The Observer An IIJNM publication
Complaints of phishing with police are on the rise in Bengaluru | P 2
Vol 18, Issue 3
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Anuradha Sriram
Troubled waste pickers at the Jayanagar Center. Credit Anuradha Sriram
Vinay Swaminathan, executive engineer, solid waste management, BBMP, said: “These workers recently joined work in the hope that they will be taken on the rolls. So we have not paid them salaries.” Mansoor Ahmed worked as a scrap dealer and waste picker in Hasiru Dala and was a part of Clean City Recyclers’ Association, now has his own waste-segregation centre at Jayanagar. 10 waste segregators workunder him. The BBMP has not paid the rag pickers despite numerous requests. “BBMP doesn’t respond
properly. They give no concrete answers when asked why our salaries have not been paid,” he said. Hasiru Dal is a nonprofit organization which creates a livelihood for waste pickers through other businesses. It represents thousands of waste pickers, itinerant buyers and scrap dealers. It is also focuses on social justice for waste pickers. M Sandhya, health officer at BBMP, said:“Approvals from government are pending, and that is why salaries haven’t been released.” anuradha.s@iijnm.org
Trash, disease abound at Russell Market Akanksha Kashyap
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ussell Market, one of city’s oldest markets, has no respite from garbage. People of the area suffer skin infections caused by the trash. “We are amid garbage all the time. Due to it, we suffer from a lot of skin diseases,” Muneer Pasha, a meat trader, informed The Observer . Shopkeepers from the market visit the nearby Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital frequently. “We go to Bowring Hospital almost once a week to get injections for the skin problems this unhygienic atmosphere causes,” Abdul Matin, another meat seller at the 91-year-old market, said. “Out of the 60 OPD patients we have from there, 40 suffer from tenia or scabies. Both these diseases are caused by poor hygiene which results from the huge amount of garbage present there,” officials of the hospital’s dermatology department noted. Garbage is not the only issue
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Kho kho fraternity hopes game will get global status Ileena Dutta
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Complain that BBMP gives no clear reply
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Government looks to bring different transport modes under one umbrella | P 2
Not paid for eight months, waste pickers plan strike ot paid their salaries for eight months, Bengaluru’s waste pickers will strike work on October 15.They will hold a protest outside the BBMP head office for the release of payments due to them. S. Ismail, a dry-waste picker, informed The Observerthat he has worked without his salary for eight months. “It has been a tough time for me and my family. I have taken loans from a bank. Now I am not in a position to repay them.” Kumuda,a scrap dealer, said she took a loan of Rs 1 lakh to meet her expenses. She is waiting for her salary to repay it. “I get suicidal thoughts when I see my children hungry. I am not able to provide for them.”
The Observer
Russell Market is awash with garbage | Credit: Akanksha Kashyap bothering the shopkeepers. Drains at the market are clogged. The traders say their business is affected. “No one wants to come to our shops. We have to deliver fish or meat to people’s homes which increases our work,” Muneer Pasha said. Fruits, vegetables and flowers are sold till late in the night, causing large quantities of waste to be generated. According to the Municipality Solid waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, a municipal corporation is responsible for mananging the waste it generates. “The garbage used to be picked
twice a day; but now it is lifted just once in a day with an occasional second time,” Amjad, a vegetable seller in the market for 38 years, said. Garbage is picked once, at around 7.30 am,” Raj, a flower seller, added. BBMP executive engineer Babu said: “Every day the garbage is taken in the morning. It being a market area, whatever waste is generated after disposal takes time to be disposed of.” Environmentalist A.N. Yellappa Reddy, a member of the board of governors at the Foundation for Ecological Security, informed The Observer: “The corporation is responsible for all the garbage collected at the marketplace.” K Rasool Khan, director of KK Plastic Waste Management, said: “I don’t believe it is so hard to dispose of garbage from Russell Market, because the only waste generated there is fruit and vegetable waste.” akanksha.k@iijnm.org
he recent visit of Indian men’s and women’s kho kho teams to England will give the sport further international exposure, says Sathya Kumar, coach and academic-in-charge at the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Bengaluru. The team played a Test series and a few exhibition matches against England from September 1 to 4. “Kho kho is the mother of all games. Kho kho opens doors to all games as it builds balance, strength, endurance, coordination and response,” Sathya Kumar informed The Observer. The first Asian Championship in kho kho was held in Kolkata. This was followed by The Netaji Subhas Gold Cup Tournament organised by the Hyderabad Sports Association. In 2000, India played kho kho in the second Asian Championship with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal. The third such meet was held in Indore in 2016. South Korea participated in the meet. “The participation of South Korea in the third championship... was indeed a big achievement for this traditional sport,” senior SAI coach C.V. Ramesh said. Kho kho is mostly confined to rural schools and colleges. Most urban schools pay utmost attention to the development of international-level sports like hockey and football. “In Bengaluru, most schools affiliated to the School Games Federation of India con-
duct kho kho tournaments,” the coach said. In June, Nepal visited India for a five-Test series, giving the sport a boost. “The state government and the Sports Federation have played a major role in uplifting kho kho. SAI provides the Federation cardinal support, but they don’t have any say in the selection of players. SAI, Bengaluru, provides worldclass infrastructure for various games at the international level...,” N.P. Rameshan, a sports engineer at SAI, told The Observer. Murali Krishna, a player at SAI, who left his job at the South Central Railway to play kho kho, said he is optimistic about the sport and believes kho kho will attain a global status in the near future. “Kho kho’s priority is rising. In 2015-16, the SAF Games, played in North East India, had it. It is considered the biggest achievement for the sport. Kho kho will get the green signal to be played in the next Asian Games, which will be held in 2022,” he added. ileena.d@iijnm.org
News Briefs National: Delhi government has launched doorstep delivery of 40 services such as marriage certificates and driving licence for a fee of Rs 50 per service. Applicants will have to call 1076 and fix an appointment with a mobile sahayak who will visit their homes to complete formalities. Business: India is slated to challenge China for the top slot in farmed shrimp production and export in the year 2019-20. Its production target, set at 7 lakh tonnes, India might end up producing 6.5 lakh tonnes – on par with China, says the Society of
Aquaculture Professionals. International: The US has decided to close the Palestinian mission in Washington, in the latest decision of President Donald Trump. The US has been angered by a Palestinian bid to have Israel investigated at the International Criminal Court for war crimes. Sports: K.L Rahul is leading the fightback against England with a solid 70 run partnership with Ajinkya Rahane. India, playing in the first session of the final day of the 5th Test match, needs 367 runs to win with seven wickets in hand.
CITY
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The Observer Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Child trafficking, phishing on the rise 324 kids trafficked in 2014; 929 already this year Oisika Dev
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here has been an increase in cases of child trafficking in Karnataka in recent years. “The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), NGOs and the local police station work hand in hand to rescue kids from trafficking. We monitor the activities of traffickers for a long time, then we make plans to rescue the children,” says DCP A. Kumaraswamy of CID who handles child and women trafficking. According to CID, in 2014, there were 324 victims of child trafficking in Karnataka. The number increased to 391 in 2015, followed by 732 in 2016. In 2017, there were 800 victims of child trafficking. This year, the has gone up to 979. Child trafficking is the practice of illegally relocating children for the purpose of forced labour or sexual exploitation. Mahadev , a coordinator at Rainbow Homes an NGO said the facility has 60 victims from marginalised families . “Initially, it is very difficult for these kids to cope. However, after repeated counselling sessions, they are able to return to the mainstream.”
Citizen’s Voice Eve-teasing
I was shocked to see the story in Softcopy (Aug. 30) about the increase in eve-teasing in Bengaluru. Eve-teasing is a serious issue. Police should take immediate action against offenders. There should be proper security arrangements for women. More lady constables should be appointed and women police stations should become more active. Oisika Dev
BDA notices
Apropos “Shopkeepers in shock after BBMP sends eviction notices” (The Observer, Sept. 4), it seems the BDA is trying to cover its tracks by not commenting on the issue. It is difficult for the shopkeepers to vacate the complexes. The BDA has sent eviction notices without any compensation. How does it expect the shopkeepers to survive? Akanksha Kashyap
Weather Report Forecast- generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain Temperature Maximum- 26.4C Minimum- 21.6C Rainfall: Nill Humidity- 75% Sunrise: 6:09 Am Sunset: 6:24PM
GRIM FACTS lThe US state department says “India is a source, development and transit country for children subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking” “Most of the children belong from poor families, and it is their poor socio-economic conditions that the traffickers exploit and lure them by promising them jobs,” said Jayanti P, the inspector at CID Vidyarana , an NGO, has started a programme, named Ujjawala, to rescue and rehabilitate trafficked children. It also created awareness about trafficking. Since 2008, it has rescued 352 girls. ”Fifty girls are staying at the rehabilitation centre. Of them, 15 of them are working and 20 have been married,” Kalpana, manager at the centre, said. Seventeen-year-old Rima (name changed) said: “I was sold by my husband to a lady living in Mumbai when I was 12. She used to beat me up, and didn’t give me food for many days. I was rescued by Vidyarana. After months of counselling at Nimhans, I started going to
lThe UN Office on Drug and Crime has revealed that 27% of all victims of human trafficking detected between the year 2007 and 2010 were children school. Today I study at Don Bosco College. I want to become a teacher.” Uma (name changed), 14, said: “I was sold by my employer to the owner of an brothel. I stayed there for a year. Two weeks ago, I was rescued by police. I want to open a tailoring shop when I grow up. I love stitching blouses.” Sneha (name changed), 16, shared: “I was told I would be given a job in Bengaluru. But I was sold to 6 or 7 men from Odisha. They threatened to kill my parents if I revealed anything. Even after coming here, i used to lie about everything. I couldn’t speak, eat or sleep.” Article 23 of the Constitution bans trafficking in persons, which involves movement/transportation, of a person by means of coercion or deceit, and consequent exploitation leading to commercialization. oisika.d@iijnm.org
People get duped as they are unaware, says ADGP Pranay Prakash
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ases of phishing have shot up in Bengaluru. According to City Crime Records Bureau (CCRB) data, 895 cases were registered in 2017. That number rose to 1,254 till August this year. Phishing is an attempt by fraudsters to obtain personal information of an individual, like bank account number, and netbanking username and password, through email. The phone equivalent of phishing is called vishing. “The main reason for increase in phishing is a lack of awareness among the public,” said Sanjay Sahay, additional DGP. People should be careful about their information. Sections 66, 66A, 66D of the IT Act, 2000, provide for three years jail for those indulging in phishing. People are evolving towards digital solutions, making them vulnerable to fraudulent activities. A report published by Internet and Mobile Association of India advocates increasing the use of digital wallets. “Steps taken to create awareness about online frauds end in
Commuters’ hopes rise as govt looks at UMTA Bill Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel
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ampaigns to bring Bengaluru’s agencies like BMTC, BBMP, BDA, suburban rail and BMRCL under one umbrella seem to have attracted the government’s attention. It is considering a Bill to bring these bodies under a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA). “To ensure an overall efficient mobility solution, a UMTA is necessary. Unfortunately, we don’t have an example in India to show how well a UMTA performs. But we have examples from Singapore, London and European countries. A UMTA will be a good vision for sustainable development. If not by choice, UMTA will come by force,” Ashish Verma, associate professor, transportation systems engineering, Indian Institute of Science, informed The Observer. UMTA is an umbrella body for transport under which all the modes of transport and planning departments will be integrated and maintained. People started campaigning for a UMTA on social media. They insisted the government set up a UMTA rather than work on elevated corridors. “Without a regional authority, proper planning for the city can’t
vain,” said Sahay. “We have no safety in the digital space. It can be attained by educating students about digital security. They develop interest in technology even before they are 13 or 14. If they are educated properly, they will grow to be aware adults, ” he added. Fraudsters employ various tools and techniques to fetch personal details of unsuspecting people. IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad informed Parliament earlier this year that banking frauds worth Rs. 1.79 billion had been recorded till December 2016. “We need strong cyber laws to prevent phishing. The government should ensure that anyone who misuses public information must be punished,” said Uday Prakash, a software developer. According to a Times of India report, the rise in number of cyber crimes has increased in recent years. Out of 4,212 cases reported between January 2014 and March 2018, only 841 were solved. Prakash said cyber crime can be countered primarily by educating people about its consequences and prevention. pranay.p@iijnm.org
Around the City •Comedy@Whitefield, at Boondock Bistro, East Bengaluru, 8.3010pm, Sept. 13 •Double Bill Show : A Stand-Up Comedy Show - With Shrirupa Sengupta , Suhas Navaratna, at Giselle Restro Cafe, Bengaluru, 7 pm to 8.30 pm, Sept 16 •A dash of improve at Lahe Lahe, East Bengaluru,6.30 pm to 8.30 pm, Sept. 16 •It's Our Line Anyway - With Twentieth Century Socks at Rangasthala Auditorium, MG RoadCentral Bengaluru, 6.00pm to 7.30 pm, Sept. 15 •Wild City Presents Various Artists: Tom Trago at Koramangala Social, Bengaluru, 9pm Sept. 14
UMTA will make all modes of transport accessible to people Credit: Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel be made. If a Metro rail can ac- government’s active consideracommodate 500 people at a time tion. It would be too early to and, say, 50 deboard at the same comment on the benefits,” N stop, there is a question as to Murali Krishna, special officer, how they would switch to other Directorate of Urban Land modes of transport,” activist Transport, said. Sandeep Anirudhan observed. A Divyashree D, a geotechnical unified body would ensure engineer with Sarathy Geotech transparency in the flow of Pvt Ltd says“It would be very funds for transport project. difficult to manage if everything A top BMTC officer said: “It is a comes under the single roof. It is good move by the government. fine if they work in coordinaDecision-making will be faster. It tion.”UMTA could be a dream is a continuous process that might come true for commuters who take time to implement but will have long rued Bengaluru’s poor have benefits in the long run.” transport system. “A UMTA Bill is under the abbinaya.s@iijnm.org
•Red Riders Sports and Adventures at Huskur Dommasandra Road,Kodathi, Bengaluru 11.00 a.m, Sept.14 •Planetarium show at High Grounds,Bengaluru,12pm Sept. 14 Observer Team Editor: Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel Desk: Ajay Biradar, Pranay Prakash, Akanksha Kashyap, Anuradha Sriram Copy Editor: Raveena Bhati, Oisika Dev, Ileena Dutta Reporters: Anuradha Sriram, Akanksha Kashyap, Ileena Dutta, Oisika Dev, Pranay Prakash, Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel