Citizenmatters_25feb2012_JPnagar

LocaL news Like no one eLse does

bengaluru south Vol-4 Issue-02 25 Feb- 9 Mar 2012FREE¹neóÉ£ï ªÉÄålgïìð

www.citizenmatters.in

btm, ns palya, jp nagar, sarakki, dollars colony, jayanagar

CitizenMatters

6 Chasing BBMP for KEB Layout park7 The writer who rescued the lake8 Craving for icecreams?9 Student’s essentials - shopping for textbooks 11 STP underutilised, Lalbagh guzzles borewell water

12 Mulch those leaves13 Pawan Kumar making enemies17 Happenings18 Judgement days for moms

BBMP on life support

602 Bank a/cS,no Money

No. 3/119, 9th Main,3rd Block, JayanagarPh:42068504/05

Pg 10

Citizen Matters Vol-4 Issue-02, 25 Feb- 9 Mar 2012 KARENG/2009/28904. Published & Printed by Meera K for Oorvani Media Pvt Ltd. Printed at Lavanya Mudrana, 19, 15th cross, Vidyapeeta Circle, BSK I Stage, Bangalore 560060 Place of Publication Oorvani Media, 165, I cross, I block, Kmgla, Bangalore 560034. editor Subramaniam Vincent.

JP NAGARRANGA SHANKARA 21st Main, 9th Cross 2nd phase S N REFRESHMENTS12th Main, 2nd phase THE K O SHOP 24th Main 1st phase

IDBI BANK 24th Main 6th phase

BENGALOORU TIFFEANSOpp Brigade millennium

PRASIDHI FOOD CORNER Near IndIra Gandhi

Circle1st phase

KOVAI FARM FRESH 15th Cross 3rd Phase JUST KIDS 24th Main Road 5th

Phase EVER FINE SUPER MARKET Opp RBI Colony

KothanurMainroad

SAMATHVAM Health Care 24th Main 6th phase

SBI 24th Main 1st Phase

PARKVIEW RESTAURANT 1st Main 3rd Phase

NILGIRIS9th Cross, 2nd Phase,

DIWAKAR HOSPITAL9th Cross, 2nd Phase

SHEKHAR NETRALAYA15th Cross, 2nd Phase

NAMDHARIS8th Main, 3rd PhaseBTM 2Nd STAGEBALAJI’S VEG DARSHINI 7th Cross

UDUPI GARDEN 16th Main KOVAI FARM FRESH 7th MainPragathi Book & Stationers BTM ring road

GELATO PAZZO ICE CREAM 7th Cross

GARDEN ENTERPRISES16th Main HOME NEEDS

7th Main ADYAR ANAND BHAVAN 16th MainJAYANAGARSRI VAIBHAVA DARSHINI39th Cross, 9th Block

RAGHAVENDRA UPAHAR OppRagigudda Arch 9th

Block

M K AHMED BAZAR 40th Main Block

TUSCANY ICE CREAM26th Main, 9th Block

M K AHMED BAZAR 40th Main, 9th Block

PRISM BOOK SHOP 11th Main, 4th Block

NETRADHAMA7th Block

PICKUP POINTS FORCITIZEN MATTERS

Is Glaucoma curable?Though there is no cure for Glaucoma, treatment is given to arrest the further damage and to maintain the existing vision of the patient.Why early detection and treatment of Glaucoma is important?Glaucoma can be controlled if it is caught early. In majority of Glaucoma cases, patients will not have any symptoms but causes progressive visual loss.What is the difference between vision loss due to Cataract and Glaucoma?Vision loss due to Cataract can be regained after Cataract Surgery. Vision lost due to Glaucoma cannot be regained.What Glaucoma treatments are currently available?Medication in the form of eye drops is the preferred treatment. Acute angle closure Glaucoma is treated with medicines and oral tablets for immediate control of intraocular pressure.Are there any side effects of medications?Medications used in the form of eye drops or tablets in treatment of Glaucoma do have some local and systemic side effects respectively in few patients. If so that group of medication can be avoided in those patients.

Is it necessary to use the medication life long?In most of the cases of Glaucoma life-long treatment is required.

What are the other treatment modalities?Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) using Lumenis (USA) equipment used in treatment of primary open angle Glaucoma. Yag Laser is used in treatment of angle closure Glaucoma.

When is Surgery required?Surgery (Trabeculoplasty) is required• If patients are unable to

apply medication.• If patients develop side

effects due to medications.• If uncontrolled intraocular

pressure with medication.What is patient’s role?Success of treatment mainly depends upon patient’s compliance. Patients should have periodical follow-ups as per doctor’s advice.

633, 100 feet Ring Road JP Nagar 3rd Phase, Bengaluru - 560078Tel: 08026593210 fax: [email protected]:9980562020 [email protected]

Glaucoma Treatment Options

Dr raja Shekar Y L is the Medical Director, Shekar Nethralaya

SELECTIVE LASER TRABECULOPLASTY

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Get your Eyes tested for Glaucoma, if you are:1. Above 40 years of age2. Having family history of Glaucoma3. Having Diabetes, Myopia4. Using Steroids5. Changing glasses repeatedly

Chewing ‘paan’ is very common among the Indians and has been a part of Indian culture for centuries. It is a kind of leaf, called ‘betel’ which is chewed along with a few spices (‘lime’ and ‘catachu’ paste), small pieces of betel nut and sometimes, tobacco. Paan has religious connotations in India and in other parts of South East Asia. It is also believed to be a digestive if chewed after meals. It has been a very old tradition in India for the last a few centuries that Betel-quid is offered to a visitor to one’s place. People “enjoy” this habit and consider it as totally harmless. They just think that it just stains the teeth which does not seem to bother them. One interesting thing is that people are using betel-quid without tobacco, they consider it absolutely harmless. No, it is not!

Areca nuts are chewed with betel leaf for their effects as a mild stimulant, causing a mild hot sensation in the body and slightly heightened alertness, although the effects vary from person to person. The betel leaf chewed along with it contains eugenol, also a vasoconstrictor. Many chewers also add small pieces of tobacco leaf to the mixture, thereby adding the effect of the nicotine, which causes greater addiction than the drugs contained in the nut and the betel.

EffECtS Of PAAN CHEWING

The effects of chewing paan are very similar to that of chewing tobacco. Many people think that chewing paan is safer than smoking tobacco. But studies

have shown that instead of being safer, they are equally, if not more detrimental to one’s health. This is because, paan with betel nut and the other spices is kept in your mouth for minutes at a time, causing more harmful chemicals to enter your body than when you smoke - you just shift your lung problems to your mouth.

Halitosis: Chewing paan causes bad breath in all users.

Gum and tooth Disease: Paan permanently discolors teeth. Its direct and repeated contact with the gums causes them to recede, which can cause your teeth to fall out.

Cancer: Cancer of the mouth (including the lip, tongue, and cheek) and throat are very common among paan users. Cancers most frequently occur at the site where paan with tobacco is held in the mouth. Surveys reveal that risk of cancers of the cheek and gum may reach nearly fifty-fold among long-term snuff users. The surgery for this could lead to removal of parts of your face, tongue, cheek or lip. In addition to oral cancer, significant increases were seen among chewers for cancer of the esophagus, liver, pancreas, larynx, lung, and all cancer. Chewing and smoking, as combined by most betel chewers,

interacted synergistically and was responsible for half of all cancer deaths in this group.

Stains,sensitive teeth & Gingivitis: Regular betel chewing causes the teeth and gums to be stained red;

however, it may also reduce cavities, and toothpastes were once produced containing betel extracts, and it is believed that it may reduce the number of cavities. However, the increase in mouth ulcers and the rotting of gums (leading to total removal of teeth) caused by betel chewing outweigh any positive effects.

Long-term use has been associated with oral submucosal fibrosis, pre-

cancerous oral lesions and squamous cell carcinoma. Acute effects of betel chewing include asthma exacerbation, hypertension, and tachycardia. There may be a higher risk of cancers of the liver, mouth, esophagus, stomach, prostate, cervix, and lung with regular betel use. Other effects can include a possible effect on blood sugar levels, possibly increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Expectant mothers who chew areca nut formulations such as paan, during pregnancy, significantly increase adverse outcomes for the baby. The effects were similar to those reported for mothers who consume alcohol or tobacco during pregnancy. Lower birth weights, reduced birth length and pre term delivery were found to be significantly higher.

In India, it is quite challenging for the dentists to dissuade people from using tobacco in various forms . At times we are successful – Old habits die hard!

PERFECT 32Keep the sparkle

in your smileThe Dental Care and

Implant Centre Dr.Sandhya RamanujamD.D.S (USA), B.D.S

India),C.B.M.(USA), P.G.D.M.L.E (India), Fellowship in Implantology (USA)

For comprehensive dental care solutions, contact: Sandhya RamanujamClinical Director and Owner - Perfect 32,Consultant at Fortis HospitalsConsultant-Dental Legal Advisor & AuditorClinical Director of International Certification Training programs in Dental Implants, Dental Law and Rehabilitative & Aesthetic Dentistry

Perfect 32“Green Arch” 45/A, 1st Floor, 1st Main (Next to Parkview Hotel), J.P Nagar 3rd Phase, Bangalorewww.perfect32.inPh: 40989896, 40981767, 9880027728.email: [email protected]

Paan or Deh Daan (sacrifice of body)

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6 CITIZEN MATTERS 25 Feb- 9 Mar 2012 Vol-4 Issue-02

LocaL Matters

Residents of KEB Layout in BTM 1st stage have been fighting to get back their park, which was partly demolished by BBMP to facilitate parking for a nearby temple. Citizen Matters had reported this in October 22nd issue. An update.

In December first week, we gave a copy of the Citizen Matters article to Dr Shalini Rajneesh, the state Secretary for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj. Dr Shalini wrote to BBMP Commissioner M K Shankarlinge Gowda pointing out that a) BBMP has not notified parks as mandated by Karnataka Parks, Playgrounds and Open spaces Act, 1985, b) that the BBMP could not have legally demolished the park, and c) that the temple had violated terms of its lease.

We also filed a petition separately with BBMP, along with the article and a copy of Dr Shalini’s letter. A few days and many calls later, we were told that BBMP had not received our petition. After chasing across many BBMP offices, we found the concerned Assistant Engineer Benakesha. He submitted a report to A B Hemachandra, BBMP Joint Commissioner (South).

Meanwhile, Dr Shalini tried to arrange our meeting with Gowda, without avail. We approached her last week, and she brought the matter directly to the notice of Gowda’s office. His office then asked Hemachandra about status of the matter.

This is the current status. The traffic situation is terrible, and not “improved” as claimed by Jayanagar MLA B N Vijayakumar. He has also said that nothing can now be done about the park, in a public grievance meeting last week.

Umesh P N is a resident of BTM Layout.

Round and round we go, chasing BBMP

Don’t litter! else kids’ll blow the whistle

Students of Edify School, Kanakapura Road, have started a ‘Whistle blowing campaign’ to urge people to keep their

surroundings clean and avoid littering. They will blow the whistle at people who litter on the roads and give them a handout to communicate the cause.

Students will also gift a whistle to the offender and urge them to use it on

other offenders they see. The intention is to make this a mass movement in which even a 4-5 year old child can participate. The campaign was inaugurated by Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda. Students have now met S Shashirekha Jayaram and S Gangadhar, BBMP Corporators for Konankunte and Anjanapura wards respectively.

MEhAK KALRA is Admissions Counsellor, Edify School

There is a long pending request from Jayanagar residents to remove transformers from footpaths. BESCOM is finally converting multi-pole transformers here to single pole transformers, which occupy lesser footpath space.

Work has started on the transformer on the busy 7th Main road, 36th Cross in Jayanagar 4th block, on February 13th. The old transformer made the footpath unusable.

Followup by Jayanagar MLA B N Vijaya Kumar and Bescom’s teamwork has resulted in speedy implementation.

On behalf of Jayanagar residents, I thank Bescom Managing Director P Manivannan and his staff for their efforts. We hope the work would be completed as per schedule.

N MUKUNd is member is executive committee, Jayanagar 5th Block Residents Welfare Association.

Jayanagar to get tidy transformers

This transformer in Jayanagar 4th block

is being replaced by a single pole

transformer now.Pic: Keshava Kumar N

CiTizEN REPoRTS

Pic: Edify school

Vol-4 Issue-02 25 Feb- 9 Mar 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 7

People living in the slums at the Puttenahalli lake try and put on their best behaviour in her presence and her neighbours thank her for ‘pro nature’ initiative. We are talking about Usha Rajagopalan, 55, Chairperson, Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT.) She lives in Arekere

with her family. Most of her time is spent on lake issues and on fellowships, where

she escapes to far away places to do

something she loves- writing.

What made you start writing short stories?

My grandfather would ask me to read books and write a one page summary on each of them. It was a very exciting thing

for me to do. Writing short stories was encouraged by him. So, have been writing since then. I had an uncle who would buy a book every month for me. I owe my writing skills to my grandfather and my uncle.

What lead to the PNLiT initiative?

In 2006, when we moved in to South City apartments, the lake was visible from my balcony. I would see it daily and it would bother me. The lake was dying. I strongly felt that something was needed to be done. That is when

I started looking out for help. PNLIT was formed much later. I think if the

lake was not visible from my balcony, I would not have done anything at all.

What are the activities conducted by PNLiT?

We try and involve as many people as possible to come to the lake. We conduct simple things like the Weekend Gardening. It is where parents come with their children to do a bit of gardening at the lake. It is such a pleasure to see those little children with their miniature diggings tools, trying to do something. We have a special birthday scheme here, where neighbours are invited to come for a walk at the lake by the person celebrating his/her birthday.

We also conduct the nature walk where we ask schools to bring in their students for a visit to the lake.

Deepthi M S

NiMMa NEiGhBouR

The writer who rescued the lake

It’s Gaalipata time! Enjoyed this event! It was well organised: giving away free kites was a great idea (even tho’ they weren’t very good, but you could buy better ones). My son got a thread cut, and there was basic first aid on hand. Wonderful that there were expert kite flyers willing to help out novices.

Ajay Bhaskar

Thanks Ajay! Glad you folks had a good time. We got the kites made with surplus print mag sheets, looks they were not light enough :-/ Well, lesson learnt and next time, we will fix that.

Editors

Hi Team, Had a good time and it reminded me of my childhood. I had taken some snaps, thought of sharing it with your team. See desizntalk.com.

Rupak Jena

Bengaluru’s markets: Going, going, gone? Sometimes wonder if they should ban all bus traffic on Gandhi Bazaar

and route traffic through National College and Vani vilas road. People can also walk about in peace instead of being hassled non-stop by motorists. Why is it always the vendors and pedestrians who have to give way when traffic increases? They have a valid point on the cleanliness though. They really need to enforce some standards on that. Ideally I would like to see those vendors still there, but with wider footpaths and very minimal traffic on the main road. Even better if they can make it a complete walkway from the DVG road junction to Tagore Circle.

Vaidya R

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[email protected] Ph: 080 — 41737584Longer versions of all articles are available online. www.citizenmatters.in, [email protected]/citizenmatterstwitter.com/citizenmatters

CITIzEN MATTERS

Cover credits Illustration: Sridhar C R, freelance writer and cartoonist, and resident of JP Nagar

Pi: Deepthi M S


check outs

With soaring temperatures ice creams become a necessity. Be it a candy or a whole box of it, no one wants to say no to it. Here are some of the ice cream shops in Jayanagar.

ä From mobile ice creams carts to an exclusive ice cream parlour, Kwality Wall’s Swirls is at your reach. Situated amidst the busy Jayanagar 4th block, it is one of the places where one can relax on a bean bag. The parlour is having an offer where you buy a Cornetto ‘love potion swirl’ and you get a love token for free. The love token is a fridge magnet in the form of a heart. The offer is available till the end of February. Ice creams are available from a range of Rs. 46 for scoops to Rs. 115 for Desserts.

Address: Shop no. 24, (old no. 63), 27th cross, 4th block, Jayanagar. Ph: 99163 52324

ä It may not be an ice cream parlour but people come back to hot Chips for their Choco dip. The recently renovated Hot Chips is located close to the Jayanagar 4th block TTMC. It is a simple vanilla ice cream cone dipped in molten chocolate. It is priced at Rs. 12.

Address: 604/21, 10th A main road, 30th cross, 4th block, Jayanagar. Ph: 26650819

ä Most frequent question asked at the Bowring Kulfi and Ice Creams in Jayanagar is “is it the same store

from St. Marks Road?” and the answer is yes. The place is famous for variety of Kulfis with a combination of Kesar Badam, Kesar Pista and Kesar Kajoor. They also offer Ice cream Shakes of Vanilla, Black Current, Strawberry and others. The price ranges from Rs.10 to Rs. 30.

Address: #121/24, 30th cross, 7th B main, 4th block, near Maiyyas Hotel, Jayanagar. Ph: 98865 89012

ä Polar Bear, an Ice cream parlour will surprise you with their unique ice cream recipe on their menu card. It is the Ice Cream Pizza. It is a combination of vanilla ice cream base, jellies, pineapple ice cream topping, cheese and a sauce of your choice. The parlour also has a variety of dry fruit specials and kulfis. The range of price varies from Rs. 30 to Rs. 175.

Address #10/1, 31st A cross, Jayanagar 7th block, Bangalore. Ph: 2245 7455

ä Cafe Cocoa, situated in 9th block of Jayanagar is another place that offers a variety of ice creams. The place gives you an array of ice cream options to chose from along with different Faludas, milk shakes and fresh juices. The price ranges from Rs. 13 to Rs. 90.

Address: # 11, 26th main, opp Canara Bank, 9th block Jayanagar. Ph: 94818 05005

Deepthi MS

cool iT wiTh ice cReaMS

Pi: Deepthi M S

Pi: Deepthi M S


¨ Situated in the base of the shopping complex in Jayanagar 4th block, Graduate Stationers is no less crowded. The store is known for its collection of school and college related books. From text books to study guides to question banks, all are available. The store also has numerous variety office stationery items. Most of the items are available at wholesale rates.#33, Shopping Complex, 4th block, Jayanagar, Ph:22445592

¨ If binding your books with brown paper is taking all your time, then Maruthi Book depot, located in Jayanagar 9th block, is the place to go to. The store which is also a book shop binds notebooks for students. The store also has books for all classes, including guides, question banks and engineering books.No.1795, 40th A Cross,26th Main, Jayanagar 9Th Block, Ph:26653639

¨ Situated at the junction of the 4th block signal, Book Palace is another book store in Jayanagar, which caters to every students need.

youR guiDe To TexTBookS

The store books on all subjects. The store also offers 5-20% discounts on selected books.#651, 11th main road, opp. Vijaya PU College, 4th block Jayanagar, Ph:22440972

¨ The book store in Jayanagar with unique offers is Book Paradise. 'Buy 2 get 1 free' offer on notebooks, available till the end of March. The other offer is for purchase of books worth above Rs. 800, they will accept old books or magazines at Rs. 40 per Kg, this offer applies upto 5 kgs. The store is full of books ranging from dictionaries, guides, management books, engineering books, mechanical books, language books, question banks to self guides.

Deepthi MS

Pi: Deepthi M S

Pi: Deepthi M S


excLusIVe

LAST yEAR, an analysis of a mere 169 city property tax returns (from 2008-10) by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) found that Bengaluru had lost over `200 crores in revenues. 25 software companies alone accounted for Rs.90 crores of this. The fault: BBMP officials had not done any cross-verification on the self-assessment based tax filings.

So deep has been the rot that CAG’s audit of BBMP balances in over 600 bank accounts found out that it had left hundreds of crores of rupees lying in temporary accounts during 2008-10 without transferring the money to the main accounts. Without this, the funds don’t count and cannot be used as receipts. At the same time, for want of funds to make payments, BBMP started taking loans from financial institutions at high interest rates.

In a spectacularly detailed expose, CAG has also shown how top BBMP engineering officials made an extra payment of `90 lakhs to two chosen contractors for rajakaluve desilting work, through manipulation of s p e c i f i c a t i o n s and rates. The state government also exempted BBMP from tendering

the Rs.3 crore project.

These and scores of other indictments line up a scathing 20-page section of CAG’s audit report on BBMP issued last year. In mid-2010, the state government had quietly entrusted audit of Karnataka municipalities to the Comptroller and Audit General (CAG), India’s top public auditor that exposed the now famous 2G scam.

Penniless and full of leaks

Even as this was going on, BBMP is running on dole outs from the state government. Just recently, the latter had instructed BBMP last month to withdraw all tenders that were called for 2011-12. In response to BBMP’s request for grants, the state’s Urban Development Department (UDD) had written back saying that

it could not bear the burden of BBMP’s unrealistic budget and that only ongoing works from the 2010-11 budget should be continued. This was reported by Times of India on February 1st.

CAG’s detailed expose of BBMP’s financial mess will not surprise BBMP Accounts Committee Chairman A L Shivakumar (BJP, Chickpet).

In a press conference eight months

back, Shivakumar had himself exposed an astounding fact. The palike had not held internal audits since 1964, violating the

excLusIVe expose

‘We had a great start through PROOF. That BBMP discontinued PROOF is proof enough of intent! We will never hit the high ground in our city development till we have true devolution of powers as envisaged under the 73rd constitutional amendment.’- V Ravichandar, Commentator on city affairs

During 2008-09 and 2009-10, BBMP had incorporated 602 bank accounts. A test-check showed that there were differences ranging from `11.18 lakh to `159.96 crore in the bank balance numbers provided by BBMP and bank’s own statements

The public auditor analysed a mere 169 city property tax returns (from 2008-10) and found BBMP had lost over `200 crores in revenues.There were 10.41 lakh property tax returns filed in 2009-10 alone.

Despite introduction of revised SAS system for payment of property tax during 2008-09, there was 28 per cent reduction in property tax collection during 2008-09 to that of 2007-08.

Penniless BBMP on life-support

‘No one knows about the exact amounts.’ - A L Shivakumar, BBMP Accounts Committee Chairman


cM specIaL

A wastewater treatment plant that is supposed to provide over 2.2 million litres of water daily to Lalbagh Botanical Garden, is operating below capacity and one-third to half of the water needed to water the garden is sourced from borewells.

“Due of shortage of sewage water, mainly during the summers, the plant cannot supply enough (treated) water to the park,” says H M Krishnappa, Deputy Director, Horticulture, at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens. He adds that there are around 40 borewells in the park that fulfills the water requirement.

The sewage water treatment

plant was set up by the Bangalore Development Authority in 2004.

“We have to water the entire of 240 acres of the park every day”, says V C Raju, a lawn staff at the garden.

About 700,000 litres are being drawn from borewells every day to water the park. Regarding concerns on ground water level going down, Krishnappa says: “We are only concerned about the botanical gardens and during shortage of sewage water to purify, we have to turn to additional sources.”

Shubhankar Chakravorty is a student of IIJNM. Content courtesy: www.thesoftcopy.in

STP underutilised, lalbagh guzzles borewell water

Pics: Shubhankar Chakravorty

Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act. Speaking to Citizen Matters, Shivakumar is plain about a startling state of affairs in India’s IT capital and a megapolis.

BBMP has no idea about its receipts and expenditures, he says. “For instance, there is revenue from different sources like state and central governments, other agencies etc. But no one knows about the exact amounts. The Chief

Account Officer (CAO) of BBMP only receives amounts and releases funds.”

Government ended transparency systematically

Audits and transparency in finances go together, and Bangalore’s past actually shines. Back during 2002-6, BBMP’s (then BMP) pioneeringly released quarterly accounting statements to the public through Janaagraha’s Public Record Of Operations and Finance (PROOF) initiative. Then it all stopped.

Instead a JNNURM-drafted model municipalities transparency bill was severely diluted to remove mandatory disclosure clauses. It took CAG, the national audit body

whose report put telecom minister A Raja in Tihar Jail, to expose a corrupted and broke-BBMP.

Traveling abroad when Citizen Matters contacted Ramesh Ramanathan, Janaagraha founder for this story, he hit back as hard as one can get with a three worded SMS. “Definitely gone backwards”, he says plainly of BBMP’s current state of affairs.

BBMP’s situation in 2012, a fallout of massive mismangement of cash and revenue leaks, is precarious.

SubraMaNiaM viNceNt aND NavYa p k

‘BBMP no longer attracts quality contractors because of its inability to pay bills. All major projects are stalled as contractors left works midway due to non-payment’ - R K Misra, member of the ABIDe task force

Failure of the BBMP Commissioner to invoke the defect liability provisions in the agreement led to extra expenditure of `87 lakh on Bellary Road - from High Grounds Police Station to Windsor Manor Circle road - which had developed defects within four to seven months of construction.


For your InFo

heaLth MatterscoL (retD.) Dr MukuL SaxeNa

DeMySTiFying The MyThS oF anTiBioTicS

Ñ Antibiotics are panacea for all diseases.

Ñ I can recover faster from cold and cough with antibiotics.

Ñ Antibiotics are relatively safe.

Ñ Mild infection: I can buy any antibiotic over the counter and get my wound infection treated.

Ñ My doctor does not routinely prescribe antibiotics. The other doctor prescribes for every case. Perhaps my doctor does not know his medicine.

Ñ My child of six months has the same infection contracted through me, for which I was given antibiotic. I can give her 1/3 of same antibiotic.

ü Wrong. They are effective only against certain infections.

ü Wrong : Most cold and cough are viral and antibiotics do not kill viruses.

ü Wrong : People have died due to wrongly administered antibiotics.

ü Wrong: Treatment of wound infections depends upon the organism that causes the infection. Doctors have the knowledge of wound infection and the antibiotic likely to be effective. you do not have this knowledge.

ü Wrong : In fact your doctor is more learned. The other doctor is not practising evidence backed medicine.

ü Wrong : Child is a special individual as regards drugs. Do not treat him as 1/3 or 1/4 man.

The word ‘antibiotic‘ means a process by which life could be used to destroy life. It comes from the word antibiosis, a term coined in 1889 by Louis Pasteur’s pupil Paul Vuillemin. Antibiotics are essentially chemicals secreted by bacteria, fungus and other microorganisms to inhibit the growth of other organisms.

It’s that time of the year when you walk, drive, cycle and move around the city, you see lots and lots of leaves on the streets – big and small, in all shades of yellow and brown.

As apartment dwellers, leaves shed from the tree probably do not feature as easily on our radar. But if you are trying to learn all things related to creating and managing a healthy terrace garden, like me, you would rush to collect and store this rich resource.

In forests, tree leaves and other organic waste form a natural cover over the soil surface. This not only conserves moisture and controls temperatures but also prevents soil erosion and crusting. Over time bacteria, fungi and other microbes decompose the leaves and other organic matter, slowly releasing nutrients to the plants.

How to mulch?

Once collected, the leaves/bagasse should be sun-dried and the leaves crushed by stepping on them. Those with lawn mowers or shredders could use those to hasten the process. After watering the soil well, the organic mulch can be spread to a depth of about 3-5 inches, leaving about 2 inches around the

stem of the plant to avoid stem rot. Remember mulching is for the soil not the plant. In the case of seedlings, it is good to wait till they are about 4-6 inches tall before mulching around them.

Vinita is a freelance writer and organic gardening enthusiast.

It’s the season to be mulching...how does mulching

work?Dry leaves, bagasse, straw and other such easily available materials are most useful as organic mulches. As they decompose, they release humic acids into the soil that help to effectively bind soil particles together and prevent erosion. In addition, the decomposition also adds nutrients to the soil. When turned into soil, this additional organic matter improves the overall water-retention capacity, nutrient availability and aeration; and simultaneously conditions the soil.

Mulching improves the soil quality. Pic: Vinita


At least 5 times a day, I have someone asking me - What happened to Lucia? When is it starting? Who is it starring? I feel like I am being stabbed whenever someone asks this question.

The update is that Lucia is a completed script. It has come out beautifully. My gut feeling is that Lucia can become a cult film for Kannada industry. But the reality is that Lucia is just lying in my house as a completed script.

It’s going to be 6 months since Lifeu Ishtene released, and I haven’t found a single ‘adjective’ star to give me 3 hours of his time to hear the script out! And all of them are now announcing their new remake films. I would have not reacted this way if they had heard the story and then rejected it. It feels bad because no one even wants to hear it out, they simply want to pick up remakes! And this sort of a treatment after making a hit film and proving that I do have the ability to make a film.

An original film writer in Kannada hardly gets paid! Sometimes if he is lucky, he can make up to a Lakh or a little above that. However, the same producer pays up to 10-15 lakh to buy the remake rights of a film from

another language.

Why is a remake preferred over an original?

An original can only be narrated by the writer, the producer and the star will have to spend some time to understand and imagine what the writer is saying. Whereas in case of a remake, one has to just watch

the film and then see how much business it has done. Simple!

Your question would be, why are we behind the big stars?

Because yOU - the audience are so brand conscious. If the movie doesn’t have a BIG star, you don’t even come to the theatres. And if the movie has big star, whether it’s a remake movie or a stolen movie or a bad movie, you will watch it in the theatre. you are setting the rules of the game. And this game between the stars and you is taking a toll on zillions of creative minds.

This whole remake affair is killing our own Kannada writers and directors. I am finding it a lot easier to pitch Lucia in Hindi and Tamil. However, Kannada producers might after a year buy the remake rights of Lucia! I wish I had the power to start a NO REMAKE revolution, but you as audience already have that

power. Simply boycott watching remake films, go watch another language film, but don’t watch remakes. Don’t worship your star if he is making a remake. you will be instrumental in making careers for thousands of talented people who are currently rotting here.

PAWAN KUMAR is the director of Kannada Film, Lifeu Ishtene.

no one wants an original kannada Script


The Byrasandra lake, situated in Jayanagar, which was once almost sold, is now set to be rejuvenated.

The lake area was under a land dispute as it was allegedly sold by Indian Overseas Bank in an auction for a sum of Rs.7.60 crores. Citizen Matters’ 29 Jul 2010 article had a detailed report on the various developments of the lake.

With the local people’s initiative, the lake is now moving towards development. The fencing work at Byrasandra lake has started from 17 February.

The lake development project was inaugurated by Ananth Kumar, MP, BJP. It will be the first phase of the project, where the lake will be fenced.

“The fencing work will take about two and a half months to complete,” said Somesh M C, Executive Engineer, BDA, who was present at the event. This is be followed by the second phase of the project which includes cleaning up the lake and setting up a STP.

Venkata Subba Rao, who has played a major role in saving the lake, said, “The lake should be saved and it is finally happening now.”

Deepthi M S

guDDali PooJe FoR ByRaSanDRa lake Fencing

The high court ruling prohibiting commercial enterprises in areas designated as residential neighbourhoods, has very important implications for all of us. Where just one RWA (Residents Welfare Association) and 12 individuals of the city joined hands to go to court, there should have been in fact, several thousand, given the city’s population of over 60 lakhs.

Consider this example – 8F main and 27th cross in Jayanagar’s third block used to be lined with residential bungalows till a decade ago. Today

there is just one small residential property, the rest have all been demolished to make way for high-rise blocks with shops.

Thanks to the commercialisation of the neighbourhood, electricity and water consumption has shot up several fold. Several transformers have sprouted along the pavements, blocking the way, but the service providers are unable to cope.

But what can citizens do? How many citizens get to know about commercial construction plans sanctioned in the vicinity, before construction work is actually started? How many can keep vigil?

Progress? Betterment of the city? on what grounds?A medical specialist liv-ing opposite Mantri Mall at Malleswaram now finds that traffic routinely chokes the approach road to the mall, es-pecially on Saturdays, and she cannot even take her car out to attend to emergency calls from patients. When asked how a mall was sanctioned at this busy junction, the authori-ties retorted, what were you all doing, ma’am, before the mall came up, why didn’t you protest at that time?

Subbarao at the function. Ananth Kumar, MP and Gangambike, BBMP Corporator look on. Pic: Deepthi M S.

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Isn’t that what the corporation is for?

Why is it necessary for a high court to issue orders banning commercial construction in what were originally designated as residential? Can the corporation convert land usage at will, disregarding norms drawn up by its own laws, just for the sake of extra tax income?

Which is why we need more residents to join hands in public vigil, and raise our voices, to stop gross violations of norms in our neighbourhoods. Otherwise, tomorrow it could be your own home that gets squeezed out, your own health and peace that vanishes, thanks to the way anarchy now typifies our city’s dubious ‘development’.

SAKUNTALA NARASIMhAN is a writer, musician and consumer activist.

Editorial: Continued from page 14


see & DoMuSiCAn Evening of Dhrupad - Dagar Vaani StyleBangalore International Centre has arranged a vocal concert titled "An Evening of Dhrupad - Dagar Vaani Style" by Ms. Pelva Naik Fri, 2 Mar, 6.30 pm. Bangalore International Centre,TERI Complex,4th Main, 2nd Cross,domlur II Stage. RSVP: 98865 99675.

Allied Ragas -22 - Valedictory of thematic music programme seriesExploration of ragas Madhyamavathi & Brindavanasarangaby Padmabhushana Vid. R K Srikantan accompanied by H K Venkataram - Violin, TAS Mani - Mridanga5.30pm Sat, 25 Feb, Ananya Sabhangana, 91/2, 4th Main, MalleswaramKidSAn evening of Storytelling with KathalayaTravel through stories to faraway lands and times as storytellers from Kathalaya and Germany dive into their treasure trove of stories and regale you with tales from afar. Storytellers: Martin Ellrodt, Dirk Nowakowski, Geetha Ramanujam6 pm 3 Mar Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, 716 CMh Road, Indiranagar 1st Stage, Ph: +91 80 2520 5305/06/07/08-203

dANCELasya Kavya - The world of Alarmel Valli - A Film by Sankalp MeshramAshish Khokar's Dance DISCourse will feature the latest film made on Alarmel Valli's art - Lasya Kavya. The film brings out the beauty of her impeccable form and poignancy of a committed dancer's life to her muse. The film screening will be followed by an interactive session between Alarmel Valli and Ashish Khokar with the audiences.Ph: 41231345, 90352024336.30 pm Wed 29 Feb, Alliance Française, Thimmaiah Road, VasanthanagarExhiBiTioN Parables Visual EssayExhibition of recent works by Moutushi Chakraborti.6.30 pm, 29 Feb - Inauguration On until 5 Mar, 55, Lavelle Road. Ph: 998020031ThEATRERangashankara plays26 Sun Short+Sweet Bengaluru 2012

(E)(K)(H) 28 Tue Neeru Thandavaru (K) 29 Wed Miss Sadarame (K)1 Thu to 4 Sun Short+Sweet Bengaluru 2012 (E)(K)(H)6 Tue 7 Wed Ratnan Prapancha (K)8 Thu Vanity Bag (K) 9 Fri to 11 Sun Stories in a Song (E)Rangashankara, JP Nagar II phase WoRKShoPPhotography Workshop with Kshitij Garg Includes a photography walk to KR Market. Contact: 9739912802Saturday 25 Feb – 8.00 am to 1.30 pm, Sunday 26 Feb – 6.45 am to 1.00 pmFESTiVALMalleswaram Moves - a festival of urban neighbourhoodsWith socio-cultural walks, cycle tours, street theatre, live art, music and more. Details at www.yourmap.in10 am to 7 pm, Feb 25, Malleswaram Railway Station (Entrance @ 9th Cross and 11th Main), Along 9th Cross and At 18th Cross Bus depot

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Movie liSTingSGOPALAN CINEMAS: BANNERGHATTA ROAD The Woman In Black (A) - (E) 10 amTere Naal Love Ho Gaya (U/A) - (H) 10 am 12:30 pm 2:45 pm 7:30 pmJodi Breakers (U/A) - (H) 10 am 3 pm 7:25 pm10 pmEk Main Aur Ekk Tu (U/A) - (H) 11:40 amGhost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (3D) (A) - (E) 1:45 pm 5:50 pmMoneyball (A) - (E) 3:30 pm10 pm

Love Failure (Telugu) (U) - Telugu 5:15 pmThe Artist (U) - (E) 5:30 pm10 pmNjanum Ente Familiyum - Malayalam 7:30 pmCINEPOLIS: BANERGHATTA ROAD Jodi Breakers (U/A) - (H) 10 am11:55 am 2:25 pm 7:25 pm10 pmMy Week With Marilyn (A) - (E) 10 am 3:10 pm 8:05 pmEk Main Aur Ekk Tu (U/A) - (H) 10 am

2:45 pm 7:45 pmLucky (Kannada) (U/A) - (K)10 am 2:40 pm 7:15 pmTere Naal Love Ho Gaya (U/A) - (H) 10 am12:30 pm03 pm05 pm 7:30 pm10 pmThe Artist (U) - (E) 10:20 am10 pmGhost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (3D) (A) - (E) 10:20 am12:35 pm 2:35 pm10 pmNammanna Don (U) - (K)12:10 pmMoneyball (A) - (E) 12:15 pm 5:10

pm 7:25 pm10 pmPoola Rangadu (Telugu) (U/A) -

JP NAGAR - CENTRAL, MANTRI JUNCTION Jodi Breakers (U/A) - (H) 10 am12:25 pm 1:30 pm 4:10 pm 6:45 pm 9:40 pmEk Main Aur Ekk Tu (U/A) - (H) 10:05 am 3:20 pm 7:40 pm10 pmTere Naal Love Ho Gaya (U/A) - (H) 10:50 am 1:35 pm 4:05 pm 6:40 pm 9:20 pm

Pics courtesy: yourmap.in, Archana Prasad


Bengaluru loved lekhana

Japanese kimonos in Bengaluru

Lekhana, a literary weekend organised by Sangam House, Desha Kala, Reading Hour, National Gallery of Modern Art and TOTO funds for the arts came to an end on Sunday, 12 February. The event included panel discussions, readings and performances.

The uniqueness of the event lay in the fact that it was not only about Indian writing in English but brought together creative writers from regional languages too.

Here’s an excerpt from one of the panels , ‘City in Literature’ There was some free-spirited and open discussions amongst five eminent writers, Anjum Hassab, M K Raghavendra, zac O’yeah, K R Usha and Saniya.

They each asked why the city is becoming important to writers and whether it necessarily needs capturing with writers offering different opinions. The city, for some, was merely incidental to their work. “What you see is what you get” said K R Usha, on Bangalore and its soul. Usha is

the author of Monkey Man, a novel set in Bangalore.

Just when everyone was wondering which works captured the city in Indian fiction, U R Ananthamurthy reminded the audience of the works of DVG and others in Kannada. He also said that Vidyarthi Bhavan, World Culture, Koshys and India Coffee House probably represented Bangalore, when someone in the audience mentioned that these were the ‘four icons’ of the city.

Sushumna Kannan is a Phd scholar.

Over one thousand visitors attended the Indo- Japan cultural exchange programme at the Jnana Jyoti Auditorium, Central College. The Japan Habba was held on 19 February. Aptly named “Kizuna” which means camaraderie, this festival aims for Japanese in Bangalore to learn about India and similarly for Bangaloreans to get a better glimpse of Japanese culture.

Toward late afternoon, the auditorium reverberated with popular Indian songs, only difference was that the performers were Japanese.

yasu yo, a homemaker from Cooke Town was one of the performers. yasu, who has been in Bangalore for over a year now says that the weather and people of Bangalore warm her heart the most.

The Habba has been an annual event since 2005, organised by Bangalore Nihongo Kyooshi-kai(BNK) a leading provider of Japanese, coaching, training and workshops in Bangalore, Consulate of Japan in Bangalore, Bangalore University and Bangalore Japanese Association.

There were stalls set up to showcase origami art collections, Ikebana schools, Japanese learning school and demonstration of the tea ceremony. There were some Indian stalls too.

Kimono draping was a big draw for the women. Gayatri Bhaskar, a final year student from Christ college, enjoyed the kimono draping process. She was happy to learn that there were varieties of kimonos depending on the occasion, season and age group. Gayatri tried on the summer kimono, made of lighter material for the younger generation and more fashionable.

dEEPTI SARMA is a telecom professional and enjoys writing in her leisure.

Pic: Sushumna Kannan

happenInGs

Pic: Deepti Sarma


It’s very difficult being a non judgemental mom. Turns out, being judgemental comes wired into your system, the moment you become a mom. Not about yourself of course. We are judgemental about other mothers, the one who bottle-feeds her infant; the one who sends her kid to Karate ALL ALONE despite the fact that he has to cross a busy road; the one who thinks nothing of serving her kid Pepsi. In other words, the mother, who in our eyes is “wrong” while we ourselves are obviously doing it right or at least hoping that we are.

The topics are endless, but the judgements uniform. “How could she do that!“, we think to ourselves, as we pick up junior from Karate and his friend crosses the evil road all by himself. Perhaps the mother has a reason. After all, which mother would willingly put her kid’s life and limb in danger?

So why are moms so judgemental? I spoke to some friends and a bit of gentle prodding revealed something interesting. Parenting for many of us has been a much

thought about decision, even if inevitable. Add to that an awareness and information level which is much higher than what our mothers had access to in their generation.

All these make us rather well informed about the various choices and methods on offer and can often lead to a ‘my way or the highway’ kind of situation, at least in our heads. It’s also probably because we wish to be a p p l a u d e d for what w e

are doing and though we may not admit it, secretly we are all contenders for the best mom award. An award that cannot exist. Because what is best mom to you could be paranoid parent to me.

There are many kind of mothers. From the chilled out mum of the little road crosser to the paranoid elevator escort of the irritated 10-year-old. From the all natural expert to the white bread lover. And all of them really want the best for their child.

The first time around I was the all natural mom. With the second one, I have done exactly what I had earlier been judgemental about. He’s been bottle fed and left with a sitter when

I go out on work. And this time, because it is me, the shoe has stopped pinching altogether.

conFessIons oF a seconD tIMe MoM

reShMi chakrabortY

JuDgeMenT DayS

Pic: Wikimedia commons

Last worD

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