Garbage crisis in city as dumpsite fills up
The city seems to be slipping into a garbage crisis, as the Bellahalli quarry has filled up and there are no other options to dispose of the mounds of waste in the city. Due to sporadic rains, garbage piles are turning into breeding grounds for mosquito armies as well. This could add to the increasing cases of dengue and chikungunya in the city.
Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun said that garbage could be dumped in the Bellahalli landfill for another month, but muddy roads were preventing garbage trucks from reaching the landfill. The Mayor also said that the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) had floated tenders for a landfill at Mitiganahalli quarry, but it was yet to be approved.
Meanwhile, Swachh Ecospace, BBMP’s dry waste processing unit at Yelahanka, is being renovated after a fire accident last month. The plant gets plastic waste from 53 Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs) in the city. It has been operating for five years under the PPP (Private Public Partnership) model. Rajesh Babu, co-founder of the plant, said the renovation would be completed in 2-3 months.
Source: Deccan Herald | Bangalore Mirror
HC to govt: Fix citizens’ plaints on bad roads
Karnataka High Court has directed the BBMP to set up a system to receive complaints from citizens on potholes, bad footpaths and roads, within six weeks. BBMP should design a mobile app and also create a portal on its official website, to respond to the complaints. Officials have to upload photos of the repair works undertaken as well.
After the system becomes operational, BBMP should give wide publicity to the complaints system through print, electronic and social media, the court said. It also said that ward committees would have the responsibility to inspect roads, to check whether these need repair, and to monitor maintenance works. Ward committees should also monitor the digging of roads for laying utility pipes and cables, ensuring that the agencies carrying out these works follow the terms and conditions BBMP had laid while giving them permission for road-cutting.
The High Court has also said that BBMP should compensate motorists who suffer loss or damage due to poor road conditions. However, the victim has to make a representation to the BBMP, and the BBMP should be reasonably satisfied with the case.
Source: The Hindu | Bangalore Mirror
South India’s first state-run milk bank at Vani Vilas Hospital
Vani Vilas Hospital will be the first government hospital in south India to start an in-house human milk bank. Milk from mothers in the hospital would be provided free of cost to sick and pre-term babies. According to sources, nearly 40% of the 1500 babies born in the hospital every month need supportive breast milk. As it is a referral hospital, Vani Vilas also gets reference cases from across the state.
With funding of Rs 36.4 lakh from the National Health Mission (NHM), and Rs 42 lakh from the Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (KAPL), the hospital already has infrastructure for the milk bank. While freezers, breast pumps, scanning equipment and computers are available, milk analysers to assist in accurate milk testing and adulterant screening are needed.
Source: The Hindu | Indian Express
SWR electrification project
Railway Ministry has established the Railway Electrification Project unit of Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE) in Bengaluru. The aim is to speed up the electrification of railway lines, almost covering the state’s railway network. Headed by a Chief Project Director, the unit is mandated to electrify 2457 km lines under the South Western Railway (SWR) by 2022. Of this, about 466 kms would be electrified this financial year. Of SWR’s total network of 3522 kms, about 700 km is already electrified.
Source: The Hindu
[Compiled by Revathi Siva Kumar]