Make the most of the Gandhi Jayanthi holiday tomorrow (Oct 2) by taking part in one or more events planned by the residents and organisations in HSR Layout.
DAAN UTSAV If you want to donate your belongings, be part of the ‘Daan Utsav’ (Joy of Giving) by Goonj. The collection drive is to help the millions of families affected by the recent floods. They include children’s clothes, school material, dry ration items, woollen clothes and utensils. Remember to contribute materials that are in good condition. Monetary contributions are also welcome. You can pay via PayTM to the following numbers: 94480-63776 or 99862-03156. Or you can give the money when you are handing over stuff.
The collection drive is on Oct 2 and Oct 3 between 4pm and 6pm at:
Nagarjuna Greenridge apartment, 19th Main, Sector 2. For details, call Anju at 95355-09933.
Mahaveer Seasons club house, next to Shop On, 24th Main, Sector 2. Contact Lalitha at 94480-63776.
TREE PLANTATION & CULTURAL EVENING Swabhimaana Tree Park in Sector 3 on 15th B Main, 21st Cross is hosting a tree plantation drive at 7am on Oct 2. The same day at 5pm, there is a cultural evening organised by the residents to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.
Another tree plantation drive is being organised by the Bandepalya Police at Shubhodini School Grounds near Bandepalya police station in Sector 3. The chief guest will be Isha Pant, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East). The event will happen between 9am and 11am.
Innovator and educationist Sonam Wangchuk, the real life Phunsukh Wangdu of Aamir Khan-starrer ‘3 Idiots’ will be in town this weekend. Catch him at the Bhoomi International Conference whose theme is ‘In Search of Wellbeing’.
Sonam is just one among 15 pioneers and practitioners (see the image above) who are coming to inspire and motivate you. Make the most of this two-day affair from Sept 28-29 at Koramangala’s Satya Sai Convention Centre.
Some of the topics that educators and parents can listen in would include issues like climate change, safe food, economics, education and sustainability.
Be part of this enriching and meaningful conference. Take your kids along.
Walkathon 5K Closer home, NH Narayana Hospital is organising this run this Sunday (Sept 29) at 6am. If you want to walk for a healthy heart, this is what you should on your day off from work.
The location is the hospital in Sector 3 opposite HSR Club off 22nd Cross, 18th Main. Register now by calling 88849-49797 or 95139-65190. This event is organised to commemorate World Heart Day that falls on Sept 29. It’s all for the heart. Be there.
Cycle Day completed five years last Sunday. While the event stopped in April 2019 due to new legal requirements, the video above is a chronicle of the events in the past.
However, Cycle Day can now happen in every Sector of HSR Layout. In the new format, the organisers require a partnership with an NGO or RWA to conduct future events.
If anybody is interested, they can Whatsapp Shashidhar Kumaraswamy at 99720-20900. “If all RWAs come forward, we can have a Cycle Day every Sunday in their locality,” he says.
Chief minister BS Yediyuruppa visited Agara Lake this morning for a tree planting event titled ‘Vrukshotsava 2019’ by the Forest department. Heeding a request from MLA Sathish Reddy, he also granted Rs 5 crore. However, the residents are wondering what it’s really meant for? A new project at the lake? And why? When Rs 17 crore is already spent on its development, all the water body needs is an annual budgetary grant of Rs 15 lakh towards maintenance. Lake activists feel that the MLA would have been wiser if he had asked for monetary aid to the other neglected lakes in his own constituency.
Interestingly, though the BJP CM announced this grant, the real story is that this money was previously allotted by the Congress government. Since the Lake Development Authority (LDA) was dissolved, the Rs 25 crore grant for the rejuvenation and development of the lake was not fully utilised. Rs 7 crore was still left unspent and returned to the Forest department and later to the treasury.
The residents also made use of this opportunity to hand over memorandums to the deputy CM and MP on other issues that require their attention and intervention, including a skywalk in front of Mantri Sarovar on Outer Ring Road and funds for the completion of the long-delayed restoration work on Somasundrapalya Lake, and the closure of the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC).
We urge the MLA to insist that the CM make similar grants for the other lakes in his zone like Puttenahalli, Chikka Begur, Somasundrapalya, Mangammanapalya, Ibbalur, Arekere, Garvebhavipalya, Singasandra and Sarakki.
Those at the function included deputy chief minister CN Ashwath Narayan, MLA Sathish Reddy, MPs Tejasvi Surya and Kupendra Reddy, mayor Gangambika Mallikarjun, chief secretary TM Vijaybhaskar, Sandeep Dave, additional chief secretary (Forest, Environment and Ecology Department), and corporators Gurumurthy Reddy and Saraswathamma.
Tomorrow, September 8, happens to be E-Waste Day. To commemorate the occasion, Saahas, an NGO, is organising a doorstep collection of e-waste in Sector 5. If you have bulkier items, you can call their hotline number (73497-37586).
The three collection spots are as follows. Please pay attention to the timings at each point:
* 12th Main, 7th Cross (10-am-11am) * End of 6th Cross (11am-12pm) * 12th Main, 4th Cross (12pm-1pm)
Be an e-responsible citizen. Discard, the eco-friendly way!
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is getting down to brass tacks. Special BBMP Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Randeep D has stated that the single-use plastic ban implementation is going to be even more stricly implemented from September 1.
From October 1, the central government is banning plastic in the entire country. These include plastic bags, cups, plates, small bottles, straws and certain types of sachets. Officials insist that this ban is comprehensive and will cover the manufacturing, usage and import of such plastic items.
Not only will repeat offences lead to cancellation of trade licences but also seizure of equipment. The street vendors will be fined Rs 2000 for using banned plastic. The next time, they are found guilty again, their pushcarts will also be seized.
“The BBMP is fully serious about implementing the plastic ban,” said one BBMP health official. “The shopkeepers will be fined Rs 5000 for first-time offense. Even those who carry plastic bags will be fined Rs 500.”
The harmful effects of plastic are well-known. Since it’s non-biodegradable, the creation and sale of thermocol and microbeads was banned across the state from 2016. However, the implementation was lacklustre as the other states had not banned it. However, with the nationwide ban coming into effect from October, we will get to see better results. But please note that the ban does not apply on water bottles, milk and oil sachets, and the plastic used in nurseries, and hospitals (IV fluids).
Last year, BBMP had seized 1.2 lakh kg of plastic and collected Rs 73 lakh in fines. This year, as of May 31, the civic body had confiscated nearly 4000 kg of plastic and fined Rs 16 lakh. The moral of the story is not to buy or use plastic items like covers, cups, spoons, plates, flags, banners, buntings, flex, cling films, items made of thermocol (polystyrene), and non-woven polypropylene bags.
Every ban wasn’t so successful as the implementation was lax. And that was because, there is no systematic methodology that tracks the continuous implementation of the ban. Says HSR’s prominent civic activist Shanthi Tummala: “We want a monitoring committee to be there for proper implementation as the plastic ban includes coordination between other agencies like police, commercial taxes and food safety departments. Right now, these departments are not monitoring or penalising the offenders.”
Shanthi also says that the focus should not only be on the amount of penalty collected but also on the number of offenders caught in the raids. “We have carved out a system where the joint commissioner of Bommanahalli regularly monitors all the junior and senior health inspectors in Bommanahalli by setting up a common WhatsApp group with the JC and all the inspectors of the zone. There is a reporting format they have to follow and submit it every day on WhatsApp, be it garbage segregation or plastic ban.They have to compile a report every 15 days and the person who targets the most offenders should be rewarded by the BBMP.”
THE FINES Manufacturing; Rs 2 lakh & Rs 5 lakh (repeat offences).
Smita Kulkarni, a resident of HSR Layout until last year and now the inhabitant of Whitefield, is nominated for the coveted REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship and Karmaveer Chakra award. The honour is given by iCONGO in association with the United Nations. Smita is not only part of Whitefield Rising, one of the most proactive residents welfare associations in Bangalore but also a member of Swachh Doddanekundi.
According to the REX organisers, the recognition is for “champions of change who make a difference in our society with their ideas for action to be the change and REXchange mindsets by walking the path less trodden.”
The growth mindset of Smita lies in her anti-plastic campaigning she began in HSR Layout. To add to the environment-friendly gestures, she began selling cloth bags to dissuade people from using disposable plastic covers and bags. In addition, she campaigned for sustainable menstruation and sold products like reusable menstrual cups.
Smita is now recognised as an “architect of the RIGHT every WRONG, Karmaveer, REX Swacch Bharat Mission and the Joy of Giving initiatives”. The award will be announced and given away on November 25-27, 2019. We wish Smita all the luck.
SR Raghavendra, the inspector of HSR Layout, has created a video message in Kannada to inform people about the environmental hazards of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols. Instead, he asks the residents to go in for clay Ganeshas for the upcoming Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations.
Celebrate World Environment Day. Run for a Greener HSR and Bangalore. The organisers of Super Run tomorrow at BBMP Grounds in HSR Layout, Sector 2, are asking everyone to come forward and take part in this event to make it a thumping success.
The registration fee of Rs 499 includes a T-shirt, breakfast, medal and certificate. There are two categories: 3K Run & 5K Run. For each category, there are three winners in male, female and kids divisions. The winners get trophies too.
Timing: Report at 5.30am as the run starts at 6am.
The people who are registering for the run can collect the T-shirt at the venue itself. Go with your friends and family and run for joy and health to celebrate World Environment Day (June 5). The event is presented by SuperSeva Services Pvt Ltd.
In the last few months, there is some tussle between the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC) and the garbage contractors. KCDC is refusing to take leachette alongwith the garbage that is given to it. It’s contention is that it is commercial waste being given to them when the truth, according to BBMP officials, is that it is very much residential waste. KCDC still wants the contractors to reduce the leachette at source before handing over the wet waste to them. However, the garbage contractors feel that it’s practically impossible to do so, particularly when it rains.
“Since the rains are here; the leachette is more due to the water percolating into the waste bins kept outside for collection,” said one BBMP official. “We have been convincing the KCDC officials that it is indeed residential waste and leachette is part and parcel of it.”
Earlier, lorries used to deposit waste at KCDC. Now, that process is streamlined to avoid any outside waste from entering the premises. Only domestic vehicles are now being used to usher in more transparency and accountability.
In addition, one tonne of daily waste is being composted by the lane composters installed at ten locations across HSR Layout and at the Swachagraha Kalika Kendra. That’s equivalent to composting wet waste from over 200 households. In addition, several residents have opted for home composting, further reducing the waste generation from HSR Layout.
The garbage contractors feel that some days, KCDC accepts the waste and on other days, it rejects or raises doubts. “There is no end to their suspicions. When we do really good work, they suspect our motives, and when others do really bad work, they think it’s allright,” said one garbage supervisor.
For now, the intake at KCDC has also come down from 150 tonnes to 60 tonnes due to mounting pressure from the public and the elected representatives. Wet waste is only collected from all the wards of Bommanahalli assembly constituency and two wards of BTM Layout constituency.
According to BBMP officials, the waste from seven wards of South Bangalore constituency is sent to another composting plant in Chikkanagamangala that processes 100-150 tonnes of waste every day. For all these reasons, the situation at KCDC has stabilised now. “We have no problems with KCDC after holding a few talks on this matter,” said one garbage supevisor. “However, the KCDC has not stopped questioning us even if there is a little more leachette than usual. We have to keep telling them that it’s the rains.”
Dry leaves on roads and footpaths are being swept on different days for different areas in HSR layout. Here is how it works, according to garbage supervisor for BBMP, Anil Benni: “It’s once a week for every road in HSR Layout,” he says. “The entire sweepers team is divided into two groups. They work five days a week between 10 am and 2 pm.
The areas covered are as follows for different days of the week:
Mondays = 6th sector & Freedom school area of 4th sector.
Tuesdays: 7th Sector Adigas backside, Guntoop, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar & NH Narayana hospital area in Sector 3.
Wednesdays & Sundays: The sweepers work half the day where they sweep all the main roads across all sectors up to 10am.
Thursdays: Parts of 7th sector & 3rd sector near Twin parks area.
Friday’s: Parts of 7th sector & 3rd sector near HSR Club.
Saturdays: 6th sector BBMP, Lawrence school backside, and right until 5th Main & 4th Sector Muneswara temple & Samarthanam school area.
If the debris is not being cleared for more than a week, you can call the following garbage supervisors to address the issue.
An unswept road on 15th B Main in Sector 3
In addition, if garbage collection is not proper in your area or road, these are the people who can address your issue. And remember, dry waste is picked every Saturday and Wednesday while wet/kitchen waste is on other days in Sectors 1, 3,4,5,6,7. For Sector 2, the dry and wet waste is collected together.
