GENRE: Voices

When fears about COVID-19 abound, the super-rich can afford to isolate themselves. They are stocking up food, sanitisers, toilet paper, and also checking into resorts in exotic locations. Some are also chartering private jets, taking along personal doctors, nurses and support staff, just in case. Little is the world thinking about those who are fighting to contain the disease. Our pourakarmikas, BWSSB workers, ayahs, nurses and those who work at burial grounds and crematoriums, have little choice. They must work, no matter what - all to ensure the city is clean and the rest of us are protected from the…

Before I explain the title, let's look at the numbers. As of March 15th, 2020 169,444 cases of Coronavirus have been reported across the GlobeThere are more cases outside China now than in China - which was the epicenter (80,848 - China, 88,696 cases outside)83.8% recovery rate in China, 11.2% recovery rate outside China These are some simplistic numbers given above to explain the impact of the virus. Let's understand the stages of transmission of the virus: Stage 1 is when people come with the virus into India. Stage 2 is local transmission when the affected people transmit the virus…

Bengaluru recently topped the TomTom Traffic Index 2019, that ranked 416 global cities on traffic congestion. Mumbai (4th position), Pune (5th) and Delhi (8th) were the other Indian cities that featured in the top 10. Countless memes and jokes on Bengaluru’s notorious traffic and roads - most recently the ‘astronaut walking on moon’ video - have been doing the rounds. Why is the city unable to solve its traffic mess despite its countless planning documents and experts? Only 7% land in Bengaluru is used for road infrastructure Bengaluru is a ring-radial patterned city similar to Delhi, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. The…

It's been one year since Phase 1 of Chennai Metro became operational over the entire stretch. While ridership numbers over the last five years have been reasonably  high, with more than 6 crores using the city's newest form of public transport (3.2 crore in 2019 alone), the Metro continues to be bogged down by some basic issues that have yet to be resolved. The original aim was to carry 7 lakh passengers per day, a target that the Metro will likely take years to hit and build capacity for. One of the primary challenges towards attaining higher ridership numbers will…

The political establishment has been feeling lost ever since the High Court of Madras pronounced an outright ban on parties erecting digital banners and hoardings along the streets and roads of Chennai. And as is always the case, a minor adjustment when it comes to interpretation of the judgement will soon help in getting these public nuisances back. If the news agencies are to be believed, the Corporation of Chennai is of the view that the ban pertains only to political parties and not organisers of “marriages, birthdays and other social celebrations.” We are not sure if religious events are…

The Honourable National Green Tribunal (NGT) of India, constituted under the NGT Act of 2010, bases all its directions and judgements on three basic tenets: Sustainable development Precautionary principle Polluter pays These tenets are considered the bedrock of jurisprudence in cases relating to the environment. I have absolutely no quarrel with any of these guiding principles. I have a question, however, on how the Hon. NGT defines and decides who the real polluter is, in case of dysfunctional sewage treatment plants (STPs) in apartments. Based on NGT's directions, the State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has been issuing notices to apartments for running…

Recently the State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) slapped heavy fines on multiple apartments in the city. The reason: "STP is not running properly", "treated sewage does not meet some quality parameters". Some apartments have rightly questioned KSPCB's sampling method, the inordinate delay in sending test reports, and the fact that the apartments' own monthly tests (conducted at NABL-accredited labs) had never shown any problem with the treated water quality. While these objections are valid, the ugly truth is that many STPs may really be unable to treat sewage fully. In a previous article, I explored why this happens, and how some reforms…

The draft proposal for BBMP ward delimitation has been notified in the gazette. The idea is to improve services and fund allocation in the newly-added areas of BBMP, but this can't be achieved through the current proposal. Why delimitation? According to the 74th Constitutional Amendment, urban local bodies (ULBs) with population of more than three lakh were mandated to constitute wards and ward committees. Wards and ward committees provide a mechanism for participatory democracy at the grassroots level and ensure services and resources are allocated on an equitable basis for good quality of life to citizens. To ensure equitable services and…

Today, a large number of apartment complexes, malls and tech parks in Bengaluru have their own STPs (Sewage Treatment Plants). If an STP is working properly, its treated water would look just like tap water - clear, without any odour. In addition, it must meet the specifications set by the State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). If the treated water looks dark brown, or stinks, the STP owner knows that the STP has some trouble. But even if the treated water looks clear and odour-free, it may still not meet specifications; and the owner may not be even aware that his STP…

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…