Water supply affected in Bengaluru due to silt deposits in Cauvery purification units

Water

Since August 7, many residents have said that they have not been receiving an adequate supply of Cauvery water to their homes.

TNM Staff

Despite heavy rainfall in the Cauvery river basin, Bengaluru city has been receiving less than normal supply of water. The reason – the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), which monitors and supplies Cauvery water to the city, has been facing problems with speedy water filtration. Several residents in Jayanagar, JP Nagar, Banashankari, Koramangala and Ejipura have complained to the BWSSB, stating that since August 7, they have not been receiving an adequate supply of Cauvery water to their homes. Karnataka witnessed unprecedented rainfall last week and water-starved regions, especially in the Cauvery river basin. The Cauvery river, which originates in Kodagu’s Thalacauvery, overflowed due to excess rainfall. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, Kodagu received 355% excess rainfall between August 7 and August 14 alone. The week before that, the region witnessed 135% excess rainfall. South-Interior Karnataka received 288% excess rainfall between August 1 and August 7, causing floods in generally dry areas like Mysuru, as the Krishna Raja Sagar Dam and the Kabini were filled to the brim. The catchment areas in the Cauvery river basin were flooded. The force of the water flow also brought with it huge amounts of silt as well as garbage that had been indiscriminately dumped in the catchment areas of the Cauvery, thereby reducing the speed at which it was earlier being purified before being deemed fit to drink. “The force of the water caused floods and landslides. But this also caused a lot of soil erosion in the catchment areas. The silt and sediments in the water have resulted in high turbidity. The Cauvery water reaches Thorekadanahalli, where the water treatment plant is located. Due to the force with which the water has been gushing in, a lot of weeds and garbage has been washed in. These huge silt deposits and other waste materials are hampering the speed at which the water is generally purified,” said BWSSB Chief Engineer Kemparamaiah. BWSSB officials say as the water purification process has slowed down, the city has been receiving a deficit of 30 MLD water per day since August 6. “The city is getting 1,425 MLD water per day now. In southern and south-eastern areas in the city, including Jayanagar, Koramangala, Ejipura and also Banashankari, residents have been getting less than normal amount of Cauvery water. In addition, the residents in the suburbs, who recently got Cauvery connections, are also facing a little bit of shortage,” a senior BWSSB official said. However, BWSSB states that the water shortage will be tackled by the end of the week and Bengaluru residents will get 1,453 MLD water as usual by Monday.  “For the last few days, work has been taken up on a war-footing to fix the problem of the sludge at TK Halli. The aeration tanks have nozzles, which have been clogged. Once these are cleaned, the water flow will go back to normal,” he added.

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‘Kannadigas must get lion’s share of jobs in Karnataka’: CM Yediyurappa in I-Day speech

Politics

The CM’s statements came after organisations under the banner of ‘Karnataka Jobs for Kannadigas’ held a 24-hour satyagraha demanding 100% reservation for Kannadigas in the state.

TNM Staff

In his Independence Day speech, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa addressed the growing demands for reservation for locals in jobs, and assured a lion’s share of jobs for Kannadigas in Karnataka. "There has been an increasing clamour that the employment representation of Kannadigas in jobs in Karnataka is on a decline. It is our established and stated stand that Kannadigas must get a lion's share in jobs available in Karnataka," Yediyurappa said. He added, "On this occasion, I would like to reiterate and declare that this government respects the sentiments of the people of this land. We are committed to ensuring that the self-respect and job opportunities of Kannadigas are never compromised or come under threat." In this regard, he also promised to come out with industry policy which will attract investment in tier-II and tier-III cities in the state.  The CM’s statements came after pro-Kannada organisations under the banner of ‘Karnataka Jobs for Kannadigas’ held a 24-hour satyagraha demanding a 100% reservation in jobs in the state. The agitators are demanding a policy similar to the one recently passed by Andhra Pradesh, wherein 75% jobs are reserved for locals in industrial units as well as factories established under public-private partnership mode. Under this policy, companies are also mandated to train locals with the support state government’s support if they are unable to source skilled workers locally. In enacting the policy in July 2019, Andhra Pradesh became the first Indian state to pass such a law. Read: Pro-Kannada activists on day-long protest demanding jobs for locals in Karnataka Earlier in February, the then Karnataka government led by HD Kumaraswamy had announced that they will introduce a policy where Kannadigas will be given 100% reservation in Group C and D jobs in private companies. This was based in part on the Sarojini Mahishi Committee report’s recommendations. The 1986 report suggested reservations for Kannadigas in government jobs, public sector units, and even in the private sector.

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Dengue cases spike in Bengaluru by 12% in just 4 days, 563 new cases reported

Health

Till August 15, the number of dengue cases in the city stands at 5,006, and East Zone is the most affected.

TNM Staff

Representational image

Data from the Health Department of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) presents a worrying picture with rising cases of dengue in the city over the present week. While the number was 4,443 till Sunday, it rose to 5,006 by Wednesday. In just four days, the number of cases shot up by 12% with 563 new cases from Sunday to Wednesday.  Till August 15, the number of cases stands at 5,006, reported The Hindu. But the presence of dengue incidents is largely varied in the city. The East Zone is the worst affected with a total of 1,937 cases. The second worst zone was the South Zone with 786 cases while the Mahadevapura Zone saw 760 incidents. Dasarahalli saw 116 cases. Even ward-wise, out of the 5,000 odd cases, Hoysalanagar saw 213 incidents, emerging as the worst affected among the 198 wards in the city. New Tippasandra and Benniganahalli fared as the second and third worst-affected wards with 186 and 163 cases respectively. The New Indian Express reported that the other major wards affected were Bellandur (159), Koramanagala (146), Jeevanbhima Nagar (141), CV Raman Nagar (129), and Madiwala (112). Year-wise too, the number of dengue cases have varied considerably. While in 2017, the number was 7,285, the subsequent year saw 4,134 cases.  To address the issue, the BBMP has started a door-to-door campaign to spread awareness. “We have identified 50 high-risk wards. Each has reported more than 20 dengue cases. We have intensified preventive measures,” Dr. BK Vijendra, Chief Health Officer, told Hindu. “In addition to the existing staff, 200 volunteers have been appointed on a contract basis for a month in the high-risk 50 wards. Each ward will be given four volunteers. They will be paid Rs. 15,000 per month and, if needed, the contract will be extended to two more months,” he added.  

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Karnataka to seek more central aid for flood relief works

Floods

Though Modi sanctioned last week Rs 200 crore from the Prime Minister's relief fund for rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit state, the amount is not enough to meet the cost of restoring normalcy .

IANS

Terming the heavy monsoon rains and floods in two-thirds of Karnataka the worst in 45 years, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Thursday said he would seek more central funds for speeding up relief works in the affected regions to mitigate the hardship of the people. "I will seek more central aid for relief works in 22 districts across the state, which were lashed by torrential rains and flooded by rivers in spate and heavy discharge of water from reservoirs in the catchment areas," said Yediyurappa in his 73rd Independence Day (I-Day) address at the Manekshaw parade ground in the city amid tight security. The chief minister is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other ministers in New Delhi on Friday for seeking additional funds and other central assistance to restore normalcy in the flood-hit areas at the earliest. Though Modi sanctioned last week Rs 200 crore from the Prime Minister's relief fund for rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit state, the amount is not enough to meet the cost of restoring normalcy and rebuilding houses and farmlands, damaged or destroyed by the rain waters and flood fury over the last fortnight. "Ironically, the country's second semi-arid state is caught between acute drought and severe flood due to various factors, including climate change and global warming," lamented the chief minister. Nearly 22 of the 30 districts across the coastal, central and northwest regions of the state are facing floods, while 5 districts in the southern region are in a drought-like situation due to deficit rainfall.  "The rain-distribution pattern across the state is uneven, resulting in water deficit for cultivation and irrigation of farm lands. Crops in 4.69 lakh hectares of farmland have been lost to heavy floods and huge landslides, causing misery to the small and marginal farmers," noted Yediyurappa in his 30-minute long speech in Kannada. Admitting that life has been tough for the poor and slum dwellers in the flood-hit urban areas, the chief minister said houses would be rebuilt and basic amenities like drinking water, toilets, sanitation and connectivity will be provided. The flood situation aggravated due to excess discharge of rain water in the downstream from neighbouring south-west Maharashtra and heavy rains during the monsoon in the state since August 1. "The natural disaster has left a trail of death and destruction, destroying properties and assets valued at crores of rupees," added Yediyurappa. As a one-man show (cabinet) since he took over as the chief minister for the fourth time on July 26, the 76-year-old Yediyurappa formed teams of lawmakers to expedite relief works after reviewing the situation in their respective assembly or Parliament constituencies.

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AMA drops out of industry coalition opposed to Medicare expansion

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FDA issues new proposal to get graphic warning labels on cigarettes

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Restore all 19 encroached lakes in Bengaluru or build artificial ones: HC tells govt

Lake Encroachment

The Karnataka High Court Chief Justice has given the government one month’s time to submit the comprehensive lake restoration report.

TNM Staff

Representational image

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the state government and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to come up with a compendious plan to restore 19 lakes in Bengaluru city, which have been completely encroached upon. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreenivas Oka instructed the state government and BBMP that if the encroachments cannot be cleared, then 19 artificial lakes must be created to compensate for the loss. The Chief Justice has given the government one month’s time to submit the comprehensive lake restoration report. “The state government and the BBMP will have to take measures to restore the disappeared lakes. If it is not possible to restore these lakes, then the state should discharge its constitutional obligation by creating artificial lakes to compensate for the damage caused to the environment,” Justice Oka noted. The bench also reprimanded the state government for allowing lakes to be used for construction by the BBMP. “BBMP and the state government have not come out with any solution. Disappearance of lakes ought to have been taken seriously,” the bench observed. In June this year too, the High Court had stated that the state government had failed to protect the lakes of Bengaluru. “Allowing disappearance of lakes is in violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India. It is the primary responsibility of the state to maintain lakes. The state cannot shirk its responsibility by saying maintenance is entrusted with BBMP,” the court had noted. The court also warned the BBMP that the authorities would be held in contempt if grievance redressal system is not set up by BBMP at the earliest, so that people can complain about illegal encroachments. According to data provided by the BBMP, of the 168 lakes in the city, 75 have been rejuvenated and 19 more are currently being rejuvenated. The BBMP says that the detailed project report for these 19 lakes has also been prepared. “Lakes that lost their character were converted to B kharab land and constructions have come up there including the Kempegowda Bus Stand and the Kanteerava Stadium. The court has directed us to stop constructions on Subramanyapura Lake,” a senior BBMP official told TNM. B kharab land refers to government land used for construction of public utilities like roads, footpaths, cemeteries, etc. Once it's converted to b kharab, and a road is built across the lake, the properties on either side can be sold for construction. The Subramanyapura Lake has become a spot for garbage and debris dumping. By 2013, the 18.2 acre lake was reduced to 11.3 acres. With time, the lake began shrinking even more and the BBMP has not taken any measure to clear the illegal dumping. Chief Justice Oka had in June directed the state government to enlist the help of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to inspect the lakes in the city and come up with a comprehensive rejuvenation plan. On Wednesday, the court directed the state government to release the amount required for the study in two weeks. This was after the state government informed the court that NEERI’s proposal for lake rejuvenation was accepted. Speaking to TNM, director of NEERI, Dr Rakesh Kumar says that the institute has formed a team of researchers, who conducted preliminary checks on the city’s lakes and has come up with a three-step plan for rejuvenating the lakes. “First, we will inspect the lakes, which the BBMP says they have rejuvenated already and submit a status report. Second, we will look into the lakes, which the BBMP says are in the process of being rejuvenated. They say the DPR (detailed project report) is ready and tenders have to be called for. Thirdly, we will look at the lakes that have been destroyed completely and come up with a plan to rejuvenate them. We will be done with the preliminary phase in three months,” Dr Rakesh said.

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