Ryots to turn ‘partner in development’

Ryots to turn ‘partner in development’
Besides Compensation Or Job, State Will Allot Landowners One Acre To Develop
The TImes of India

Bangalore: Fearing landowners’ opposition could stall the first dream satellite township planned to decongest Bangalore at Bidadi, the government is working on a rehabilitation package that could be the model for the country.
The package will be used for all the five townships proposed to be built by the Bangalore Metropolitan Area Development Authority (BMRDA) to decongest Bangalore. The focus of the package, to be presented in two weeks time, is —the 2,500 families whose lands are being acquired at Bidadi are to be treated not as the usual ‘land losers,’ to be doled out compensation, but integrated in the township as ‘partners in development.’
The plan is, besides compensation and/or a job, give an acre of the land acquired from the landowner to him, and help him develop it to the maximum potential. A section of the 9,000 acres being acquired for the Bidadi township will be reserved for agriculture, while the rest will be commercial, residential and industrial.
“But once we acquire the land, we cannot give the same back to the landowner, as it defeats the very purpose of acquisition. We are trying to see what can be done,” metropolitan commissioner Sudhir Krishna told The Times of India.
To circumvent, land may be given in another part of the project area. But taking into account land-owners’ sentiments, there is also a move to give the land-owner a long-term lease on one acre of his own land and teach him to develop it.
The government is in consultation with corporates like General Electric and ITC to seek if linkages with them can help land-owners develop their one acre to such an extent that the yield quadruples or quintuples. For example, if a farmer is getting Rs 30,000 a year per acre as maximum yield in ragi, plans will be put in for better and intensified agriculture methods, change in cropping pattern and supplementation with horticulture crops and dairy, with the specific aim of increasing yield to Rs 1.5 lakh per acre.
“The livelihood of the landowner and his family is protected and the loss of land is compensated. He also gets as hefty a compensation as is possible per the market rates,” officials said. The state is looking at linking up contract farming and marketing of agriculture products at Bidadi. Provision of forward and backward linkages, similar to the agri-food parks, is expected to ensure boom in the economy and keep land-owners happy.
CM gives his assurance
CM H D Kumaraswamy assured a group of Bidadi farmers, who met him on Tuesday, that their interests would be kept in mind when their land was acquired for the first satellite township. To the farmers’ contention that land was already worth Rs one crore per acre in their area, CM said: “All that is possible only if there is development in the area. We are planning to reserve 40% of the land for agriculture purposes itself. I have asked the officials to keep in mind your welfare.’’

North, west Bangalore face water shortage

North, west Bangalore face water shortage
The Times of India

Bangalore: Some inner areas of Sanjaynagar do not get water for a whole week. In the west, the irregular water supply has forced the residents to depend on water tankers. Areas of Bangalore north, east and parts of west, which are dependent on Tippagondanahalli reservoir, are facing this severe water crisis. Reason: BWSSB has reduced pumping of water from TG Halli as water level has come down drastically.
BWSSB pumps around 130 to 140 MLD of water. Since the reservoir’s catchment at Arkavathy has not received adequate water in monsoon, it is drying up. Now, pumping is just 50 MLD, Venkataraju, BWSSB chief engineer, maintenance, said.
“We are aware there is no water scarcity. But there is acute shortage in Sanjaynagar because of the poor management of the sub-division and the distribution network. The assistant engineer of the sub-station hardly attends to the problem and the residents are forced to air their grievances to junior level staff like valvemen,’’ complained V Sathyamurthy, president, Sanjaynagar residents’ welfare association.
The area gets only 30% to 40% of the normal water supply. Even this supply is erratic. The water supply in these affected areas is now 20,000 litres per house as against normal supply of 35,000 to 40,000 litres. “To tide over the shortage, we are diverting water from Bangalore south areas which are well fed. But the distribution network is not in place and we are putting it together. By the time water reaches the last point, the quantity would have reduced and added to this is low pressure. Once the system is in place, the problem will be less severe,’’ the BWSSB chief engineer said.
The city’s water pumping is 900 MLD which has now been reduced to 850 MLD due to the crisis. About 800 MLD of water is pumped from the Cauvery source. Caution: Don’t drink water
Bangalore: Imagine having to drink a glass of water in which thin, one mm long, red slimy worms swim. Definitely not a scene to cherish. On the top of it, if the water stinks, appears murky and the surface is oil slick, one cannot help but puke.
This is the status of tap water supplied by BWSSB to Koramangala. Residents of Koramangala, 7th Block, Ist B Cross, have been getting this wormy water for a few months now.
According to residents, a sewer leak on the first main road near an internet browsing centre is responsible for the contaminated water supply. “Also, a replaced sanitary line in front of a house on first C Cross, a blocked manhole on the same road, is responsible for the sewage to enter drinking water line,” say residents.
The residents have complained to the BWSSB office and are waiting for some action.
No more free water
The BWSSB has been supplying water through tankers free of cost to the affected areas. However, the BWSSB officials have noticed that some people, get free tanker water by locking up their water metres and claim that they are not getting water. “This trend is increasing and from summer months, we will charge Rs 250 per water tanker. No more free water will be given,” said BWSSB chief engineer Venkataraju.
SUPPLY POINTS
Water supply to Bangalore from various sources Cauvery I stage: 135 MLD. Cauvery II stage: 135 MLD. Cauvery III stage: 270 MLD. Cauvery IV stage, I phase: 270 MLD. Tippagondanahalli reservoir: 140 MLD

No panacea yet for Adugodi Road users

No panacea yet for Adugodi Road users
Deccan Herald

Bad news for regular users of Adugodi Road, dreaming of a ‘happy journey’ from M G Road towards Hosur and vice versa. It will take at least three months more to rid this stretch of the choking traffic through road widening.

Bad news for regular users of Adugodi Road, dreaming of a ‘happy journey’ from M G Road towards Hosur and vice versa. It will take at least three months more to rid this stretch of the choking traffic through road widening.

In the hope of a miracle happening some day, commuters unfailingly take this so called ‘main road’ to get to the heart of the City or the IT corridor. The construction of flyovers at the Central Silk Board junction and Dairy Circle has not eased the traffic congestion on this road. A long, narrow stretch of road carrying high density traffic has resulted in Vellara Junction becoming over-crowded at peak hours, leaving commuters with little hope of getting anywhere in time.

With traffic spilling onto the other half of the road, vehicle users coming from the opposite direction are left with two choices - either slowing down to a crawl, or heading for a speedy getaway. Both options are, however, not feasible as slowing down means more traffic congestion, and speeding could cause accidents.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, M A Saleem, DCP Traffic (East) says that the load bearing capacity of the Adugodi road is 4,400 PCUs an hour, while the actual traffic load is 10,000 PCUs an hour. “There is a severe problem on this road as the traffic flow here is very heavy. Road widening is the only solution. We have around 10-12 constables posted just between Vellara and Forum Mall junctions, and the number is doubled on weekends, when all traffic personnel from the Ashoknagar limits are deputed here,” he added.

Road widening

Muninagappa, Superintendent Engineer, Road Widening, BMP, said that the Rs 14 crore project would begin once the tenders, called for on January 17, are opened. “We gradually acquired land on either side of the road on this five-kilometre stretch (Vellara Junction to Forum Mall junction), where we are planning a six lane road,” he said, adding that lands were acquired on Transferable Development Rights (TDR) basis.

“While the defence personnel have been more forthcoming, it is the residents who have taken a long time in giving their consent,” he said, adding that a park that was next to the mosque just before Vellara Junction was dug up by BWSSB to lay their lines.

“There are many utility services coming in our way. However, we have set ourselves a deadline of 90 days to finish the project once the tenders are opened. Traffic movement will not be disrupted as portions where work will be in progress will be barricaded,” he said. Work on the proposed underpass at Vellara Junction would also be taken up simultaneously.

Think twice before polluting lakes

Think twice before polluting lakes

The Hindu

BANGALORE: Stringent action will be taken against those dumping waste in lakes and storm water drains in Bangalore, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner K. Jairaj has said.

Addressing eight Zonal Joint Commissioners at a meeting on Monday, Mr. Jairaj said that a meeting of BWSSB, BDA and BBMP officials would be called during the next week in Bangalore to put together a plan to check pollution.

BBMP responsibility

He said several lakes and storm water drains came under the jurisdiction of BBMP, and that it was BBMP's responsibility to maintain them. Public had been dumping construction waste, plastics and other wastes into lakes and storm water drains, which was causing pollution besides contaminating ground water, he said.

The BBMP, he said, planned to launch awareness programme through the media and would also have direct dialogue with citizens on the issue.

Carpooling, the new mantra

Carpooling, the new mantra

The Hindu

BANGALORE: About 140 people in Bangalore have taken to carpooling.

Navaratan Kataria, an engineer with a software company, is coordinating the initiative through an e-group (carpool-bangalore@yahoogrou-ps.com). It has 355 members.

Mr. Kataria allows people to join the group only after verifying where they work or reside. This is to ensure that mischief-mongers do not try to take advantage of the carpooling members. Half of the members of the seven-year-old e-group are women.

Three women coming to M.G. Road from R.T. Nagar and nearby areas were coming to the city in separate taxies. The three now pool on taxi as they do not want to travel by autorickshaw.

Mr. Kataria says carpooling is not catching up in a big way in Bangalore. He attributed this to the "shy nature of people" though he is willing to arrange meetings among members. A survey said most of the people using the carpool system are aged between 26 and 35.

Civic summit: Big promises but no time-frame

Civic summit: Big promises but no time-frame
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy set an agenda for civic infrastructure in Greater Bangalore by arranging an interactive workshop for all civic agencies.

These agencies are bound to interact with each other on a daily basis and one wondered why their interaction was blown out of proportion. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has to work in association with Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).

BBMP is even on the board of these two organisations. But city councillors always complained of bad service from BWSSB. The Board is even accused of digging up roads indiscriminately. BBMP has an issue with the BDA too, in that the Authority hands over the layouts to the civic body but not the civic amenity sites.

While BBMP is the organistion providing civic amenities, the sites are held by BDA. BESCOM too was accused of indiscriminate road cutting. When there is lack of co-ordination in operations, the summit is of little use.

Further, the civic agencies made fabulous proposals like Metro Rail in 2010, apartments for Rs 3 lakh and roads that sound like a dream. But what happens when the government changes in October? Would Mono-Metro controversy erupt again? What happens to the expressways and ring roads, if opposition comes to power? All the projects proposed by the agencies are long-term projects that need 2 to 5 years to be completed.

Greater Bangalore needs solutions that work in the short-term, not long-term promises. BBMP needs higher grants, better enforcement rules and adequate staff at the field level. Without these, the civic body would crumble under the huge task. Until then, such summits are only of publicity value.

Bidadi township work to begin from May

Bidadi township work to begin from May
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: The Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) would commence work of first satellite town near Bidadi by May.

The Authority has planned five townships and Bidadi project is being taken up on a pilot basis, said BMRDA additional commissioner N Sriraman. He told this website's newspaper that these townships would be developed by private firms on a build-operate and-own (BOO) basis.

The bids for Bidadi township would be finalised in a couple of months and the developer would commence work from May, he said.

The Authority would only retain space for civic amenity, parks and playgrounds in 9,000 acre township which would be developed over next five years. The township would be developed on work-live-play model having independent airstrips and helipads. BMRDA has surveyed all the lakes in the area and they would be rejuvenated, Sriraman said.

Similar townships near Solur, Nandagudi, Sathanur and Ramanagaram would be taken up after finalising Bidadi project. Ramanagaram township would have a super speciality hospital and an institute of rural management.

However, another prestigious project, Airport Expressway is still at preliminary survey stage. The Expressway designed for a speed of 180 kmph stretches 21.2 km from Horamavu to Devanahalli International Airport.

The Expressway would have flyovers on Challakere and Boyihalli Tanks. Sriraman said that the Authority has sent a proposal to government seeking funds for land acquisition. Once the survey concludes, the land acquisition would be notified. In the second phase, BMRDA proposes to connect Expressway with BBMP’s Inner Core Ring Road.

Judges seek 40 houses within 10 minutes from HC

Judges seek 40 houses within 10 minutes from HC
Vijay Times

The State Government is frantically searching for areas within a 10-minute reach from the Karnataka High Court to build 40 bungalows for the judges of the HC. In the process the government has located four prime areas in the heart of the City, three of them in close proximity of the Attara Kacheri.

They are the Bangalore Turf Club on Race Course road, Golf Club on Sankey Road, the Old Central Jail premises near Maharani’s College, and the Agro Industries Corporation premises at Hebbal.

But to get these places to build mansions for the custodians of law is not as easy as it looks, if not impossible.

The demand for bungalows for the judges was first raised by Chief Justice Cyraic Joseph while inaugurating the Golden Jubilee Gate at the High Court in the presence of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and PWD Minister H D Revanna recently.

He had stated that judges stay at far off places in the city and because of the heavy traffic there is difficulty for them to reach the courts in time.

“Hence it would be necessary that all judges of the High Court are given houses by the government and more importantly it should be a 10minute drive from the High Court,” he had said.

The Chief Justice in a recent letter to the government has reiterated the demand and urged it to expedite the matter. The pros and cons of probable sites.

AAg gr ro o I In nd du ussttr riie ess: : There is a litigation surrounding it. Since it is under liquidation, anyone taking up this land would have to pay Rs 150 crore, which the government thinks is not feasible. GGo ol lff CCo ou ur rsse e: : Parting with the land in the golf course could spin into a major controversy considering the influential people who are its members. Moreover, it would also raise several issues among the environmentalists since it constitutes a green space. OOl ld d CCe ennttr raal l J Jaai il l: : Although this place would have been ideal as it is bereft of any controversy , it appears that this proposal may not come through. There is a commitment already made to construct a Freedom Fighters park and also the thought of judges residing in a jail premises may not be appropriate. TTuur rf f CCl luub b: : This seems to be a possibility since there were moves to shift the Turf Club during the S M Krishna regime. Moreover, there is 60 acres of land and would be enough to house each bungalow one acre.

Judges of the High Court at present are given Rs 25,000 each as House rent allowance.

If the bungalows are set up then the judges would not be entitled for this amount. At present apart from the Chief Justice only three senior judges have been granted official bungalows.

Bangalore's Boomtown Blues

Bangalore's Boomtown Blues
BBC

Nitesh Shetty may be Bangalore's youngest property billionaire.

Aged 30, he has 4,000 apartments under construction in the city, with plans to expand his operations into Calcutta, Mumbai and New Delhi.

And he has just sealed a $100m deal with Citigroup to build Bangalore's latest luxury hotel, the Ritz Carlton.

Having dropped out of university pursue a career as a tennis pro he started supplementing his earnings by selling billboard space in Bangalore after getting a 10,000 rupee ($226, £115) loan from his mother.

At 23, he borrowed 500,000 rupees to turn a house in central Bangalore into an office block.

The home was owned by an old widow, and he gave her a 50% stake in the venture.

He then persuaded the bank to rent the ground floor - which covered his interest payments - and he never looked back.

Mr Shetty told the BBC there was no shortage of foreign investors eager to take a stake in India's real estate boom.

He has named all his luxury apartment complexes after famous US locations, such as Times Square, Key Biscayne, and Forest Hills (the US Wimbledon), and has hired the Australian cricketing legend Shane Warne to promote his properties.

But in true Indian fashion, Mr Shetty, a bachelor, still lives with his mum.

In the 1990s, when the Indian government decided to liberalise the economy and encourage the IT services industry, Bangalore established special zones such as Electronic City - a hub of hi-tech firms.

But its highly educated, literate workforce prompted the government to locate its defence and space research here in the 1960s.

Today the Bangalore boom is based on its attractiveness as the centre of India's IT industry, which is enjoying unprecedented growth as foreign multinationals rush to outsource their back-office functions to India.

The city's population has grown from 1.6m in 1970 to 2.8m in 1990 and 6.5m today, making it India's fastest growing city, and planners expect it to reach 10m by 2015.

India's IT sector employs 1.3 million people directly, and 3 million indirectly - and 40% of the IT sector is concentrated in Bangalore.

Bangalore also has the highest average income in India, and the jobs are plentiful, with Infosys expected to hire thousands this year.

Out on the town

There are six new shopping malls, and luxury car showrooms like BMW are springing up everywhere.

The young, well-paid worker likes to go out on the town, and restaurants and bars are doing a roaring trade, with 500 new bars in the city alone and dozens of cafes.

With a new bar opening every week, owners cannot get enough staff.

That's good news for the head barman at the newly opened Le Rock pub, who has been hired at double his previous salary.

And there has been a boom for taxi firms as the IT companies all pay them to transport their workers to and from their offices, given the hopeless inadequacy of the public transport system.

growth of Bangalore's population

Not that the new-found wealth always filters through.

Raj Singh came from Tamil Nadu 15 years ago to work as a taxi driver.

He still sends half his salary to his mother back home, and visits her two weekends a month, travelling for 15 hours on three buses.

But if his wages are higher, so is his rent. He cannot afford to live in Bangalore, and it costs half his salary even to rent a room in a village 30 miles away.

And many of the thousands of construction workers who have to build the new apartments and offices live in squalor in makeshift roadside tents that sit uneasily among the city's glamour.

Weekend breaks

The hi-tech industry has also introduced a new phenomenon in Indian life for those who are on-the-up - the weekend break.

Previously, everyone spent six days a week in the office, but the high-paid IT workers only do five.

With their high-stress jobs, they are increasingly interested in getting away from it all.

And into the breach has stepped Santosh, a trekking guide.

His web-based travel agency, Getoffurass.com, specialises in finding weekend hideaways in the jungle, and is doing a roaring trade.

Santosh told the BBC that the biggest change was that now he was leading Indians, not Westerners, in treks across the Himalayas.

Infrastructure woes

Bangalore's public infrastructure has lagged woefully behind the pace of private sector investment.

Every Bangalore IT company has to have a private generator and uninterruptible power supply to cope with the daily power failures of the grid.

Despite 15 years of lobbying, the 5km stretch of road linking Electronic City to the city centre is still crammed with bullock carts, trucks, cars and two-wheelers despite a private-public partnership to fund a new expressway.

And its international airport has an antiquated terminal far too small for the hordes of international businessmen flooding into the city - and the frenzied search for luggage as people gather five-deep around the single luggage carousel sometimes prompts emotional - and occasionally physical - outbursts.

Bangalore's city commissioner, K Jairaj, told the BBC that untrammelled growth could not go on indefinitely, with five million vehicles already clogging the roads and property prices going through the roof.

The government's policy is to decentralise development - building new towns on green field sites surrounding the city.

K. Jairaj, commissioner, city of Bangalore
The boss of Bangalore is critical of many of his workforce

Mr Jairaj also said that, in order to generate more jobs, the government wanted to encourage more labour-intensive sectors like car manufacturing to locate in Bangalore, and would not resist plans to disperse IT jobs to more cities in India.

But he said his greatest problem was the weakness of his own civil servants, who were not good at managing big projects "on time and on budget."

Cultural dislocation

For those Bangalore natives who do not have jobs in the IT industry, there are signs of increasing unease about the direction the city is going.

Some object on religious grounds to the wild nightlife, which was recently highlighted when the police started enforcing a curfew law that forbids disco dancing in bars after 11pm.

Others want the IT firms to give them a share of the good jobs.

They are calling for a reservation system, similar to that in the Indian civil service, which allocates a percentage of all jobs to the so-called "backward castes".

And many are disturbed by the fact that Kannada, the native language of Karnataka, has become a minority tongue in Bangalore, with English, Hindi, and Tamil all more widely spoken.

The state government has now insisted that Kannada, not Hindi, should be the language of instruction at school.

It plans to change Bangalore's name to Bengalooru in an effort to appease locals disturbed by the tremendous influx of outsiders into the city in the past few years.

The change still has to approved by the Federal government.

Tensions reached boiling point in April last year when crowds rioted outside Microsoft's global research centre in Bangalore after hi-tech companies failed to observe an unofficial day of mourning following the death of Karnataka's most famous film star, Rajkumar, the "John Wayne of India."

So despite its prosperity, the cultural dislocation brought about by Bangalore's rampant success in the global economy has, at least for now, increased rather than decreased political tensions.

It’s time to walk the talk for BBMP

It’s time to walk the talk for BBMP
Deccan Herald

Now that the much-hyped review meeting of civic agencies is through, Bangaloreans may well see the infrastructure works getting a new push across the City...

Now that the much-hyped review meeting of civic agencies is through, Bangaloreans may well see the infrastructure works getting a new push across the City. After all, the agencies have promises to keep!

Among the many notable promises made at the meeting on Saturday is the one relating to the underpass at Malleshwaram Circle. BBMP Commissioner K Jairaj said it would be ready for inauguration on July 1.

The work on the project began in mid-December. It has meant much changes in the otherwise orderly one-way traffic flow along Margosa Road and Sampige Road. Malleshwaram residents, who have never been comfortable with the project, continue to have their reservations, as noted during the interaction they had called with the police, BBMP and transport officials.

Inter-State buses

One of the issues they have highlighted is that inter-State buses (ISBs) and other private buses largely share the blame for traffic congestion in the area. They have appealed that, underpass or no, these buses must be diverted elsewhere.

According to City Police Commissioner N Achuta Rao, a larger plan to keep all ISBs from entering the core city area is under discussion and it may be done after setting up adequate ISBs terminals just outside the City.

No time-frame has been set, though.

The following are some of the other projects and deadlines from the BBMP side to watch out for:

* Freedom Park (on the earlier Central Jail premises at Gandhinagar): to be ready in June.

* Storm water drain (SWD) remodelling works in the earlier CMC areas: to be completed in March.

* SWD remodelling works across four valleys in the earlier BMP limits: to be completed by December.

* Grade separators at Gali Anjaneya temple, and Yeshwanthpur Circle: to be completed in December.

* Railway bridges (overbridges and underpasses): Cantonment (to be ready in March), Banaswadi (to be ready in February), Mathikere and ITC (September).

MAYOR TO BE ELECTED DIRECTLY?

The State government is contemplating direct elections to the post of Mayor of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bangalore district in-charge Minister R Ashok said.

This, in other words, means that the Mayor will be elected directly by the people and the hitherto followed system of corporators electing the Mayor, will be done away with. The new rules will be part of a separate legislation planned for BBMP on the lines of the existing Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act.

Mr Ashok, however, said that the decisions on the term of the BBMP Mayor and powers have not yet been taken.

On the elections to urban local bodies, including BBMP, due to be held, he said the delimitation process is almost over and the elections may be held in the month of April this year.

It’s time to walk the talk for BBMP

It’s time to walk the talk for BBMP
Deccan Herald

Now that the much-hyped review meeting of civic agencies is through, Bangaloreans may well see the infrastructure works getting a new push across the City...

Now that the much-hyped review meeting of civic agencies is through, Bangaloreans may well see the infrastructure works getting a new push across the City. After all, the agencies have promises to keep!

Among the many notable promises made at the meeting on Saturday is the one relating to the underpass at Malleshwaram Circle. BBMP Commissioner K Jairaj said it would be ready for inauguration on July 1.

The work on the project began in mid-December. It has meant much changes in the otherwise orderly one-way traffic flow along Margosa Road and Sampige Road. Malleshwaram residents, who have never been comfortable with the project, continue to have their reservations, as noted during the interaction they had called with the police, BBMP and transport officials.

Inter-State buses

One of the issues they have highlighted is that inter-State buses (ISBs) and other private buses largely share the blame for traffic congestion in the area. They have appealed that, underpass or no, these buses must be diverted elsewhere.

According to City Police Commissioner N Achuta Rao, a larger plan to keep all ISBs from entering the core city area is under discussion and it may be done after setting up adequate ISBs terminals just outside the City.

No time-frame has been set, though.

The following are some of the other projects and deadlines from the BBMP side to watch out for:

* Freedom Park (on the earlier Central Jail premises at Gandhinagar): to be ready in June.

* Storm water drain (SWD) remodelling works in the earlier CMC areas: to be completed in March.

* SWD remodelling works across four valleys in the earlier BMP limits: to be completed by December.

* Grade separators at Gali Anjaneya temple, and Yeshwanthpur Circle: to be completed in December.

* Railway bridges (overbridges and underpasses): Cantonment (to be ready in March), Banaswadi (to be ready in February), Mathikere and ITC (September).

MAYOR TO BE ELECTED DIRECTLY?

The State government is contemplating direct elections to the post of Mayor of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bangalore district in-charge Minister R Ashok said.

This, in other words, means that the Mayor will be elected directly by the people and the hitherto followed system of corporators electing the Mayor, will be done away with. The new rules will be part of a separate legislation planned for BBMP on the lines of the existing Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act.

Mr Ashok, however, said that the decisions on the term of the BBMP Mayor and powers have not yet been taken.

On the elections to urban local bodies, including BBMP, due to be held, he said the delimitation process is almost over and the elections may be held in the month of April this year.

Stick to the deadline, cry residents

Stick to the deadline, cry residents
Deccan Herald

Fear of displacement, invasion of privacy in residential localities, high dust and noise levels, traffic diversions forcing detour, disruption of bus services, slump in business. The list of inconveniences to the citizens reflects the flip side of development projects in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahangara Palike (BBMP).

However, citizens seem to be finally accepting change as inevitable. But the terms of acceptance definitely has a rider - ‘stick to the deadline’ - demand citizens enduring hardships even as the project is on.

While, most projects in the City have met with citizen protests, the resistance has died down with authorities incorporating many of the suggestions in the revised plans, as in case of the Malleswaram Grade Separator project. In some others, like the grade separator at the Gali Anjaneya temple junction, the authorities have managed to convince the aggrieved families by promising an attractive rehabilitation package.

Even as the BBMP has started work on at least five major projects to ease traffic bottlenecks in the City, more projects are on cards and are at different stages of approval.

Mathikere Railway Overbridge

A signal-free level crossing to give a safe passage to 2.17 lakh-odd vehicles plying on M S Ramiah Road in Mathikere, gave wings to the Mathikere-Gokula Railway Overbridge (ROB) project in December 2005. While, the project is now racing ahead after the initial delay in shifting utility lines, the residents are crying foul over the pathetic traffic situation.

“The people residing in Mathikere, BEL Circle, Lottegollahalli, Bandiappa Garden and Muthyalamma Nagar take the M S Ramiah Road to reach ring road. As the road is closed we are forced to commute on parallel roads that pass through Shankarnag railway gate or Muthyalamma gate, which have manual signalling. This is resulting in piling up of vehicles,” said S Venugopal, the gateman at Gokula gate.

The cost-sharing project of the BMP and the South Western Railway has left many citizens upset. Residents of Sundarnagar have demanded for mini bus service as the main road has been blocked and bus services disrupted.

Location: Mathikere-Gokula junction

Cost: Rs 14-crore

Deadline: November 2007 (Started in December 2005)

Malleswaram Grade Separator

Malleswaram Circle, one of the busiest junctions, will finally get some breathing space as the work on grade separator along the Maha Kavi Kuvempu Road has finally taken off. While the project has pushed a load of traffic on to the Link Road, the Margosa Road has reverted to the two-way rule.

Though the design of the grade separator had drawn criticism from residents and politicians alike, the design was modified to accommodate most of the suggestions like shifting of bus stops and rerouting buses during and after the project.

Says a traffic police at MKK Road, “Malleswaram will face least inconvenience during the project due to a good number of cross roads.

We have allowed two-way traffic on Margosa Road too, while the pile-up on Link Road has to be managed.”

Location: From KC General Hospital to Maha Kavi Kuvempu Road.

Cost: Rs 16.41 crore

Deadline: 10 months (Started in July 2006)

ITC Railway Overbridge

A railway overbridge on the Wheelers Road level crossing was conceived to rid the junction of traffic jams. The cost-sharing project of the BBMP and the SWR was opposed by residents as the traffic was diverted to Buddha Vihar Road, Kenchappa Road and Mosque Road.

Says Raju, a rickshaw driver, “The traffic on adjacent roads is unmanageable during peak hours as they are narrow. The Wheelers Road is the only approach road to new layouts - HRBR, HBR, OMBR, Ramamurthynagar and K R Puram and we take a detour via Banaswadi Road to reach the ITC side.”

Khalid Ahmed, a shopkeeper said, “The business has suffered a setback as the trees and electric poles are not cleared even after underground cables were laid. While, the residents are unable to walk along the entire stretch of Wheelers Road till ITC junction and beyond.”

Location: Gymkhana

Ground to ITC gate

Cost: Rs 15 crore (shifting utility services not included)

Deadline: November 2007 (Started in June 2006)

Gali Anjaneya grade separator

Where do we go? - ask residents of Kavika layout (Deepanjali Nagar), where the flyover work has just begun. At least, 10 houses fall within the project alignment and have been ‘told’ by the BBMP authorities to vacate the houses. However, no official intimation has come through. Meanwhile, trenches are being dug out and pillars erected close to the row of houses.

Says Chinnappa, a retired BHEL employee, “I have rented out a portion of my house, which is my only source of income. The BBMP asked us to vacate the house but never bothered to give us a notice. They marked the houses for demolition some two years ago. How can we vacate without them offering us any rehabilitation package? They have assured us sites nearby and also market price for the lost land,” he added.

Meanwhile, the shopkeepers in the area are apprehensive over the early completion of the project. “The work is slow and we only hope the project is not prolonged,” said Mahalingam, a STD booth owner.

Location: From Kavika layout 9th cross to Gali Anjaneya Temple junction

Cost: Rs 29 crore

Deadline: 15 months (started in Oct 2006)

Yeshwantpur Flyover

The Yeshwantpur police station is only a few feet away from the proposed Yeshwantpur Circle flyover alignment. While, the traffic department and citizens have collectively urged the BBMP to space out their projects in adjacent areas to avoid traffic bottlenecks, the BBMP has begun marking the alignment that runs right through the new police station compound. The citizens have urged the BMP to restrain from executing projects in nearby areas simultaneously as it will lead to traffic hassles.

“It is better if Malleswaram grade separator is completed before the one at Yeshwantpur is taken up,” said a traffic constable.

Location: Yeshwantpur circle

Cost: 18 crore

Deadline: Yet to take off

Children try to find solutions for a clean Bangalore

Children try to find solutions for a clean Bangalore

The Hindu

Mahila Mandali, Crescent School among participants at civic exhibition

BANGALORE: At the ongoing civic exhibitions organised by Bala Janaagraha, children of participating schools are united in their message, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refuse".

These little champions have been poring over solutions for cleaner neighbourhoods, and a cleaner city through the Civic Project. This year's theme is "Solid Waste Management".

Children have been busy exploring various aspects of the topic with the help of their teachers and community volunteers. The learning from this project work is showcased during the civic exhibitions.

On Saturday, one such exhibition was held at Crescent School in Basavanagudi. The participating schools included Mahila Mandali, Mahila Seva Samaj, Crescent School, Parikrama and East West School. These schools are all situated in wards 49, 50 and 51, respectively. Students displayed their models along with posters and project reports. They were judged on the basis of the material used, their creativity and their knowledge about the topic.

Students of Mahila Mandali focussed on the pourakarmikas. The emphasis of their project clearly highlighted their concern for these workers who face serious health hazards due to exposure to unhygienic environment. They felt that the Government should ensure that the garbage should be collected in a more systematic manner so as to make it easier for the pourakarmikas.

Parikrama's projects dealt with solid waste management in hospitals, choultries, and hotels. They stressed the importance of proper disposal of bio-medical waste generated in the hospitals. The extra effort put in by the students to actually visit these places and obtain facts and figures was inspiring.

Crescent School focussed on solid waste management in market places, hospitals, hotels, schools, and households. Their model of the market place was particularly appreciated as it provided clear solutions towards garbage reduction.

Mahila Seva Samaj School used its creativity to demonstrate the different stages of waste management; it also created interesting objects such as telescopes, pen stands, toy drums and rockets, decorative wall hangings and paper mache bowls. All these objects were made out of recycled materials such as coconut shells, gift-wrapping paper, plastic bottles and ice cream sticks.

Chief guest Vivek Mansingh, chief executive officer of Dell, who attended the event, advised the children to focus on their goals and believe in honesty as this would make them better citizens and ensure them success.

Segregation

Earlier, three teams from Cluny Convent, Malleswaram, had worked on the project called "Segregation of waste as an effective solution for managing Bangalore's Solid Waste". They identified the following as the biggest challenges to waste management: Garbage not collected every day because of huge volumes, and dumpsite getting overloaded with material, which could be recycled and reused.

They suggested that solution lay in segregation and recycling and reusing. "It is not only the authorities but also our responsibility to keep our city clean and healthy" was the view of the students of Cluny Convent. In a survey, the Cluny Convent students sought opinion from over 100 people on issues related to segregation. The results: Segregation was practised only by 29 per cent of the respondents although 94 per cent believed that segregation was necessary. Eighteen per cent of the respondents had wet waste compost at home.

Recyling

The project by Sri Vidya Mandir School was on recycling. Children, during the course of the research, identified the addresses of organisations in Malleswaram that purchase waste material, including pet bottles.

Mono-rail to serve as supplement to Bangalore metro project

Mono-rail to serve as supplement to Bangalore metro project
New Indian Express/UNI

BANGALORE: The Karnataka government has sanctioned the much talked mono-rail project to serve as a supplement to Rs 6400 crore Bangalore metro project.

Making a presentation about the progress and future plan of the Bangalore metro at the ‘Bangalore today and tomorrow’, a one-day workshop organised by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) here on Saturday V Madhu, managing director Bangalroe metro project said that the state government has sanctioned mono-rail project for supporting the Bangalore metro project.

He said that the proposed mono rail project would come up at four corridors of the metro rail project and serve as second feeder. Madhu said that the Bangalore metro project comes up 33-km length comprising both East-West and North-South corridor and works would be started in all sections by this year end.

Once completed Bangalore would be the 106th city in the world to get such major urban infrastructure. While the elevated structure would cost Rs 150 crore per kilometre it would cost over 330 crore per kilometre stretch of the underground section, he added.

The Brihath Bangalore metro corporation commissioner K Jairaj, who presented his report stated that Bangalore would get over Rs 7988 crore under Jawaharlal Nehru urban renewal mission project and a comprehensive plans have been prepared to improve all basic amenities to the citizens of the city of Bangalore.

He also announced that the BBMC has also plans to construct an elevated inner link core road within the city at a cost of over Rs 3600 crores.

On the occasion other civic organisations including Bangalore water supply and sewerage board, Bangalore electricity supply company, Bangalore city police also presented their reports.

VISION 2007

VISION 2007
At the Bangalore Today and Tomorrow summit, civic agencies gave a presentation of projects planned for the future. Here’s a slice of some schemes in store


BRUHAT BANGALORE MAHANAGARA PALIKE
Six underpasses proposed at a cost of Rs 131 crore
(Nagavara Ring Road, Kadirenahalli Ring Road, Puttenahalli, Prof CNR Rao Circle, Basappa Circle, Hennur Banaswadi) START DATE: March 2007 COMMENCEMENT: March 2007
Development of arterial 70 roads of 155 km at a cost of Rs 130 crore
COMMENCEMENT: March 2007 COMPLETION: June 2007
Inner Core Ring Road 30 km of elevated road at a Rs 1,800 crore
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST: March 2007 Investment of 7,989 crore under JNNURM (Storm water drain network, environment management, urban renewal, road network, solid waste management, basic services to urban poor)
Gearing up for Bruhat Bangalore
Administrative blueprint is in place in 5 zones Short-term development plan Infrastructure Survey under way


BANGALORE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
New land acquisition policy. Under this policy, some proportion of the land acquired from landowners will be offered to land owners after development
BDA plans to distribute about 50,000 sites with 20 per cent area reserved for vertical growth with apartments. About 2,00,000 houses planned under the unique programme of budget housing for economically weaker section
(Eastern sector from Varthur Road to Sarjapura road to Hosur road of 4,560 acres will cater 1,63,589 housing units and 11,560 sites. Western sector comprising Mysore to Magadi Road, along the BMICAPA
Hi-Tech City Corridor connecting Electronic City for a length of 8.5 kms at a cost of Rs 140 crores will be taken up
Grade separators at Magadi Road junction, Agara junction and Iblur Junction will be taken up


BANGALORE METROPOLITAN REGION DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
The authority will take up first township at Bidadi and consequently Solur, Nandagudi, Sathanur and Ramanagaram. Institutional area, government offices, super speciality hospital, Institute of Rural Management and Global Apparel Village will be located near Ramanagaram:
An access controlled link from Outer Ring Road to BIAL with a 180 kmph design speed with flyovers at Challakere and Boyilahalli lakes will be taken up in 2008. In the second phase, it will be connected to City Core Ring Road


BANGALORE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORT CORPORATION
1000 Volvo buses will be added to the existing fleet of 39 buses in phased manner
Modernisation of Jayanagar and Yeshwantpur stations and Domlur and commissioning of seven new stations will be taken up this year
On-line GPS-GIS based vehicle tracking system on all 4,000 plus buses to be taken up in 2007
Installation of real time passenger information system at 75 Volvo stops in the city Smartcard based automatic fare collection system on all buses for student passes, public passes and others on card

Infy greens beckon them

Infy greens beckon them
The Times of India

Bangalore: The average Bangalorean thinks of IT bellwether Infosys Technologies as many things — a business that makes millionaires out of people who write codes; a company with buildings with glass facades straight out of a sci-fi film. But as a home to a group of committed greens?
Yes, that’s what the ‘The Green Team’ is all about. And what they’ve figured out is the company that attracts talent from all the world over, also draws flocks of the feathered kind. On the thickly wooded 80-acre Infy campus in Bangalore, members of the Green Team have spotted some 55 species of resident and migrant birds.
Among them aer the rosy starlings, which migrate from Europe in the winter, flying to southern Asia and parts of Africa. “Towards the end of winter, flocks of 100-200 birds migrate to these parts,’’ says an Infosys spokesperson. “They used to travel in thousands. But, now their numbers are declining.’’
One of the earliest birds to arrive in winter is the blyth’s leaf warbler, which makes a long journey from the Himalayas where it breeds. If you happen to take a walk at this time, you could also come across slender white crane-like birds, the cattle egrets. The Green Team has spotted these and more, all of which have been documented and photographed.
According to the spokesperson: “We have seen barn owls trapped in the building, confused by the architecture and unable to fly. They are beautiful, pale white birds with sharp black eyes. If you stay back late on the campus, you can see their ghostly shapes drifting in the sky, looking for rodents. We also have spotted owlets on campus.’’
If the bamboo thicket near the water treatment plant is a favourite roosting place for common mynas and jungle mynas, then the big banyan tree is home to rose-ringed parakeets, whitecheeked barbets, red-vented and red-whiskered bulbuls, spotted doves, black drongos, spotted owlets, jungle crows, house crows, and crow-pheasants.
While the shaded enclave near the Heritage Building is the chosen spot of tiny yellow white-eyes and nectar-drinking sunbirds, the tickell, one of India’s smallest birds, is virtually married to the Singapore cherry trees near the basketball court.
The Green Team has been birdwatching at Infosys for the last two years. Most of the walks are undertaken based on interactions between employees, especially if someone has sighted something rare. The team’s mailing list has about 150 members who constantly exchange information and views on their hobby.
Infy could conduct birdwatching sessions for the public some time perhaps?

BMA will take care of city: CM

BMA will take care of city: CM
The Times of India

Bangalore: The civic summit is a precursor to the muchawaited Bangalore Metropolitan Authority (BMA), CM H D Kumaraswamy told TOI in an interview. Excerpts:
Is there more to this civic meet than getting all stakeholders under one roof ?
The government is keen on having an umbrella body called Bangalore Metropolitan Authority. Now that Greater Bangalore has taken shape, we need a single body to coordinate all urban issues. Civic summit’s main objective is to bring all infrastructure organisations under one umbrella. An announcement to this effect would be made in a month. There will be a follow-up meeting after four months.
Are you happy with the pace of work implemented by civic agencies given that many projects that the BBMP, BDA and BWSSB presented are a backlog?
Infrastructure is crucial for Bangalore. That is why we’ve plans for so many grade separators and flyovers. I’ve instructed officials that these projects should be completed inside of four months. The Malleswaram grade separator work, for instance, will now gather pace; flyovers at Airport Road and Anand Rao Circle have been completed. Even the Ramamurthynagar and Magadi Road works will be delivered on schedule. There may be projects that are finding mention for a few years now but it is this government which has implemented them.

A ‘blueprint’ for Bengalooru

Little introspection & lots of self-congratulation?
A ‘blueprint’ for Bengalooru

Deccan Herald

On one side, the men who matter for the Bangalore of today, and possibly tomorrow. All on one stage, with Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy himself holding the baton. On the other side, a mixed crowd of senior citizens, students and civic activists. The exercise initiated by the Chief Minister to facilitate transparency in administration, was a first of sorts.

While the setting promised a lot in terms of constructive deliberations on taking the City forward, the outcome of Saturday’s day-long interactive workshop hosted by the Bangalore Development Authority for initiating a dialogue between Bangalore’s movers and shakers, on the one side, and residents on the other, was largely confined to paeans to the past and gung-ho projections for the future.

In what appeared to be an extended Janata Darshan, the residents went hammer and tongs at the civic agencies, slamming everything from the land mafia to corrupt policemen to drunkards in buses. While the responses varied from candid admissions to promises of corrective measures, the audience never seemed to run out of questions. There were also the ones who broke into impromptu speeches, lauding the CM and the ‘heights’ Bangalore had touched during his government’s tenure.

But the agencies did also line up an impressive array of proposed projects. This is how the City’s leaders traced out the roadmap for Bruhat Bangalore’s future:

BMRDA unveils a three-pronged strategy

Integrated townships, ring roads and expressways -- Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) is pegging its plans for the future of the City on the three-point mantra.

“The BMRDA initiatives complement the concept of Brand Bangalore... at the same time, we also ensure that forests, water bodies and heritage sites of the City are protected,” said BMRDA Chairman Sudhir Krishna.

Work on the upcoming BMRDA township at Bidadi has entered the ‘next level’ with 24 bidders (from among an initial list of 32 global bidders) getting qualified. The Authority has also lined up a project for creating an institutional area, near Ramanagaram, on a 500-acre plot. The area will house government offices, a super-specialty hospital and a global apparel village, apart from a unit of IRMA.

The survey work on BMRDA’s proposed expressway that links Outer Ring Road with the upcoming international airport at Devanahalli will be complete by January 31.

Mr Krishna also refuted charges that the elevated portion of the expressway could damage the Challakere and Boyilahalli tanks.

The other points relating to projects as highlighted by the BMRDA chief:

* Integrated townships with work-live-play concept

* Rejuvenation of water bodies

* Redevelopment of 39 roads of special economic relevance

* BMR ring roads with 180-kmph speed limit

*Second phase of airport expressway to connect NH 207

Yet to overcome BMP hangover!

Is it still a long way for the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike to come out of its Bangalore Mahanagara Palike mould? Why else did the banners at a major event like the civic agencies’ review meeting on Saturday refer to it by its earlier abbreviation ‘BMP’?

The banners read so even as BBMP Commissioner K Jairaj announced efforts at the newly-formed body are focused “to make Bangalore the best global address in the world.”

The BBMP’s bid to give “a major thrust to infrastructure” will also see the civic body get started on a host of other projects worth Rs 2,000 in 2007. Among them are underpasses (six) arterial roads (155 km) and markets’ modernisation (Malleswaram market).

*Inner Core Ring Road: The work on inner core ring road project, said to ease congestion and ensure orderly traffic in the Central Business District,, will start this year. Expression of Interest (EoI) will be called in March and work completed in 20 months. It will be an elevated ring road as surface road means construction of 33 underpasses on its route.

Landfills: The lack of space for landfills is sought to be overcome. The BBMP has asked the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to provide 500 acres of land for waste disposal and related needs.

Metro ‘Reach 1’ work to wait

The work on ‘Reach 1’ of Namma Metro -- a 7-km stretch between Kanteerava Stadium and Byappanahalli -- is not likely to take off on February 3 as planned earlier.

According to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Managing Director V Madhu, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has a very busy schedule on February 3, on the completion of the coalition Government’s one year in power. “It does not mean that the work will be delayed. The formal ground-breaking ceremony will happen any day after February 3,” he told reporters.

BMRC has awarded the Rs 138-crore civil work project contract to Hyderabad-based Navayuva Construction Private Limited.

Deadlines for metro civil work

* Reach 1 Kanteerava Stadium to Byappanahalli (E)-- March 10, 2010

*Yeshwanthpur - Swastik (E) -- Nov 10, 2010

* City Market -Swastik, Majestic - Kanteerava Stadium (U/G) -- Aug 11, 2011

* City Station - Mysore Road -- Oct 11, 2011

n City Market -R V Road -- Dec 11, 2011

(Note: E-Elevated; UG: Underground)

BDA’s vast housing & other projects

Bangalore Development Authority is taking long and hard look at the development blueprint for Bruhat Bangalore. Extensive land recovery operations have also been one of BDA’s highs through the last year, BDA Commissioner M K Shankaralinge Gowda said. Around 340 unauthorised constructions were demolished over the year.

Under a new budget housing scheme, the BDA would offer more than two lakh houses for the economically poorer sections of society.

“In the Bangalore east zone, 163,000 houses will be built while in the west zone, there will be 81,000 new houses. Each house will come up at a cost of Rs 3 lakh,” Mr Gowda said.

Talking on BDA’s Masterplan 2015, he said the plan has under its ambit the Bruhat Bangalore peripheries and would feature land-fill sites and bus terminals.

The mega projects

The amount being spent for various projects are as follows: * ORR-Ramamurthynagar underpass at Rs 17.46 crore

*Magadi Road-Chord Road Junction underpass at Rs 31.86 crore

*Outer Ring Road work between Mysore Road and Magadi Road at Rs 92 crore

*Development of CMC area roads at Rs 29 crore

* The eight-lane, 117-km Peripheral Ring Road at Rs 3,600 crore

* Hi-tech City Corridor, connecting ORR to Electronic City, at Rs 140 crore

User-friendly bus services

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s bid to promote public transport among private vehicles users will, in the words of its Chairman Upendra Tripathy, see “buses (in the city) wait for people” as against “people waiting for buses.”

The recently introduced grid system that popularises direction-oriented services, instead of destination-oriented, services will be pressed forward. (Meaning: People need not trek to major bus terminals like Shivajinagar or Majestic to find a bus to their destination. Rather they may hop on to buses bound in the direction of their destination from any of the bus stops.)

BMTC vision plan pegged at Rs 3000 cr

The other points BMTC chief Tripathy highlighted include:

* The BMTC’s vision plan 2006-11 will involve a huge outlay -- to the tune of Rs 3,000 crore.

* The Centre has been stressing on Bus Rapid Transit systems and BMTC will have more of them. A feasibility study on BRT system in Outer Ring Road -- from Silk Board to Hebbal -- is under preparation.

* The City to have 1,000 Volvo buses; currently it has only 33.

* The BMTC will be the feeder service to metro rail from its stations

* Introduction of 737 Euro III-enabled buses to eight stations and three bus stations in 2007.

*Work on Traffic & Transport Management Centres at Jayanagar, Domlur, Yeshwanthpur, Kengeri, and Bannerghatta to be completed in 2007.



Cameras for crime-prone areas

A 10 per cent reduction in crimes. That’s what the Bangalore City Police is pointing at as last year’s high point. This, when the force is grappling with a variety of problems, the latest being terror threats. As an innovative crime-buster initiative, the police are planning to install secret surveillance cameras in crime-prone areas of the City.

“Bangalore accounts for almost one-fourth of the State’s crimes... we have around 37,755 crimes to be investigated, apart from the civic disputes and miscellaneous cases,” Police Commissioner N Achutha Rao said.

Further, there is the seemingly never-ending line of VIPs visiting the City. According to the police, Bangalore hosts 1,671 VIPs, including 100 heads of State, every year. On the traffic scene, the police are furthering the B-TRAC 2010 scheme with plans to install 150 new signals, 100 monitoring cameras and establish a state-of-the-art Traffic Management Centre. The other plans are:

*A separate cyber crime cell for Bangalore

* Digital albums of rowdy-sheeters

* Smart traffic signals with Area Traffic Control

* 100 Variable Message System Boards to inform commuters on traffic blocks

* Recruitment of 2,027 constables in the offing

* Proposal to government on allocating dedicated space for staging protests

Cauvery’s early entry

It may be many hiccups before the demand for drinking water in Greater Bangalore is adequately met. That Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is not making many promises unlike the other civic agencies should be indication enough.

BWSSB Chairman N C Muniyappa’s only concrete assurance was the Cauvery IV Stage II Phase project would be completed a year in advance - 2010 instead of 2011.

The project will provide another 500 million litres per day (mld) water to Bangalore.

* Greater Bangalore will require 1,576 mld. The current supply being 900 mld, there is a shortfall of 676 mld

* The Netak Balancing Reservoir project, which will augment the supply by 100 mld, would be completed by June

* Recycled water from Yelahanka and Vrishabhavathi treatment plants to be supplied for non-potable use for industries

*The pipeline laying work in former CMC areas for Greater Bangalore Water Supply and Sanitation Project (GBWSASP) to be completed by September

Govt promises budget houses for poor

Govt promises budget houses for poor
Deccan Herald

The State government on Saturday offered a bouquet of promises to Bangalore – respite from the land mafia, well-connected integrated townships, budget houses for the poor and sops for ‘land losers’.

Addressing a gathering at ‘Bangalore Today and Tomorrow’, an interactive workshop that hosted heads of the City’s eight civic agencies, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy announced regularisation of houses built on unauthorised revenue layouts in and around Bangalore.

“The government has decided to regularise these houses, which belong mostly to the poor. A notification in this regard will be issued in a day or two,” he said. The Chief Minister said all houses on unauthorised revenue layouts, built on 20x30 feet, 30x40 feet, 40x60 feet and 50x80 feet dimensions, will be regularised.

“Most of these houses belong to the poor and they may have built the houses after much toil... Hence, we are not demolishing them,” he said. Houses on sites bigger than these dimensions will not be regularised.

Addressing the issue of encroachment of government land, Kumaraswamy said the government would not buckle under pressure while initiating action against land grabbers. “Bangalore should be a city for all and not just the property of the rich,” he said.

From land losers to active partners in Bangalore’s development – that is the shift in profile that Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) Commissioner Shankaralinge Gowda proposed for those losing land in the government’s land acquisition process.

“The ratio based on which the land loser can claim developed land in the layouts will be announced later. This will be a definite win-win situation for both the land loser and the BDA,” he said.

BDA’s upcoming layouts will focus on vertical growth with the authority going ahead with a proposal to distribute 50,000 sites with 20 per cent area reserved for apartments. Also in the BDA pipeline is a budget housing programme of two lakh houses for the economically weaker sections.

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has also lined up a housing plan for the poor. An integrated project for 5,000 houses across 31 slums will be taken up at a cost of Rs 200 crore. Work on the project will start in April, BBMP Commissioner K Jairaj said.

The houses will be built on blocks of four units each (ground plus three). Each unit will cost about Rs 3 lakh, he said. The redefining of Bangalore’s boundaries was the thrust area in Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) chairman Sudhir Krishna’s presentation.

With a population of 84 lakh spread over 8,022 sq km in its purview, the BMRDA will push further the integrated township formula — and the work-home-play concept — to enhance living standards in Greater Bangalore.

‘Land-gainers’

“In all these townships, land losers will actually become land-gainers because they will also get to partner in the development activities in the township... Connectivity will be another thrust area for BMRDA. Commuters can travel at 180 kmph on the proposed BMR ring roads,” Mr Krishna said.

THE PROMISES

* BDA: Two lakh budget houses for the poor

*BMRDA: Five integrated townships

*BBMP: 5,000-house project across 31 slums

*Bangalore Police: Surveillance cameras in crime-prone areas

*BMTC: Added thrust on grid system

*BWSSB: Cauvery IV

Stage II Phase to be accelerated

NICE unveils film city plan

NICE unveils film city plan

The Hindu

BANGALORE: The Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Limited (NICE) on Saturday unveiled an ambitious plan to set up a mega film city on a 300-acre plot at the Sompura Clover Leaf junction along the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor. This multi-crore venture will feature several sound studios on the lines of Paramount and MGM, serving as a one-stop solution for Bollywood and Hollywood filmmakers, television production houses and animators.

Slums: KHB awaiting nod on proposal

Slums: KHB awaiting nod on proposal

The Hindu

BANGALORE: A first of its kind policy for the development of slums is being chalked out, M. Lakshminarayana, Commissioner, KHB told The Hindu on the sidelines of the interactive workshop "Bangalore Today and Tomorrow", organised by the Bangalore Development Authority.

Mr. Lakshminarayana said that the policy would list guidelines on identifying the beneficiaries of slum redevelopment projects, on slums to be rehabilitated, on the procedure to call for tenders and construction details. The KHB had placed the proposal before the Government for approval, he said. The KHB, along with the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board, is taking up the renewal of four slums on a pilot basis, under the newly initiated Slum Redevelopment Project, undertaken by the State Government. The four slums are Ragigudda, Kudlu, Laggere and A.D. Halli in Rajajinagar.

People pour out their woes to Kumaraswamy

People pour out their woes to Kumaraswamy

The Hindu

The 90-minute interaction resembled another Janata Darshan

# Several senior citizens praise Kumaraswamy
# Student wants Chief Minister to ensure that women are not harassed in buses

BANGALORE: "Policemen in the city are akin to beggars. The only difference is that beggars seek alms, but the men in khaki demand," a young participant told Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy at an interactive workshop on "Bangalore Today and Tomorrow" here on Saturday.

The youth was complaining about the alleged extortion by policemen from farmers who come to sell their produce at the Krishnarajendra Market.

Corruption

The Chief Minister in his response was quick to take the blame and acknowledged that corruption prevailed among government officials. "But the elected representatives and the people are equally responsible for the rampant corruption. An official, who would have paid to get appointed, feels it is his right to earn back that money," he admitted.

Several senior citizens, who started off by heaping praise on the Chief Minister, ended up seeking sites for themselves.

"Though I have spent many years in the city, I am yet to own a site here," said a resident of J.P. Nagar, even as the audience booed him.

Another resident of Kodigehalli in Byatarayanapura had a piece of advice to the authorities on raising revenue in the newly added areas. He wanted them to resume collecting betterment charges from the erstwhile City Municipal Council (CMC) areas, which had been stopped from 2003.

A student of Maharani's Arts and Science College wanted the Chief Minister to ensure that women were not harassed in Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses. "Though separate entries are provided for men and women, it is of no help because we are pushed back. Neither the drivers nor the conductors take any action," she said.

Responding to this complaint, the Chief Minister directed the BMTC managing director Upendra Tripathy to conduct a workshop on good behaviour for drivers and conductors.

The entire 90-minute interaction resembled another Janata Darshan. But this one was exclusively for Bangaloreans.

Agencies make a slew of promises

Agencies make a slew of promises
The hindu

Bangalore's infrastructure to get a major boost

BANGALORE: If the promises made by civic agencies are anything to go by, the city's infrastructure will get a major boost by the end of this year. Work on more flyovers, underpasses, an eight-lane peripheral ring road, inner core ring road, budget housing for the urban poor, first phase of metro rail and the new BMRDA townships will get rolling by March.

Following are the promises made for the future by nine civic agencies at an interactive workshop "Bangalore Today and Tomorrow" organised by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) here on Saturday.

BBMP

Underpasses will built at Nagavara Ring Road, Kadirenahalli Ring Road, Puttenahalli, Prof. C.N.R. Rao Circle, Basappa Circle and Henur Banaswadi.

Other projects include upgrading 70 km of arterial roads (155 km) at a cost of Rs. 130 crore.

Inner Core Ring Road (elevated) — 30 km at a cost of Rs. 1,800 crore and modernisation of Malleswaram market.

Five slums will be upgraded at a cost of Rs. 13 crore under JNNURM.

Revamp of solid waste management, landfills on 500 acres of land and a modern abattoir at Iglur at a cost of Rs. 34 crore are also on the cards.

BDA

There will be no 20X30 sites or 30 ft. roads and emphasis will be on vertical growth.

Higher Floor Area Ratio (FAR) along Metro alignment.

Eight-lane Peripheral Ring Road at Rs. 3,600 crore.

Hi-tech Corridor (ORR to Electronic City) at a cost of Rs. 140 crore.

Flyovers at ORR-Magadi Road junction, Agara-ORR junction and Iblur-ORR junction (Rs. 105 crore).

New layout to distribute 50,000 sites.

Budget housing to allot two lakh houses for urban poor.

BMRDA

Satellite Town Ring Road (208 km); Intermediate Ring Road (188 km); Radial Roads (262 km);

Town Ring Roads; Airport Road Expressway (21.2 km) and more townships are the projects planned.

BWSSB

Board is geared up to provide drinking water to Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) areas. Target is to supply 1,600 million litres per Day (MLD) by 2011.

Regular water supply and sewerage network for newly added areas.

Improve capacity utilisation in sewage treatment plants .

Eliminate release of untreated sewage in river valleys.

To encourage development of tertiary treated water.

To replace corroded underground drainage and water lines.

Water supply and sewerage connections in all slums by 2010.

To set up investigation unit to look at alternative sources of water.

BMRCL

Reach 1-Byappanahalli to Cricket Stadium to be commissioned by March 2010; Yeshwanthpur to Swastik by November 2010; Cricket stadium to city bus station to Magadi Road by August 2011; City station to Mysore Road by October 2011 and City Market to R.V. Road by December 2011.

BMTC

737 Euro-III buses to be added.

Eight new depots to be commissioned. Seven new bus stations to be commissioned.

Three existing bus stations to be modernised.

Traffic and Transport Management Centres at Jayanagar, Domlur, Yeshwanthpur, Kengeri and Bannerghatta.

Online GPS-GIS based vehicle tracking system on all 4,000 buses.

Installation of real time Passenger Info System at 75 Volvo bus stops.

Use of smart card based automatic fare collection system on all buses.

BESCOM

Energy loss of 9.69 per cent to be brought down to 7 per cent.

26 new 66/11 kV sub-stations to be commissioned.

SCADA for all sub-stations at Rs. 39.39 crore.

Two 220 kV sub-stations to take care of load growth.

150 dangerous installations to be shifted from footpaths.

Prepaid meters planned.

Modernisation of divisional Single Point Customer Care Centres.

Bangalore city police

Scientific management of traffic.

B-Trac 2010 at Rs. 350 crore.

Database on crime and criminals.

Digital albums of criminals.

Surveillance to be beefed up.

Separate cyber crime cell for city.

More staff to be recruited.

KHB and slum clearance board

Slum-free Bangalore is the objective.

Economically weaker sections to get 25 per cent in all housing projects.

Ragigudda, Kudlu, Laggere and A.D. Halli slums to be redeveloped.

International airport

It is planned to be made ready by April 2008.

It will cater to 11 million passengers. Agencies make a slew of promises

Staff Reporter

Bangalore's infrastructure to get a major boost

BANGALORE: If the promises made by civic agencies are anything to go by, the city's infrastructure will get a major boost by the end of this year. Work on more flyovers, underpasses, an eight-lane peripheral ring road, inner core ring road, budget housing for the urban poor, first phase of metro rail and the new BMRDA townships will get rolling by March.

Following are the promises made for the future by nine civic agencies at an interactive workshop "Bangalore Today and Tomorrow" organised by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) here on Saturday.

BBMP

Underpasses will built at Nagavara Ring Road, Kadirenahalli Ring Road, Puttenahalli, Prof. C.N.R. Rao Circle, Basappa Circle and Henur Banaswadi.

Other projects include upgrading 70 km of arterial roads (155 km) at a cost of Rs. 130 crore.

Inner Core Ring Road (elevated) — 30 km at a cost of Rs. 1,800 crore and modernisation of Malleswaram market.

Five slums will be upgraded at a cost of Rs. 13 crore under JNNURM.

Revamp of solid waste management, landfills on 500 acres of land and a modern abattoir at Iglur at a cost of Rs. 34 crore are also on the cards.

BDA

There will be no 20X30 sites or 30 ft. roads and emphasis will be on vertical growth.

Higher Floor Area Ratio (FAR) along Metro alignment.

Eight-lane Peripheral Ring Road at Rs. 3,600 crore.

Hi-tech Corridor (ORR to Electronic City) at a cost of Rs. 140 crore.

Flyovers at ORR-Magadi Road junction, Agara-ORR junction and Iblur-ORR junction (Rs. 105 crore).

New layout to distribute 50,000 sites.

Budget housing to allot two lakh houses for urban poor.

BMRDA

Satellite Town Ring Road (208 km); Intermediate Ring Road (188 km); Radial Roads (262 km);

Town Ring Roads; Airport Road Expressway (21.2 km) and more townships are the projects planned.

BWSSB

Board is geared up to provide drinking water to Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) areas. Target is to supply 1,600 million litres per Day (MLD) by 2011.

Regular water supply and sewerage network for newly added areas.

Improve capacity utilisation in sewage treatment plants .

Eliminate release of untreated sewage in river valleys.

To encourage development of tertiary treated water.

To replace corroded underground drainage and water lines.

Water supply and sewerage connections in all slums by 2010.

To set up investigation unit to look at alternative sources of water.

BMRCL

Reach 1-Byappanahalli to Cricket Stadium to be commissioned by March 2010; Yeshwanthpur to Swastik by November 2010; Cricket stadium to city bus station to Magadi Road by August 2011; City station to Mysore Road by October 2011 and City Market to R.V. Road by December 2011.

BMTC

737 Euro-III buses to be added.

Eight new depots to be commissioned. Seven new bus stations to be commissioned.

Three existing bus stations to be modernised.

Traffic and Transport Management Centres at Jayanagar, Domlur, Yeshwanthpur, Kengeri and Bannerghatta.

Online GPS-GIS based vehicle tracking system on all 4,000 buses.

Installation of real time Passenger Info System at 75 Volvo bus stops.

Use of smart card based automatic fare collection system on all buses.

BESCOM

Energy loss of 9.69 per cent to be brought down to 7 per cent.

26 new 66/11 kV sub-stations to be commissioned.

SCADA for all sub-stations at Rs. 39.39 crore.

Two 220 kV sub-stations to take care of load growth.

150 dangerous installations to be shifted from footpaths.

Prepaid meters planned.

Modernisation of divisional Single Point Customer Care Centres.

Bangalore city police

Scientific management of traffic.

B-Trac 2010 at Rs. 350 crore.

Database on crime and criminals.

Digital albums of criminals.

Surveillance to be beefed up.

Separate cyber crime cell for city.

More staff to be recruited.

KHB and slum clearance board

Slum-free Bangalore is the objective.

Economically weaker sections to get 25 per cent in all housing projects.

Ragigudda, Kudlu, Laggere and A.D. Halli slums to be redeveloped.

International airport

It is planned to be made ready by April 2008.

It will cater to 11 million passengers.

Passport office has new building at Koramangala

Passport office has new building at Koramangala
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: After a spate of new rules, the Passport Office is all set to experience another change.

This time, it is the office itself, which is moving to a new building in Koramangala, next to Commercial Tax Office, near National Games Village. The 20,000 sq-foot building is all set to be inaugurated in the last week of February.

The new office is spread over four floors and all submissions including Tatkal, re-issual and fresh applications from out of city can be submitted on the ground floor under a single queue system and the first floor will deal with enquiries in the morning along with Tatkal processing.

Fresh applicants from Bangalore can continue to submit applications at Bangalore One and Speed Post centres to reduce the long queues outside the office.

The new place will have more processing counters and this is expected to cut down on the waiting time. In the present office, the queue spills out on to the road. A big parking lot at the new place will solve a major problem.

“The new building has been planned carefully and the layout and the counters have been designed to optimise space allocation and process more applications to reduce the waiting time. We have a shortage of staff at present, but expect to have 20 more people on the rolls by April. That should help us process applications faster. We have also created a separate policy section that will handle complicated cases,” says Regional Passport Officer P Kumaran. Security is very high on the new premises, which has 32 close circuit cameras and huge posse of guards including a woman constable. The office is also planning to restrict public access to office areas by using access card system for employees.

Meanwhile, applications will now be tagged with a bar code along with the file number for tracking to reduce the number of mistakes in the applications. The internal database has also been upgraded to Windows platform and it makes it easier to connect to peripheral devices like bar code readers and fingerprint readers.

GB: Govt may spell out stand today

GB: Govt may spell out stand today
Deccan Herald

Now that Greater Bangalore is a reality and election to the new civic body is expected any time in the next few months, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s day-long review meeting with the civic agencies of Bangalore on Saturday may well have many, possibly far-reaching, implications. Never mind it is being touted as a ‘stock-taking’ of the year gone by.

Further, there is reason to believe that it’s not going to be an audit on the past year, at least for the chief minister. It is learnt that what the civic agencies will say in their presentations has been reviewed twice over: by the chief secretary on Wednesday and by the chief minister on Thursday.

As per the programme schedule, the review session of the various agencies in the forenoon is slotted to be followed by an interactive session in the afternoon. In the latter session, the chief minister and officials will respond to issues raised by some of Bangalore’s “who is who” -- litterateurs, corporate honchos, builders, NGOs.

Though, BDA, the main organiser of the programme, has said the general public may participate in the programme, such participation in essence may be limited to those selected after the scrutiny of the responses the BDA has received in the run-up to the event. “This is not a meeting to redress grievances. We want people who have visionary and innovative ideas on what Bangalore should be in the future,” said one official. The government itself is expected to state its vision for Bangalore at the end of day.

But Mr Kumaraswamy, who inspected the preparations on Friday, said citizen’s suggestions on the future of Bangalore will be received and incorporated in the planning.

Will this meeting be on the lines of the BATF? “No”, said the CM, who pointed out that BATF’s work was “confined to a particular section of the City. But this one is for one and all.” For the record, the following are the agencies involved: Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company, the BMTC, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation and the Bangalore City Police. As if to add that dash of glamour, cine actor Ramesh Arvind has been invited to anchor the programme.

NO EXCLUSIVE THIS

Contrary to what some officials had to say about participation in the programme, ‘Bangalore Today and Tomorrow’, being held at Jnana Jyothi Auditorium, Central College Campus, Palace Road, at 10 am, it is going to be an open affair. People can even lodge their grievances, besides giving suggestions, directly to the Chief Minister. It will also be telecast live on DD Chandana.

Cinderella steps into 1000th ‘shoe’

Cinderella steps into 1000th ‘shoe’
Deccan Herald

Thirty years have gone by, and the glorious fairytale of the Cinderella team continues. What started as a musical to appease young minds in the late 1970s, has become a legendary Kannada ballet today, resulting in Prabhat Kalavidaru hosting Cinderella a 1000th time...

Thirty years have gone by, and the glorious fairytale of the Cinderella team continues. What started as a musical to appease young minds in the late 1970s, has become a legendary Kannada ballet today, resulting in Prabhat Kalavidaru hosting Cinderella a 1000th time.

A family affair, where more than half the cast were relatives, Cinderella now has several newcomers, most of whom were not even born when the ballet was featured first.

The team, however, has two loyalists, who despite an overhaul of the entire ballet have stuck on, completely enamoured by not just the play but also by what the family that founded the troop has to offer.

Recounting her experiences, Shantala M S, who graduated from playing a fairy to Cinderella to a Fairy Queen said that she still felt like a newcomer.

“Nothing seems different here because the passion for the play to live on by people who created it has not ebbed even a little. I have played the Fairy Queen in over 650 shows. Not once have I been bored,” she said, adding that though she liked playing the role of Cinderella more, playing Fairy Queen had been more rewarding.

“I love children, and there is nothing more joyous to me than the little ones in the play looking up to me to wave my magic wand and grant them their wish,” she said.

Mr Subbanna who is now playing King in the musical, was a soldier when he started off with Cinderella. “This is the third generation that I am working with now, and the bond with the family and the play continues to strengthen.

“Though many artistes have come and gone, I cannot get myself to leave. I will do any role that I am given, as there has never been room for anybody to feel threatened here,” he said.

Another aspect that kept him glued to the team was the bisibele bath and gasgase payasa that is served for lunch during rehearsals, he added.

T G Venkatesh Achar, Secretary of Prabhat Kalavidaru, and son of Gopinath Dasa, who was the founder of Kalavidaru, said the ballet should have completed its 1000th show in September 2004.

“Sadly, we lost our uncle the same year, and we made a conscious choice of not hosting any functions for another year,” he said.

He also said that his father had incorporated a few scenes and characters which are not there in the original tale.

Rakshash character

“For instance there was never a rakshash, or characters like Drushtidevi and Shabdadevi in the original. He let his imagination run while he was writing this musical, keeping in mind the Kannada audiences all along,” he added.

The musical in its new look is being featured for special invitees on January 29 at Ravindra Kalakshetra at 6.30 pm. However, ticketed shows will be hosted in February.

RTOs to have buildings, brand identity

RTOs to have buildings, brand identity

The Hindu

# New initiative includes implementation of IT
# Only 19 RTOs have own buildings

BANGALORE: Despite being among the highest revenue earning departments of the Government, regional transport offices (RTOs) have been neglected all these years. But no longer, as under a new initiative, many RTOs will be relocated in spacious buildings with brand identity offering easy access to the public.

The initiative includes construction of buildings, setting up new driving test tracks and implementation of information technology for better administration.

The Government has released Rs. 5.14 crore for constructing new buildings in this financial year.

Of the 54 offices of regional transport officers and independent assistant regional transport officers in the State, only 19 have own buildings.

The department pays around Rs. 1.5 crore per year towards buildings rented by it.

The rented buildings were cramped causing difficulties for the people and officials.

Brand identity

Transport Commissioner M.C. Narayana Gowda told The Hindu that the new RTO buildings would be standardised to reflect the department's brand identity. The RTO buildings all over the State will look the same making it easy for people to identify them, he said.

Work on two offices — in Chikmagalur and Jamkhandi — have started while 10 more in Bangalore (West), Haveri, Davangere, Puttur, Bagalkot, Shimoga, Gadag, Honnavar, Bidar and Bylhongal would be taken up before the end of this financial year, Mr. Narayana Gowda said.

He said all these years because of working in difficult conditions, the efficiency level of the staff was low and it also did not bestow them with dignity.

Once the new buildings with modern amenities are up and running, the situation will change for the better, he said.

Land

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has allotted sites for construction of three new buildings for RTOs in the city at a cost of Rs. 2.5 crore.

A 3,973-square metre plot has been allotted at BTM IV Stage for RTO (Central), 1,348-square metre plot near Konankunte for RTO (South) and a 6,975-square metre plot at Mallattahalli for office and driving track for the Jnana Bharathi RTO.

The department has purchased an eight-acre plot worth Rs. 40 lakh at Nachanahalli in Mysore from the Mysore Urban Development Authority.

Apart from constructing a new office building for a second RTO in Mysore, the land would be utilised to lay driving tracks and a yard for seized vehicles.

Driving tracks

Considering the lack of road space around the existing RTOs to ascertain the driving skills of people seeking driving licence, the department had mooted the concept of driving test tracks.

One such track is functioning near Peenya in the city for RTO (West).

Similar tracks at costs ranging from Rs. 7 lakh to Rs. 15 lakh would be laid in Bagalkot, Gadag, Bidar while the existing tracks at Chitradurga, Kolar, Bijapur, Hassan and Belgaum would be upgraded.

Bangalore back on track

Bangalore back on track
Deccan Herald

Seeking to brush aside memories of the bloody weekend, people of Bharathinagar, Shivajinagar, Frazer Town and Ulsoor in Bangalore on Tuesday resumed their normal activities hoping for peaceful days ahead.

Seeking to brush aside memories of the bloody weekend, people of Bharathinagar, Shivajinagar, Frazer Town and Ulsoor in Bangalore on Tuesday resumed their normal activities hoping for peaceful days ahead.

Educational institutions in the areas affected by violence, which had remained closed on Monday, reopened on Tuesday. Shops and business establishments too engaged in usual transactions. However, owners of those shops which were set on fire or targeted in the violence were unable to resume their business.

The jurisdictional police were in the process of registering complaints of rioting, arson, looting, damage to public and private properties and assessing the loss.

City Police Commissioner N Achuta Rao said that the prohibitory orders imposed in these localities would be in force till the midnight of January 27. While making it clear that no untoward incident was reported from these areas since Monday, Mr Rao appealed to the people not to give any importance to rumours about violence.

Meanwhile, the police are maintaining a strict vigil in the sensitive areas by deploying additional forces and intensifying patrolling.

Shoppers back

“It is nice to see the crowd on Commercial Street again. We normally come here during the weekends but our parents did not allow us to come here on Saturday and Sunday last after Friday’s violence,” said Prerna and her friends, all engineering students from Malleswaram.

The traders, who saw a dull weekend in terms of business, were also happy to see the crowd back.

“Most small shopkeepers in the bylanes of Commercial Street and their assistants mainly depend on their daily business and wages for survival. Closing the shop even for a day would affect our livelihood,” said Bashaq who sells handkerchiefs and designer scarfs at a small shop in one of the bylanes.

A long way to reach Bengalooru

A long way to reach Bengalooru
Deccan Herald

It will still take some more weeks or even months for the Karnataka capital to be officially called Bengalooru. Ditto for the 11 other cities of the State which are to be rechristened.

The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) has sought comments from different ministries and organisations on the Karnataka government’s proposal for the change of names of these cities. What is taking time is the delay in the MHA getting responses from several organisations.

Following the State government’s decision to effect the changeover, the MHA on November 16 wrote to the ministries of railways, civil aviation and surface transport as well as to the department of posts, the surveyor general of India headquartered in Dehra Dun and the Intelligence Bureau among others asking for their comments on the issue.

In its letter to the ministries of railways, civil aviation and surface transport, the MHA wanted to know “whether the proposed change of names of these cities/towns would necessitate any corresponding changes in the names of various railway stations, airports, ports, post offices etc servicing them.”

Interestingly, the MHA had sent a copy of its November 16 letter to the Karnataka revenue department also. Strangely, there has been no response from the state department. As a result, the MHA has sent a reminder to the revenue department on January 5!

The Karnataka proposal on the change of names of the 12 cities first reached the MHA even before the chief minister made the formal announcement on the last Rajyotsava Day — it landed at the ministry on October 27, sources in the MHA told Deccan Herald here on Tuesday. They added that the ministry would process the issue fast once all the ministries/departments/organisations concerned sent in their responses.

After all these bodies agree for the renaming, the MHA sends the green signal to the Karnataka government. The state government will have to publish the final notification after which the anglicised names of the major towns and districts will be Kannadised.

Among others, the names of Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Hospet, Bellary, Shimoga, Belgaum, Gulbarga, Tumkur and Hubli will be changed to Bengalooru, Mysooru, Mangalooru, Hosapete, Ballary, Shivamogga, Belagavi, Kalburgi, Tumakooru and Hubballi, respectively.

ROADBLOCK

Delay due to tardy response from several ministries, organisations

No response from State revenue department either

Green signal only after nod from various bodies

City medical emergency services in limbo

City medical emergency services in limbo
The Hindu

In a city that has some of the best speciality medical care, emergency medical care is a glaring area of neglect. Why are our hospitals ill-equipped to deal with such cases?


Bangalore: On January 1, three-year-old Mallappa, son of a construction worker, suffered a serious injury when a van ran over him as he was playing near a pavement in Kanteeravanagar.

The blood vessel in his thigh was cut, and his distraught parents took their profusely bleeding son to four hospitals — K.C. General Hospital, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Vani Vilas Hospital and Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health. Every hospital turned him away because they did not have a vascular specialist to attend to him.

He was finally treated at Victoria, six hours after the accident took place.

On Saturday last, Spandana Suresh of Annasandrapalya developed hypertension-linked breathing difficulty. Her husband, Suresh Babu, tried to revive her through artificial respiration but she seemed to be sinking.

"I first called Manipal Hospital for an ambulance. Not wanting to wait I also called the CTC-Sanjeevani ambulance on 1062. Although they could only reach my house in around 30 minutes, the immediate medical attention saved her life, said Mr. Suresh.

Both Mallappa and Spandana survived their ordeal. Not everyone, who has an accident or a medical emergency, is that fortunate. Several people die because they do not get emergency medical help in time.

Casualty

According to a study conducted by the Comprehensive Trauma Consortium (CTC), in Bangalore, 22 per cent of persons injured in accidents die before they get pre-hospital care; 10 per cent die while in transit to a medical centre, and 68 per cent die after they reach a hospital because they have not received trauma care in time. This picture reflects the abysmal state of emergency medical services, including ambulance services, in city hospitals.

Where ambulances are actually able to reach trauma victims, the traffic and bad roads make it almost impossible for them to reach hospitals in time.


What ails medical emergency services in this otherwise high-tech, globally competitive city?

Last year an average of three persons died and 17 were injured every day in traffic related accidents in the city. This constitutes only one segment of those who need emergency medical care.

For trauma victims, every second counts. Yet, there are only around 150 ambulances in the city, and most of them are ill-equipped.

There are around 45 organisations operating ambulance services apart from the 16 government hospitals. The costs of private ambulance services at Rs. 350 to Rs. 450 for a 10 km radius are yet another disincentive for their use.

Poor people usually use an autorickshaw to take the victim to hospital.

"The city does not have a proper ambulance network for trauma victims to reach the hospital within the golden hour. We rarely get calls for ambulances as they usually do not reach on time because of traffic snarls. Besides, most people do not know which ambulance service to call so depend on their own vehicles,"

Precious time

Mabel C. Vasnaik, Head of Emergency Medicine at the St. John's Medical College Hospital, said. Her hospital gets around 25 emergency cases a day.

She added that it was not practical to send an ambulance from one end of the city to the other in such situations. "Precious time is lost in transit" Dr. Mabel said.

According to N.K. Venkataramana, founder of the Comprehensive Trauma Consortium (CTC), Bangalore has the best system in place compared with other major Indian cities, although it is underutilised. The CTC is a non-profit organisation instituted to facilitate quick trauma care for accident and medical emergencies before patient reaches the nearest hospital.

"The CTC has network of 35 hospitals and we run an independent and fully-equipped ambulance service called Sanjeevani with 27 ambulances. Emergency calls on the number 1062 are directed to a central control room and when they get a call, ambulances with trained paramedics that are stationed at important points are sent to the accident spot," he said.

However, because of the lack of awareness among the public about this facility, only 20 per cent of CTC services are used, Dr. Venkataramana said.

V. Ashok Kumar, Medical Superintendent of Victoria Hospital, said: "Most ambulances are ill-equipped to give pre-hospital care and none of the drivers are trained to handle trauma patients," he said.

"The ambulance should ideally be equipped with a heart monitor, a defibrillator, an echocardiogram, oxygen supply, intra-venous fluids and blood substitutes (in case of loss of blood)," Dr. Venkataramana said. It must also have trained paramedics.

Bangalore hospitals have a long way to go in getting a prompt, efficient, affordable and well-networked trauma care system in place.

Stuck in the middle

While road widths in the city remain the same, the number of vehicles on the roads is nearing three million. The death toll from road accidents was 915 in 2006.

"We have instructed traffic policemen at signals to turn off signals and make way for ambulances," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-East), M.A. Saleem. However, ambulances are often caught in traffic jams. "We are helpless in such situations," Mr. Saleem confessed.

He added that the traffic police do not object when ambulances flout one-ways and jump signals, but this could only cause more accidents.

He added that even when the siren is on, not many people give way. There have been several instances when the patient died while the ambulance is stuck in traffic, he added citing an example of a Central Government official in National Games Village in Koramangala, who passed away because the ambulance was caught in traffic and arrived too late.

The Golden Hour

According to the World Health Organisation, "Golden Hour" is defined as the first hour after injury, during which time it is important to administer first-aid and ensure the victim is out of danger. If first-aid is administered within the first hour after injury by trained paramedics or qualified doctors, the victim can experience better quality of life post-trauma.

Readers can email their suggestions and share experiences on published articles at bgreporters@thehindu.co.in or mail to The Public Eye, The Hindu, No. 19 and 21, Bhagwan Mahaveer Road, Bangalore 560001.