Monkey issue in Bengaluru, but activists say their relocation isn’t the answer

Environment

Activists argue that relocating the monkeys would be akin to killing them.

Soumya Chatterjee

Representational Image

More and more monkeys are entering Bengaluru in search of food, affecting residents living apartment complexes in newer parts of the city. The monkey's movement into city limits is likely the result of Bengaluru’s continued expansion into the outskirts, coupled with depletion of vegetation and encroachment into surrounding forest lands. The problem is especially rampant during the summer months in newly-developed parts of the city. Lakshmi Dutta, who lives in an apartment complex on Sarjapura Road, said, that for one month, they were terrorised by a single monkey. “It would scare children, enter our apartments, create a ruckus and make a mess everywhere.” Panicked by the sudden invasion, residents of these localities have called on the BBMP and the Forest Department to relocate the animals into forest areas. The flurry of calls has prompted the state Forest Department to allow the relocation under Section 11(1-A) of the Wildlife Protection Act, which deals with norms related to translocating, killing or injuring wild animals. Speaking on this, Chief Conse­rvator of Forests, Bengaluru, said, “Although there are hardly any reports of violence from the monkeys, the department has got calls from many localities. So we will allow relocation by trained professionals in the presence of department officials. The monkeys usually feed on piles of vegetable waste and garbage.” “We are making efforts to ensure that no animal is harmed during relocation,” he added. But animal rights activists in Bengaluru have opposed the relocation tactic. They argue that these monkeys are not harmful and relocating them will have a grave affect on them. Wildlife activist Arun Prasad said, “Today’s problem is the result of neglect shown by authorities.  Encroachment into forest lands and the unregulated chopping of trees has not been checked for years. Relocating the monkeys is akin to killing them as they are territorial and will fight with other groups over their relocated land.” “These routes taken by the monkeys have remained the same over the years, unlike the haphazard development of our cities. It is not that monkeys come and attack people or stay in populated areas for long. Due to development, there are hardly any guava or jackfruit trees left in the city. Monkeys have nothing to feed on, so they scurry through garbage piles in residential areas,” he added. A letter from Arun and others activists has been submitted to the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Subhash K Malkhede to prevent the relocation. Vijay Nishanth, an eco-conservationist based in the city, said, “These areas where the problem is prevalent used to be forest land. There is no way other than to co-survive. The Forest Department should be the responsible authority as they know how to deal with the situation.”

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Rationalist Narendra Nayak busts ‘third eye’ scam in Karnataka village

Beliefs

The group promoting the children also claimed that the skill of seeing with the blindfold on can be acquired in ten days and also charged exorbitant amounts of money for it.

TNM Staff

Rationalist Narendra Nayak has put to rest another superstitious belief – this time, one that claimed that children can see in spite of being blindfolded. The claim was made by a group of people in Aldur village in Chikkamagaluru. Children studying in the Aldur Government School were blindfolded and made to cycle on the road and read texts in January. It was promoted as an ancient Indian technique of 'Gandhari Vidye'. One of the students, speaking to the media, even claimed that he was able to see through the 'third eye' which was open. The group promoting the children also claimed that the skill of seeing with the blindfold on can be acquired in ten days and also charged exorbitant amounts of money for it. On Thursday, rationalist Narendra Nayak demonstrated how the ‘skill’ works, at a publicised event at the BGS Pre University College. "We trained children to do the same thing and they did it. There is no skill involved here. The children see through the gaps. I also invited the audience to ask questions to the children about how they did it," explains Narendra Nayak. Narendra is a well known rationalist and has been busting myths and superstitions for over ten years now. The latest scam revealed by him is similar to the 'Mid Brain Activation' scam created by an organisation which took lakhs of rupees from unaware victims in nearby Dakshina Kannada district. In this scam, children from the ages of 6 to 16 are targeted. The parents of the children are told that 'mid-brain activation' will improve the memory and concentration levels of children and will therefore help them study better. The children are made to do activities like eyeball exercise, dancing, and listening to various sounds. The Federation of Indian Rationalists Association led by Narendra Nayak had previously lodged a complaint with officials in Dakshina Kannada district.

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Noted Kannada theatre artiste, film actor Master Hirannaiah dies at 84

Obituary

Among the noteworthy Sandalwood films Hiarannaiah acted in include ‘Lancha Samarajya’, ‘Niranthara’, ‘Operation Antha’.

TNM Staff

Noted theatre artiste, Sandalwood actor, satirist and TV actor Hirannaiah passed away in Bengaluru on Thursday. Known to his peers as Master Hirannaiah, the veteran actor was admitted to BGS Hospital in Bengaluru four days ago. However, he did not respond to treatment and passed away on Thursday morning. He was 84 years old and is survived by his wife and son.  Born in Mysuru on February 15, 1934, Hirannaiah is one of the most well-known Kannada theatre personalities. His father, K Hirannaiah too was a director of Kannada plays and had his own theatre company – K Hirannaiah Mitra Mandali. Since his early days, Master Hirannaiah took part in plays in school and college. However, after his father’s death, he took over the management of the theatre company. He shot to fame after playing the lead role in the play Lanchavatara. His other famous plays include Double Thaali, Kanya Daana, Sanyasi Samsara, Chamachavathara, Haasyadalli Ulta Palta, Kapil Mushti, Nadubidi Narayana, Bhrashtachara and Anaachaara. His stint in the Kannada theatre industry also fetched him multiple awards for his contribution. Master Hirannaiah has won the Kannada State Award in 1984, Rajyotsava Prashasthi, Gubbi Veeranna Award in 1988, Drama Academy Award, Sandesha Arts Award in 2009 and Maha Advaithi Award in 2017 among others. Master Hirannaiah has also acted in several noteworthy Sandalwood films including Lancha Samarajya, Niranthara, Operation Antha, Hudgeeru Saar Hudgeeru, Yaksha and Gaja.

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Bengaluru needs 4200 auto tippers to collect waste: Does BBMP deploy as many?

Civic Issues

Bengaluru needs 4,200 auto tippers to meet the daily demand for garbage collection, but official suspect garbage contractors are not deploying all of them in order to cut costs.

Theja Ram

Representation Photo

For the last two months, residents in several wards in Bengaluru have been facing a 'stinky problem' – the garbage collection auto tippers have not been coming to collect their daily waste. Several residents have complained of garbage piling up on the roads. In several areas like Bellandur, Ramammurthy Nagar, Kammanahalli, New Thippadandra and parts of Yeshwanthpur, civic activists allege that the civic body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), has not deployed enough auto tippers. And in several areas, the pourakarmikas, the sanitation workers, are being forced to collect waste from the residents. "In many wards, garbage collection is not happening properly, no matter how many complaints are lodged with BBMP. The contractors are not deploying the right number of auto tippers. The autos that come to collect waste too have a maximum capacity to carry 500 kg of garbage only. That's why residents are dumping it on roads," says Ramprasad, convenor of Friends of Lakes. According to the Assistant Executive Engineer of CV Raman Nagar, the area has only 22 auto tippers, when the area requires twice as much. The problem in the ward has escalated so much that the people have ended up dumping garbage on the main roads. Speaking to TNM, Rukmini*, a pourakarmika in ward number 112, said that the supervisors have forced them to collect the garbage from residents and dump it directly into the compactors that transport the waste to landfills. Renuka*, another pourakarmika in New Thippadandra, says that the supervisor Muthyalu had directed them to collect waste daily from the residential areas and dump it in one auto which then dumps the waste into compactors. "Some residents have too much garbage and our carts cannot accommodate that much. So we tell them to dump it in the autos. But many of them have one or two months of garbage piled up in their houses because autos do not come to collect the waste every day," Renuka added. Vishvesh Rao, a 51-year-old resident of CV Raman Nagar, says that the garbage collection autos rarely come to his locality to collect garbage. "The residents in my area are dumping the garbage near SG Palya. For some of us, who are not comfortable doing so, we have garbage bags piling up in our compound. Once in two weeks, when we find the time and if we see a compactor, we end up dumping the waste there," Vishvesh says. Speaking to TNM, a senior BBMP official says that Bengaluru needs 4,200 auto tippers to meet the daily demand of garbage collection, however, the officials now suspect that garbage contractors are deploying 2,000-odd tippers only in order to cut costs. "We have 4,200 registered auto tippers according to our billing records. We pay Rs 15,000 per month for each tipper. Based on the numerous complaints we have received, we suspect that contractors are not deploying all of them in order to cut costs. But they are billing us for all the autos," the official said. BBMP Special Commissioner Randeep says that pourakarmikas are only deployed to clean the streets and not collect garbage from residents. "Auto tippers must come every day and collect the wet waste. Dry waste can be collected once in two days," he added. Special Commissioner Randeep also said since Wednesday, all contractors have been given Radio Frequency Identity cards as a first step to counter the problem. "The contractors have to scan the cards allotted to each vehicle and that will register with the BBMP. It's like taking attendance," he added. He also said that tenders for providing GPS systems in auto tippers will be called for in a few days. "Within the next two months, all auto tippers will have GPS systems. This is step two to ensure that the contractors are deploying the right number of auto tippers," he added.    

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Bengaluru losing its open spaces as another playground acquired by Namma Metro

Civic Issues

BMRCL has barricaded the area and placed all the construction equipment on the playground leaving no place for children to play.

TNM Staff

Image for representation

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has acquired another playground for the construction of Namma Metro’s Red Line.   The Featherlight Pottery Town Government High school playground has been taken over by the BMRCL for the construction of the underground railway track that will fall between Dairy Circle and Nagawara. The high school playground is used by children to play sports and various tournaments, cultural and religious meetings are also held at the ground from time to time. The BMRCL has now put up a banner in front of the ground which reads “BMRCL work in progress, unauthorised person’s entry restricted.” The area has been barricaded and construction material has also been brought to the ground. According to TOI, BMRCL has said that acquiring the already existing open spaces will help them in minimizing the acquisition of private land and speed up the construction work. BMRCL also said using playgrounds to store the construction materials will reduce the traffic that may be caused if it is placed elsewhere. A survey conducted by Janagraha has revealed that only 3 per cent of the total area in Bengaluru has parks and open spaces. Earlier, a technical training centre for the hearing impaired, BBMP Higher Primary School in Tasker town and a school for children with learning and cognitive disabilities were taken over by the BMRCL. Social and environmental activist, Arun Prasad stated that the decisions taken by the BMRCL are affecting the environment and the heritage of the city. “The measures taken by the state government must be eco-friendly, public friendly and sustainable. The anti-citizen behaviour of the BMRCL must be met with severe consequences,” he said. Previously too, the BMRCL has been at the receiving end of criticism and faced protest for changing the locations of two metro stations in the second phase of Bengaluru Metro project. The Red Line is a part of Phase 2 of the Namma Metro project.

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Posh villa owned by an auto driver in Bengaluru raided by Income Tax Department

IT Raid

The man had reportedly bought the house paying Rs 1.6 crores in cash, making officials suspicious.

TNM Staff

Officials of the Income Tax Department raided a villa owned by a man identified as Subramani, who is an auto driver by profession, in Bengaluru’s Whitefield. Based on a tip-off, the I-T officials conducted a search and seizure operation at the villa on Wednesday. According to reports, Subramani, bought a villa in Jatti Dwarkamai Villas, a gated community in Whitefield, by paying Rs 1.6 crores in cash. Subramani has allegedly never filed income tax returns. While I-T officials have not issued any official statement yet, reports state that large amounts of cash may also have been seized from his house. Unconfirmed reports state that a sum of Rs 7.9 crores was seized from his house. Officials also suspect that Subramani is a benami holder of the house and had he had earlier been issued a notice to come and explain how he had come to own the house. Subramani, on the other hand, has denied all the allegations and claimed that the house was a gift given to him by a foreign passenger. “She was struggling to get a cab or rickshaw on a rainy day, I dropped her home that day. She later happened to catch my auto again and asked if I could provide transportation when needed. Upon enquiring about my family and knowing of our financial condition, she offered to help,” he said. He also claimed that she had helped several other auto drivers. Preliminary investigations by the I-T department, however, has revealed that he is associated with a few politicians, including general secretary of State BJP and Mahadevapura MLA Arvind Limbavali, reported The Hindu. The MLA has gone on record to deny links with Subramani. A case has been registered against Subramani under Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988. Further probe is underway.

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Women garment workers take out rally in Bengaluru, demand fair wages

Worker Rights

One of the demands was that manufacturers pay a minimum wage of Rs 18,000 per month. They presently earn around Rs 8,000.

Rohit R.

Close to 1000 women garment workers and construction labourers marched in Bengaluru on Tuesday, which is International Labour Day for their rights and a fair living wage, among other demands. The rally was organised by the Garment Labour Union, affiliated to the Hind Mazdoor Sabha.  The women marched from Kanteerava Studio signal to TVS Cross in Peenya, demanding that garment manufacturers pay workers a minimum wage of Rs 18,000 per month. They presently earn about Rs 8000. The demands of the workers includes housing support, a grievance cell which will be set up by the government for women, and bridging the gender wage gap in the garment industry. They also called on the owners to improve upon their working conditions, and that the Visakha Guidelines be implemented in organisations.  Speaking at the event, Saroja, the General Secretary of the Garment Labour Union pointed out that the women face all forms of harassment at their workplace.  “Women employees face physical, mental and sexual harassment daily. We do not know whom to report these incidents to, and the few brave women who want to speak out are suppressed. Gender-based violence still exists and the salaries aren’t dispersed if they bring attention to the problems,” she said. The minimum wage has been hiked by the Karnataka government only four times in the last few decades, but garment workers don’t even earn that, and struggle to earn a living wage. “Living in a city like Bengaluru, it is hard to make ends meet with the salary we get. The garment sector might be classified as organised due to the infrastructure, but the employees are unorganised. We are asking what is rightfully ours, which is being denied.” A campaign was also launched to draw attention to the violence inflicted on women workers, and garment employees hope that brands and organisations will not be oblivious to the struggles they face. Few multinational brands have already pledged their support, said Saroja.

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