy vehicles cannot park on roads. Penalty for illegal parking will be increased. Auto stands will be set up near parking lots and these will operate within fixed timings. Cycle racks will be set up near parks and playgrounds. are defined as per Revised Master Plan (RMP-2015). According to RMP, ‘A’ zone comprises areas within inner ring road, ‘B’ zone has areas between inner and outer ring roads, and ‘C’ zones comprise areas beyond outer ring road. While A zone has the most frequent public transport, C has the least; hence the idea that the parking controls and rates should be higher in A, and lesser in B and C zones. The idea of differential parking has been trashed for now.
Navya P K
navya@citizenmatters.in
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cm special
Is BBMP ready for monsoons? Practically all roads have been dug up for either laying BWSSB pipes or for building new flyovers. Will BBMP re-lay the roads in time?
Left: Digging at Bismillah Nagar, near BTM Layout. Pic: Abhishek Angad. Below: Cauvery pipeline work at Jakkasandra. Pic: Anisha Nair. Cover: Gangotri Circle bear BTM I Stage. Pic: Abhishek Angad
make sure there are no floods by taking up complaints and working on those immediately.” However, in spite of some work done, residents feel that the tarred road will not even sustain one monsoon season.
I
n the last few years, a large part of the city’s low lying areas were affected by flash floods, due to heavy and continuous rains. The RWA members of these areas have been trying hard to get BBMP and BWSSB to fix these issues. This year practically all roads have been dug up for either laying BWSSB pipes or for new flyovers. Will BBMP re-lay the roads in time? BBMP has taken up desilting the Storm Water Drains (SWD) in the three valleys Koramangala-Challaghatta, Hebbal and Vrishabhavati, to ensure proper flow of rainwater. They have also appointed officers to keep track of complaints. Areas like Koramangala, JP nagar, Jayanagar and BTM layout are among the low lying areas in Bangalore prone to flooding.
Residents not confident of BBMP’s preparedness
N Mukund, RWA member from Jayanagar 5th Block, feels that places like Gurappanapalya are always flooded during monsoons. He adds, “Every year, there is some noise in council over preparation to tackle monsoon but there’s no solution.”
BBMP has divided the city into eight zones - East, West, South, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Bommanahalli, Yelahanka, Dasarahalli and Mahadevapura. Each zone is looked after by a Joint Commissioner and Chief Engineers. Executive Engineers look after sub-divisions. Areas that flood at 60 mm rainfall have been identified as floodprone. BBMP PRO Khandre says “We have established control rooms at such places and appointed people who will immediately call our control rooms in case of emergency.”
Many places in Jayanagar, JP Nagar and BTM Layout have been dug up. BBMP PRO S S Khandre says, “We have issued a circular to the concerned engineers and have asked them to cover up the roads as much and wherever possible. For the remaining places, we will Got feedback on our articles? Give us a missed call at 080-300 88 615
Ravishankar P V, Vicepresident- JPNCA, complains that 14th Main beside VET College floods every time. He says, “Lot of garbage including plastic, gunny bags, etc, get stuck in the pipe and water overflows on the road.”
BBMP is confident Last year, a budget of 40 crore rupees was sanctioned for the desilting of four valleys. This year, no specific budget will be allocated to it. There is also no specific budget allocation for other ongoing work like road asphalting, pothole filling, etc. Khandre is however confident that the steps taken will be sufficient to keep the areas flood free.
Anisha NAir abhishek angad Vol-4 Issue-11 30June - 13July 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 11
for your Info
Self medication or self harm?
“H
ave a headache?” Take Anacin. “Have loose motions?” Take Norflox or Flagyll. I am sure all of us have witnessed this conversation sometime or the other. People self prescribe antibiotics, and even steroids. TV and media advertising support this trend. How many of us realise that this can be dangerous? Do we know that Aspirin (in Anacin) can lead to life-threatening bleeding from stomach? I have faced this emergency as a surgeon, and finally we had to remove a part of the stomach to save the patient’s life.
Pic: Wikimedia Commons
The world is full of first aid boxes containing drugs that can be harmful if taken unsupervised. It cannot replace a doctor’s advice.
of first aid boxes containing these drugs. This article is not against first aid. This is just to remind that first aid means taking medication before proper medical consultation is made available. It is not in lieu of medical consultation.
Dangers of self-medication
Combination preparations contain ‘hidden’ classes of health matters drug. Hidden classes are drugs Col (Retd.) Dr Mukul Saxena that normally people may not use for self medication, like Aspirin when given to children steroids. Similarly combinations with viral illness can precipitate a contain drugs like Nimuselide, potentially fatal condition called which are banned. Reye’s syndrome. Do we know, that Flagyll, commonly taken for Antibiotics are widely and often loose motion, if taken along with inappropriately used. Potentially alcohol, can lead to very distressing dangerous drugs are taken for symptoms? How many of us are trivial or bizarre indications. Banned aware that in infants less than a year drugs and food supplements and old, all cough syrups are dangerous? tonics of dubious nutritional and Yet, self-medication continues to be encouraged. The world is full
pharmacological value are also very dangerous.
Home remedies to manage pests
I
n this fourth and last part, we will look at some simple home solutions to manage pests in your garden.
It is believed that sprinkling baking soda lightly on the soil around tomato plants sweetens tomatoes by lowering their acidity and discourages pests. Add 1 tsp baking soda to 1/3 cup cooking oil. Take 2 tsp of this and combine with one cup water and fill the plant sprayer. This should be effective against aphids, spider mites and white flies. A mixture of 50g each of chilli, ginger, garlic onion and pepper (any three) should be ground and mixed with 150ml water. Add 350ml water more and filter it. Dilute this with one litre of water and spray on plants. Interplanting marigold is one of the best forms of biological control in an organic garden.
To repel chewing and leaf cutting insects, marigold spray is useful. Soak one cup of mashed marigold leaves and flowers in half a litre of water for 24 hours and strain. Dilute this with another 1.5 litre of water and add 5ml of liquid soap (like soapnut solution).
pods, extract the filtrate and make a 5% solution.
For aphids and mites a 5% spray of chilli, For fungal diseases like mildews, garlic, ginger (50g together) leaf spots and stem and root rots, would work well. Repeat every 10-15 use sweet flag/baje rhizomes extract days. 5% spray. Powder it, soak 50g of it overnight, take the filtrate and add Neem seed extract solution water to get the volume to 1 litre and can be used for mealy bugs, aphids, spray well on the plants. Repeat after thrips, beetles and 10 days especially caterpillars. Chlorophyll conversations during humid vinita suryanarayanan A rule of thumb seasons. Sweet is to first test any flag is available new spray on a leaf, before applying it in granthige angadis. Tobacco leaf on the whole plant; to ensure it does solution is also said to be effective not cause any further damage to the against fungal infections. plant. A similar spray of shikakai can be used against mealybugs. Soak the
12 CITIZEN MATTERS 30June - 13July 2012 Vol-4 Issue-11
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EDITORIAL
Bangalore’s own interactive newsmagazine
Citizen Matters edit@citizenmatters.in Associate Editor Padmalatha Ravi Community Editor Meera K Editor Subramaniam Vincent Staff Journalists Abhishek Angad Anisha Nair Navya P K Sankar C G Design & Publishing Shivakeshava M Sub-editor (New media) Nagashree Gururaj MKTG/CIRCULATION Raghavendra 9845506477 circulation@oorvani.in mktg@oorvani.in ADVT SALES Ramachandran P 080-30088614 (leave missed call) adsales@oorvani.in ©Oorvani Media Pvt Ltd. No part of this publication can be reproduced without the permission of the publisher.
contact@oorvani.in Ph: 080 — 41737584 Longer versions of all articles are available online. Citizen Matters is published by Oorvani Media Pvt Ltd to chronicle current affairs of India’s cities, in depth, with a focus on governance, community and culture. More at: citizenmatters.in/main/about. Editors note: The advertisement features in this issue are paid-for articles. They are presented by the advertiser to readers for information and promotion. No journalists were involved in preparing them. www.citizenmatters.in, feedback@ citizenmatters.in facebook.com/citizenmatters twitter.com/citizenmatters
Cover credits: Abhishek Angad
How do you get the magazine fortnightly? If the delivery is irregular, SMS irregular <your name, street, area> to Raghavendra at 98455 06477
Residents’ associations, follow the leaders!
T
o the casual observer, it may appear that Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs) in the city often work in silos; they are not often effective and find it tough to tackle larger issues. This may even be true. However, over the past decade, Bangalore has been seeing more residents’ activism. Together, they tell a story of change. For instance, more RWAs are now teaming up to form federations. The newest kid on the block is Bannerghatta Road Neighbourhoods Assocation or BANA. RWAs usually focus on basic civic issues like non-pickup of garbage, street lights, and the occasional cultural activities for their individual micro areas. Federations help RWAs take on larger and policy issues across the local region itself. The Koramangala Initiative and Forward 150 (Bellandur Ward federation) have already done valuable service as support
networks. The JP Nagar VII and VIII phase federation is notable for its work on Akrama Sakrama. A stellar example from this week is the work of Citizens Action Forum (CAF). CAF has teamed up with the Namma Bengaluru Foundation to send a consolidated set of inputs to the BDA on revising the city’s master plan. They demand that BDA develop a clear vision for the city and seek a consensus on that before getting into a detailed revision. See article on page 6 in this issue. All of this is good. However, the examples are still few and far between. More and more RWAs need to form federations. The need of the hour is that more associations get together to constructively engage the government on planning and neighbourhood improvement initiatives like lake rejuvenation.
Meera K
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Penniless and powerless, BBMP action-replays the budget
O
n June 28th, the city council met for its monthly session to approve the budget. Turns out the proceedings had nothing to show that the city was getting financially healthy again. Last year, BBMP had projected over Rs 9000 crores of expenditure largely predicated on state government grants, which it never eventually received. It ended up collecting a mere Rs 3934 crores. This year again the council has projected nearly Rs 9500 crores with the same gaping hole in receipts. It is pretty clear to anyone closely observing the local government process in Bangalore that both the state government and city council are merely going through the motions. For instance, BBMP does not get approvals for state government grants it projects before the budget. It merely requests for grants after finishing its budget exercise and then later in the year throws up its
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hands saying, the state government has not made out grants! Last year, months after the budget, the state government issued a letter to BBMP to stop its works since there was no money. Talk of grants requested were conspicuously absent. This week, in passing another similar paper budget, BBMP has shown again that its projections of total cash inflow are mere statements of intent. The only revenue BBMP controls are property taxes, advertisement fees, and a few cesses. Akrama Sakrama penalty revenues have now been forgotten. This is why the budget has a hole, year after year. The bigger culprit is the state government. And this is a long story we have told several times in this newsmagazine. As long as Vidhana Soudha - through BDA, BWSSB and BMRDA - controls the real Bangalore, BBMP remains a crippled puppet at best.
Subramaniam Vincent
edit@citizenmatters.in
Vol-4 Issue-11 30June - 13July 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 13
Ignorance of school bus rules put kids at risk M
any school bus drivers drive dangerously, disregarding rules and safety guidelines. It may not always be possible for parents to accompany their child to school everyday. But I do not believe there is any valid reason for parents not putting their foot down against such risky transport options. Do these bus drivers even realise that they are putting the lives of these children in danger by jumping the median? Another big question is: Do the parents know this? The problem stems from the fact that we are apathetic to pretty much everything. After all, these transport options exist, only because parents utilise them. When we call the waiter and demand a replacement of a dish that we ordered, because we found a strand of hair in it, why can we not make similar demands here.
Supreme court guidelines on school buses ‘School Bus’ must be prominently written/displayed on the front and back of every vehicle carrying school children. If the vehicle is a hired bus, ‘On school duty’ should be prominently displayed. No bus belonging to an educational institution should carry children in excess of its permitted seating capacity. School bus must have a first aid box. Windows of the school bus must be fitted with horizontal grills/bars. Every school bus needs to be equipped with fire extinguisher. Every driver of a school bus must have a minimum of five years of experience in driving heavy vehicles and must not have any previous record of traffic offences. In addition to driver, there must be a qualified person in every school bus as provided in Rule 17 of Motor Vehicles Rules. There should be an escort from the school, preferably a teacher, in the bus to ensure safety. do we allow ourselves to be taken for a ride? Change has to come from within.
rolled on its side down the road near Attibele on Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border in December 2010
I am sure we do not want more incidents Citizen like what happened Reports with Abhilash, a Isn’t the safety of 13-year-old schoolboy, our children more who was killed when important than a strand of hair? Why his school bus rammed a tree and
Let us stop thinking ‘It will not happen to us’ and start thinking ‘We will not allow anything like this to happen to our children’
14 CITIZEN MATTERS 30June - 13July 2012 Vol-4 Issue-11
Rengarajan Balasundaram is a resident of Avalahalli, Old Madras Road.
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see & do Films
French Film Festival Alliance Française de Bangalore P.B. 108, Thimmaiah Road Vasanthanagar | Fri 29 Jun, 7pm to Sun 01 Jul, 7pm Suchitra Short Fiction Film Festival Suchitra 36, B V Karanth Road, 9th Main, Banashankari II Stage | Sat 07 Jul, 11 am to Sun 08 Jul
City Life
Social media day Events include get together of Instagram enthusiasts and interactive activities like quiz. Celebrations at Herbs & Spice and Manchester United. Sat 30 Jun. See facebook. com/thegraffiti.co
Education
Introduction to the Practical philosophy first level course For more details: 9900777447 / 080-4206 5280 New Acropolis Bangalore, #203 HM Studios, 67
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Arts & Culture
Art4Public event: Frames of My City Citizen Matters & RedFrames present award winning photographs at BBMP parks at Koramangala and HSR Layouts. 7-8 July. Details at www.citizenmatters.in/ art4public or call 98867 54908. Book release Kannada translation of ‘Everybody Loves A Good Drought’-translated into Kannada by G N Mohan. Author P Sainath will be present. Gandhi Bhavan, Kumarakrupa road | Sun 01 Jul, 10:00 am Anekal K Ramaswamy Iyengar Memorial musical Concerts Ananya Sabhangana, 4th Main, Malleswara, | Sat 30 Jun, 5:30 pm to Sun 01 Jul 12am
The Urban Day at Urban Mela
The critical urban talk series, under the banner of the year of Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities, on design of urban development in India and Bangalore. Session ‘Our public sphere’ will be moderated by Padmalatha ravi, Associate Editor, Citizen Matters. ‘Our house’ will discuss housing on the background of 24 million missing housing units in India, moderated by Subramaniam Vincent, Citizen Matters. Palace Grounds, Sun 01 Jul, 11am to 4pm 16 CITIZEN MATTERS 30June - 13July 2012 Vol-4 Issue-11
Reuse-Recycle Mela Furniture to Frames, Books to Bottles, Clothes to Carpets, Chairs to China wares: A flea market to buy and sell used goods, upcycled and recycled items! Donate old clothes, books and toys to NGOs. Get ideas for sustainable living. Brought to you by Citizen Matters and Second to None. 15 Jul, AICOBO Grounds, BTM Layout.Ph: 98867 54908.
Workshops Antenatal Workshop for Pregnant Women and Women Planning Pregnancy Know more about practising Yoga during pregnancy to improve your stamina and flexibility. Ph no: 9632155102 Saplings Preschool, 601, 6th Phase, J P Nagar, Sun 15 Jul, 10am to 1pm Free science demo classes Organised by ScienceUtsav for kids aged 7 to 14 years. Learn science with fun filled science experiments and Hands-on activities. ScienceUtsav, #627, 1st floor, 1st B main road, 7th block, Jayanagar (W), Near Yediyurkere, Behind Srushti hospital, www.scienceutsav. com Ph: 9945313269 SAFE FOOD MELA Tasty organic foods and snacks to buy and eat, traditional rices and millet foods, fresh greens and mangoes. Ph: 7483088144 Sat 30 Jun, 10am - Sun 1 Jul 7pm Dr. Marigowda Memorial Hall, Lalbagh Monsoon Mini Malnad Mela Collection of traditional, open pollinated and
organic seeds. For more details: 9480299200, 9972665616 Rest House Road, Indira Nagar and Vyalikaval. | Sat 30 Jun, 10:30am to Mon 02 Jul 6pm
Theatre
Rangashankara Plays 1 Sun, Galileo (E), 125 mins (also at 3.30 pm on Sat & Sun) 3 Tue, 4 Wed Tejaswi Parisara Loka (K), 120 mins 5 Thu, 6 Fri Tadroopi (K), 90 mins 7 Sat, 8 Sun Neenaanaadre naaneenena? (K), 110 mins (also at 3.30 pm on Sun) 10 Tue, Purahara (K), 90 mins 11 Wed, Prameelarjuniyam (K), 120 mins 12 Thu, Anabhigna Shakuntala (K), 100 mins 13 Fri, 14 Sat, Silence (E), 90 mins 15 Sun, Anabhigna Shakuntala (K), 100 mins (also at 3.30 pm) Rangashankara, 8th Cross, Nt To Post Off, JP Nagar, Phase II, Ph: 2649 3982
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Features
Following food chain Bee devours the nectar while plants use it for pollination. Do you know who eats the bees?
Lark with grasshopper. Pic: Deepa Mohan
W
e all know the delight of having good food to eat when we are hungry; it must be the same for the other creatures who share our living spaces. Nature provides such a variety in the food for her various children. The food chain generally ensures that each type of creature makes another its food, and in its turn, becomes food, too. You can see, in this photo, the bees buzzing around the stamens of the
Nature Feature
Deepa Mohan
flower. At the base of the stamen is the nectar that is their food, and while they get that, the plant gets its work of propagation done by the dusting of pollen on the insects’ bodies. Sometimes these meals are eaten literally in the air. See this Purple-rumped Sunbird feeding on the flowers, while hovering in the air! But the insects, in turn, are prey for other creatures, like monkeys or birds. Here’s a Rufous-tailed Lark that I shot i n the outskirts of the city, making a meal of a grasshopper. The
birds, too, are eyed with hunger by larger animals, or birds of prey, like the Black Kite or the Shikra, in our skies. Very often, even crows will raid the nests of other birds, a n d Bees on a flower. pick off young Pic: Deepa Mohan nestlings, or even attack and eat a smaller bird. Human beings are supposed to be at the “top” of the food chain, in that we are not (well, at least in the city!) killed and eaten by predators. We are omnivores, that is, we can eat anything. And to our knowledge, other species of animals do not have the ability to cook, season or spice their food before eating it. Other creatures in Nature eat their food raw; we too do it sometimes, with salads and fruits. But the majority of our food is cooked. So the next time you look at a bird, butterfly, or a street dog, think about what it is eating and how it is surviving in our urban environment. Our urban wildlife has adapted itself to life around human beings, and often feeds on the trash and remains that we throw away or waste. The squirrel in Lalbagh that runs for your peanuts as interested in its breakfast as you are in going to the nearest Darshini for your idlis!
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Vol-4 Issue-11 30June - 13July 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 17
last word
Parenting Desi Style Attachment parenting is what comes to us naturally, we just didn’t know the name for it until now. No wonder our Hindi movies are full of references to Maa ka anchal/maa ka pallu and so on.
children for extended periods of time, let the baby sleep in close contact with them and usually carry the baby in close contact in a sling (stylishly termed babywearing). Now that’s something we do all the time right? At home or at work, in the gym or the temple, in the mall
G
o on Google and parenting terms hit you faster than a screaming toddler launching himself at mom, in supersonic speed. But the one that always gets me worried that I belong to the Neanderthal era and cracks me up at the same time has to be the much used and abused term called ‘Attachment parenting.’ Coined by Dr William Sears who wrote a plethora of baby books, it’s one of those terms that certainly doesn’t apply to India. In fact the good American doctor was definitely not thinking of us when he coined it because in India we are always attached to our child. As described by Dr Sears, ‘attachment parenting’ is a theory that suggests a stronger emotional bond between parent and child. Followers of this theory usually continue breastfeeding their
confessionS of a second time mom
Reshmi Chakraborty or a crowded bazaar, we are ALWAYS lugging baby around, either in our arms or in a sling or in a pram or depending on the place (definitely not a crowded bazaar), the said child is tagging along holding on to your hand or dupatta or purse or whatever appendage he can find. If you are lucky enough to leave the child behind with someone trustworthy at home, you’re sure to encounter a friend or neighbour in the lift or the parking lot who will express great surprise and disappointment at seeing you alone and being denied the pleasure of pulling the
Pic: Reshmi Chakraborty
cuddly-thing’s cheek. No wonder our Hindi movies are full of references to maa ka anchal/ maa ka pallu and so on. All the script writers and lyricists must have done a fair bit of toddling, holding on to some part of their mom’s sari. Attachment parenting is what comes to us naturally, we just didn’t know the name for it until now. Well our generation of mommies probably do know, but our mothers, mercifully did not. In fact it’s quite like ‘co-sleeping,’ which has the Western world of parents divided. While one group seems to believe it could put infants at risk of suffocation and strangulation, the other feels it helps babies fall asleep faster and increases the bond between child and parents. While many of us here put a newborn in his own cot, but in the same room (with the cot dragged as close to bed as you can if you are me), co-sleeping is an issue that doesn’t seem to bother us much. Probably because all of us grew up co-sleeping, as babies at least. Or as one mother puts it, at least until the child is around 5 or 6 years of age, when he seems to develop arms and legs that start shooting off in every direction, turning the bed into a football field. Ask me, I’ve been trying to get the older one to move to his own room for over a year now without much success. We do have some western ideas to be thankful for. Car seats are one of the best examples. Or highchairs. If you have or are using them, I’m sure you can vouch for the usability and safety, despite the daadis and naanis tut-tutting everytime junior is strapped in. Who knows, maybe 20 years down the line, I’ll tut tut as my son looks through babycare books, and decides not to follow ‘attachment parenting.’
18 CITIZEN MATTERS 30June - 13July 2012 Vol-4 Issue-11
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