GENRE: Explainers

It took Chennai just two months to hit the 24,000-mark in COVID-positive counts. Economic compulsions, however, have led the administration to take steps towards easing restrictions in some areas. Stand alone shops, salons and dine-in restaurants have resumed operations in a number of areas. And it is increasingly becoming evident that people will have to learn to live with the virus for some more time to come. Masking up, frequent handwashing, physical distancing - these are some of the steps that we must follow as we gradually adapt to life in a post-COVID world. Below are a few standard protocols…

While providing much-needed relief from the heat, the monsoon also cripples Bengaluru with a whole lot of problems every year. Top among them are flooding of roads and clogging of stormwater drains. On June 1, the state government published a list of eight teams - one for each of the eight BBMP zones - to prepare for and respond to this year's monsoon. The teams have members from six departments - Forest, BESCOM, Fire and Emergency Services, BWSSB, BBMP and Traffic Police. The BBMP's Storm Water Drain (SWD) Department has also identified 211 vulnerable SWDs, which have to be worked…

Last week, the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services released new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for travellers entering Karnataka. The new SOPs offer many relaxations, particularly for inter-state and inter-district travellers. Inter-district travellers no longer need to be screened at the point of entry and don’t have to undergo institutional quarantine, while inter-state travellers have been given a way out of it. Here are the new rules for travelling to Karnataka during Lockdown 4.0: Inter-District Travel CategoryQuarantineTestingCategory 1 (Symptomatic)* Screened at point of origin (bus station, railway station)* Symptomatic passengers will be referred to fever clinicsDecided at fever clinicCategory…

Even as it was grappling with increasing COVID-19 cases, on April 21, the Karnataka government swiftly notified the Zonal Regulations (Amendment), 2020 (ZRA). The new regulations are aimed at conserving heritage sites, buildings, precincts and natural features. They will apply to Zonal Regulations/Master Plans of all local planning areas in the state, including Bengaluru. ZRA specifies rules for identifying and preserving the state’s heritage, and conservationists, by large, have welcomed it. With ZRA, Bengaluru would have a dedicated authority to identify and protect a wide range of heritage sites including natural features. However, there are concerns about the composition of…

Bengaluru’s lakes have been in the news for pollution, froth, fish kill and even fire. Despite the government investing crores of rupees into reviving these lakes, and widespread citizen engagement, not much has changed. While the main reason is the lack of coordination between government departments, the absolute lack of science-based solutions is also a major gap. In this context, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and Biome Environmental Trust (BIOME) have developed the ‘Bangalore Citizen Science Lakes Dashboard’ to share knowledge and best practices for better management of lakes. We created a series of system…

With the country entering the fourth phase of lockdown in the COVID battle, relaxations on movement have been granted leading to more people entering states from within and outside the country. Tamil Nadu, too, has seen more people come in since relaxations were put in place. Accordingly, testing and quarantine rules have been revised for those entering the state, with certain exemptions. What do you need to do if you have to come to Chennai now? Here's a quick explainer: How can you enter Tamil Nadu? At present, Shramik trains for migrant workers are allowed entry into Chennai. Air travel…

On May 18, Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal appealed to migrant workers to stay where they were, as the railways planned to double the number of Shramik Trains to 400 per day in two days. He also said that an additional 200 non-AC trains would be operational by June 1. While this increased capacity is a welcome sign, will it be enough to service Bengaluru's stranded workers? A large number of Bengaluru's workers are walking thousands of kilometres to their home states, as the efforts of the governments to arrange transportation has fallen short of the exploding demand. "The Labour…

Based on orders by the Centre's Ministry of Home Affairs on May 17, Karnataka government issued an order on lockdown measures applicable in the state till May 31. Here are the key highlights, as summarised by the Bangalore Apartments' Federation (BAF). Lockdown to continue with relaxations Lockdown will continue till May 31. However, this phase of lockdown is characterised by reasonable relaxations that would support day-to-day life coming back to normal, while certain high-risk activities would be restricted. Intra-city public transport to resume Local public transport mediums (except Metro rail) like BMTC buses, cabs (driver + 2 passengers) and autos…

As we approach the relaxation of lockdown, traffic and people on the roads is bound to increase, even as we continue to battle the pandemic. Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) can be very effective in helping the Greater Chennai Corporation, as the civic body continues its measures to create awareness and enforce social distancing in the near future. Here are some salient points for RWAs from a note issued by a senior GCC official. Awareness Awareness material will be handed over to RWAs by GCC.Do paste where it will be visible to the publicDo share the digital messages widely.Do NOT spread…

Travel and quarantine rules have changed since the publishing of this article. Visit this page to find the updated rules. On Thursday, as the first Rajdhani from Delhi pulled into Majestic railway station, many travellers were taken by surprise when they were told that everyone on the train had to go through paid institutional quarantine in Bengaluru or go back to Delhi. Soon enough, 150-odd travellers sat on dharna and refused to go into quarantine, stating they hadn’t been informed about the rule beforehand. The Health and Family Welfare Services Department has released a series of orders, circulars and advisories…