citizen matters emagazine 30-March-2013

CitizenMattersCitizen

MattersLocaL news Like no one eLse does

bengaluru www.citizenmatters.in 30-March-2013¹neóÉ£ï ªÀiÁål¸ïð

without BwSSB’S knowledge`2300 cr realty project near k’mangala on. it includes apartments, an SeZ, office space, hotels and more, all

needing 4.5 million litres of water a day

How BWSSB is hoodwinking the people of Bengaluru P12

“It is alright to die without water, but to die without fighting to save it is a shame” P17

No Cauvery water, no water problems. But that was then P20

Save water, share water P22 Resident pushes BBMP to improve shoddy process for road laying P24

Applying for a teacher’s post is no cakewalk P27

Grow with your teen! P29

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30-March-2013 CITIZEN MATTERS 3

comments

FEEDback email [email protected]

Got a traffic ticket by mistake? Police say no chance

Visited BangaloreOne website recently and found out that there was a traffic violation notice upon my wife’s two wheeler. Got surprised after seeing the details because, the day & time on which the supposed traffic violation (OneWay/NoEntry) happened was Sunday Aug 26, 2012 at time: 1856 hrs.

From Aug 5, 2012 till Sep 29, 2012 I was out of India & during that time period, my wife was ‘working from home’ & has never visited this so called ‘Periyar Circle’ area where this ‘One Way / No Entry’ traffic violation was reported. We reside in ‘Hebbal’ and my wife works either at Whitefield or at Manyata Tech Park accordingly as per work schedule. That particular Sunday & at that particular time, she was at home only playing with our kid (daughter) and talking with neighbors who visited our home then.

Today, have visited the web site ‘http://www.bangaloretrafficpolice.gov.in/’ and entered the two wheeler details and after clicking the ‘Click Here’ link to view the violation evidence, got a page that displayed : “Evidence could not be published for this particular notice. Evidence is available only for the violations captured from traffic surveillance cameras.”

This notice could be due to either typo or the traffic constable would have randomly entered the registration number which tallied with that of my wife’s two wheeler (they do know about the registration numbers,series etc, isn’t it).

Paid the fine today through ‘http://www.bangaloretrafficpolice.gov.in/’, just to ensure that my wife gets cleared about this.

Though there is a office in M.G.Road to address wrong traffic

violations, let know how this would be possible in this particular case (do I need to take my wife, the neighbors, my kid and assert that all were at home that Sunday and at that time?). This is not the proper way.

Hope the higher authorities would check these and do the needful.

Sudarshan Vadyar

Rs 2300 cr realty project near K’mangala on, without BWSSB’s knowledge

There is more to this story. If you check Google maps view, you will see that the project has breached the permissible limits of SWD which runs along the project. This piece of land has been quietly converted from ‘protected’ zone to ‘mixed use’ zone in the BDA Masterplan. Additionally, as this project comes in the way of HAL flight zone, the need to get airforce permission to build a skyscraper. Most critical, this project is coming right between 2 lakes, viz, Agara and Bellandur. These lake need to be revived and destroyed by reckless development in the vicinity. If left unchecked, residents of Koramangala and HSR will need to evacuate in coming years. As a common citizen, I can only appeal to concerned authorities and the builders to visualise the impact such reckless development will have on our future generations to come.

V Kumar

BWSSB trying to register all the borewells in Bangalore

What about the people living without BWSSB supplied water?

Those who depend completely on ground water?

First thing BWSSB should do is to check the quality of ground water in and around the city and inform

people whether to use it or not. Many citizens staying in outskirts don’t have sanitary facility and they depend on pits and most of the borewells not far away from these pits. Think about them.

Manjunatha

How BWSSB is hoodwinking the people of Bengaluru

The most inefficient BWSSB is no longer to handle water supply to Bangalore citizens.There is lot of water there is no proper distribution.The area Engineers and valve men are made use of the the opportunity by creating crisis.If 40% leakage why they continuing in the service.The worst hit are are dwelling house residents, they are under mercy of valve men.The Apartment living people they buy the Engineers and Valve men and get more water.Again, Govt must bring legislation to stop the bore well water construction, watering the parks and all hotel establishments and marriage halls should use only the treated sewage water by this ground water can be saved.The Govt is also failed to take any action in this matter.

Keerthikumar

Everybody wants an Aadhaar card. But why?

How many more ID cards will an Indian need ??

Nandan got himself a job as a IT revolutionary & this AADHAR card is as difficult as any of other cards like, Passport, Voter ID, Ration card, DL, PAN card, bank passbook, credit/debit card, etc etc. All the above have as much details & it is claimed this has Bio metric images of eyes & finger prints !!! Are we getting as frightened & Paranoid as Americans & Europeans ????

S V Raghavan

4 CITIZEN MATTERS 30-March-2013

72 AcRe mAnIPAL etA InFotecH PRoJect, neXt to AGARA LAKe

`2300 cr realty project near k’mangala on,without BwSSB’S knowledge

At the edge of Koramangala, a massive 72-acre real estate project is on. It includes apartments, an SEZ, office space, hotels and more, all needing 4.5 million litres of water a day. A Citizen Matters investigation, released with Suvarna News, has exposed how the project got environmental clearance.

In Focus


`2300 cr realty project near k’mangala on,without BwSSB’S knowledge

At the edge of Koramangala, a massive 72-acre real estate project is on. It includes apartments, an SEZ, office space, hotels and more, all needing 4.5 million litres of water a day. A Citizen Matters investigation, released with Suvarna News, has exposed how the project got environmental clearance.

The Manipal ETA project site. Koramangala/ST Bed neighbourhoods seen on the far

distance. Pic: Navya P K

In Focus


In Focus

A massive Rs 2,300 crores industrial project is coming up

in Agara, adjacent to Koramangala, along Sarjapura Road, the first of its kind here. But it might be coming at a cost to the people staying nearby.

The project, by Manipal ETA Infotech Pvt Ltd, is a township that includes an SEZ, retail outlets, hotels, office buildings, two residential apartments etc. The project is a joint venture between Century Real Estate and Mantri Builders - while Century is providing land, Mantri is taking care of the construction. A SEBI document of 2011 mentions Sushil Mantri as Chairman and Managing Director of the company. Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) clarified to Citizen Matters that they are not involved with the project.

The project is spread over 72 acres, the area almost as large as the 98 acre Agara lake across the road; construction is going on now.

A major issue with the project is its massive water requirement. Once functional, the project will need about 4.5 MLD (Million Litres per Day) of water ie., around 135 Million Litres (ML) per month.

This water requirement is more than what BWSSB now supplies to the entire Agaram ward (that the land in question, is part of ). BWSSB's January data shows that 122 ML was supplied to 1730 connections in Agaram ward that month. Even Koramangala ward, which is largely residential, got only 197 ML for its nearly 5900 connections in January. There is no adequate supply in most areas, and residents heavily rely on tanker water.

Though all industrial projects are supposed to get a NOC (No Objection Certificate) from BWSSB, this project only has a partial NOC now. The NOC exists only for two residential blocks; there is none for the remaining areas.

Map of the area from the masterplan


In Focus

Citizen Matters has found in its investigation that in project documents the developer has submitted to the state environmental authority for clearance, it has mentioned BWSSB as its only water source. On the other hand BWSSB Engineer-in-Chief Venkatraju confirmed to Suvarna News that the developer had applied for NOC only for the residential apartments, and that they didn't know that the project includes an SEZ, a five-star hotel and more.

The NOC is meant to confirm that BWSSB does have the capacity to supply water for projects. Without the NOC, projects are not supposed to get Environment Clearance (EC), and without EC, construction is not supposed to start.

But even without NOC for the entire project, the EC has been given to this project, and construction is going on here.

What exactly is the project?

The project, costing over Rs 2300 crores, will have total built-up area of about 14.5 million sq ft. There will be two residential apartments - one 15-storeyed and the other 11-storeyed. The SEZ will be 12-storeyed with three basements. Of the 72 acres of the township, the SEZ occupies 27 acres. This SEZ area alone is the same size as the entire RMZ Ecospace Business Park located along Outer Ring Road in Bellandur.

While RMZ Ecospace has built-up area of 2 million sq ft, the Manipal ETA project (including all 72 acres) has built-up area of about 14.5 million sq ft. That is, by land size, Manipal ETA is about 2.5 times bigger than RMZ Tech Park; but by built-up area, it will be about seven times bigger than RMZ Tech Park.

In addition to retail and office building, there is a five-star hotel

The project’s water requirement is around 75% of BWSSB supplies to the nearby Koramangala Ward.

The developer has mentioned BWSSB as its only water source.

BWSSB Engineer-in-Chief Venkatraju says that the developer had applied for NOC only for the residential apartments, and that they didn’t know that the project includes an SEZ, a five-star hotel and more.


In Focus

The BWSSB NOC


In Focus

and a two-star hotel. The project is proposed to have a co-generation power plant, and STPs (Sewage Treatment Plants). KIADB (Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board) had acquired land for the project and approved the building plan. KIADB is a state agency to promote industries.

KIADB had allotted 63 of the total 72 acres of the project. For this allotment, the builder had to pay Rs 22 cr, which comes to Rs 80 per sq ft. Vasanth Kumar, former Special Deputy Commissioner at KIADB, says that the rate was lower because acquisition happened about a decade back when land prices were much lower. "Also, since this was agricultural land, the price would be in acres, not square feet," he says. The current guidance value (nominal government rate) of land in this area is Rs 3000 - 3500 per sq ft.

Where will the water come from?

BWSSB gave an NOC only for the two residential apartments in the township, in May 2011, which have built-up area of about 1.8 lakh sq ft. Since the total built-up area for the project is 14.5 million sq ft, it is unclear where water for the remaining area will come from.

The NOC says that the water supply will not be guaranteed. However Koramangala residents are worried that BWSSB will end up giving water to the project ultimately. A resident says, on condition of anonymity, "Once the project comes up, BWSSB is mandated to supply water anyway, as water is essential, life-sustaining. The question is why KIADB should acquire land within the city, instead of in outskirts, as is usually done."

Sarvamangala Koti, Senior Manager, PR at Mantri Builders, says that water requirement will be met through alternative sources like borewells and STPs.

Venkatraju, Engineer in Chief at BWSSB, clarifies that NOC is not an assurance that water will be supplied, and that supply will depend on availability. "The rule is that we should give minimal water in areas where we have existing pipelines. For new buildings, water requirement will be lesser as they will have STP, RWH (Rain Water Harvesting) etc. So we give minimal supply depending on available water." He says that all NOC applications are usually approved, unless there is an error in documentation or unless STP/RWH has not been set up for the project.

In this case, it took a while before the builder could get Environmental Clearance - the issue of BWSSB NOC came up a few times. But finally, the

EC was given in January 2012 by the SEIAA (State Environment Impact Assessment Authority). SEIAA is a state level body formed as per directions of central government's Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Many times, the builder was asked to submit BWSSB NOC for the entire project area. The application for EC is first considered by the SEAC (State level Expert Appraisal Committee). SEAC will check the documents and recommend to SEIAA whether the project can be approved or not. Here, SEAC had first discussed the project in April 2011, where it asked for BWSSB NOC.

The next SEAC meeting was in July 2011. At this meeting, builder had submitted the partial NOC of

47th SEIAA Proceedings, dated 06.01.2012http://seiaa.kar.nic.in/47th%20SEIAA%20Proceedings%20(06.01.2012).doc


In Focus

BWSSB. SEAC responded that NOC was needed for the full area. It also said that the water requirement for landscaping alone was 0.9 MLD, which was quite high.

The issue again came up at SEAC's next meeting in November 2011. According to minutes of this meeting, the builder said that the project was already cleared by the State Level Single Window Clearance Committee (SLSWCC) of the state government, and hence the NOC was not needed. After this, the SEAC recommended to SEIAA to clear the project.

These minutes, or the minutes of the SEIAA meeting later, do not clarify as to why the SLSWCC clearance alone is enough on the question of water. It does not

mention any relevant parts of the SLSWCC clearance. SLSWCC/SHLCC (State High Level Clearance Committee) clearance is only a preliminary project clearance by the government, and builders should get NOCs from separate agencies anyway.

Dr H S Ramesh, who heads SEIAA, says that BWSSB NOC is mandatory for giving EC. Though he himself had given the EC in this case, he is not sure of the reason for this. He says that he will discuss issue in the next SEIAA meeting. The response of Dr S Ganjigatti, who heads SEAC, is similar. Ganjigatti also says that BWSSB NOC is required for clearance, and is not sure why the EC was given.

On the other hand, a member of

the SEAC says, "BWSSB's NOC is not an assurance of water. A builder will not construct a building without ensuring water supply anyway." He did not comment further on whether SEAC's recommendation was a violation of rules.

Even if the builder gets water from alternate sources like borewells or tankers, the question remains as to how sustainable this will be, with depleting ground water levels.

Neighbouring project in limbo

Right next to Manipal ETA project is another proposed project - a tech park by Coremind Software and Services Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Salarpuria group. Coremind had got some 17 acres, also through KIADB. Coremind did not submit BWSSB NOC and other documents, and hence has no EC. SEIAA had rejected the EC application of Coremind last November.

BWSSB officers confirmed that NOC applications of neither Manipal nor Coremind is being processed now. As per KIADB's agreement with Coremind in March 2008, the project had to be completed in maximum of four years; if not, KIADB could take the land back. This period has lapsed, and there is no EC for the project yet. At the time of writing this article, KIADB was yet to confirm if the land has been taken back from Coremind.

Navya P K is Senior Staff Journalist at Citizen Matters.

A brief version of this story was also released on TV by Suvarna News 24x7 in their

Bengaluru First programme at 10.30pm on March 26th.

TimEliNE2007: KiADB leases land to manipal ETA infotechApril and July 2011: SEAC asks builder to submit BWSSB NOC for entire areaNovember 2011: No NOC, but SEAC recommends the project for Environmental Clearance (EC)January 2012: SEiAA gives EC for the project

47th SEIAA Proceedings, dated 06.01.2012http://seiaa.kar.nic.in/47th%20SEIAA%20Proceedings%20(06.01.2012).doc


oPInIon

“Don't worry for water, Bangalore," - a fortnight ago

a news report ascribed the above assurance from the BWSSB and the Government. Nothing can be further from truth. Bangalore is facing a water calamity. The facts are given below.

Gap between demand and supply will only increase

At the historical 4% population growth rate of Bangalore over the past fifty years, the population of Bangalore living in the 772 sq. km. of area under the present BBMP will increase from 85 lakhs in 2011 to one crore by 2016. With Hessarghatta gone and Tippegondahanally

drying up, the only reliable water supply to Bangalore is from Cauvery with a gross of 1,410 MLD.

There is no way of increasing drawal from Cauvery as the allocation by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal for the entire urban and rural population in Cauvery Basin in Karnataka is only 8.75 TMC. As one TMC (thousand million cubic feet) equals an annual supply of 78 ML per day, Bangalore city is already drawing more water, 1,400 MLD equals 18 TMC, than the allocation for the entire rural and urban population in Cauvery basin.

Besides, Bangalore city falls under two basins, Cauvery and Pennaiyar basins. Only the Cauvery

basin area can receive Cauvery Water and half of Bangalore is outside it. The schemes which the Government proposes - namely, diversion of water from West flowing rivers such as Kanganahole, Kakkatuhole and Ethinahole, bringing water from Almatti dam etc. - are flights of fantasy and can only result in contractors' and their patrons' dream projects and environmentalists' nightmare.

About 43% of the water supplied by BWSSB is Non-Revenue Water or Unaccounted For Water (UfW) of which an estimated 35% is simply leakage from supply pipes. It costs Rs.300 crores annually in electricity charges to BWSSB currently to pump

WAteR ReALItY In tHe cItY

how BwSSB iS hoodwinking the people of BengaluruWhat the BWSSB is doing is tokenism, piece-meal, ad-hoc and on “pilot” basis, says former top bureaucrat.


oPInIon

water from Cauvery. Therefore it spends Rs.100 crores annually to let water underground leading to the unintended consequence of increasing the dwindling water table!

Plugging this leakage alone through schemes such as the "24/7 Supply" in Hubli-Dharwad, Gulbarga and Belgaum will save about two-thirds (25%) of the leakage, equivalent to 125 MLD. At present, with nearly 500 MLD of leakage and another 150 MLD going to industries, the balance of 750 MLD for a population of one crore works out to 75 litres per capita per day while the Government of India norm for metropolitan cities is 150 Litre per Consumer per day.

With Bangalore's population going up every year, the gap between supply and demand will only widen with supply from Cauvery having reached the ceiling.

Borewells Supplying Contaminated Water

There are about 312,000 borewells in Bangalore which draw about 300 MLD. The drawal of underground water is 3.7 times more than the recharge from 900mm, Bangalore's annual rainfall. This is the reason why the borewells have gone deeper upto 1,000 feet and many are becoming totally dry.

Moreover, the 600 lakes of Bangalore Urban district have all

Bangalore city is already drawing more Cauvery water that allocated for the entire entire rural and urban population in Cauvery basin.

An estimated 35% of BWSSB water is leaks from supply pipes. Plugging this leakage alone through schemes such as the "24/7 Supply" in Hubli-Dharwad, Gulbarga and Belgaum will save about two-thirds (25%) of the leakage.

600 lakes of Bangalore Urban district have all become Sewage Tanks

850 kms of old ‘Raja-Kaluves' meant as Storm Water Drains to carry surplus water from higher elevation lakes to lower levels in a cascading system of natural rain water harvesting, now carry the city's sewage instead to these lakes.

The existing 14 Secondary Treatment Plants, 4 Tertiary Treatment Plants hardly treat 30% of the sewage because of the latter not flowing into the STPs (but into the lakes) and due to poor maintenance by contractors to save on electricity and lack of supervision.

52% of the borewell water and 59% of tap-water in Bangalore is not potable and carries threat of E.coli infections.

Rainwater harvesting that presently covers only 44,000 houses out of some 18 lakh properties has no meaning.

BENgAluru iS NOT lEArNiNg frOm ThE fATEhpur SiKhri DiSASTEr


become Sewage Tanks as shown in Volume 2 of Excreta Matters by Centre for Science & Environment, Delhi, 2011 - a study of 71 cities in India. The sewage water contaminates the ground water and percolates into the borewells.

According to the laboratory results of the Public Health Institute and the Department of Mines & Geology, GoK, 52% of the borewell water and 59% of tap-water in Bangalore is not potable and contain 8.4% and 19% Eschericha coli bacteria respectively. When it gets infected, E.coli becomes a dire health hazard.

The problem of diseases from public and borewell drinking water in Bangalore is seldom highlighted.

A city dies when its lakes die

Of the original 927 lakes in Bangalore Urban District (according to the Revenue Records), less than 200 are said to be "live" lakes. Many of them have been breached and converted into layouts, bus-stations, golf clubs, stadiums, colleges, government offices, etc.

The "live" lakes that exist still are only storing the city's sewage. The 850 kms of old 'Raja-Kaluves' meant as Storm Water Drains to carry surplus water from higher elevation lakes to lower levels in a cascading system of natural rain water harvesting, now carry the city's sewage instead to these lakes.

The existing 14 secondary treatment plants, 4 tertiary treatment plants and 10 more STPs under construction will together have a capacity to treat 1,133 MLD. However, the existing STPs hardly treat 30% of the sewage because of the latter not flowing into the STPs (but into the lakes) and due to poor maintenance by contractors to save on electricity and lack of supervision.

If the STPs with huge

investments already made are effectively used to treat the sewage and more are converted to TTPs, the recovered water can be re-used at least for non-potable purposes to start with. Unless the sewage is diverted and the Raja Kaluves are cleared of encroachments to carry surplus rainwater to the succession of lakes, all the water bodies in Bangalore will become sewage cess-pools causing immense health hazard.

Restoration of lakes done by BBMP with "soup-bowl" technology, decorative bird-islands, paved jogging paths and Chain Link Fences without attending to the primary task of diversion of sewage away from the lakes, helps only the contractors and their patrons.

Rainwater harvesting, a joke in bangalore

Rainwater harvesting that presently covers only 44,000 houses out of some 18 lakh properties has no meaning. As only 40% of the area of Bangalore is covered by roofs, for rainwater harvesting to be effective,

it should be done on a geographical basis covering the entire four basins of Bangalore as done in Singapore, a city that works. What is done in Bangalore now can only be termed sloganeering.

Solutions

Obviously these problems are gigantic but must be solved in an integrated and comprehensive manner if Bangalore has to survive. What the BWSSB is doing is tokenism, piece-meal, ad-hoc and on "pilot" basis. A comprehensive plan including all the above components with genuine restoration of lakes, leakage plugging, effective STPs and TTPs, Rainwater Harvesting and involving civil society organizations can alone solve the crisis facing Bangalore. It also requires a sizeable investment.

As part of an initiative by Bangalore Environment Trust and the Centre for Policies and Practice, we had requested a consultant to suggest an outline for a comprehensive plan. Their recommendation is shown below:

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ITEM OF WORK AMOUNT IN Crores

1. Reducing Leakages in 650,000 connections from 30% to 15% in core area from Source to House connections under Maintenance Contract system as in Hubli-Dharwad, Gulbarga and Belgaum

1,250

2. Removal of encroachments & maintenance of 850 kms of SWDs and Raja-kaluwes with proper servicing tracks

10,000

3. Rejuvenation of Lakes and maintenance 5,000 4. Segregating sewage from SWDs, Optimum Treatment in STPs and TTPs, New STPs and Upgrading existing STPs including the major 300 MLD Vrishabavathy Valley STP and laying Dual Pipelines

2,750

5. Rainwater Harvesting and other Miscellaneous Works

5,000

6. Price and Physical Contingencies 2,000 TOTAL 26,000

Such a comprehensive project will take about 10 years and can be funded only with external assistance from international funding bodies such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Japan Bank for International Cooperation which impose financial discipline while awarding contracts and certifying quality of work.

Obviously, the BWSSB is not keen on such an integrated project which requires strict financial supervision by the funding body. The truth is, in such big projects with World Bank-ADB funding, the unholy alliance of Ministers, officers and contractors cannot siphon funds. But in the absence of preparations and implementation of such an integrated and comprehensive programme, any attempt to solve one component here and another there on a much-popular "pilot basis" is only a futile exercise in tokenism; it will not be of any use and can only be a waste of public funds. It is more like a "Tirupathi Kshavara".

The Government must take responsibility for the survival of Bangalore. Otherwise, we will be overtaken by a ‘Black Swan' event that would necessitate evacuation of half of the city in ten years due to water scarcity, contaminated water and resulting disease. It has happened in history before, such as in the abandoning of Fatehpur Sikhri, fading out of Adil Shahi's Bijapur, etc. History repeats itself as tragedy unless people wake up.

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An illustrative list of lakes that have lost their characteristics entirely Marenahalli Lake - Marenahalli Layout Sarakki Agrahara Lake/Doresanipalya - JP Nagar 4th Phase Chinnagaa Lake - Ejipura Challaghatta Lake - Karnataka Golf Association Domulur Lake - Domlur Second Stage Siddapura Lake - Siddapura/Jayanagar 1st Block, Geddalahalli Lake - RMV 2nd Stage, 1st Block Nagashettihalli Lake - RMV 2nd Stage, 2nd Block Kadirenahalli Lake - Banashankari 2nd Stage, Tyagarajanagar Lake - Tyagarajanagar Tumkur Lake - Mysore Lamps Ramshetty Palya kere - Milk Colony (Playground) Agasana Lake - Gayathri Devi Park Ketamaranahalli Lake - Rajajinagar (Mahalakshmipuram) Gangashetty Lake - Minerva Mills & Open ground Jakraya Lake - Krishna Floor Mills Dharmambudhi Lake - Kempegowda Bus Terminal Agarahar hosakere - Cheluvadipalya Kalasipalya Lake - Kalasipalya Sampangi Lake - Kanteerava Stadium Shule Tank - Ashok nagar, Football Stadium Akkitimmanahalli Tank - Sai Hockey Stadium Sunkal Tank - KSRTC Regional workshop Koramangala Lake - National Dairy Research Institute Kodihalli Lake - New Tippasandra/Government Buildings Hoskere - Residential Railway Stockyard Sonnenehalli Lake - Austin Town (RES Colony) Gokula Tank - Mattikere Vidyaranya pura lake - Vidyaranaya pura/(Jalhalli East) Kadugondanahalli Lake - Kadugondanahalli Hennur Lake - Nagavara (HBR Layout) Banaswadi Lake - Subbayapalya Extention Chennasandra Lake - Pulla Reddy Layout Vijinapura Lake (Kotturu) - Rajarajeshwai Layout Murugeshpalya Lake - Murugeshpalya Parangipalya Lake - HSR Layout Mestriplaya Lake - Mestriplaya (Open Ground) Timeryard Lake - Timeryard Layout Gangodanhalli Lake - Gangodanhalli Vijayanagar Chord Road Lake - Vijayanagar Oddarapalaya Lake - Rajajinagar (Industrial Area) Saneguruvanahalli Lake - Shivanahalli (Play Ground)/KSPCB Buildings Kurubarahalli Lake - Basaveshwaranagar Layout

v BalaSuBraMaNiaN is former additional Chief Secretary, Govt of Karnataka. This is based on a paper presented at a Symposium

on "integrated Strategy for augmenting water supply" that was conducted by the Karnataka State Council for Science &

Technology on 16 March 2013.

Sekhar Raghavan telling us about RWH. Pic: Shamala Kittane

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cItY neWs

WAteR mAtteRs: 1.3 BILLIon LItRes/DAY - WHeRe Do We Go FRom HeRe?

“it iS alright to die without water, But to die without

fighting to Save it iS a Shame”A panel discussion on World Water Day last week saw the

doers share their experiences and ideas to resolve the water crisis in Bengaluru. There is some silver lining after all.


Is Bangalore hosting way too many talks and seminars and not

showing much action on ground? Many seem to think so. But Usha Rajagopalan's talk was infectious enough to get us all on our feet to go home and save water and our water bodies nearby.

An interactive panel discussion, "Water Matters: 1.3 billion litres/day - Where do we go from here?" was organised by ‘The Alternative' on Friday, March 22, 2013 at Max Mueller Bhavan. The panelists included Usha Rajagopalan (A founding member of the Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT)), Sekhar Raghavan, the first trustee of the Akash Ganga Trust (Rain Centre) at Chennai, Thippeswamy M N, ex-Chief Executive Engineer at BWSSB and the well known ‘zenrainman' S Vishwanath of Rainwater Club, Bangalore.

August 2003 was the deadline, mandating Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) for all properties in Tamilnadu, set by the then Chief Minister of Jayalalitha. It looked as if the weather gods were determined to prove Amma right in her insistence on RWH, even as the state suffered severe drought in 2003-04. Raghavan says, "Most of Tamil Nadu (houses) had rainwater harvesting installed by then. Although only 50% understood the reasoning behind it, they did a (proper) job of designing rainwater harvesting structures on their premises".

Within two years, the impact was visible when Rain Centre carried out its survey of groundwater in 2005-06 in Chennai. Groundwater had risen by about 6 meters than previous records, 39

temple tanks in Chennai were full in Jan 2006. "These temple tanks until then were used to play cricket." he adds.

Clarifying that he is not politically biased, Raghavan admires the AIADMK's efforts in making the RWH drive fairly successful in Chennai. Going back to his data of

only 50% success ratio, Raghavan laments that RWH is now going south, with reduction rate of 30-40% in recent years.

In its recent appeal, the Rain Centre

has requested the government of Tamil Nadu for a third party

monitoring body to ensure that all RWH structures are designed and maintained well and continue to be functional and mandatory. From his experience, he feels every city must have a Rain Centre to make people water-sensitive by spreading awareness on the need for RWH. "It's time to tap on the doors and talk to people about water. Not just that, we need to learn to live with less water and thus give it the respect it deserves".

When Usha pointed to the fast shrinking Puttenahalli Lake, by approaching her neighbours at L&T South City, the typical response she got was, "Why? We are paying our taxes. Let the government do its duty." "But the government wouldn't even know of the existence of this small lake," was Usha's response.

cItY neWs

Panel discussion moderated by Ayaan of Arghyam. Below: Usha Rajagopalan. Pic: Shamala Kittane


cItY neWs

"It is alright to die without water, but to die without fighting to save it is a shame," says Usha, whose genuine concern and positive attitude won the initial resistance in the year 2008 to save Puttenahalli Lake that is now full of life, backed by the residents of L&T South City, Arekere and Brigade Millennium, JP Nagar. The revival of the lake started in 2010 and in 2011 BBMP handed over the lake (of the 13 lakes identified by BBMP for restoration and conservation) to the trust formed by Usha and fellow residents Arathi Manay, Prasanna K. Vynatheya, O.P. Ramaswamy and Nupur Jain.

The cost of water has a key impact on how much you treat water. Vishwanath says, "If people pay Rs 80 per kilolitre of water then the ecological cost of water is

taken care of. If water comes to you at that cost, you will start question the need to pump water from far away at such high ecological costs and looking at local water resources and water that falls from the skies instead of getting it from far away which is ecologically damaging and economically unjustified".

Locally available resources

The tributaries of Cauvery (Arkavathy, Kumudavathy and Vrishabavathy) that run across the city are now drainages. A few small groups of people have been working towards reviving them. Thippeswamy, one of the members of ‘Arkavathy Punaschethana' group, talked about the tanks in Hesarghatta and Thippegondanahalli.

"The change in land use patterns in the neighbouring areas where forests have been replaced by huge concrete structures and deep set borewells is running the tanks dry," Thippeswamy explained. Niyamatullah Khan from the audience, retired Groundwater Geologist seconded this theory of changing land use patterns causing reduction in water seepage from surface to underground aquifers.

Vishwanath lauded the BWSSB and BESCOM's WENEXA program (Water and Energy Nexus) that includes making pump sets in Doddaballapur region energy efficient. They have set up an Efficient Irrigation Promotion cell to promote drip/sprinkler irrigation systems, thus saving water pumped from borewells. He said this kind of model can be implemented for rejuvenation of Arkavathy. His team is working on replenishing five tanks that contribute to Arkavathy with help from the government of Karnataka, and have successfully rejuvenated one tank.

Raghavan felt that residents suffer from a colonial hangover.

"Village communities who used the water resources in their villages also naturally took it upon themselves as their duty to protect them. This practice existed until the British wedged in a third organisation solely responsible for taking care of the water bodies - the PWD department. We continue this practice, but PWD department does nothing to protect the water resources now."

What sort of rainwater harvesting?

Raghavan said, "People need to get out in the rain and observe it. If you see that open spaces around your house are capable of absorbing water and that too much water is not flowing off, then its probably best to leave it open and plant some trees. But for clayey soil conditions recharge structures are a must and make most sense. In any case observe the rains and you'll know what's the best way to recharge your groundwater."

In response to a question about LDA's (Lake Development Authority) role and responsibility, Vishwanath said that there is a fundamental problem with the institutional construct of the government departments. LDA has forest officials, BWSSB does not have any geological experts. Water resources are split across different government authorities as ground water, pipe water, rain water, lakes etc. What is needed is a single department that will work on all aspects of water which would solve many water related issues.

"There are about 30-35 lake groups in the city now that have realised the value and importance of protecting the lakes in their neighbourhood," said Usha. The discussion ended with a positive note.

ShaMala KiTTaNe is a freelance writer and avid cyclist.


About 38 years ago, way back in 1974, there was no "no water day" for Bangalore houses. Corporation

water was released to houses every day. "Water timings" was also unheard of. Corporation water flowed in the taps through the day, so much so that many houses had taps connected to an overhead water storage tank only as a back-up. And water used to fill up in the overhead tank on its own, because the pressure of the water in the pipes was sufficient to help the water "reach its own level". This was the time when Bangalore city had just started receiving Cauvery water.

This was also the time when Bangalore was free of tall multi-storied apartments, and people lived in independent houses, large or small. Bangalore was free of air-conditioned malls and multiplexes, but shopping and entertainment options were still plentiful. Bangalore was free of its Information Technology tag, but was still a reasonably significant industrial manufacturing hub. With its tree-lined roads, large open spaces and now abundant Cauvery water, Bangalore was really the Pensioner's Paradise, where retired folks could live without any worries.

This was also the time when we watered plants and washed our cycles with buckets and mugs of water and not hoses; we bathed with buckets and mugs of water and not showers or in bath tubs. Still, we enjoyed having ponds of fish and frogs in our gardens without the extravagance of fountains and waterfalls. Many houses had wells that were brimming with water even in the summers. Yet there had been an imminent lurking water problem,

giving way for Cauvery water.Cauvery Water in Bangalore was the first big step

taken by the State Government to meet the growing water needs of the city, something that was anticipated several years earlier, after many of the lakes that were sources of drinking water, had been "developed" to accommodate infrastructure projects.

In 1958, an Expert Committee had been formed to investigate the problems and suggest measures that would meet the long-term water needs of the city. At that time, the Expert Committee considered four possible options: development of the Arkavathi River downstream of TG Halli reservoir, Hemavathy River, Shimsha River and Cauvery River. They recommended going with the Cauvery. At an estimated cost of Rs 22 crores, the Cauvery Stage I Project commenced in 1969 and took about five years to complete. On 24th January 1974, Bangalore received its first taste of the Cauvery water.

Subsequently, with the ever growing needs of the city, Cauvery Stages II, III and now IV have been

implemented by various state governments but there seems to be no end in sight. The cities boundaries have been stretched on all sides, and with it, the water problem has reached the stage of a crisis.

Bringing Cauvery water to Bangalore over 100 km is expensive. According to Kemaramayya, BWSSB

Engineer, Cauvery water is pumped to Bangalore in three stages of 500 feet each, with associated costs of pumping 900 MLD for a month (as of 2012) being Rs 300

cAF PRoPosALs to soLVe BenGALuRu WAteR PRoBLems

no cauvery water, no water proBlemS. But that waS thenCauvery Water in Bangalore was the first big step taken by the government to meet the growing water needs of the city. But that is not enough to solve the crisis now. Citizen Action Forum has a more sustainable approach.

oPInIon


crore. Cauvery water does not reach much of the city, and for those who do receive it, rationing to a couple of days in a week is now a way of life. Wells and borewells are going dry and dependence on water brought in tankers from far-away places is quite prevalent.

Towards a permanent solution to Bangalore's water problems an expert committee was established in 2012 headed by Tyagarajan. Several proposals have been placed before the committee for consideration, including a comprehensive solution by Citizens Action Forum (CAF), that will help in augmenting the city's water resources.

N S Mukunda of CAF says that its proposal is based on the idea that access to drinking water is not only a necessity but the right of every citizen that cannot be denied by any municipality or government. CAF's proposal is backed by a documentary that it produced itself. It has shown with facts and figures that even in 2051 when the population of Bangalore is expected to reach 22 million the city can have 24/7 water supply with a surplus of 1000MLD, with minimal dependence on Cauvery water.

CAF representatives have presented their proposal to all the concerned authorities including the Minister in charge, the Expert Committee appointed by the Government of Karnataka, the present and past Chairman of BWSSB and the Lok Adalat judge Justice Patil. None of the facts and figures have been challenged and they have agreed that it is an implementable proposal.

CAF's Proposal

1. Revive Arkavathi River and Hesarghatta Lake - The old source from Arkavathi-Hesarghatta which was supplying 165 MLD has to be revived. There are quite a few plans prepared by experts on its revival. One appropriate plan has to be implemented by an autonomous body with the right amount of funding. This revival can be achieved in 5 years and results will start from the third year onwards.

2. Revive, rejuvenate and interconnect all the existing 184 lakes - Conservation of the 184 lakes and the interconnection of these lakes are issues of urgent attention. The rejuvenated lakes will improve the ground

water level in Bangalore and the borewells in the range of 80 to 180 feet that have gone dry will spring to life. This measure will ensure a supply of 500 MLD per day to the city.

Since the earlier system of Rajakaluves are effectively destroyed, occupied and built upon we can use the

existing SWD network to interconnect the lakes. The one thing we have to determine is to trace the path of this SWD between two successive lakes, identify the missing stretch and complete the missing link thereby effectively establishing the interconnection. In this interconnecting stretch stringent

measures have to be adopted to block all illegal sewage flow so that there is no chance of sewage entering the lake.

For this to be successful, authority of lakes needs to be vested with a single body (unlike the present situation where the government has divided the authority of lakes between different depts. Like the BDA, BBMP, LDA and the Forest Dept and is tackling each lake as a stand-alone. The authority to a single department will help revival of lakes within five years.

3. City wide rain water harvesting - Rain water harvesting is now mandated for 40x60 sites and all new residential constructions. Considering the 56000 40x60 sites, at 750 mm of rain, with 100% collection will give 9072 MLD annually. Daily requirement is 1450 MLD. So it meets the requirement for just 6.25 days or 1.71% of annual requirement. So RWH should be done in all public (government buildings and 1400 parks in Bangalore.

When spoken to by CAF, B N Vijay Kumar, MLA Jayanagar said, "There is definitely a water problem in Bangalore today. The inclusion of outer Bangalore within the BBMP limit has intensified the problems. If someone works on the issue at least 50-60% of Bangalore's water problems will be resolved."

According to N S Mukunda, "The way ahead is for us to create awareness of these issues among the people and start a people's movement to pressurise the powers that be."

araThi MaNay yaJaMaN is associated with lake rejuvenation activities.

“According to a research paper from the Dept of geology Bangalore university, there were 3000 lakes in 1930. And in 1950 it reduced to 484 lakes. Now only 184 lakes remain.” - N.S. mukunda, Citizens Action forum (CAf)

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oPInIon

Many believe that there will be future wars over water. Some

facts:Water, the "elixir of life" is a

natural resource and must be shared equitably between every living being. Those authorized to handle water are only its trustees and not owners. The United Nations mandates 135 litres of water per person daily, but providing this remains a dream especially for people from marginalized communities.

Around 3/4th of the earth is water of which 97 per cent is saline and unfit for human consumption. Two per cent of the remaining water is frozen. Half the rest is in rivers, streams, rivulets etc., while the balance is groundwater. So, there is enough water for everybody for millions of years. Nature has no other system to pump water into the earth.

Water does not vanish and cause deficit. It evaporates, crystallizes, becomes cloud or snow, moves around the earth's atmosphere and depending upon hot or cold atmospheric pressure, it pours as rain and the entire cycle resumes. Some rain or snow enters the sea but whatever falls on the ground can be useful to all if harvested properly. Water circulates within the earth's atmosphere. There is no source of water from outer space. And we cannot manufacture water in laboratories.

Humans or nations are not the sole proprietors of water. It is a fundamental right of all creatures. Authorities responsibile for handling water are only its trustees and cannot sell, alienate or commercialise water as they do not own it. Countries that tried to commoditize water unsuccessfully are reverting to the municipal supply system to ensure equitable distribution of this priceless natural resource. But some people are still trading in it. The wealthy can afford to buy packaged water for their needs as piped water could be contaminated. However, many rely on this treated water supplied through pipes for their routine requirements.

Why is water depleting?

Current water consumption patterns reveal that we must rejig our requirements and innovate to protect and conserve it. While numerous people are struggling for minimum water those who can access it easily, waste it or use it excessively. Further, some industries use potable water for industrial purposes and let out toxic waste water. This mixes with underground water making it unfit for use.

Some farmers also overuse water without adopting scientific methods that prescribe minimum need based water usage for different crops or drip irrigation. The run-off from irrigated lands contains

several chemicals from fertilisers and pesticides sprayed.

The poor worldwide, traverse miles to fetch even minimum quantity of water. Many diseases are attributed to water-borne impurities. An outbreak of water borne diseases prompts health authorities to advise boiling water. People who consume municipal piped water believing it is pure are affected the most. Hence, even those who cannot afford have started buying bottled water for fear of contracting diseases through municipal water.

Humans consume hardly 5 litres of water for drinking and about 20 litres for cooking. For bathing, washing etc., water treated according to standards prescribed is required. Further, water supplied through municipal taps is very old, used and recycled. Finding creative grassroots solutions to bequeath some water to our future generations and supply clean water to the present population is vital.

Suggestions for equitable water distribution

Clean water can be equitably distributed to citizens with the available infrastructure without increasing water supply charges as follows:

To ensure continuous availability of bacteria-free water, supply it to all citizens in food grade plastic sealed tubs of 25/50 litres only for drinking

conseRVInG WAteR

Save water, Share waterOne the eve of another World Water Day, a multi-faceted activist shares some innovative ways of ensuring that water is available to all.


oPInIon

and cooking. Use the Public Distribution System (PDS) network to provide these tubs to the most vulnerable people, at 10 paise per litre.

Adopt dual pricing policy to those needing more than the minimum quantity through "pay as you use" method to make it affordable.

Treat the supply of clean potable water as a social entitlement by establishing the Karnataka State Drinking Water Supply Company Limited (KSDWSCL) akin to the Karnataka State Beverages Company Limited (KSBCL) that supplies quality beverages to all consumers at reasonable cost. Alternatively, convert the existing Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) into a non-profit organisation committed to fulfilling this crucial living necessity.

To meet the immediate requirement and quality, frame rules for mandatory supply of quality water by bottled water manufacturers and sellers to nominated government agencies like fair price shops.

The government may simultaneously setup bottling units at Taluk levels to supply potable water uninterrupted to all in remote areas.

Create mobile testing squads for quality and quantity assurance and to detect pilferage and adulterations.

For cattle wash, household cleaning, et al, water can be pumped through existing pipes with minimal treatment and supplied with reasonable "pay as you use" pricing method.

Advantages

Ensures good health by minimizing water borne diseases.

Guarantees equitable

distribution of potable water. Clean water will be available

easily 24X7. Avoids water hoarding and

consequent wastage. Eliminates the need for laying

extra water pipes across the city saving cost and inconvenience.

For non-potable purposes, existing pipes can be used with required treatment of water as per standards, saving costs.

Removes inequities associated with commercializing water.

It is possible to meet the needs of the growing population through this economically viable, sustainable, accountable and safe water supply system.

Specific alternatives for water conservation

People who have installed solar water heating systems (SWHS) on their roof tops can try the following:

India gets bright sun shine for 300 days in a year. By noon, water in the SWHS is almost at boiling point. Most SWHS have standby heating elements embedded for heating water by switching to electricity mode when the solar heat is less or during cloudy days when the solar panel efficiency is low.

Consumers can collect water from municipal taps, store it in sumps and pump to overhead tanks that supply continuous water to the SWHS installed on rooftops. But this water, treated in bulk by authorities in stages and contains bacteria, e-coli, pathogens, coliform etc., due to contaminantion during transit through old dirty/corroded pipes and possible mixing of sewage water.

PVC panels heat this water to a certain temperature depending on the heat from solar flares but the water may not reach boiling point. Most SWHS have built-in

immersion rods that need a few units of electricity to make the hot water reach boiling point and can to destroy bacteria in water. The cost of this electricity will be less than the possible expenditure due to consumption of contaminated water.

Collect this boiling water and store it in clean vessels, cool it and use for drinking and cooking. This water is cleaner than most packaged water. Also, chemicals in the plastic containers get leeched over time and harm our digestive systems.

Benefits

Clean, hot/cold, drinking water 24X7 at home eliminating the need to store (and sometimes waste) or filter municipal water.

Minimises water borne diseases and consequent medical expenses.

Reduces cooking time and LPG/electricity usage. This could perhaps decrease the LPG subsidy.

These steps could ensure that future wars need not be fought over water.

vaSaNThKuMar MySoreMaTh is an

environmentalist and social activist.


“Not only did I have to point out the corruption, I had

to do the complete investigation and support it with proof. It took me two full years to gather all the documents required to expose the corrupt BBMP engineers," says S R Venkataram, 82, a veteran RTI activist.

Venkataram realised the power of RTI early on, "I started using the powerful RTI tool soon after it was enacted in 2005 which enables any citizen to fight corruption and ensure good governance in Government offices."

Every work order is supposed to have a map of the street/ road with detailed specification of the road length, width, pavement details etc - basically a blueprint of the road earmarked for asphalting or any other related work. Venkataram found out that every work order he got hold of, came with the same ward map of the area, and the roads are barely visible on the maps, proved Venkataram by carefully following up with works in his area by filing RTIs for work orders.

He demanded that detailed maps be drawn fresh for every work instead of replicating standard jurisdictional map for every road work within a ward.

Further RTI investigation to understand the road work measurement details got him an

illegible ‘measurement book' — it was nothing but a bundle of scribbled sheets - the information was useless. It showed the lax manner in which important public works involving tax payers' money are recorded.

The next step to getting some clarity, Venkataram requested for ‘Estimation details' of the work. After getting all the three documents, he put it all together and found out that they did not tally at all.

In one instance, a contractor

GettInG A GooD RoAD In YouR neIGHBouRHooD - II

reSident puSheS BBmp to improve Shoddy proceSS for road layingOver two years, this RTI activist in Basavanagudi has tried to ensure BBMP follows due process while laying roads, even petitioning the Lokayukta. Check what BBMP is supposed to do.

Venkatram S R, RTI Activist with his neatly documented set of RTIs. Following up on public works, in Basavanagudi area, spanning two years. Pic by: Shamala Kittane

In Focus


reSident puSheS BBmp to improve Shoddy proceSS for road layingOver two years, this RTI activist in Basavanagudi has tried to ensure BBMP follows due process while laying roads, even petitioning the Lokayukta. Check what BBMP is supposed to do.

Right top: Work order document which is one of the well structured

documents kept by BBMP. But is incomplete without the estimates

according to Venkatram. Pic: Shamala Kittane

Right below: Map for the road work to be carried out. The road names are not

even visible and the road where the work is to be done is not even marked out. This map is the standard attached copy for any public works in the area.

Pic by: Shamala Kittane

In Focus


was paid Rs 3,60,650 for a road that was not asphalted. In another case of drain works, an amount of 16.48 lakhs was paid to the contractor whereas the actual work done in accordance with the sanctioned estimate was only Rs 6.55 lakhs.

Venkataram says all measurements (in the Measurement Book) should be recorded in the same manner as the item-wise sanctioned estimates that are approved by the technical and administrative divisions. It should clearly mention the actual quantity of work done against each item. "Keeping multiple documents for budget sanctions and another for estimates of work done is a maintenance overhead and becomes difficult to track." is Venkataram's suggestion to BBMP officials.

Venkataram raised two complaints to the Lokayukta in 2006 and 2007, with the examples of the road and drain works.

Both cases were taken up by the Lokayukta for action and two years after each complaint was filed, they initiated disciplinary proceedings against the culprits. All the investigation and proof was collected meticulously by Venkataram helped the Lokayukta.

Using RTI needs patienceTo understand how to file a

powerful RTI takes time, the time it takes to get an RTI response is a long wait too. Venkatram says "As per the RTI act, any information sought from Public Authority, they are supposed to furnish within 30 days and BBMP in my experience take anywhere from 60 to 90 days and I often (have to) go on an appeal to the Chief Information Commissioner to get it which finally takes another three months. In other words it takes about 6 months to get the information from BBMP"

According to the BBMP guide on road construction, engineers have to maintain data on the history of roads. This is a fair checklist of all the investments on a particular road. This is overlooked and never recorded by the engineers according to both Anil Kumar and Venkatram.

This has also been brought to the knowledge of Lokayukta by Venkatram in his written complaint. Venkataram had also shared all information with members of the

RWA, Suprajaa that that he was the president of, until 2010 when he moved to J P Nagar. Federation Of Associations of "Suprajaa" consisted of six welfare associations in Basavanagudi that existed between 2005-2010.

Lokayukta sent notices to all BBMP offices instructing them to issue work orders according to procedures that are clean and accessible.

However these procedures remain on paper and no attention has been paid to the Lokayukta notice. Venkataram now plans to collect information where the notice is being disregarded. Venkataram is determined to get it to work the right way. He says, "The need of the hour is that we should have one RTI activist in each road of our city to look after the welfare of his neighbourhood and demand service from the bureaucrats."

ShaMala KiTTaNe is a freelance writer and avid cyclist.

Left: The history of road works to be maintained as per this table but it never is the case. Source: Guidelines for construction and maintenance of city roads, 2009.

Right: Measurement book.

In Focus


Sometime around February 9, my maid came up to me

with a Kannada newspaper and tentatively enquired whether I was free. She wanted to know whether I could help her fill in an application online for her sister Azira who was seeking a job in a Government Primary School as assistant teacher. Thinking that this should merely be a matter of downloading a form and handing over the printout for her to fill, I readily agreed. She showed me the URL in the newspaper: http://www.schooleducation.kar.nic.in. I typed it out in my browser and the page that opened up looked nice, in spite of many tabs everywhere. I took a deep breath and started looking through the tabs to find one that said ‘recruitment'. To my pleasant surprise, I found it quite quickly on the left side - a tab that said ‘Recruitment Information'. Encouraged, I clicked on a sub-tab called ‘Primary School Teachers', and got nothing.

Disappointed, I started searching the entire site again, but could not find any links that led to the online application form. Even though newspapers directed you only to this site and urged you to apply before the March deadline, there was absolutely no link leading to the application form. So I ran a Google search on ‘Online

Application Form for Government Primary School Teacher'. After some futile attempts, I finally reached a website called freshersnode.com where there was a link for online application, which led me to the URL: http://108.179.198.53/Default.aspx, which was the URL of the Centralised Admission Cell.

Finding this website took me about two days while I juggled between my personal work and searches. I proceeded to look through the application form. The application can only be submitted online, and here is the process:

The first page of the form asks you to choose the taluk for which you want to apply and then takes some basic information about you.

Immediately after submitting

the first page, a bank challan is generated in PDF format.

The challan needs to be printed and taken to State Bank of Mysore where the application fee of Rs. 420 needs to be paid and you get a stamp on the challan.

You can then proceed to fill the rest of the four pages of a very detailed application form.

After most of the information has been entered, you reach a page where you need to upload scans of:

1. Applicant's passport size photo

2. Applicant's left hand thumbprint

3. Applicant's signature4. Stamped bank challan

Then there is one more page of form-filling and you can click on

oPenInGs In A GoVeRnment PRImARY scHooL

applying for a teacher’S poSt iS no cakewalk

Could I help her fill in an application online for a teacher’s job? Yes, I agreed. Never realising what is involved in applying for this government job.

DIARY


DIARY

‘Submit' after reading dire warnings about not being allowed to make any changes once you click on submit. Fair enough. "Click".

The page suddenly went blank when I clicked ‘submit.' In panic, I clicked on the ‘Back' button on my browser, which led to an error screen. Fortunately, however, there is a helpful tab called ‘My Application' through which you can check if all the forms have been ‘updated successfully,' and they were. Sigh of relief. Be warned however, there is another tab called ‘Know your status' which also looks like it would be very useful, but clicking on it makes your finger go sore, to absolutely no avail.

The entire process, including trips to the bank and to neighbourhood print shops to scan things, and the 6-page form-filling, took about four days, including the breaks I kept taking to do my other work. It made me think, ‘Oh good, they have made the application process so complicated, it should itself serve as an elimination round for non-hard working, non-smart teachers."

‘Helping Hands'

However, when I asked Azira how she would have submitted her application if I wasn't helping her, I came to know that there is an internet centre set up in Indiranagar just to 'assist' aspiring applicants submit their applications, at a fairly low charge of Rs. 80 per applicant. This cafe would assist in form-filling, scanning of photo, fingerprints, etc and take you through right to the last step. The only thing that the applicant needs to do is go and pay the application fee at State Bank of Mysore.

When I checked the website while writing this article, I found a link on the homepage that shows up under "Latest news," which

is the link for online application form. However, the deadline for submitting the application is long past now.

Tricky TET!

By this time, having interacted with Azira quite a bit, I got to know her better, and unfortunately, what I got to know did not inspire confidence and made me fear for the future of Indian education. She was not a good communicator - neither in English nor in Hindi. Her reasons for wanting to be a teacher in a government school were: 1) "That's the only respectable job for a Muslim woman" and 2) "The salary is very good."

She currently works in a private school as a teacher and gets paid Rs. 5,000. In a government school, she can right away draw Rs. 20,000! I started wondering what kind of eligibility criteria could offer hope to someone like Azira, and also serve to eliminate someone like her. I started looking for model test papers for teacher eligibility tests. Once again, finding anything through the Karnataka school education department site was an impossible task. I found the Sample Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper on a Himachal Pradesh government website. Apparently the TET is the same across the country, except for the local language section.

There is something a bit strange about the TET. In one of the sections, it asks questions that seem to be childishly simple. For example, in the Child Development and Pedagogy section, there is a question as follows:

Due to an extended Winter break, the school management arranges for classes during holidays. What will be your reaction as a teacher?1. Protest and not take classes2. Request reconsideration of

decision3. Tell students to prepare on

their own4. Accept it as your responsibility

---------------(They are clearly not testing for

honesty through this test)On the other hand, in the section

testing English language skills, the questions seem much tougher:

--------------- The officer retired in 2008.

No innovations have taken place __________.

(1) after (2) then (3) since (4) beyond

When I pleaded, the officer ____________ to my request for leave.

(1) exceeded (2) ekseeded (3) exceded (4) acceded

While these questions might appear easy enough to native English speakers, they can be extremely confusing to people who have studied in vernacular medium. I can't imagine Azira getting any of the answers right, except by chance through random guesswork, which is how she probably got 4 marks out of 25 in the English section during her last attempt at the TET.

I feel tempted to apply for a teacher role in a government school after having gone through this process, but I probably won't. Therefore I am trying to do the next best thing - to tutor Azira to pass the English and Math sections in the TET this year. Wish me luck!

lalaNa Zaveri


“Put yourself in your teenager's shoes," the firm voice told an

expanse of riveted ears, "but first remember to remove your own". Such were some of the profundities shared by Dr. Ali Khwaja, during his talk on raising teenagers earlier in March at the Parish Hall of Ascension Church in Bangalore's Cooke Town.

Khwaja is a professional diploma-holder in Behavioural Sciences,

and founder of Bangalore's Banjara Academy on interpersonal skills; his credible musings on parenthood's most turbulent years attracted concerned parents as well as observers on this occasion. The voluminous crowd in attendance at the Parish Hall of Ascension Church in Bangalore's Cooke Town indicated the widespread concern over the subject, as well as the respect that the

speaker, as a professional, commands.In his speech, Khwaja pointed to

his own experience as a father who has successfully raised his progeny to adulthood. "My two children got through their teens without landing in a mental asylum or in prison," quipped the gentleman. "Today, they are not fabulously wealthy or successful. But they are happy, stable people."

RAIsInG teenAGeRs

grow with your teen!A leading behavioural scientist and practitioner shares invaluable advice with parents on how to handle teenagers and help them grow into mature, happy adult individuals.

A Heart for the Youth: Dr. Khwaja elaborates his serious points in a most engaging way - with jokes, anecdotes and

voice role-play. Pic: Jatin Prabhu

FeAtuRes


However, this desired result, was the fruit of several years of demonstrating patient, sincere empathy. "Just as our host requested you to switch off your cell phones, I urge you parents to switch off the former teenager in you!" suggested the expert, adding that "too many parents begin correcting their children with the phrase, "When I was your age..."

Khwaja proceeded to point out that the social milieu of a child today is radically different from the one their parents lived in. As just one example, he contrasted the phenomenon of large families in previous generations to today's one-child nuclear families.

"As a 7-year-old, if I got a chocolate, I would hide it from my brother. But he was sure to find it.

Then on realising he had eaten it, we would fight. But since I had no other options to keep me entertained, I would say to him, ‘I am still angry with you, but come play with me.'" Dr. Khwaja used this simple anecdote to demonstrate how such an interaction could equip one at a very early age to communicate effectively, forgo losses and compromise, as well as, to negotiate and remain happy.

"Most children today, don't enjoy the luxury of siblings. So parents have to fulfill the role." Here is where Dr. Khwaja raised eyebrows significantly. Through engaging role-play and in anecdotal style, he elucidated a startling trajectory in a child's behavior. If a parent doesn't show enthusiasm in listening and responding to a small child's

observations while he's growing up, that child will ultimately stop sharing any of his thoughts, feelings or experiences with his parents.

Teenagers whose childhood tales were shushed by the parents, will then become mono-toned, leading to this scenario:

"How was college today?""Fine"What did you do?"Nothing"Where are you going now?"Nowhere!"Communication is a way in which

parents can also give their teenage children something to emulate. "An empathetic parent becomes the teenager's role-model," Khwaja added, even suggesting that parental role-modeling is especially important as there are no real role-

YOUNg AT hEART: A startlingly simple but potent piece of advice from the speaker. Pic: Jatin Prabhu

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models left in today's world."These days youngsters will only

look up to cricketers, film-stars or business icons, and that's mainly because of the amount of money they are earning, or their star-status, but not because of what they have achieved." Khwaja even hinted that a decline in religious sensibilities might be to blame, "Previously, more people looked at Jesus as their savior, and someone who served as a role-model to help one do good, to be kind to people, etc."

The doctor wrapped up his talk with advice around relatable scenarios of dealing with teenagers. Standing out among his nuggets were:

"Many financially successful adults still have low self-esteem and that comes from faulty upbringing.

Nurture self-esteem by appreciating any creativity that your child shows!"

"Make your teenager want to talk to you about any subject under the sun, and then he won't have anything to hide from you."

"Make punishment constructive and explain the reason for it."

"I think Wren & Martin have mis-spelt the word communication badly! To me it is - L-I-S-T-E-N!"

The speaker was greeted by a volley of questions as he ended his talk. "How does a teenager deal with bullies?" was one query, to which the speaker promptly replied. "Empower your child to handle a situation himself. As far as possible don't intervene yourself. And show him that he needn't prolong such ugly confrontations. Diplomacy and pacifying words can also prevent

violence."Another question went thus: "If

today's small families lack siblings, how can the parent keep fulfilling the role of a brother or sister?" In response, Khwaja recommended sending teenagers to summer camps or getting them involved in a wide variety of engaging activity. A satisfied and encouraged audience applauded, and rose from their seats in appreciation. As they made their way home, perhaps Dr. Ali Khwaja's final directions were still ringing in their ears, "While a teenager grows, his parents should grow with him."

JaTiN PraBhu, a former television journalist,

occasionally leads Bangalore City heritage tours while also

persuing literary and other creative interests.

SMILES ALL AROUNd: Dr. Khwaja leaves the audience enthralled with his advice on how parents can turn into their teenager’s friends. pic: Jatin Prabhu

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citizen matters emagazine 30-March-2013

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Transcript of citizen matters emagazine 30-March-2013