BBMP

Daily COVID cases near 1000-mark On Friday, July 3, Bengaluru reported 994 cases of COVID-19. With this, the city overtook Kolkata in the total number of positive cases. The day before, on July 2, 889 cases had been reported. As of 2nd, Bengaluru topped the list of 30 districts in the state in terms of fresh cases reported, most cumulative deaths (100), and most active cases (5505). However, Padarayanapura, Shivajinagar and Hongasandra that seemed to be on the verge of community transmission until recently, now have zero positive cases. But these localities remain containment zones, as a preventive measure. Meanwhile,…

Apartment RWAs have insisted on restrictions beyond government guidelines to deal with COVID, affecting residents and workers. Representational image: Ramesh Meda/(CC BY 2.0) "In general, I don't have a good relationship with my RWA, but COVID brought out their worst side," says Mukesh (name changed), a resident of Ozone Evergreen Apartments in Sarjapur Road. His apartment RWA is one of many in Bengaluru which have come up with their own rules during the pandemic. One of these rules was to restrict the entry of domestic workers into the premises. According to Mukesh, the RWA had promised to change this rule…

Shorter hospital stay for COVID patients COVID-19 patients will have a shorter stay in hospital, with the state government changing its discharge protocols. From now, symptomatic patients staying in isolation facilities will be discharged 10 days after admission if they show no symptoms on the last three consecutive days and test negative. If they test positive, repeat tests will be done after 72 hours. Asymptomatic patients in isolation facilities will be discharged following a test seven days after admission, if the result is negative. Earlier, all patients had to spend a minimum of 14 days in hospital and a patient…

Yesterday, a team of representatives from Bangalore Apartments' Federation (BAF) - a federation of apartment RWAs in the city - participated in a video-conference with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) officials. BBMP Commissioner B H Anil Kumar, Special Commissioner (Health and Projects) Dr Ravi Surpur and Special Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Randeep Dev were present, along with representatives of various Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs).  Here are some key updates which were shared in the meeting: RWAs to stay alert and updated  As per the order of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, on May 1, and subsequent orders…

There is a specific pattern to the spread of COVID-19, one that’s tied to the way in which global supply chains have been built over the last few decades and where people live and work. If the 1918 “Spanish Influenza” epidemic in the past was spread by soldiers returning home from World War 1, urbanisation and globalisation have had a huge say in how COVID-19 has spread across the world. It is also for this reason that it has proved hard to tackle – global supply chains, industries and cities (where more than half of humanity lives) cannot simply be…

An institution in decline is not a pretty sight.  Particularly when it is a civic body responsible for the quality of life of vast segments of the population.  This is what is happening to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike, which has just presented its budget for the current year.   Of course, there’s more to development than figures.  Nevertheless, the Annual Financial Statement is a great way of assessing recent performance and future plans.  From both points of view, going by the BBMP’s figures, the prospects for Bengaluru are bleak. Budget analysis usually starts with three questions.  Have promises made in…

It's almost a month since Bengaluru has been under complete lockdown so as to contain COVID-19 spread. Besides, two wards have been sealed off, and 19 localities designated as Containment Zones; movement for even essential services have been restricted in these areas. With the majority of us spending time at home, have you wondered what the city looks like now? What about hyper-crowded areas like Silk Board junction, the traffic signal near St John's Medical College, and so on? Naveen Thomas Prasad, an IT employee in the city, decided to shoot what his area looked like. Here's his video, which…

BBMP has set up a 'war room' to stop the spread of coronavirus and create awareness. The war room is situated in the six floor of the Palike's annexe building. Following are the priorities of the war room, as per a press release from BBMP: Keeping vigil on those infected and ensuring that it does not spread. Collecting information on all arriving from abroad and keeping track of them. Calling every day and keeping track of those who are on home quarantine for 15 days. War room staff to work 24/7 in three shifts. Using the format provided by WHO,…

Dear BBMP, How are you doing? Hope all is well with you. Things haven't been going so great with me for a month now, as I have been bedridden after being injured on a faulty footpath. But that's another conversation for another time. I write to you today because of a tweet by the BBMP Commissioner that caught my eye about a week ago. B H Anil Kumar tweeted that the Palike had identified 35 junctions in the city for "beautification" to raise the standards of Bengaluru. The Mayor of Bengaluru, Gautam Kumar, then elucidated that the idea was to…

How often have we thought about how safe our food is or how sustainable our food practices are? What regulations exist to make our food secure? Who is enforcing these regulations, and how efficiently? Everyday food is often laced with pesticide residues, as shown by the crippling attack of arthritis in over 300 people in Shimoga and Chikmagalur districts. In another instance, excessive levels of poisonous fungi were found in flour sold in parts of Karnataka. The fungi could cause a range of disorders - from jaundice to gastrointestinal bleeding. Besides, India already faces a triple burden of malnutrition due…