Nepal wants to emulate Bangalore’s IT prowess, says Prachanda

Bangalore, Nepal is keen to replicate the IT revolution in India’s ‘Silicon City’ and has sought the industry’s help in its effort to modernise its development process.

Expressing his “deep appreciation” for Bangalore, whose technology prowess has earned it global recognition, the Nepal Prime Minister, Mr Prachanda, said that his country wanted to emulate the vibrancy and commitment of the Silicon City for bringing about a change in his country in the shortest time.

Addressing members of the Confederation of Indian Industry here on Wednesday, Mr Prachanda said that his Government would soon formulate a new industrial policy to create an investment-friendly environment.

He extended an invitation to the private sector to invest in Nepal, which offered opportunities in the hydel power sector, apart from other areas of industry. He said the private sector was welcome to bid for power projects there.

Nepal was interested in seeking help for its education sector from Karnataka, a State which excelled in premier professional institutions, he said and added that the new policy would encourage mutually beneficial cooperation.

Kathmandu IT park

Earlier, in his address, Mr Binod Chaudhary, President, Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), said Nepal offered significant investment opportunities in the IT sector.

The country had only a small IT park near Kathmandu but would like to expand the scope of the sector with the help of Bangalore’s expertise.

Mr C.P. Rangachar, former Chairman of CII (Southern Region) and Managing Director of Yuken India Ltd, said Bangalore could particularly help that country in setting up BPOs focusing on rural areas for a balanced development.

Bangalore Or Bengaluru Or Bengalooru

Bangalore, as a city, has come a long way from the time when Kempe Gowda built it in the sixteenth century and named it ‘bendakaaluru’, to the times when our local government wants to change its name from Bangalore to Bengaluru. It has seen the British invasion and also survived to see the IT revolution by building a strong economic platform which heavily depends on its name - The Brand ‘Bangalore’.

For anyone who knows about this famous city, hearing it’s name brings to mind the beautiful weather, the numerous defence establishments it has, the famous gardens (Lal Bagh and Cubbon park), the culture and warmth of its residents and the more recent IT industry.

With everything a city needed to grow, God knows how the idea of changing its name came about in the first place.

I know it definitely has nothing to do with the new trend in India of renaming its cities to remove the anglicized names. The cities that were renamed from Bombay to Mumbai, Madras to Chennai and Calcutta to Kolkata had lost their original names and the new names were the result of colonization. Even though the word Bangalore was coined during the colonial times it was always known as Bengaluru in Kannada, which means even though the entire world knew it as Bangalore it never lost it’s original name of Bengaluru which is it’s official name in Kannada.

In this way, it had joined ranks with few cities who had an English name and a different native name such as Turin(Torino in Italian), Florence(Florentia in Italian) , Venice (Venezia in Italian) and Paris (pronounced as Pari in french).

It looks like this is purely a political motive rather than something which is good and widely accepted as our beloved home – Bangalore.

44% women on night shifts feel unsafe

Bangalore ranks pretty high on the country's insecurity index for women working on night shifts. Forty-four per cent of the women feel unsafe, according to a survey carried out by the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India in 2006 and released on Tuesday.

While Ludhiana topped the list at 45 per cent, the figures are lower in other metros 18 per cent in Mumbai, 38 per cent in Hyderabad, 24 per cent in Chennai, and strangely enough, just, 15 per cent in Delhi.

Speaking on the issue at a seminar in Bangalore, Suchaitra Eshwar, regional director, Nasscom said that nearly 30 per cent of the workforce in IT BPOs were women.

'Once you make a noise, people will know' Supreme Court advocate Aparna added: "Sexual harassment is not just about women, but largely about exercise of power by someone in power or influence against those in subordination and it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure women's security."

In case of organisations where the CEO was the perpetrator, the case could be transferred to an outside agency by the management of the company to ensure fair play and true justice, Aparna said.

Sadly, instead of the perpetrator of the crime, it is often the women victim who were offered the option of a transfer, she said. A victim of sexual harassment should draw public attention when it occurs to deter further harassment.

"Once you make a noise, people will know," she said. Posters highlighting what constituted sexual harassment pasted across workplace deters males from indulging in it and makes women aware of their rights.

Refuting allegations that provocative dressing was one of the reasons for sexual harassment, she said the victim was not provocatively dressed 95 per cent of the time. She also clarified that sexual harassment is not only about touching.

National Crime Record Bureau said that one woman is molested every 22 minutes, one kidnapped every 40 minutes, one woman raped every 43 minutes and one sexually harrassed every 50 minutes.

There were others before:

In December 13, 2005: 24-year old married HP call centre employee, Pratibha Srikanth Murthy was raped and murdered in Bangalore

27, July 2006: Call centre employee Tanya Banerjee, was murdered.

November 2007: Wipro employee, Jyoti Kumari Chaudhary was raped and killed at Talegaon, allegedly by the driver.

August 6, 2008: In Chennai, a BPO employee was sexually assaulted by her colleague who apparently gave date rape drug in her drink.

August 7, 2008: A girl, employed with IBM Daksh, was allegedly gangraped by 10 unidentified persons after being called out on the pretext of company work.

Police close to first arrest in Bangalore blasts

Following the SIMI line of investigations, the Bangalore police could be on the verge of announcing its first arrest in the July 25 bomb Blasts across the city that left one person dead and eight injured.

A special police team constituted to probe the nine low-intensity blasts that preceded the Ahmedabad blasts of July 26 have been interrogating a 23-year-old student of an arts and architecture college from Bijapur over the past two days.

The police had been looking for Abdul Samee, whose name figured in the interrogations of several alleged SIMI activists arrested around the country, including in the Ahmedabad, Jaipur cases. Sources said Samee was being questioned on his presence in Bangalore around the July 25 blasts and his absence from Bijapur over the weekend of the September 13 Delhi blasts.

The Bangalore police and IB are conducting the questioning.

Samee is believed to be one of the 20 who participated in a SIMI training conclave held on the organisation’s foundation day, on April 25, 2007, at Castle Rock on Karnataka-Goa border. It was Adnan alias Hafeez Hussain, a SIMI leader from Karnataka arrested in Indore on March 23 this year with 12 other SIMI functionaries, who reportedly gave his name.

Abdul Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer — believed to be a key lynchpin in the blasts that have occurred around the country since July 2006 — Shahbaz Hussain, a key accused in the Jaipur blasts, and Abu Bashar, named as the mastermind of the Ahmedabad blasts, were reportedly all present at this camp.

According to sources, investigations into SIMI activities prior to the Jaipur blasts of May 13 had also thrown up Samee’s name and the Karnataka police had even zeroed in on a student of the Malik Sandal Institute of Art and Architecture. But no arrests were made after the police were told that the student’s name was Mohammed Samee and not Abdul Samee.

Sources said investigations had returned to the architecture student after his name figured in the interrogation of Shahbaz Hussain in Jaipur.

Samee’s family in Bijapur, however, say the arrest is a result of mistaken identity. His father Raj Ahmed Bagewadi has produced college records to show that his son goes by the name of Mohammed Samee Bagewadi and not Abdul Samee.

The investigations surrounding the architecture student show that the Bangalore police is also taking the same line as the Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi blast cases.

Investigations into the Bangalore blasts have until now produced little results. A parallel case of dumping of a large quantity of ammonium nitrate on the outskirts of Bangalore, a day before the blasts, is also being probed.

India - Ambulance service to go hi-tech in Bangalore

Come November, ambulance services in India’s silicon hub will go high-tech to treat trauma patients and mishap victims.

Pioneered by the Hyderabad-based non-profit organisation Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) on a public-private partnership (PPP) model, the free service will be a phone-cal away on toll-free number 108.

The institute, set up and funded by Satyam Computers founders, the Raju brothers, entered into an agreement with the state government last month for the emergency health service.

"The Karnataka government will finance the ambulance service, including 95 percent of the operational cost," EMRI consultant J. Narasimha Rao told IANS.

"We will manage the emergency response centre (EMC) where calls on a patient are recorded, and provide medical inputs and manpower to operate the service."

The institute will initially deploy 150 ambulances across the state and scale this up by 367 over the next two years, finally taking the total mobile clinics to 517.

"Experts from the institute and the state health department are working on modalities to identify vulnerable areas, where ambulances will be required most," Rao said.

Each ambulance will cover about 25km radius so as to reach patients within 15-20 minutes after a call is registered at the emergency response centre (EMC).

Physicians at EMC will give pre-arrival advice to the attendant of patients, before ambulances reach the spot. Each ambulance will be manned by two trained emergency medical technicians for attending patients or accident victims.

The ambulance service is unique as it is not a transport vehicle for patients; rather, these are like pre-hospital care centre, with facilities for attending to the needs of those accompanying a patient to the hospital.

"Our ambulance service works on the concept of ’golden hour’, the critical period when a serious patient or mishap victim has to be treated within an hour of the incident to ensure that his or her survival chances are over 80 percent," he said.

The high-tech ambulances will be equipped with stretches, wheel-chairs, ventilators, oxygen cylinders and defibrillators. Drivers will be trained to deal with emergency cases along with paramedics.

"The ambulances will also have rescue tools to conduct emergency operations," he added.

EMRI has also tied up with state-run-hospitals to attend to patients brought by their ambulances.

"We are also in discussions with private hospitals and clinics to admit patients brought by our ambulances and provide medical care for next 24 hours free-of-cost. Patients and the hospitals will decide on the course of treatment," Rao observed.

In Karnataka, the state-run government and private hospitals operate ambulance services but not in a scientific manner. As a result, casualties are high for want of immediate medical attention.

A state health official said there is no data on the number of ambulances operating in the state.

"We hope full-fledged ambulances in and around Bangalore will save a lot of lives. The ambulances will match international standards in medical practice," Rao added.

As an integrated emergency service provider, EMRI ambulances operate in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttarkhand. Karnataka will be the fourth state to avail the service.

The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, American Academy of Emergency Medicine in India, National Emergency Number Association and Richmond Ambulance Authority collaborate with EMRI in providing this service.

"EMRI service will be able to save many lives, as several hospitals in the city do not have such a coordinated ambulance facility," a state health official said.

EMRI attends 13,000 calls a day on average. It has saved about 4,000 lives and attended over 60,000 emergency calls since the service was launched first in 2005 from Hyderabad.

Re 1 offer was a hit, but BMTC suffered huge loss

Re 1 offer was a hit, but BMTC suffered huge loss
DH News Service, Bangalore:
The promotional offer of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to offer a ride on its premium Volvo (Vajra) air-conditioned buses for Re 1 for days has cost the public corporation dearly.


A promotional offer it may be, to make travel by public transport more popular, but it has made the BMTC poorer by Rs 10 lakh a day. While the normal fares of the Volvo buses start at Rs 10 on a given day, the promo offer of Re 1 while coming in for praise from commuters themselves, like all good things in life has come to an end.

BMTC officials said that the cost of operating each Vajra bus amounts to Rs 10,000 a day, while fetching a daily revenue of Rs six lakh. “With close to 100 volvo buses plying on City roads, the promotional offer made us poorer by Rs five lakh on the four days it was run for Re 1” BMTC officials said.

The BMTC spends Rs 45/km as operating costs for these high end low floor a/c buses. Factor in the average ticket fares that range between Rs 10 and Rs 80, the promotional exercise was done to offer the common man and those who have not travelled in a volvo a chance to do so, added BMTC officials.

One-rupee offer damages several Volvo buses

One-rupee offer damages several Volvo buses

Afshan Yasmeen and B.B. Ravinandan

The Vajra vehicles carried over 170 commuters a trip against the capacity of 72

The promotional offer affected collections on non-Vajra regular BMTC buses

Drivers, conductors of Vajra buses lose out on commission

— Photo. Bhagya Prakash K

Poor patronage: With the Re. 1 ride on Vajra buses ending on Sunday, there were very few passengers in the buses in Bangalore on Monday.

Bangalore: The Re.1 ride on Vajra buses of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has damaged a number of buses owing to overcrowding.

A top BMTC official told The Hindu on Monday that the tyres of at least five buses either burst or got punctured and the suspensions and blowers of a few other buses got damaged.

Apart from scratches on the window screens and tearing of seat fabric, the window glass of one Vajra bus (356 C route) shattered as angry commuters threw stones when the driver did not stop the already overcrowded bus at a particular stop.

The window frame of the hi-tech bus costs Rs. 20,000, official sources said.

Though the capacity of each Vajra bus (including standing) is 72, each of the 107 buses (on which the Re. 1 ride was valid) carried more than 170 commuters a trip on an average during the four-day promotional drive.

The Vajra fleet, which usually carried a total load of around 15,000 commuters daily, transported as many as 97,000 passengers on a single day during the drive.

While 72,000 commuters hopped onto the buses on Thursday, day one of the promotional offer, the number swelled to 97,000 the second day.

While 83,000 people travelled by the Vajra buses on the third day, 80,000 passengers used them on Sunday, the last day of the ride.

Meanwhile, Akash Passey, Managing Director of Volvo Buses India Private Limited, denied any damage. “The Vajra buses are well built with powerful engines. Though each bus can carry a maximum load of 100 persons, occasional overcrowding will not damage the vehicle. But because of the overcrowding there can always be pulls and pushes or knocking on the door or windows causing minor damages or scratches,” he said. “Overcrowding is not an issue and the Vajra buses are equipped to handle the load,” he added.

The promotional offer also affected collections on the 4,800 non-Vajra regular BMTC buses. With most of the 32 lakh commuters trying out the Volvo ride, the usual daily collection of nearly Rs. 1.40 crore reduced by Rs. 3 lakh, sources said.

Officials are confident that even if five per cent of the total 3.32 lakh new passengers preferred Vajra to the regular buses in future, the expenditure incurred on the promotional offer would be justified.

The drive also affected the drivers and conductors of the 107 buses, who lost out on their commission. Some drivers and conductors, who spoke to The Hindu on Monday, expressed displeasure that they lost out on their daily commission of 3 per cent for every Rs. 1,000 collected.

“We get a commission of three per cent for every Rs. 1,000. But, because of the cheap fare, the collection was less than Rs.1,000 a day we could not get any commission,” said K. Mustaq, a conductor.

Some employees said the promotional offer to attract passengers had actually adversely affected the corporation.

“At a time when the BMTC is claiming to have begun earning profits, this particular exercise has surely affected the revenue collection,” said R. Lalitha, another conductor.

Though the buses were jam packed and security personnel had to be deployed on each, the collections were far less than the regular revenue, she said. “On an average, we suffered a 30 per cent loss despite a large number of people using the service,” said Ramesh Kumar, a driver.

Another driver, Chandrashekar Shenoy, said that collection on the route of his non-Vajra bus halved as regular commuters had a shot at the Re. 1 ride on all the four days.

WHY INVESTMENT IN BANGALORE?

India’s 5th largest city is the city commonly known by the world as the Silicon Valley and the Garden City of India and bestly known as Bangalore. Today, it has earned a good name globally for its ever conquering capabilities in the field of industrial and commercial maturity. Bangalore being a city of multiple opportunities is apparently one of the most handpicked destination by the FDI ( Foreign Direct Investment) such as Joint Ventures and Real Estate Investment.

The demand for residential and commercial properties in Bangalore is rapidly increasing because of booming IT sector and a location of largest number of software companies. Moreover, this cosmopolitan city is one of the best examples of harmonious coexistence of diverse customs and cultures. This makes attractive enough for Non-Resident Indians (NRI) and multinationals to relocate in Bangalore.

So, if you are looking to invest in Bangalore you are going to trigger in the right target. Domestic and foreign investments in Bangalore promises high lucrative return on investment as FDI policies in India are among the most liberal and attractive in emerging economies.

Story does not end here. As a matter of fact, this is just a beginning to acquaintance each other. Many articles can INFORM but we are writing to TRANSFORM you, your family, your lifestyle and your home.

We can say that we have taken a great step and we can still go beyond this comfortable zone. And the credit belongs to our respected and loving clients (DS-MAX FAMILY). We salute you with honor.

Last, but not the least. There are numbers of unborn prospective clients who are still in DS-MAX womb and yet to come. We are waiting for them excitingly and ready to hug as they become our family. IT MAY BE YOU, GET READY FOR IT. WE LOVE YOU.

Pubs in Bangalore

Pubs in Bangalore

Pubs in Bangalore

Guzzlers Inn
48, Rest House Road

Brigade Road
Bangalore
Timings: 11 am to 11:30 pm
Phone: 2558-7336/2558-2138
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Jockey Club
41/3, Taj Residency

MG Road
Bangalore
Timings: 5 pm to 11:30 pm
Phone: 5660-4444
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Nasa
1/4,

Church Street
Bangalore
Timings: 11 am to 11 pm
Phone: 2558-6512/2558-4595
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Pecos
34,

Rest House Road
Bangalore
Timings: 11 am to 11 pm
Phone: 2558-6047
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Purple Haze
2nd Floor,
Opp Prestige Towers,
Residency Road
Bangalore
Timings: 11 pm to 11 am
Phone: 2222-0054
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Scottish Pub
17/12,
Vasavi Complex
St Marks Road
Bangalore
Timings: 11 pm to 11 am
Phone: 2221-5002
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Sparks
133,
Raheja Chancery
Brigade Road
Bangalore
Timings: 11 am to 11 pm
Phone: 2223-0306
Type of food: Indian


Spinn Courtyard
80, 3rd Cross

Residency Road
Bangalore
Timings: 7:3o pm to 11:30 pm
Phone: 2558-1555/2559-0901
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Styx
45, Kids Complex
Next to Cauvery Emporium
MG Road
Bangalore
Timings: 12 noon to 11 pm
Phone: 2558-2259/5697-6040
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Tavern At The Inn
1, Museum Inn
Opp MG Road
Museum Road
Bangalore
Timings: 11 am to 11:30 pm
Phone: 4111-3339
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


The 13th Floor
84, Barton Center

MG Road
Bangalore
Timings: 7 pm to 11 pm
Phone: 2558-9333/4178-3344
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


The Bunker
45/3, Near Symphony

Residency Cross Road
Bangalore
Timings: 11 am to 11:30 pm
Phone: 2558-3315
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


The New Nightwatchman
46/1, Museum Road

Church Street
Bangalore
Timings: 10:30 am to 11:30 pm
Phone: 2558-8372
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


The Polo Club
39, The Oberoi

MG Road
Bangalore
Timings: 10 am to 11:15 pm
Phone: 2558-5858/5135-8205
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


The Pub World
65, Laxmi Plaza,
Opp Advaith Hyundai
Residency Road
Bangalore
Timings: 12 noon to 11 pm
Phone: 2558-5206
Type of food: Indian


Zero G
10th Floor, Prestige Towers

Residency Road
Bangalore
Timings: 12 noon to 11:30 pm
Phone: 2207-9014/2207-9016
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Fabulous
280, Opp DELL

Amar Jyothi Layout
Bangalore
Timings: 11:30 am to 11 pm
Phone: 4125-4058/4152-6628
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Geoffrey's
1, Golf Avenue
Hotel Royal Orchid, KGA Gold Course
Airport Road
Bangalore
Timings: 11 am to 11:30 pm
Phone: 2520-5566
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Sherlock Holmes
60/1, Near Tata Indicom

Coles Road
Bangalore
Timings: 11 am to 11:30 pm
Phone: 4125-0156
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


TGI Friday's
1, Carlton Towers,
Opp Diamond District
Airport Road
Bangalore
Timings: 11 am to 11 pm
Phone: 2521-0570/2521-0571
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Dublin
25, ITC Windsor Sheraton

Golf Course Road(Sankey Road)
Bangalore
Timings: 10 am to 11:30 pm
Phone: 2226-9898
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


The Blue Bar
The Taj West End
Near Race Course
Race Course Road
Bangalore
Timings: 11 am to 11:30 pm
Phone: 5660-5660
Type of food: Far East


Windsor Pub
7, Kodava Samaja Building
1st Main Road
Vasanthnagar
Bangalore
Timings: 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm 6:30 pm to 11:30 pm
Phone: 2225-8847
Type of food: South Indian


Enigma
2, 5th Block, 100 Feet Road
Opp Canara Bank
Koramangala
Bangalore
Timings: 8 pm to 11 pm
Phone: 2563-3999
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Jcubez
1431, 22nd Cross
Near BDA Complex
Banashankari
Bangalore
Timings: 11 am to 11 pm
Phone: 2671-7007
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Legend of Rock
903, 3rd Cross
6th Block, 80 Feet Road
Koramangala
Bangalore
Timings: 11 am to 11 pm
Phone: 4130-3232
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


Maithri 'The Pub'
632/A, 24th Cross

BSK II Stage
Bangalore
Timings: 10 am to 11:30 pm
Phone: 2671-3322
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


South Point Pub
200, Laxmi Towers,
Near South End Circle, RV Road
Basavanagudi
Bangalore
Timings: 11 am to 11:30 pm
Phone: 2656-3642
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine


The Eleven
6, 11th Block
Opp Prestige Towers,
Jayanagar
Bangalore
Timings: 11:30 am to 11:30 pm
Phone: 2657-3389
Type of food: Multi-Cuisine

Bangalore slums set to go vertical

Bangalore slums set to go vertical


Bangalore: The horizontal Bangalore slums may go vertical, with parks, grounds and schools around them. All this at no cost to the government!
This proposal based on public-private partnership has been mooted following the success in Dharavi (Mumbai), Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
“We are thinking of this to make urban areas slum-free. Each house costs Rs 2.5-3 lakh. The developer will be responsible for the project and pay premium to the government,’’ Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) chairman G T Devegowda told TOI.
After attending a presentation on the proposal, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa showed interest in taking up a pilot project in a few Bangalore slums.
New sites and houses
The KHB on Wednesday announced the allotment of 5,426 sites in 21 places and 654 houses in 10 places. It also launched 11 new projects consisting of 1,719 sites and 284 houses.
The sites and houses allotted are in Chitradurga, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Haveri, Uttar Kannada, Belgaum, Bidar, Bellary, Raichur, Dharwad and Mysore districts. The new project will come up in Koppal, Belgaum, Bidar, Bellary, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Dakshina Kannada and Shimoga districts.
The urban poor will get 20% of KHB houses/apartments at 50% subsidy. Gowda said the government had planned to build 300 apartments at Allalasandra.
KHB’s ambitious 100 housing projects and 50 Suvarna Karnataka Housing projects in 87 locations across the state is under way. This will provide 15,000 sites and 13,500 houses at an estimated cost of Rs 850 crore with assistance from several financial institutions.

18 kmph is City traffic speed

18 kmph is City traffic speed
From Ajith Athrady, DH News Service, New Delhi:
Bangalore figures among the top three cities in the country, in terms of its sluggish traffic movement...


According to the latest study, Bangalore’s peak hour traffic speed is 18 kmph while Delhi and Mumbai’s speed is 16 kmph.

The nation-wide study on “Traffic and Transportation Policies and Strategies in the Urban Areas in India” conducted by Wilbur Smith Associates on behalf of Union Ministry of Urban Development, shows that in bigger cities like Bangalore and Mumbai traffic movement was slower than small cities.

The traffic situation in Bangalore deserves serious attention because of the alarming vehicle growth rate, which is highest in the country with 14 per cent against the 10 per cent national average. The rate in mega cities like Chennai and Delhi is 8 per cent and 7 per cent respectively.“If the growth rate continues to remain the same it’d be no wonder if traffic speed reduces to even less than 15 kmph soon,” a senior official in the Urban Development Ministry told Deccan Herald.

The study also show that BMTC’s fleet has been growing by 9.4 per cent every year for the past five years. Bangalore stood third in the country with 7,575 accidents and a death toll of 833. Mumbai tops with 21,678 accidents (787 deaths) and Delhi comes in second with 9,351 accidents (2023 deaths). Hyderabad is fourth with 6149 accidents (1196 deaths), while in Hubli-Dharwad it’s 1000 (250 deaths).

Most of the road accident victims in Bangalore are pedestrians. Pedestrian-related death rate in Bangalore is third highest in the country. In Bangalore 18 per cent of vehicles park on the road side.

Road sense

*Peak hour traffic speed in Bangalore 18kmph; in Delhi and Mumbai it is 16 kmph

*Hubli-Dharwad traffic speed 23 kmph

*18% vehicles parked on roads in Bangalore

*In road accidents pedestrians are worst victims in Bangalore

*Vehicle growth in a year highest in Bangalore - 14% against national average 10%

Beautiful Bangalore

Interesting Photo

Bhubaneshwar vs Bangalore

Bhubaneshwar vs Bangalore

Bangalore:

Bhubhaneshwar has found an effective way to prevent walls in the city from being defaced, by having tribal art work painted on walls.

We bring you a comparison between the infrastructure in Bangalore and the capital city of Orissa, Bhubaneshwar, a comparatively smaller city.

Stick no bills

Bangalore's flyovers have been defaced with posters and advertisements.

While the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike (BBMP), send circulars asking people not to stick anything on flyovers, on an occasional basis, this seems to have had little or no effect.

The authorities have the bills removed but have not yet found a permanent solution.

Effective

In Bhubaneshwar, flyover walls have been painted with tribal art.

This helps in the beautification of the city, as well as provides employment to several artists.

The culture of the State is also showcased through these paintings.

Walls in Bangalore are filled with posters, advertising movies or paying guest accommodation.

Bhubaneshwar on the other hand has extended paintings to walls also. The entire city is lined with paintings.

Pedestrian walk

Footpaths in Bangalore are getting smaller due to encroachments. As for separate cycle tracks, we do not have them at all.

Bhubaneshwar has built six lane roads. It has given serious thought to its cyclists and pedestrians as well.
There are footpaths and cycle tracks on either side of the road.

New garden city

Bangalore has lost its identity as the garden city with the indiscriminate cutting down of avenue trees.

Bhubaneshwar is perhaps all set to grab the tag of garden city, given its effective approach to problems faced by the city. Trees line its roads, and saplings have also been planted alongside roads.

Bangalore Monorail

Four Corridors Identified;
TIMES NEWS NETWORK



Here is the an old monorail routemap(Can someone tell me if the new corridors are the same as the old ones?)

Bangalore: The state government has added pace to the long-pending proposal for a monorail system in Bangalore by identifying four corridors covering 60 km. The corridors have been identified under the ambitious comprehensive traffic and transportation plan (CTTP), chief minister B S Yeddyurappa told a high-level meeting on Bangalore infrastructure on Monday. The meeting was held as a follow-up review of proposals made during the Agenda for Bengaluru Infrastructure Development (ABIDe) meeting in June.
Asian Infrastructure Consortium (AIC) had already submitted a proposal to implement the monorail system, under the Swiss Challenge method. The AIC is expected to submit the DPR (detailed project report) by October 8. The new time frame was decided after the consortium had asked the state government for more time to work on the DPR.
The development of the monorail network, conceived to act as a feeder network to Namma Metro, was initially given to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) Limited, before the state government decided to go in for the Swiss Challenge model.
The meeting, attended by transport minister R Ashok, BDA commissioner H Siddiah, BBMP commissioner S Subramanya and urban development department secretary K Jothiramalingam, also hosted industry leaders like Biocon CMD Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Infosys CEO Kris Gopalakrishnan and Infosys HR director T V Mohandas Pai, along with Janaagraha founder Ramesh Ramanathan and Dr Devi Shetty.
MONORAIL CORRIDORS
Corridor 1: Hebbal to J P Nagar (31 km) Corridor 2: PRR to toll gate along Magadi road (9 km) Corridor 3: Kathriguppe/ring road junction to National college (5 km) Corridor 4: Hosur Road-Bannerghatta Road junction to PRR along Bannerghatta Road (15 km)

Thanks 2Paise for starting this thread. Its great to see Monorail, Metro Phase I and Metro Phase II all happening simultaneously. Way to go!!!!!

Don't walk this way

Bangalore:

Cauvery Junction

The magic box at Cauvery Junction has brought no magical change for pedestrians. The footpaths are still very narrow.

"They made the road to the airport signal-free. But what about us pedestrians? How are we supposed to cross the road? Besides, the condition of footpaths is so bad that we are forced to walk on the road," said Sohan Kandpal, a techie who works in Sadashivnagar.

No leg room

Old Madras Road

Old Madras Road was initially considered a highway. Several shopping complexes and offices have come up since then, but nothing has been done for pedestrians.

"Every month at least one pedestrian is killed on this road. Vehicles are always going at full speed. At nights the road are not illuminated, making it difficult for both pedestrians and drivers," said Rudresh, a traffic police constable at Jeevan Bhima Nagar police station.

There are just two zebra crossings, one near Isolation Hospital and the other near the K R Puram Flyover.

Cunningham Road

The entire road has only one zebra crossing at Wockhardt Hospital. There is a security guard instead of a traffic constable who mans it.

"Some times people do not listen to the security guard. I have a tough time crossing the road. The footpaths have telephone boxes and poles to facilitate ads, which makes walking tough," said Ashwini M, a marketing executive.

Other roads

Richmond Road
This road is possibly the most notorious for being pedestrian unfriendly. "It is very difficult to cross the road. There is heavy traffic all the time and not enough zebra crossings," said Nancy T, a copy editor whose office is on the road.
There are just two zebra crossings, one at Vellara Junction and the other near Baldwin's School. Pedestrians are at the mercy of drivers when they cross the road.

Hosur Road
There is no place for pedestrians to walk on Hosur Road.

"The footpaths are dug up and nobody seems in any hurry to fix them. In some places there is no footpath at all and crossing the road is very difficult. If other well-frequented roads were in the same condition, there would have been a hue and cry," said Rohan M, a student.

Vyalikaval Road
Huge footpaths had been built on Vyalikaval Road, second main on, but they have all been encroached.

"Three years ago the government had wide footpath made but now there are shops on them. I had written to the BBMP commissioner and to the additional commissioner of traffic. But there has been no response from them. I even made a five page report on all the encroachments, but they still did not bother," said G N Muthy, a resident of Vyalikaval.

Nothing is done

K S S Iyengar, founder member, Bapu Pedestrians' Association
"The authorities do not understand our plight. They are only bothered about motorists. Footpaths have been encroached, forcing people to walk on the road."

M N Srihari, traffic expert
"Skywalks are often too high for people to climb. They are built keeping in mind ad revenue and not pedestrians. In many places zebra crossings are not painted. No thought has been given to footpaths."

At a traffic signal

Morning times are a rush hour.Everyone running as we have daura daura bhaga bhaga sa jindagi.School kids looking like Atlas carrying a huge load and anxious parents tagged,office goers like Vishnu holding on to their life in buses,angry vehicle owners scowling like monkeys ..............it sure looks funny.Traffic signal is a strange place as people stop their for some time and look around.You can see diferent sights.Someone tapping on the wheel as he waits the signal to turn green.Kids opening the windows and waving.Best are the hawkers we can sure use the 2 minute wait near a signal.Hawkers trade handmade stuff,Admag,clothes for wiping the glass,ear buds, news paper and to so many innovative products.Best are the Romeos in the junction smoothening their hair giving a glance to gals in Scooty peps.Heard Hritik saw his wife at a junction.Romance happens.So also does abusing.Beggars carrying babies tapping the window panes.They will rather beg than work.Next time you wait a signal let me know what you felt amusing or what bad.No wonder a movie was made named Traffic Signal.You should also thank the police as he manages the junction and inhaling the fumes and your abuses.We had a famous traffic whistling cop in a junction here but he got killed by a rash driver.Do not break rules .Your kid is also sitting next and learning.So give respect to life and observe rules.

Rains,friends and gossips...

Fall In Office Rental In Delhi Ncr, Mumbai and Bangalore

Office rental prices are unlikely to see any major fall across the country’s three major business hubs National Capital Region, Mumbai and Bangalore even as the commercial realty markets in these areas are expected to witness a significant surge in supply, a leading real estate consultancy firm said.
While Bangalore is expected to witness further rise in the average office rentals, those in Delhi and adjoining areas like Gurgaon and Noida as well as Mumbai are expected to remain mostly flat in the short to medium term, CBRE said in its latest office market review for Asia-Pacific region.

Only certain small pockets in National Capital Region (NCR) and Bangalore could see a correction in prices in the near future, while any downward correction is very unlikely across Mumbai region, it said.

“The National Capital Region (Gurgaon and Noida) is expected to witness flattening trend in rentals over the short to medium-term,” CBRE said.

“However, some micro-markets with forthcoming supply is likely to experience a marginal value correction in the next six months,” it said, adding there would be significant additional supply in Gurgaon, Noida and Jasola in South Delhi.

CBRE noted that in preparation for hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2010, rigorous efforts have been made to improve infrastructure all across the NCR.

For Mumbai it said, that with over one million square feet of corporate office supply currently available and another nine million square feet ordinary office space expected to come online in the next two quarters, rental values are likely to remain stagnant.

Is Bangalore insenitive ?

Bangalore:

Last week, a woman was hit by a vehicle while crossing the road and run over by other vehicles until every bone was powdered. Her body had turned into a ball of flesh by the time police arrived at the spot.

This gruesome accident involving this 60-year-old woman on August 11 bears testimony to the Bangaloreans' increasing insensitivity to humanity.

The woman was perhaps crossing the Old Madras road near Big Bazaar at around 4 am. She was hit by a vehicle and then mowed down by vehicles that followed.

"At around 7 am one passer-by informed us and we went to the spot. It was difficult to make out if the body was that of a human being or an animal. Not a single bone was left in tact. It was all mangled flesh. Just because there was a saree in between the flesh, we figured that it was a lady," said a cop at Jeevan
Bhimanagar police station.

The police had a tough time gathering the various parts of her body.

"We used a spade and put the pieces together. It was shifted to Bowring hospital mortuary. The body was beyond recognition and no one came claiming for it. We then buried the body," he said.

Left to die

The police say such insensitivity is not new. "Bangaloreans these days have no heart. We come across several cases where accident victims are left to die on the streets. People are scared of being questioned by the police, so they do not bother to report dying people. At night vehicles usually cannot see a body lying on the road and zoom over it," he said.

Three months ago, a man bled to death on the same road. Chinu (45), a father of four was riding his two-wheeler, when he was hit by a silver Indica car. "He was lying on the road bleeding for over three hours. No one bothered to either inform the police or take him to hospital. When we finally took him to hospital he died of profuse bleeding. We found a piece of a silver Indica, but we could not find the car," said a police.

Last year, an assistant manager at ITC Infotech, Shiv Kumar Bora (27), who was riding a two-wheeler met with an accident on Dickenson Road. He was lying there but no one helped take him to the hospital. When an ambulance was passing by people stopped it and sent him to the Bowring hospital.

He had died by the time they reached hospital.

Don't hesitate

K Srinivas, DCP Traffic (East), said people should come forward to help accident victims. "As on July 31 this year we have 54 hit-and-run cases, where people have died. People need not be scared to help accident victims. The most important thing is to save a life," he said.

Rain exposes Bangalore’s infrastructure yet again

Rain exposes Bangalore’s infrastructure yet again


Bangalore: The fragile infrastructure of Bangalore was exposed yet again on Thursday following the torrential rain for more than three hours. With clogged shoulder drains and blocked inlets, the rainwater took its own course on the roads, turning them into pools.

Though the usual complaints of inundation of low-lying areas were very few this time, all major roads literally became storm water drains as the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) did not clear most of the shoulder drains of silt. The resultant water logging jammed the roads and traffic was chaotic even beyond 11 p.m., causing hardships to citizens.

BBMP officials, who expressed helplessness, said it was natural for rainwater to stagnate for sometime. The chief engineers of BBMP East, West and South zones claimed that most of the shoulder drains along major roads had been cleared of silt.

Justifying waterlogging on the roads, the officials said that “most drains are clogged because people dump waste into them,” they said.

“That may be true in residential areas. What is the reason for water logging on Ambedkar Veedhi (in front of Vidhana Soudha) even after a drizzle?” asked a traffic constable.

On Thursday too, cars and two-wheelers were submerged in rainwater up to two feet on this prominent road.

Apart from discharging their duty of regulating traffic in the torrential rain, the traffic police had to do all the donkey work of clearing the drain inlets, removing fallen tree branches and pushing broken down vehicles across the city. One harried traffic policeman was heard cursing the BBMP for not doing its job, forcing his helpless creed to don the role of a civic worker.

“It is natural for rainwater to stagnate on the roads for a while. It will take sometime for the water to run off into the drain,” said BBMP Chief Engineer (East) H.C. Ananthswamy.

“We have desilted 50 km of shoulder drains in the West zone. The traffic was chaotic because of the holiday rush and tree-fall,” said Cief Engineer (West) A.M. Nayak.

“Our safe capacity is 70 mm of rainfall and our storm water drain network cannot handle anything beyond that,” said Chief Engineer (South) Jeevan Paul.

Fall in Bangalore office space demand by 61 percent

Indian real estate boom is getting busted. India is not detached from global economy. Global economic slowdown is now causing loosing demand for office space in Bangalore. The major portion of the office space in Bangalore is occupied by the IT companies. With the companies have been forcing to review their plans to beat the slowdown, the land absorption by the companies is also coming down. This affects the real estate market of Bangalore and many other cities in India.

According to a report by Cushman & Wakefield, a property management consultant firm, the demand for office space in Bangalore witnessed 61 percent drop on a quarter-on-quarter. During the April-June period of 2008, the supply of office space was 3.11 million sq ft while the total absorption was 1.97 million sq ft.

Even with the all the slow downs many speculators still believe that Indian real market will never go down. Oh, well…

What next on Race Course land? A parking lot ???

The Lease for the race course is set to expire in 2009 and Yeddyurappa has said that he won't renew the lease. I think its a great idea. Right now that big patch of public land is used only by a few - those who indulge in horse -racing.

I think the best use of the land would be to make it into a park or part park-part , part-playground. We have a shortage of green spaces and playgrounds in the city.And these are public spaces which can be used by anyone irrespective of income etc. However there was talk of building an amusement park there(i read this some days back in DH I think) or even underground parking lots (see article below) .

India today article

I dont know what will be on the surface level if there is an underground parking lot, but it wont be a park for sure!

I guess the government should take inputs from citizens as well before deciding.

If the government does open a channel to get public inputs , I personally would request that the land is used for either creating a park or part-park, part-playground.

What do you guys think? If any of you agree, what do you think are the ways in which we can start engaging with the government to do this?
Any other views on what this land could be used for?

New course for horses

Bangalore Race Course, an 85-acre prime landmark of the city and a familiar haunt for race horse owners like liquor baron Vijay Mallya and industrialist M.A.M. Ramaswamy, is now finally being turfed out.

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa announced this in the Assembly, saying that the government will not extend the race course’s lease beyond December 2009.

Bangalore Race Course

However, Congress legislator Roshan Baig wants it to be maintained as a lung space since the city is being choked with seven million people and almost three million vehicles.

PWD Minister C.M. Udasi, who has already hinted that the race course will be shunted out to the outskirts, says the Government wants to build underground parking lots there to ease parking and traffic woes.

Various state Governments over the past 20 years have mulled over shifting the race course, which was founded by four Britishers in the early part of the century on lands leased by the Maharaja of Mysore.

In the early 1980s, the then chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde wanted it to be relocated to the vicinity of the Jakkur flying school. However, successive governments dithered, with H.D. Kumaraswamy even dropping the idea.

Some BJP leaders like Ramachandra Gowda insist that all forms of gambling should be banned. A high-level committee comprising legal experts has also been scrutinising various judgements of the Supreme Court and the high courts relating to horse racing and betting.

Recently, a court classified horse racing as a sport while setting aside the ban on it in Tamil Nadu. Since the idea of shifting the race course has come from the horse’s mouth itself this time, Hegde’s long pending blueprint may just see the light of day

Cycles for Bangalore

To fight global warming and for a cleaner environment some European countries have created infrastructure to promote cycling in cities for commuting.

Can the success of this initiative can be replicated in cities across India ? Cycling is already popular in India. It is preferred mode of transport by students and teenagers for middle classes. As people grow old they shift to more mechanized means of transport .If you consider large Indian cities where can become an important means of transport Bangalore seems to be the ideal place .

Why Bangalore is ideal place in India to promote cycling ?

1> Climate : The climate of Bangalore remains pleasant for at least 9 months of the year(the remaining months aren’t that bad either). So it should not be a problem for people to leave the comforts of their AC car and cycle to office.

2> Young population of software professionals : Bangalore is the silicon valley of India. South Bangalore is the hub of software companies (but with BIAL that may change). Most of the people working in these companies are below the age of 40 . This age group is best suited for rigours (in case you consider cycling to be rigrous .We are living in the age where any sort of physical work is considered rigrous.) of cycling. Secondly the young are more receptive to change. So a change in a habit should be relatively easy for them. Perhaps also they have more at stake when it comes to environment. ( They have to spend more time on this planet than the old generation ).

3> Nature of work and health reasons : By nature the work in s/w industry is sedantry. There is little or no physical exercise involved. So it’s good to have some physical exercise for maintaining good health. So instead of work outs on tread mills in gymns what about some real cycling .

4> Traffic jams : Finally if people their cars at home while commuting and use cycles it will help in reducing the stressful traffic jams and will make commuting to office a pleasure ride .

5> Shorter distances : In software industry companies are located inside cities unlike some other industries. So the distance for commuting are shorter. Shorter distances are suitable for cycling. Though this argument is not valid in all cases .(say for example if your office happens to be in Electronic city)

Why is it the right time to do ?

1>Rising oil prices : As the oil prices are rising it will be easier to encourage people to shift to cheaper means of transport .

2> Concern for environment : As the ill effects of global warming become apparent there is a greater urgency to reduce our carbon footprint .

3> Pollution in cities : Increasing number of vehicles in Indian cities mean more pollution and thus increase in related ailments . So a need to shift to cleaner means of transport .

What can be done ?

In India promoting cycles can not be done just by private comapanies or government alone.
In Bangalore for example s/w companies and govt. should come together and chalk out the road map. Perhaps they can learn from European countries in this regard. I am not discussing here the various strategies needed for bringing the change . That itself is a big topic .

Pune has already taken lead in cycling. According to Outlook Business:

Rainwater Harvesting In Bangalore

It is a well known (and nightmarish scenario) that the groundwater levels in cities and the rural parts of the country are declining. In rural parts of the country, the promise of free electricity, and agriculture that is not well fed by canals (along with some wrong crop planting policies in which heavy water seeking plants have been planted) has caused a tremendous decline in the water levels. In some parts of Uttar Pradesh, there were recent reports that in some parts of the state, there has been a sudden cracking of the surface land crust due to a total absence of water underneath, causing a drying up of the surface.

In cities, the groundwater is pumped out by various authorities as well as individuals; all of this is done for satiating the growing water requirements of cities. On the contra side, water levels would normally get replenished through rain water seeping in from the normal watersheds and lakes inside a city, as well as through water seeping in from river-beds (most cities have some form of river running through them). However, both of these methods are in great decline. Rivers in cities are like drains, and water bodies are in a state of decline (recent reports from Delhi point to many of these water bodies being coveted by builders, or being used as a means to dump trash).

One possible solution that is being increasingly touted for cities is the use of rainwater harvesting by buildings. The reasoning goes that if each new building is forced to do rainwater harvesting all over its compound, then the water levels of the whole city will rise. Towards this end, the Bangalore Government is trying to bring in a low to enforce water harvesting in the city:

BANGALORE: Ensure your building is equipped with rainwater harvesting technology in the next few months. If not, local authorities will install one for you and collect the expenses later.

Even though the Act is applicable to the entire state, the government is concentrating on making rainwater harvesting equipment mandatory for all new buildings — residential and commercial — in Bangalore. Aimed at replenishing groundwater, the Act, once it becomes operational, makes it mandatory for users of groundwater through well or borewell to register with the Ground Water Authority within 120 days of its establishment.

This sounds very good, but in principle. In reality, this is already law in many places (including I believe in Delhi), and it has been a spectacular failure. Why ? Because builders do not do it, and they are hardly ever caught for it. Even if at some point they are asked, they do the great India money appearance trick, and presto, no more problems. This sort of law is only good when either people genuinely believe in this sort of welfare, or when inspection procedures are strict.

Majestic to go

Bangalore:

Busted: A normal day at the Kempe Gowda bus stop file pic

Transport authorities have begun work on the Rs 700-crore Inter Model Transit Centre project at the Majestic Bus Stand, also referred to as the Kempegowda Bus Terminal.

The building, expected to be sixty-six storeys high, will be the tallest in the country, according to transport officials.

Work on the project has begun as the plan has been approved by the authorities. But Bangaloreans are not happy at the thought of losing yet another of their heritage landmarks.

Public in dark

People's representative groups are furious that public has not been informed about the plan. They are gearing up to move court.

"The project cannot be undertaken just like that. A concrete and comprehensive plan has to be prepared. It has to be debated and then has to take off using minimum space in Majestic. The public is not aware about the development," said former Bangalore mayor P R Ramesh.

"It's wrong to start work without bringing it to public notice. As Kempegowda bus terminal is a unique structure and an important landmark, they can't demolish it. Officials have to take people into confidence, which they haven't. If that is the case, we will move court," said Lakshminarayan, former deputy mayor, Bangalore.

Proposes plan

The transport ministry has given their consent for the proposed plan which involves the construction of more than sixty floors. The process of shifting depots began last week.

Three designs for the construction of the structure have been proposed. They are: one like Ali Burj Hotel in Dubai, Double Tusk design and Shikara design.

"We have started work on the project after consultations with the public representatives. Shifting work has begun. Construction will also begin after the structure shape is finalized.

'Work has begun'

"We are having talks with private companies, who are interested in taking up this initiative under PPP (public private partnership)," said M A Saleem, director (security and vigilance), KSRTC.

Initially KSRTC will shift BMTC and KSRTC depots to four other places in Bangalore. A part of BMTC depot has already been shifted to Mysore road.

The layout

While 1,43,000-sq feet has been set aside for public purpose 36 lakh sq feet is earmarked for commercial use. The iconic tower will come up in the northwestern side. Shopping malls and cinema theatres will be constructed in the western side of the building.

Metro and Monorail stations will come up in the fifth and fourth floors. Third and second floors will serve the parking purpose and first floor will be BMTC terminal above which KSRTC terminal is proposed.

Seven floors above the ground floor will serve as offices to many government departments.

Final plan

"The plan is finalised. The new terminal is designed under densification of corridor concept, which supports seamless travel. As it has been finalised, the work has begun," said M N Shrihari, advisor to BMTC.

Groundwater business thriving sans regulation -Bangalore-Cities-The Times of India

BANGALORE: Acute surface water shortage and inept supply agencies are fuelling a boom in non-regulated groundwater markets in the state. The dependence on groundwater has risen to 51%, 30% and 37% in Hubli, Dharwad and Belgaum respectively. Kolar almost entirely depends on groundwater, while the sampled ward in Bangalore - covering areas like Nagarbhavi and Chandra Layout - had 873 tubewells in an area of just 2.9 sq km. In the ward, inequity and depleting groundwater tables are key concerns.

A new study, 'Urban water supply services : Case studies of five cities in Karnataka' , by K V Raju, S Manasi and Latha N of the Centre for Ecological Economics and Natural Resources, Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) sampled the cities of Hubli-Dharwad , Belgaum, Kolar and Ward No. 39 of Bangalore city. About 7,300 households were surveyed and 756 groundwater samples analyzed.

The levels of dependence on groundwater are reflected in the borewell business which has an annual turnover of Rs 50 crore in Hubli, Dharwad and Belgaum. Bagepalli taluk in Kolar tops the list with a Rs 12 crore turnover.

The proposed state policy to regulate borewells is still being worked upon. "Since there's no regulation for digging of borewells, these businesses are posing major threats to water tables. In places like Kolar, borewell water samples showed high levels of contamination ,'' said Manasi.

Modest estimates show that more than 2,000 borewells have been drilled in Dharwad, while in Hubli, the figure is over 5,000. The groundwater markets, along with the businesses of tankers, borewell drillers, packaged drinking water and accessories like pumps and storage gadgets add to the boom.

The demand of water in Hubli and Dharwad is 90 MLD (million litres per day) and 45.16 MLD respectively. The agencies supply about 25.6 MLD and 19.2 MLD, exclusive of the 40% of the unaccounted-for water. Groundwater (9 MLD in Hubli and 3 MLD in Dharwad) is also supplied. In Kolar, there is a nearly 40% gap between supply and demand. Researchers found that in Belgaum, the issues are more management-related .

In Hubli, Dharwad and Belgaum, 42%, 45% and 22% of samples analyzed were classified as non-potable . In Kolar, the figure is a startling 97%. The city registered high levels of fluoride and nitrate contamination.

New Bangalore airport faces probe by legislators

The two-month old Bangalore international airport, a Rs.25- billion ($625-million) greenfield project, faces a probe by a Karnataka legislators’ panel over alleged deviation in design and lack of sufficient facilities for passengers as well as visitors.

“The new airport is no better than an ordinary bus stand”, “It is substandard”, “There is no proper seating arrangements for passengers and visitors” - these are the terms in which state legislators and ministers describe the new airport.

A consortium of Unique Zurich Airport, Siemens Project Ventures and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has built the airport, with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Karnataka government as minority stakeholders.

“There has been deviation from the architecture, style and design. It does not add to the image of Bangalore. There are no proper facilities for passengers and visitors,” Congress legislator D.K. Shivakumar, who raised the issue in the state assembly last week, told IANS.

Legislators from other parties supported him. The Bharatiya Janata Party government agreed to set up a committee of members from both the assembly and the council to probe the lapses. The panel is to be set up soon.

“I have raised the issue based on my personal experience at the airport and also because of complaints I have received from several people,” Shivakumar said.

“As a representative of the people I cannot sit quietly,” he said when asked why the alleged deviation and lack of facilities are being raised now, more than two months after the airport began operations.

“I am a former urban development minister. The design of the airport is different from what was approved,” Shivakumar charged.

When asked if there was any scope to change the design now, he insisted: “There are lots of possibilities to improve. It can be done. The legislators’ panel will decide that.”

On Wednesday Minister for IT and BT Katta Subramanya Naidu called the new airport, about 40 km north of the city centre, “a poor cousin to other airports of international standards, including the New Delhi and Hyderabad airports.

“The new airport was expected to enhance Bangalore’s image and also that of Karnataka. But it is nowhere near the expectation one had from it.”

He said if the airport management does not upgrade the facilities to international standards, the state government may invite others to take up the job.

While the management declined comment on the move for a probe by the legislators’ panel and Naidu’s near-threat, the response from industry and trade organisations was lukewarm.

“It is a ticklish question. It is better if we leave these issues to the judgement of users,” said D. Muralidhar, president of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

“Personally I think facilities are good. However, scope for improvement is always there,” he said.

“It is a new airport. Some questions (regarding facilities) do get raised when we tend to compare it with other international airports. At the same time we need to understand that facilities are far better than at the old airport,” Muralidhar said.

T. Ramappa, secretary general of the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce, shared Muralidhar’s views.

“Personally I don’t think it is so bad,” he said.

“I have used it twice and I did not have any problems. Of course there certainly is room for improvement,” Ramappa said.

The airport began operations May 24 after three failed starts in the previous two months. The promoter operator - Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) — had to settle for a soft launch because the Election Commission’s model code of conduct was in force as assembly elections were on in Karnataka.

Marred by controversies, litigations, protests and cost over-runs, the much-awaited launch was put off thrice (March 28, May 11 and May 23) due to delays in setting up the air traffic control, training operators, government clearances and finally the poll panel’s directive.

With the opening of the new airport, the 50-year-old state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) airport in the city was shut for civilian traffic despite protests by corporate honchos of the new economy against its closure.

However, Naidu said the state government will ensure HAL airport stays as there are a number of cities with two airports. “We will take up the matter with the central government,” he said.

According to the Concession Agreement between BIAL promoters and the Indian government no airport can operate within 150 km of the new Bangalore international airport.

Traffic versus trees: Bangalore in a fix

ambitious plan to widen city roads and decongest traffic by involving landlosers has run into a hurdle with Karnataka High Court ordering that all projects that are a potential threat to the environment would have to be vetted by a committee of experts.

The court’s intervention followed a public interest litigation alleging that the massive exercise, which entails the cutting of 35,000-40,000 trees along 300km of roads, would cause irreparable damage to Bangalore’s climate. Environmentalists say the temperature in areas where the trees would be cut could go up by at least 3°C.

“The committee will look into the complaints and based on its order work can be executed,” said a bench of Justices R. Malimath and Gopala Gowda in a recent ruling. The court, however, added that the committee should consider public interest and sentiments while examining the projects.

“The committee is a permanent one and any infrastructure project being taken up by either the city civic body or Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation will be referred to it. This is a precedent for the entire country. Other cities, too, can take a leaf out of this judgment as many Indian cities are planning fast-track infrastructure projects,” said Leo Saldanha of Environment Support Group, which, along with other NGOs, had filed the PIL.

The panel will be headed by the retired principal chief conservator of forests, A.N. Yellappa Reddy, and will have five members on the board.

The judicial intervention is a big blow to the new BJP government as it had captured 17 of Bangalore’s 28 Assembly seats on the promise of launching infrastructure initiatives to improve the condition of a city bursting at its seams.

Among the plans was kick-starting the nearly three-year-old initiative of widening roads and transferring development rights to landlosers instead of paying low amounts in compensation. In turn they could either add additional floor area to their existing structures or sell the rights to builders for doing so.

The Bangalore City Corporation, now called the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, had planned to widen over 125 important roads where traffic flow was bumper-to-bumper even in non-peak hours.

A master plan was drawn up under which commercial and residential properties were to lose much-coveted frontage by at least 4-4.5 metres once acquisition started.

To make the idea saleable, the corporation held out a carrot in the form of transferable development rights, which meant building owners not interested in additional floors within the same premises could sell the certificates to builders.

Although three years old, the scheme did not quite take off because of suspicion by many landlosers that a law permitting this exchange would never come through. Now, after relevant laws have been passed, the new BJP government was all set to market this idea and widen roads.

But NGOs said that instead of widening roads and damaging the green belt, the need of the hour was integrated junction management

Bangalore Engineers invent super mileage car

A team of eight Engineering Students of RVCE Bangalore has invented a super mileage car.Team has claimed that they have achieved mileage of 180Km/liter.Now, they are trying to increase the milage to 500 km/liter.

This team is working on this project for last few years.Tantra Infosolutions, CD Adapco and Chameleon Motors are some of the companies that have funded the project.Nishant Sarawgi is the leader of the team.Nishant Sarawgi said, “There were a lot of changes, right from the engine, tires, chassis and body. We kept making constant improvements to the design of the car to make it more aerodynamic.”

Next year,team will take part in the Shell-Eco Marathon in UK.

Places near Bangalore: Cauvery Fishing Camp, Shivagange, Sawan Durga

Kaveri Fishing Camp

The River Cauvery, also known as Kaveri, is one of the majestic rivers of South India. Making its way from the dense forests of Karnataka to the coast of Tamil Nadu, this imposing waterway gives a chance to indulge in fishing and catching the largest and most challenging tropical sporting river fish known to man - the Mahseer.

Ideal Locales for Camps

Bheemeshwari

This is one of the favorite getaways for those wanting to experience adventure and relaxation first hand. It is located at a distance of about 100 kilometers from Bangalore city (Karnataka) and is renowned for its Mahseer sport fish. Bheemeshwari is responsible for turning the ordinary camp into an adventure sport of sorts. You may stay at the various cottages that are available here. Though they look rustic from outside, they provide luxurious comfort to all vacationers, thus adding comfort and elegance to your dream vacation. You could visit the ruins of an ancient Shiva temple adjoining the Bheemeshwari camp, while exploring the place. You could visit the Mekedaatu water falls, Sangam and also the Simsha water falls and take a trek along unspoilt beauty of nature.

Galibore

Located quite near Bheemeshwari and around 95 kilometers from Bangalore, Galibore is a lovely place to camp. The entire locale it seems has been customized by nature just for enthusiastic campers! Wilderness all around, huge trees like Terminalia Arjuna adding to the ‘wilderness effect’, the rushing river right in front of and undulating hills on either sides are at par with perfection, making your adventure vacation one that will be truly memorable. Wildlife enthusiasts can eat their heart out as wild elephants come to the banks often to quench their thirst and play around. You may also spot crocodiles, turtles and birds of different varieties.

Doddamakali

This place is situated around 6 kilometers beyond Bheemeshwari. What makes Doddamakali stand out is the fact that it is so naturally beautiful, it seems as though time has forgot to touch this place. Since it is at a remote location, you will enjoy solitude here like nowhere else. At this place, the River Kaveri collects into a large pool and the water is almost devoid of currents due to the stillness. This makes it perfectly ideal for water-sports. There are around 6 tents here and the staff is very co-operative when it comes to making you feel comfortable.

Best Time to Visit

Any time of the year is fine to visit this Paradise, though you may want to avoid the monsoons from July to September. If you are particularly interested in fishing, then come here during the months of November to June as this is considered the best time for fishing.

How to Reach

By Air

One can reach Bangalore via air by taking a flight from one of the many cities in India that is connected to Bangalore. From Bangalore, you can hire a car to reach here.

By Rail

The nearest railway station is at Mysore, located at a distance of around 85 kilometers. You may reach Mysore by train from different cities and then hire a cab to reach at the camps.

By Road

Bangalore is 100 kilometers from Bheemeshwari and around 132 kilometers from Doddamakali. The camps are easily accessible by road from anywhere in Karnataka and nearby southern states.

Shivagange

Shivagange is 8+Kms from Dabas Pet on the way to Tumkur from Bangalore on NH 4.
Distance from Bangalore: 50+Kms
Nearest Hospital: Shivagange, Dabas Pet.
Nearest food point : Shivagange.

How to get there:

Plenty of buses operate between Tumkur and Dabas pet, Shivagange. From Bangalore also quite a number of buses are available. Many private operators also run between Dabas pet and Shivagange.

Shivagange gets its name from the Holy places and temples it hosts. The spring water found here is considered to the sacred water ‘Gange’.

The hillock has few temples atop and a statue of Nandi carved out of single stone is a beauty. It is about two kilometers from the bottom of the hillock where there is a village to the top of the hill. There are many temples all along the way.

The place being a huge collection of boulders and solid granite rock structures, it invites not just pilgrims but rock climbers and adventure lovers as well. Though there are no bolted routes, there is plenty of climbing.

Manchina Bele, Magadi

This is about 36 km from Bangalore by road and about 8 km from the Big Banyan Tree. Manchinabele Dam is situated in the midst of hills and forests. Even though it is not a big dam, it is a good picnic spot.

Route: Proceed from the Big Banyan Tree via Chikkappa Circle. This reservoir and dam is about 15 km from the tree

Sawan Durga

In Kannada Durga means Fort (also Goddess Amba). Savan Durga being one of the nine such forts around Bangalore, is situated at a distance of around 50 kms west of Bangalore near Magadi.

This is also the biggest monolith in Asia.

There are several routes to the monolith at Sawana Durga, rising to the height of more than 1000ft, At the foothill there is a village by the same name and the forest around has been declared as Reserved forest and there is protected garden of the Herbs of medicinal interest