Civic

Clinic found dumping medical waste on Iblur lakebed penalised by BBMP!

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iblur lake medical waste

In a rare case, thanks to resident activism, a clinic in Iblur, which comes under the HSR Layout ward, was penalised by the BBMP. When a group of residents found medical waste like used syringes and cotton used to cover wounds, they immediately looked for the identities of the perpetrators. Soon enough, they found prescription receipts of Ganesh Clinic in Iblur.

Clinic found dumping medical waste on Iblur lakebed penalised by BBMP! 1

When the news came to the notice of BBMP health inspector Vinodh GM, he immediately went to Ganesh Clinic and fined them for their offence with a warning that they should not be found repeating this crime ever again. “We have warned them that if they are found violating the waste disposal rules again. their operating licence will be quashed,” says Vinodh.

Clinic found dumping medical waste on Iblur lakebed penalised by BBMP! 2

This is the second such instance in recent times where the culprits were penalised. About five month’s ago, Baliga’s Clinic staff was found dumping biomedical waste (open syringes and cotton swabs) in front of Salarpuria apartments on 5th Main in Sector 7. At the time, Vinodh had fined them Rs 10,000 for the crime. “The staff was unaware that Maridi Eco Industries was supposed to dispose off biomedical waste,” says Vinodh. “It was a case of misunderstanding. They have not repeated the offence since.”

Clinic found dumping medical waste on Iblur lakebed penalised by BBMP! 3

If you run a clinic and don’t know how to dispose off waste, you can contact Maridi Eco Industries who specialise in medical waste disposal. This is not just to serve a warning to all the clinics and hospitals dumping medical waste on vacant sites and lakebeds, but to also sound the awareness alarm of the consequences of indulging in such an act. According to a 2000 study of World Health Organisation (WHO), millions of people were affected by HIV viruses due to contaminated syringes. In addition, when such waste is discarded in landfills, not only is the groundwater contaminated but also a health concern for all the people involved in clearing such waste like pourakarmikas, janitors and nurses.

Stung by criticism; BWSSB issues time table of Cauvery water release for all sectors

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Stung by criticism; BWSSB issues time table of Cauvery water release for all sectors 4

Every Sector in HSR Layout is reeling under Cauvery water shortage. With the Bangalore Water Supply & Sewerage Board (BWSSB) providing erratic water supply, every resident and association member is up in arms. Stung by the increasing unrest among people, the BWSSB has released a time table for the whole of April.

BWSSB Time TableDownload
Stung by criticism; BWSSB issues time table of Cauvery water release for all sectors 5

The Background

Sector 3 activist HM Javali spoke to the BWSSB engineers and requested them to ration water equitably to all sectors as there were allegations that certain areas were water-sufficient while the other stretches were crying for water. Even the borewells have gone dry in several areas, prompting everyone to take refuge in water tankers who have doubled their prices. Says Sector 3 resident SB Kittur: “The water tanker lobby is taking advantage of the situation by increasing the rates. There is no control on the prices. By delaying the water supply, the BWSSB is helping them make more money. Adds fellow resident Rajesh: “Yes, it’s true, the prices are increasing. For 4500 litres, they are charging Rs 1200.”

Last week, fed up with complaints from all the sectors, BNR Reddy, the chairman of The Federation of HSR Layout Residents Welfare Association met with the BWSSB’s senior engineers and threatened a dharna in front of their office if the situation does not improve within a week. Thankfully, it has, but much more needs to be done. Take today. According to the BWSSB, Sector 3 is supposed to get Cauvery water, but so far, there is no sign of a single drop, complain residents.

Stung by criticism; BWSSB issues time table of Cauvery water release for all sectors 6


At the BWSSB Pump House, there are over 200 complaints from the residents but hardly a few get tanker water from the BWSSB when the taps don’t run. Says Sector 1 resident Syed Imran: “Only those who go to the pump house and apply pressure are getting water tankers once in a while. In Sector 1, we get water once in five days whereas in Jayanagar, it’s every alternate day. This is unacceptable.” He has also complained to the chairman of the BWSSB.

In the meanwhile, there are WhatsApp forwards being circulated by the residents, quoting an analysis by the Central Government Water Committee that advocates people to stop using the shower and use a bucket instead. Similarly, avoid flushing the toilet and use a bucket instead. Don’t wash clothes in running tap; use a bucket instead. Use a mug for shaving or brushing teeth instead of a running tap. Similarly dry wash your car, and use a sprinkler for gardening, The upshot? Every family can save atleast 300 litres of water every day with minor changes in their life style. We agree and advocate these methods to everyone.

‘No election duty, please’

The agency has sought exemption for its staff from election duty citing disruption in essential services. Stating that it will not be able to function smoothly if critical staff are picked for the duty, the civic body has written to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Karnataka, seeking exemption of employees from election duty. As many as 1,150 employees, including engineers, clerks, inspectors, valvemen and other worker are asked to attend training sessions for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.


Six-year-old HSR resident shares DIY composting tips on YouTube!

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composting hsr layout
HSR Layout resident Prachi, a six-year-old, shares her tips on how to start composting at home through the aerobic method.
 
Not only has her mother Lalithamba BV recorded this but also uploaded it on YouTube for mass consumption. The video was uploaded on October 2, Swachchata Diwas, and has already recorded over 300 views and gotten six subscribers.
 
We would like you to watch this as well, because if there is zero wet waste coming out of your house, there will be fewer landfills. You can watch Prachi’s video here. Two days earlier, she had shared a short video on the benefits of aerobic composting here which garnered 170 views. Way to go!
 
 
 
Six-year-old HSR resident shares DIY composting tips on YouTube! 7
 
 

 

When will the skywalk come up near BDA flyover?

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When will the skywalk come up near BDA flyover? 8
 
 
 
When will the skywalk come up near BDA flyover? 9
MLA Ramalinga Reddy inaugurating the skywalk in October 2018
 
Bommanahalli MLA Satish Reddy inaugurated the construction of a skywalk near HSR bus stand on Outer Ring Road near 9th Main in August 2018. But the work never began.
 
Three months later, it was inaugurated again, this time on the Teacher’s Colony side, by MLA Ramalinga Reddy. Residents thought this might have cleared all the hurdles for this Rs 1 crore skywalk to ease the road crossing woes at this busy junction. But so far, the progress is abysmal.
 
The escalator construction is far from over, leave alone the actual skywalk. We tried to reach the skywalk people, but they have never been accessible ever since the first inauguration. The proprietor of My Baby Store is unhappy that his shop facade is partially blocked by the upcoming escalator. The residents are upset that the overbridge is taking longer than it should have. Inaugurated in July last year, it was supposed to have come up by October. Instead, what happened was a second inauguration of the same flyover.
 
Every day, the pedestrians are put to much hardship while crossing the road. There have been several close encounters of pedestrians while vehicle users have also collided with each other, thanks to the peculiar positioning of the flyover ramp and the narrow road that passes under the flyover to reach HSR. In addition, the service road on the Sector 5 side of the flyover needs a complete overhaul as it’s dotted with potholes.
 
Says Mohan Govindiah, resident activist of Teacher’s Colony: “Accidents occur pretty much everyday at this spot. There is no value for human lives. The open drain and service roads are a death trap. No skyWalk, no public toilets, no dry waste collection centre, and no primary health centre.”

 

Budget 2019 demands: Pet park in HSR, lake maintenance fund, waste processing and incineration units, metered parking & more

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BBMP budget 2019

We are mighty impressed with some of the demands made by HSR resident activist Kavitha Reddy to the BBMP Commissioner for the forthcoming budget. If these suggestions are implemented, much of the garbage situation can be bettered. After much consultation with experts and regular citizens, Kavitha has formulated a list of demands for the BBMP … Read more

Your wet waste is being turned into biogas and organic fertilisers!

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Your wet waste is being turned into biogas and organic fertilisers! 12
 
 
Your wet waste is being turned into biogas and organic fertilisers! 13
 
 
There is some confusion over BBMP’s rule of 10 kilos or 50 units rule. Some apartment owners in Somasundrapalya are saying that they are using a commercial service provider even though they are less than 20 units. BBMP sources in HSR Ward say that such cases are happening in the neighbouring 190 ward of MG Palya.
 
Resident activist Kavitha Reddy believes that this idea of having separate vendors for commercial and domestic users by the BBMP is a money-making racket to inflate costs of waste collection. “It’s a totally stupid idea. My point is if two vehicles are coming on the same road, one to collect from houses and another to collect from apartments, it sounds silly.”
 
“We have to wait and see the final proposal,” says resident S Sankar. “Earlier, it was considered as 50 units and above. But again at ward wise, 20 units and above is given to an exclusive vendor by the corporator. I am not sure if this will be continued or do we have to opt for approved vendors from BBMP. If that’s the case, the apartment owners might have to pay more.”
 
“In HSR, apartments that are close to 40 or above units are categorised as commercial if the garbage generated is above 10 kilos every day,” said HSR health inspector Vinodh GM. “This is only where the entire building is owned by one person as the garbage generated will be considered bulk. However, we do take garbage from flats independently owned by people.”
 
Apartments like 60-flat Aakruthi Silverline in Sector 2 are giving the waste to Hasiru Dala as they are categorised as bulk generators. Many more surrounding apartments like Mahaveer, Manar, and DSR Rainbow are also handing their waste to commercial garbage vendors, and have had no problems with them.
 
However, there is still some issue with the neighbouring Ward 190. “In apartments, no daily collection happens anyway. The wet waste and reject waste collection is only once in 2-3 days and dry waste is once a week,” says Sankar. “Sometimes, all goes together in the same vehicle. This is the state for the last one year. Much discussion was done and supervisor Vasu said that it’s corporator’s decision to have different vendors for 20 units and above. Either go with that or go with BBMP-approved vendor which is expensive. This is the state in many of the wards, and there is nothing new.”
 
BBMP officials say that if certain apartments are being categorised as commercial, it could also be because the segregation has not happened. “Commercial vendors take non-segregated waste and apartments find them more convenient,” said a BBMP official.
 
BIOGAS AND FERTILISERS
Is the commercial vendor sending the waste to Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC)? No, they send it to Carbon Masters, a city-based waste to energy startup in Doddaballapur & Malur. The Malur plant was shutdown due to some political interference, but it should re-open soon, according to our sources. “We send 5 tonnes of garbage every day from Ward 174 to the Doddaballapur unit,” says Vinodh.