Issue2

The Observer an iiJnm publication

Vol 17, Issue 2

haphazardly parked autorickshaws choke entrances to bengaluru’s govt hospitals | P 2

Tuesday,September 5, 2017

The Observer

@theweeklyobserver On the Web: www.issuu.com

authorities must see our difficulty, says captain of indian blind football team | P 2

5 families live by foul Vrishabhavathi have filth around; dogs, cats and rats for company Shiny Kirupa R shiny.k@iijnm.org

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ive families consisting of 22 people have lived in squalor near the polluted Vrishabhavathi river for eight years.

Away from the gaze of NGOs, and outside the ambit of government’s welfare schemes, they live in hovels, making a living from collecting plastic, tin, rubber and metal waste and selling it. Living in tents made out of rags, with dogs and cats for company, these families h0ave no electricity or drinking water. Mosquitoes and flies swarm around the muck-filled place, about a kilometer from the bustling Bangalore-Mysore high-

Observer exclusive way. Families including the elderly and toddlers endure stink from the river and garbage.

Living in the vicinity of polluted water makes people vulnerable to skin and respiratory diseases, say doctors.

Dr V. Srividya, epidemiologist and associate professor at the Rajarajeshwari Medical College, informed The Observer that

sub-human living: People make a living by collecting and selling garbage dumped on the banks of the vrishabhavathi | Photo: shiny Kirupa “dengue-causing aedes mosquitoes breed in wet waste, uncovered water containers, water from ACs and abandoned tyres”.

A study of disease patterns has shown that dengue is not confined to a particular set of people because all age groups are falling victim to it. “Dengue is common post-monsoon. It is not curable but preventable.”

The situation becomes precarious when it rains heavily. “We dread poisonous water snakes entering our homes. During floods, our tents get washed away, and then we all stay together in a single cemented room,” says 28-year-

old Krishna. He complains that officials have not constructed houses for them despite knowing their dire conditions.

“They come, enquire about us, click pictures and move on. Nothing has yet been done all these years,” says Koramma, a mother of four. Though they have Aadhar and ration cards, they do not get rice or sugar at subsidized rates, she adds.

The families earn Rs 10,000-Rs 20,000 a month selling waste dumped near their dwellings.

Dr Malatesh, a general physician at a clinic in the nearby village of Golahalli, says exposure to

contaminated water can cause skin allergies and rashes. Dr Bharat, who runs a clinic at Kumbalgodu, concurs. People living in such conditions are more prone to allergic contact dermatitis, a disease of the skin, he says.

Youths like Krishna do not get jobs in towns. “They look down upon us even before examining our capability to work. The moment they see our shabby clothes, they shoo us away like dogs,” he says. Occasionally, men go to work at construction sites at an hourly wage of Rs 60. On these days, they make up to Rs 600, while women segregate iron

pieces and sell them for Rs 200.

Another resident says they don’t have enough money for treatment when they fall ill.

“Regular inhalation of stench causes bronchitis and disease like eczema,” says Dr BN Thygaraj of Mahalakshmi Polyclinic, near Kumbalgodu. The residents should get antibiotic injections and eat food that strengthens the immune system, says Dr Malatesh.

The water of Vrishabhavathi contains untreated industrial effluents that have high levels of nitrate and lead which pose health threats to people residing near it.

Palike’s tender dilemma Filthy canal turns breeding extends wait for LED lamps ground for mosquitoes

Pracheta Panja pracheta.p@iijnm.org

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engaluru will have to wait long to get its streetlights replaced with LED lamps as the BBMP hasn’t made up its mind on whom it will award the contracts. About 200 contractors have applied.

The proposal to have 4.85 lakh streetlights replaced with LED lamps under public private participation is about four years old.

“The selected agency will design, build, operate and transfer,” says BBMP engineer-in-chief MR Venkatesh.

According to BBMP data,

only 15,263 LED lamps have been installed in the East and West Zones, RR Nagar and Mahadevapura.

The remaining work is pending because the BBMP has not awarded contracts.

Bengaluru has 3.89 lakh sodium vapor lamps of 250 watts. Each lamp has a life of about 10,000 hours whereas a 150-watt LED lamp can last approximately 50,000 hours. Replacing a sodium vapor lamp with an LED will reduce electricity cost by 60%.

Mayor G Padmavathi informed The Observer: “We will approve tenders according to BBMP norms.”

A BBMP executive engineer says: “This year, the money allotted for the outskirts are Rs 15 lakh per ward. For the core areas, it is Rs 10 lakh per ward. To monitor street lights, there is no control room. We propose to have one now.”

Energy Efficiency Service Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs, has proposed to work with the BBMP. EESL senior manager, Karnataka and Bangalore region, N Mohan said: “We made a presentation to BBMP on how the project can be implemented, but we have not received any information from them.”

Sreejani Bhattacharyya sreejani.b@iijnm.org

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he Sudhamanagar canal near Lalbagh Road has not been cleaned for two years, making it a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Ashok Kumar, a worker at Karnataka Switch Gears located beside the canal, says: “It is impossible to work here after 6pm as the mosquito count increases drastically.

Business is affected....”

Workers from nearby grill factories complain of health problems. Nirmal of Perfect Control Switch Gears, says: “I just recovered from fever and acute stomach upset. My co-workers have similar issues.”

The canal runs across an entire lane, with residences beside it. The water of the canal has turned black. Garbage from the canal spills on to the road, where stray

dogs, cats and rodents feed on it.

Corporator RV Yuvraj says: “It’s a storm water drain. Work to clean it will start after rain stops. I’ll ensure the place is properly cleaned and covered....”

The residents complain Yuvraj hasn’t done anything to have the canal cleaned.

Ravi, who has lived in the area for 40 years, says: “Whenever we complain, the canal and the garbage around it are cleaned superficially.”

Residents say the canal is cleaned in a super ficial manner |Photo: Sreejani Bhattacharya

CITY

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The Observer Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Haphazard parking chokes entrances to hospitals Autorickshaw drivers don’t take us seriously, says cop regulating traffic Rayan Mitra rayan.m@iijnm.org

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our major hospitals in Bengaluru city are having a tough time regulating vehicles outside their premises.

Traffic jams and illegal parking in front of the gates hinders the movement of ambulances at all the four major hospitals: Lady Curzon and Bowring Hospital, Victoria Hospital, Jayanagar General Hospital and Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health.

Observer special The problem is acute at Victoria and Bowring Hospitals, located in the congested Kalasipalyam and Shivajinagar areas respectively, with auto rickshaws parked haphazardly in front of the gates.

“The traffic policemen do not turn up for duty half the time which results in such a mess,” says Syed, a security guard of the Bowring Hospital”. Traffic police scold the guards if they try to chase auto rickshaw drivers away, he added..

The Observer found the entrances of these hospitals blocked with autorickshaws parked right under ‘No Parking’ signs.

On asking about the situation at the entrance of the Bowring Hospital, the traffic constable on duty informed The Observer: “I have booked nine auto drivers for parking in a no-parking zone.

What more can I do?”

Autorickshaw drivers don’t take him seriously when he instructs them to move away, but he tries his best. “Police are working,” he says.

The security guard claims that traffic policemen are bribed by auto rickshaw drivers to look the other way.

Asked which vehicle deserves to enter a hospital first, an autorickshaw driver said: “The ambulance of course, but I cannot change it alone. If I don’t serve passengers somebody else will.

You please talk to police.”

Rehman, an autorickshaw driver who operates in and around Jayanagar, says: “Five minutes does not make a difference. If police comes, we flee.”

These four hospitals are funded by the government and are provided full-time security by the Bengaluru police. The problem prevails despite security and traffic-management efforts.

The biggest of the hospitals, Bowring and Victoria, have been in existence for more than a cen-

Manikankana Sengupta manikankana.s@iijnm.org

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wenty families living at Ramayana Palya in Thagachaguppe village, off the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway, in one-room huts for the past 13 years after their houses were demolished have received eviction notices.

The families had spent Rs 50,000-Rs 70,000 each to build their homes. But within a few weeks of the construction,their houses were demolished, allegedly at the behest of Ramakrishna, a Congress functionary who has since passed away.

One of the residents, Zeenat says that in the past one year, they have received two eviction notices from the Karnataka High Court, the last one two months ago. The reason given is that a pond is to be dug in the area.

Though the residents have access to electricity and water, only one of the houses has a toilet.

Monira,who resides in one NO WAY: Ambulances have a difficulty entering and exiting Bowring (top left), Victoria (top right), IGICH (bottom left) and Jayanagar hospitals because autorickshaws block their gates | Photo: Rayan Mitra tury. Victoria Hospital is capable of accommodating 1,000 patients.

Bowring hospital is equipped with 886 beds and handles 1,000 to 1,200 patients daily.

The hospital in.Jayanagar has 400 beds, including 100 beds in emergency wards. The Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health has 300 beds.

Authorities must see our difficulty, says captain of blind football team We need jobs, good facilities and equipment to play,’ says Abhimanyu Askar, who teaches at the Karnataka Welfare Association for Blind. Blind players are struggling, but government is not doing enough, he says 23rd rank among 120 (teams). We can do much better if IBFF makes some effort for us and gives us resources to play more efficiently... we need special treatment....

Saket Tiwari saket.t@iijnm.org

Q: What do you do in an NGO after being captain of the Indian national blind football team?

I don’t know much other than playing football, and this is the basic reason to be here... The normal school won’t be able to hire me,, so I have to work here. I think that the IBFF (Indian Blind Football Federation) should take care of our livelihood....

Many players from sports like cricket and hockey, and even the film stars, get government jobs, but due to our disability, the government doesn’t look after us. I work here as a sports teacher for blind children in the hope of taking them ahead in life.

Q: What do you think about the future of football in India?

Q: Is IBFF, the governing authority for your sport, providing you what is necessary?

Captain Abhimanyu Askar Photo: Saket Tiwari Elsewhere, the sport has been there for 65 years, but in India, it started just four years ago. In four years, we have reached the

Hut dwellers receive their 2nd notice to vacate

No. I say this after having seen the ground situation. They are the authority to look after us, but they do not even provide us the equipment we need. Our game is different from the normal one; we need special equipment. To participate internationally, we need to play on world-class grounds, but there is no such thing....

Q:What is the difference between your game and the normal game?

A normal football team has 11 players in a side, but in our game, we have five. It’s called the “five-

a-side” format. Four of us are blind, but our goalkeeper has sight. We blind players have to wear blindfolds as per protocol, to avoid unfairness. A normal team has a ground which has a length of 90 metres, but we have 50metre grounds. Also, we have smaller goal post with a goal guide who navigates us towards the opponent’s goal. Our football has loose ball bearings inside the ball which make sound when the ball kicked. The ball is heavy.

Q: What events are upcoming for your team in the next one year?

We have an Asia Cup which will be held in Malaysia in December 2017. We plan to induct some new players for the event.

Excerpts from an interview with The Observer of Mr. Abhimanyu Askar about their livelihood and their struggle.

Residents live in huts amidst a densely forested area Photo: Manikankana Sengupta of the huts with her husband and two children, informed The Observer: “Lack of access to a toilet is a problem.”

The families have not lodged any police complaint due to fear of adverse consequences.

Zeenat says: “The residents approached the Golahalli Gram Panchayat but received no help.

MLA ST Somashekhar’s office, too, did not provide any assistance in spite of complaints. “ The residents are afraid to complain because they fear they will be forced to leave and they have no other place to go, Zeenat adds.

The Team EDITOR:Manasha Ganesan NEWS EDITOR: Pracheta Panja COPY EDITORS: Rayan Mitra Sreejani Bhattacharyya Manikankana Sengupta PAGE LAYOUT: Shiny Kirupa R Saket Tiwari SOCIAL MEDIA: Manashaa Ganesan Rayan Mitra