Karnataka politicians openly flout physical distancing rules, refuse to wear masks

Cutting across party lines, politicians are ignoring precautionary measures despite the CM and former CM having tested positive for COVID-19

Pooja Prasanna

Despite the rising numbers of COVID-19 positive cases in Karnataka, politicians in the state seem to not take precautionary measures-like wearing masks, maintaining physical distancing- seriously enough. Pictures of politicians, from across the political spectrum, interacting with their partymen and supporters without masks and in visible violation of physical distancing has led to allegations of hypocrisy and irresponsibility. TNM had earlier reported how contact tracing for the Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, both of whom have tested positive for COVID-19, has proven to be an uphill task as they had taken part in several public programmes the week preceding their tests. No lessons seem to have been learnt by other politicians in the state. KPCC president DK Shivakumar too has been caught several times without a mask or with his mask on his chin. On Thursday, Shivakumar was snapped at the wedding of Bellari district president of Congress, GS Anjaneyalu. On Wednesday, the Congress leader distributed ‘Arogya Hasta’ testing and protection kits. In both these events, Shivakumar was seen not wearing a mask, with party leaders and workers huddling around him.  On Wednesday, after the foundation stone for Ram Mandir was laid in Ayodhya, Bengaluru South member of parliament, Tejasvi Surya held several victory processions and gave speeches across his constituency. Tejasvi was seen not wearing a mask in most of the pictures and videos released and also brazenly flouted physical distancing with several packed around him to listen to his speech. “On one hand we have government departments releasing PSAs asking people to wear masks and on other hand we have legislators who frame these rules, openly flouting them. Common people are paying a fine for not wearing a mask. Are politicians above law?” questions Sushma Mahabala, Program Lead, B.PAC. While both government and opposition party leaders have been urging the people to take precautionary measures to shield themselves against COVID-19, they have clearly failed to lead by example.  “Politicians across party lines are ignoring physical distancing and basic rules about masks.This is irresponsible as this also sets a bad example in addition to causing spread.” said Vinay Sreenivasa, senior advocate and social worker.  In the Unlock 3.0 guidelines issued by the Karnataka government,  permission for most sectors to open have been issued, leading to life almost returning to normal in the state, except in Containment Zones.   

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Eight products launched in Bengaluru to manage COVID-19: Karnataka Dy CM

Coronavirus

Dr CN Ashwathnarayan said the launch of the products show that Karnataka has emerged as a leading state in developing solutions to fight the COVID 19 pandemic

TNM Staff

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwathnarayan launched eight products aimed at mitigating COVID-19, developed by various start-ups at Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre (BBC), through an online platform. The BBC is an initiative of Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology, Science and Technology, Government of Karnataka. The products are Padma Vitals+, developed by Dr Madan Gopal of Cardiac Design labs, Mallis Cordytea, developed by Dr Moushmi Mondal from Mallipatra Nutraceuticals and CD4 Shield developed by Dr Vijay Lanka and his team from Stabicon. Other products are BeamRoti and Immune Booster daily drops, developed by Dr Srinivas from Aspartika, VegPhal - Fruit and Vegetable Sanitiser (by Deepak Bhajantri from Krimmi Biotech) and water sanitizer kitchen tap and antimicrobial HVAC module (by Ravi Kumar of Biofi). Congratulating the start-ups, Dr Ashwathnarayan, who holds the portfolio of IT, BT and Science and Technology, said these technologies and products add to the list of earlier products launched and developed by the start-ups at BBC. He said the launch of the products show that Karnataka has emerged as a leading state in developing solutions to fight the COVID 19 pandemic, which is a result of the robust Innovation ecosystem present in the state. Details of the products Padma Vitals +: Developed by Innovator start-up Dr. Madan Gopal of Cardiac Design labs,Padma Vitals + is a  centralized monitoring system for ECG, respiration, Spo2 and body temperature, which can measure the vitals continuously and the analysis sent through telemetry, with an alerting system embedded in it. The device is much needed for contactless monitoring of patients during COVID 19 Pandemic. The product has been validated at Narayana Hrudayalaya. Malli’s Cordytea: Developed by Dr. Moushmi Mondal from Mallipatra Neutraceuticals, this product is an Immunity booster tea prepared from medicinal mushroom - Cordyceps. The mushroom variety grown under laboratory conditions is developed by the Innovator. Cordicepin, an active ingredient is known to have anti-viral properties too. In the COVID 19 times, it will be helpful in boosting the immunity levels. The product has been patented and is approved by FSSAI.  CD4 Shield : Developed by Dr. Vijay Lanka and his team from Stabicon, this product is a chewable tablet containing curcumin and Vitamin B12. Both the ingredients fight inflammation and infection. The product ensures activation of innate immunity by activating CD4+, CD8+ and IFN 1 to virus specific effect and has immunomodulatory properties. It also reduces cytokine storm in response to viral infection. The product is approved by FSSAI. BeamRoti : Developed by Dr. Srinivas from Aspartika, the product is an immunity booster chapati having mixture of herbs recommended by AYUSH ministry. The ingredients have been prepared using supercritical fluid extraction technology to ensure optimum concentration of herbal extract reaches the body. The chapatis are easy to store with good shelf life and Patent application has been filed. The product is approved by FSSAI. Immune booster daily drops: Developed by Dr. Srinivas from Aspartika, the product is an immunity booster drop having mixture of herbs recommended by AYUSH ministry. The ingredients have been prepared using supercritical fluid extraction technology to ensure optimum concentration of herbal extract reaches the body by mixing just one drop of the product in a glass of hot water. The product is approved by FSSAI. VegPhal - Fruit and Vegetable Sanitizer: Developed by Deepak Bhajantri from Krimmi Biotech, this fruit and vegetable sanitizer is prepared using edible ingredients effective against microbes and removal of pesticides. It is chorine and alcohol free. Water Sanitizer - Kitchen Tap: The product is developed by Ravi Kumar from Biofi and is a miniaturized version of UV purifier that can be attached to a water tap and kill 99% of microbes including viruses such as phages.  nti-Micobial HVAC module: The product is developed by Ravi Kumar from Biofi and is a module that can be fitted to HVAC system to ensure circulating air is sanitized. This is especially useful during COVID 19 times as many enclosed spaces in which AC circulated air may be contaminated. Based on UV-silver titanium dioxide technology, the product is patented and has been validated.

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Photos: Heavy rains lash Karnataka, flooding and landslides reported

Weather

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has asked ministers-in-charge of districts to stay in their respective districts as the state braces for more rains.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has asked ministers-in-charge of various districts in the state to stay in their respective districts as the state grapples with heavy rainfall which has resulted in flooding and landslides in several areas. There were reports of overflowing rivers and flooding of low-lying areas in northern districts of Belagavi and Ballari, and landslides were reported in Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu in the Malnad region of the state.  Kodagu received 117 mm of rainfall during the last 24 hours, resulting in rivers overflowing and flooding low-lying areas and submerging low level-road bridges. The landslide in Brahmagiri hills near Talacauvery in Kodagu swept away two houses in the early hours of Thursday morning. Four persons are missing including a local priest Narayana Achar and his family members. Search efforts are underway to look for the missing persons after personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reached the spot.  Talacauvery temple on the foothills of Brahmagiri was also inundated with rain water overflowing from Bhagamandala river, which is the source of river Cauvery in the rich bio-diverse Western Ghats. Very heavy and widespread rains were reported in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada districts in the coast region, and in Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Hassan and Haveri in the state's Malnad region as the southwest monsoon advanced and remained active. Minor landslide in Kodagu Ballari, Karnataka Chikkodi, Belagavi, Karnataka The state government has already released Rs 50 crore for flood relief efforts in Karnataka while the Opposition led by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked the government to set up shelters to house residents who are at risk due to the heavy rains.  The state disaster management centre has sounded a red alert in the coastal, central and south interior areas in south Karnataka due to heavy rains and flooding. The state is bracing for further rains till the end of the week.  

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Heavy rain in Karnataka's Kodagu causes landslide, four persons missing

Landslide

A priest at a local temple and his family are among the missing persons.

Prajwal Bhat

A landslide occurred in Brahmagiri Hills near Talacauvery in Kodagu district of Karnataka in the early hours of Thursday morning, sweeping away two houses and leaving four people, including a local temple priest, missing  The landslide took place after days of heavy rainfall in the Western Ghats region. Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy confirmed that a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) responded to calls made by residents near the affected area. "It is near Talacauvery but the road has a lot of landslides and the NDRF team is clearing the landslides on their way as they reach the spot," Annies Kanmani Joy told TNM. The disaster response team reached the spot of the landslide on Thursday afternoon and are now coordinating search efforts.  The Deputy Commissioner confirmed that four persons,  including a local temple priest, are missing after the landslide. "We know of four missing persons in the area including a temple priest," the DC added.  Visuals from the landslide near Talacauvery in Kodagu, Karnataka. Search efforts are underway to find four missing people - a local priest Narayana Achar and his family. pic.twitter.com/BwnSsjaUOy — Prajwal (@prajwalmanipal) August 6, 2020 The missing priest is the chief priest of a temple in Talacauvery - Narayana Achar. His wife, brother and another person from the area are among the missing persons and rescue efforts are underway to search for them. So far, one landslide has been reported in Brahmagiri Hills near Talacauvery. This region did not report landslides in the last two years. In 2018, landslides struck mostly in Somwarpet and Madikeri taluks of the district while landslides occurred in the district's southern part - in and around Virajpet taluk - in 2019. The disaster in 2018 left 18 people dead and more than 7,000 people displaced. Earlier this week, the Indian Meteorological Department predicted rainfall in coastal and Malnad regions of Karnataka and attributed it to a monsoon trough.  Kutta village in Kodagu district's Virajpet taluk received the highest rainfall(389.5 mm) in the state in the last 24 hours. Heavy rainfall was reported in Virajpet and Madikeri taluks of the district with rainfall measuring between 115 to 204 mm. 

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13902 containment zones in Bengaluru, east zone had most recoveries in 24 hrs

Coronavirus

Bengaluru south, which has the highest number of active containment zones at 3,821, also has the most that have returned to normal at 3,350.

TNM Staff

Image for representation/PTI

Bengaluru reported 1,852 new containment zones on Wednesday, taking the total number of active ones in the city to 13,902. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the city, a total of 24,826 containment zones have been identified till date and 13,902 have returned to normal status, according to the August 5 War Room bulletin released by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Bengaluru south has the highest number of active containment zones with 3,820, followed by east zone (2,931), and west (1,501). In all the number of containment zones that have returned to normal status in the city is 10,924. Apart from the west zone, all zones in Bengaluru have a higher number of active containment zones than the ones that have returned to normal status. West zone has 2,065 zones that have returned to normal and 1,501 active containment zones. As of August 5, 22,842 apartments in the city had been reported as containment zones till date, as have 1,918 apartment complexes, 23 slum areas, and one hotel. 42 clusters – an aggregation of COVID-19 cases which are epidemiologically linked – have been identified in Bengaluru so far. In the last 24 hours, Bengaluru reported 1,848 new coronavirus patients, taking the tally of active cases to 30,960. East zone reported a majority of these new cases (23%), followed by south and west zones (17% each), Bommanahalli (15%), Mahadevapura (10%), RR Nagara (8%), Yelahanka (6%) and Dasarahalli (4%). In the last ten days, however, it is the west zone that has reported a quarter of coronavirus patients in Bengaluru (25%) – the highest among the city’s zones – followed by south (21%) and east (20%) zones. The east zone also reported the highest number of recovered in a single day on Wednesday, with 682 people having recovered from COVID-19. South and west zones reported 618 and 537 recoveries each. In total, Bengaluru had reported 3,083 discharges in the last 24 hours. Out of the 198 wards in Bengaluru, 54 have reported between 11-30 cases in the last 24 hours, and over 186 wards have reported more than 100 COVID-19 cases since the outbreak started in the city. Till date, the age group of 20 to 30-year-old has reported the highest number of coronavirus infections – around 9,000 – followed by the age group of 30 to 40. The latter group, however, has a higher number of recoveries at nearly 4,500, followed by the 40-50 age group and then by 20-30 age group. In the last 24 hours, the 20-29 age group saw the highest COVID-19 cases in the city (428) followed by the 30 to 39 age group (421). According to the BBMP War Room Report from August 5, the recovery and active rate in Bengaluru is 50% each, and the positivity rate is 17.81%. 

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Karnataka CM releases Rs 50 crore for flood relief works in the state

Floods

"The CM has ordered immediate release of Rs 50 crore for emergency rescue and relief works in the districts lashed by heavy rains and floods," a secretariat official said.

IANS

PTI/File photo

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has released Rs 50 crore for rescue and relief works in heavy rain-cum-flood-hit districts across the state, an official said on Wednesday. "The Chief Minister has ordered immediate release of Rs 50 crore for emergency rescue and relief works in the districts lashed by heavy rains and floods," a secretariat official told IANS in Bengaluru. With the southwest monsoon intensifying and advancing across the state, the Meteorological Department issued a red alert for most of the state, as heavy to widespread rains have been forecast till Friday. Steady inflow of rainwater in catchment areas has led to major reservoirs across Krishna, Tunga, Bhadra and Cauvery rivers filling up to their brims. "Flood warning has been issued to the downstream villages in Mysuru district after 40,000 cusecs of water was released from Kabini dam at Beechanahali in H.D. Kote taluk into the Cauvery river," said the official. While the dam's maximum capacity is 2284 feet, heavy rains led to its water level reaching 2280 feet. Though Yediyurappa is under treatment at a private Bengaluru hospital after testing positive for coronavirus on August 2, he has been active and working from the hospital. "The Chief Minister also directed the Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar to review the situation and instructed the Deputy Commissioners of the affected districts to ensure safety of the people and their property," the official said. "Heavy rains with gusty winds lashed coastal and Malnad regions, resulting in low-lying areas flooding, streams, ponds and lakes overflowing and disrupting normal life," a state disaster management authority official told IANS in Bengaluru. Heavy rainfall in Kodagu district caused a flood threat in the area. Bhagamandala and Talacauvery, which is the source of Cauvery, have filled up to the brim with heavy inflows. "Due to heavy rain in the region, the inflow of water to Harangi reservoir has increased, forcing the authorities to release 5,500 cusecs into the river," the official added. According to the weather bulletin, Kottigehara in Chikkamagaluru district received 310 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours, followed by 230 mm at Madikeri in Kodagu, 220 mm at Hosanaga and 210 mm at Agumbe in Shivamogga, 200 mm at Londa in Belgavi and at Manchikere in Uttara Kannada district.

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MLAs and MPs choosing pvt hospitals over govt ones is a farce, former Speaker intv

Interview

Ramesh Kumar brought in amendments that allow for reimbursement of private hospital bills for elected representatives only if the required facilities are not available in government hospitals.

Pooja Prasanna

Just days after BS Yediyurappa and Siddaramaiah, after testing positive for coronavirus, got admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru, former Karnataka Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar, in an interview to TNM, berated their decision to not get treated at a government hospital. He also questioned the propriety of elected representatives who choose private hospitals for treatment. “On one side, you want to make heavy investments in government hospitals, and on the other, you promote the growth of private hospitals. You are allowing government ministers, MLAs and others to get treated at private hospitals. And you even reimburse them. And this facility is not extended to a common man or a poor man. Don't you think this is just a farce?” questioned the former Health Minister of Karnataka. Not just in Karnataka, across the country, politicians who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 have been admitted to private hospitals, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is currently receiving treatment at Gurugram's Medanta Hospital. “Why have government hospitals been denigrated to the present condition is the moot question. And we have consciously promoted the growth of private hospitals. A public health institution must have all the required adequate infrastructure and facilities to stand by a citizen,” Ramesh Kumar added. In 2017, as the Health Minister in the Siddaramaiah cabinet, Ramesh Kumar had moved a bill to make amendments to the existing Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act to bring private medical establishments under the government purview. After some clauses regarding the imprisonment of doctors were omitted from the Bill, in November 2019, a voice vote ensured the passage of the bill on the floor of the Karnataka Assembly. Amongst other things, the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2017, sought to regulate cost in private hospitals, have a patient's grievance redressal mechanism and ensure that elected representatives and government employees who are eligible for reimbursement of medical charges from the government get treated primarily in government hospitals. “The law was amended and rules were framed in 2018. But they (the government) are not implementing it. Have you repealed the law or have you deliberately decided to ignore it? If the government ignores the law then who will implement it?" asks Ramesh Kumar. “The law says that we (government servants) have to first go to a government hospital first. If a particular treatment is not available there and the same is available in a private hospital then we should take an endorsement from the government hospital and then get treated at the private hospital. Only then the government can foot the bill. In case of an emergency, like a heart attack or a haemorrhage or an accident, there is a provision under law that they can go to the closest available hospital immediately, ensure the patient survives, and once the patient is stable, then he can come back to the government hospital. And only for that interim period, the government will make the payment of the private hospital.” In 2014, Kannada actor and the then Housing Minister MH Ambareesh had received treatment at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore and the total expense for the same, Rs 1.14 crores, was borne by the state exchequer. “The government servants and other legislators are mostly going to private hospitals and getting the reimbursements from the government. Then why did you bring in the law? I am only talking about the policy. We have been chosen by ordinary people. They have stood in a queue to vote for us. So it is our duty to stand by them because we are the representatives. And today, I want to ask who we really represent. I want to get treated in a private hospital but the man who stood in the queue to vote me to power has to go to a government hospital,” said Ramesh Kumar. Ramesh Kumar ends by saying that elected representatives and bureaucrats have become intellectually corrupt. "What we preach to people, we do not intend to practice when it comes to us. From the Chief Secretary to the Governor, everybody is the same," he concluded.

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