Fauci to Americans abroad: ‘You will be able to get back’

Bottlenecks at airports are not helping efforts to create “social separation,” he said.

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Top U.S. health official: China’s situation is improving

Dr. Anthony Fauci says it is now a question of what happens when normal life resumes.

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Fauci: Americans should be prepared to 'hunker down' even more

“I think we should really be overly aggressive and get criticized for overreacting.”

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Water tanker strike in east Bengaluru till March 20 has citizens worried

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Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board said it will provide water if the residents arrange for the water tankers for transportation.

Soumya Chatterjee

Representational image/PTI

A section of water tanker operators (Bangalore East Water Tanker Association), that supplies water mainly along the Outer Ring Road in the eastern periphery of Bengaluru, has called a strike triggering panic among many residents of the area. The water tankers have announced the strike after the tahsildar of Hoskote taluk banned the drawing of water from borewells that run on electricity. These borewells are the main sources of water for these tanker operators. However, the rampant exploitation of water in the recent past has left the area dry, forcing the tehsildar to take action. The water tanker association has asked that the ban be lifted. Starting from March 16, the water suppliers have said they will stop supplying water till March 20. With their own bore wells dry and no centralised water supply, many upscale apartment buildings are solely dependent on water tankers for their daily water needs. Some tech parks and other big offices depend on these water suppliers. For the past few days already, many households in Tubarahalli, Siddapura and other areas have been facing water scarcity. In a statement, the tanker association which claims to have 250 tanker members, said, “The water supply to the apartments, hospitals, IT-BT offices (Information and BioTechnology) would be affected at Varthur, Hagadur, Bellandur, Doddanekundi wards from Monday onwards as we are facing the ban on getting the water. So the tankers will stop the service, and the government should look into the issue to avoid inconvenience.” After the residents of these areas approached the authorities, it has been decided that Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will supply water provided the residents arrange for the water tankers for transportation.   Taking advantage of the situation, other water tanker operators who source water from elsewhere, have hiked their prices to Rs 2,000 compared to the usual rate of Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500. Sonali Singh, a resident of Bellandur, complained that the residents are left at the mercy of the water tanker mafia due to the inefficiency of BWSSB. “BWSSB should have made adequate water supply provision in this area by now, especially since the government gets the highest tax remittances from Mahadevpura constituency. Most apartments are completely dependent on tankers for water supply,” she said.

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Illinois governor: ‘Federal government needs to get its s@#t together’

He complains of impossibly long lines at O’Hare Airport.

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Trump now needs the hospitals he's alienated

As coronavirus crisis deepens, hospital leaders seek more emergency help from an administration they distrust.

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COVID-19: How partial lockdown is affecting taxi and auto drivers

Coronavirus

Even state-run Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation has cut down on their scheduled trips by 10% in non-airport routes.

Soumya Chatterjee

Representational image/Pixcy

Schools, malls and theatres have been closed, a raft of public events and summer classes have been cancelled, travel restrictions and work from home have been advised for IT (information technology) companies, and then there is the general fear over the coronavirus pandemic. These factors have placed several states in the country in partial lockdown.  With this, the movement and commute of the public have reduced, which, in turn, has taken a toll on the daily income of taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers, especially in metro cities like Bengaluru and Kochi.  In fact, even before Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa issued the official order, which came into effect from Saturday, many drivers in Bengaluru told TNM that the dip in passengers had already started and now peaked with the new directive.  “I haven’t started my vehicle in the last two to three days,” Sandeep, a Bengaluru-based app-based cab driver, told TNM. “Even if I fill fuel for Rs 1,000, I can make only Rs 1,300 to Rs 1, 400 in a day, while, on an average day, I can make at least Rs 2,000. In pool options, too, I am not getting customers, even if I wait for half an hour,” he added. According to Tanveer Pasha, the president of Ola, Taxiforsure and Uber Drivers and Owners Association, app-based cab drivers were already in a bad situation and now this had hurt them harder. “Last week, we lost 40-50% of the business and now with the official order, we get only 25-30% of the business. With the work from home option for employees, the number of trips for drivers who are on a contract with IT companies has gone down,” he added.  The situation is similarly bleak for auto drivers like Narayan Swamy, who is also the president of Adarsh Auto Driver Union. “I usually drive from 5 am to 9 pm with a break in the afternoon. By 2 pm, on any given day, I would have earned around Rs 1,200. With the new order, I have not even earned Rs 500,” says Narayan Swamy, who cannot find rides via Ola app as well.  Srinivasan RG, another auto-driver, told TNM that he usually earns around Rs 1,500 a day. “I was out all day on Saturday, which is a weekend, but made only about Rs 300. What can I do? People who usually take autos are at their houses. So I thought it's better to stay at home than waste fuel,” said Srinivasan, who hopes to find more rides on Monday.  Responding to the low number of passengers, even the state government-run Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses have cut their service by 10% in all frequent routes, excluding the airport routes. The situation is no different in the neighbouring state of Kerala, which has reported 20 active cases. It is especially challenging for people like Dhanalakshmi, a single mother of a child with autism, struggling to make ends meet daily.  “The roads in Kochi are almost empty. Even at railway stations, there are only a few passengers. On Saturday, even after riding from morning to evening, I earned Rs 60, after paying the fuel charges. On Friday, it was just Rs 70. On a daily basis, I would get at least Rs 500 a day, excluding fuel charge,” said Dhanalakshmi, who lives in P and T Colony in Kochi, along with her mother who has disabilities.  “My child, who goes to a special school, received 15 kg rice from the school when it closed. We are managing with that. While the Kerala government places restrictions and shut down institutions, they should also help people like us who struggle to make a living,” she explained her plight.  Tanveer also echoed a similar sentiment. “We are requesting the Karnataka government to intervene and help us. At least, ask the financial institutions to waive off the EMIs (equated monthly installment) for the next two to three months so that we can survive. Neither Ola, Uber nor the government has offered to help us. It will become harder as the new academic year begins soon and we need money for our families.” (With inputs from Neethu Joseph and Alithea Stephanie Mounika)

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