~ Trust ~

Trust, a belief which one has in someone or something. Trust isn't natural. It takes sufficient time to develop trust in people or brand or company. The only relationship where it is natural is between a Mother and Child.

Trust is an invisible thread in our daily lives. We don't take much cognisance of it, but very much there in every aspect of our lives. Right from Family, Domestic Help, Teachers, Drivers, Colleagues & Friends. Last but no the least, religious people have their trust in {invisible} GOD. The trust with all those individuals didn't happen over night, it was gradually built over a period of time.

One such relationship which is very key & essential to the development of child to an successful individual is that of Student and Teacher. The Teacher plays a major role in the over-all development of a kid in the formative years of school. Of-course kids do imbibe & learn a lot from their parents and extended families. Teacher may primarily be responsible for imparting knowledge for growth and development of a student. At times they can also be a role model for some.

If you are wondering what is this post all about? Am ranting about Trust, Student-Teacher relationship., etc. Well it is my anger and frustration at the Teachers & Management of VIBGYOR HIGH school on Varthur-Haralur Road, near Kundalahalli Gate, Bangalore. Two teachers raped a 6 year old girl in the school premises on July 1st. Yes, you read it right, two teachers RAPED a 6 YEAR OLD girl. Apparently her parents realised it only after 3 days past the incident, when a stranger called them up to check on the girl. Until then her parents were treating her for stomach ache & fever. 

It is very horrific incident for a 6 yr old & the turmoil her parents are undergoing. She didn't known what happened with her at school & never told to her parents about it. Her innocence is shown when she asks her mother this.

"Momma, Papa is not bad, na?" asked Rhea, 6, after she narrated to her mother what had happened to her in a dark room in her VIBGYOR HIGH school upmarket school in East Bangalore.

"The child revealed nothing to her parents, but the trauma showed up in the form of stomach ache and intermittent fever in the following week." 

"Her parents would have been in the dark if not for a call from a stranger on July 9, asking why the child was not attending school." "It was a woman doctor at a private hospital in Marathahalli who educated the parents about the vaginal tear and the reasons for the child's stomach ache. She told them Rhea had been sexually assaulted. Till then, the child was being treated for high fever, though she had been complaining to her mother about pain in her private parts."

Finally the case was taken up on July 14th.

"She spoke about the harassment by two male staff in the school. Her mother was shocked. The sexual assault was confirmed after the parents took the kid to a private hospital on July 11, after fighting among themselves whether to believe what she had told them or not," says Radha R of the special juvenile police unit, Association for Promoting Social Action (APSA), who took up the case on July 14 , soon after the father rang up the childline."

Even after so much evidence, the school authorities haven't owned their failure in handling the entire matter nor have they helped identify and handover the culprit teachers. The cops haven't helped in anyway to expedite the case and arrest the guilty. Bangalore cops might have been doing good off-late, but then they have been sloppy and insensitive in this particular case. They have made the 6 yr old undergo medical tests twice. WTF! is wrong with you guys???

"In gross violation of norms governing child abuse cases, the child rape survivor was put through medical tests twice. The 6 year-old was allegedly raped in her school on July 2.

On July 11, the child underwent the first medical test in a private hospital in Marathahalli.

On July 15, police took the child to Vaidehi Medical College and Hospital for another test. “Police said the case would get stronger if the medical test was done in a hospital under their jurisdiction, which is ridiculous,'' said a child-rights activist who is with the parents. No Child Welfare Committee (CWC) member was present at either test."

Today, a lot of parents who send their kids to VIBGYOR school and citizens came forward to protest against the school and demand the police to arrest the culprits. Not really sure what our Chief Minister & Home Minister are doing about the whole situation. There have been 3 rapes reported in the last 5 days. 

The number of people who turned up should sound alarm to those are in power should not take us for granted.

~ Photos by my friend Venkat ~

Also Times of India, when they first reported this case they clearly stated *VIBGYOR HIGH* school. Now, they have been masking the name of the school, stating *UPMARKET*.  Is this journalistic practice?

The little girl's *Trust* has been broken. Not really sure if she would ever trust a Teacher in the coming years. Hope she recovers soon from trauma & gets back to normal. At the same time, citizen of this city and country have lost faith in GOVERNMENT, POLITICIANS & POLICE. 

~ Mission statement on VIBGYOR HIGH ~

Mr Rustom Kerawalla, chairman of VIBGYOR HIGH, just putting up mission statement on your website isn't good enough. Please walk the talk and reach out to the parents. Also hand over all the teachers who were responsible for the entire episode - the rapists and those who helped cover up the matter.

Additional reading (ordered by date)

Man abducts 6-year-old from school, rapes her
Cops question two suspects, hold identification parade
Sexual assault on girl came to light after stranger called mom
Cops flout rule, test 6-yr-old girl twice
Sexual assault on girl came to light after stranger called mother

Updates

21 July 2014 | Skating instructor arrested for the 6 yr old rape.
Deccan Herald
TOI - Looks like TOI has kind of pact with the school that they don't publish the name of the school - VIBGYOR HIGH

30 July 2014 | Another twist in the tale. Mustafa, the skating instructor arrested might not be the culprit. Instead two other instructors have been arrested in the case. However, Mustafa is alleged to have committed a rape of a 14yr old girl in Deen's academy, the school were he worked prior to joining VIBGYOR HIGH.
Deccan Herald

5 Aug 2014 | The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has asked the Council of Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) to furnish a detailed report on the rape of a primary school student within the premises of a High School in Bangalore last month. The Hindu

~ Alternate energy ~

BMTC debuts with India's first electric bus. Here are some stats:

1. The bus is made by the Chinese Auto maker BYD Auto
2. 4 ferrous batteries generate 540 volts of electricity
3. Can cover 250kms in single charge, with a max speed of 96km/hr
4. Takes 5 hours to charge normally & half time for a supercharge

Image source: Ibtimes


In the second news, Madhya Pradesh debuts with India's largest solar power plant. Here are some stats:

1. Is the largest capacity presently under execution in a single location, both in India as well as the entire Asian continent
2. The solar plant is one of the largest solar plants in the world spread across 800 acres of barren terrain.
3. 216,372 tonnes of carbon will be mitigated annually.
4. The plant is expected to cater to power needs of 6.24 lakh homes in the state.
5. The 151 (DC) MW project operated by Welspun Energy Limited (WEL)

~ River terns of Bhadra ~

Beautiful story of River Terns of Bhadra by Amoghavarsha.

~ Dadapeer Chatra is history ~

The Public Works Department (PWD) created history by razing Dadapeer Chatra, which is 3 kms from Hampi. The structure is 153 years old, which was built by a local sultan in 1860.

Sadly none of the Indian main stream media, State or National, have reported this in any medium - print  or digital.

Only DailyMail has a report on this. Wonder if Karnataka Govt is serious about conservation.

H/T: Came across this via Amog's post.

~ No water ~

A month ago there was an article on FirstPost which became the talking point for many at my workplace. Eventually, I wrote a lengthy post on the same subject which I had been following for more than 5 years. H2O is an essential entity for sustenance of all the living species - flora & fauna.

~ View on instagram ~

From then to now, the Summer hasn't been that hot in Bangalore. However, the place I live in hasn't had water supply for 5 days now. For the first time, I have seen water tankers ferrying water to homes in the neighbourhood. Unlike the New Bangalore or Greater Bangalore areas which do not have water supply from BWSSB & depend on private water supply. Sourcing water from private operator isn't common around this part of town, where we are used to constant flow of Cauvery water for the past 25+ years. The situation is alarming and should be cause of concern for all of us who are living in the city. 

Sample some of the news from TOI this week,

The storage as on Wednesday will ensure that taps in Bangalore and Mysore don't go dry for 8-10 days, sources told The Times of India. If by then there's no rain, the situation could turn grim. Reason: There are no preparations made to use water classified as 'dead storage' in irrigation parlance. "We can use that water. But we require heavy duty pumps to get the water to flow out. These are made-to-order pumps and require at least 45 days to put the infrastructure in place. No homework has been done on this front, and now, there's no time," sources explained.

According to the above source both the cities, Mysore & Bangalore, are at risk. 

The crisis, in fact, is already on the doorsteps of Mysore city. The pumping station at Hongahalli remained switched off till Tuesday. The Hongahalli pumping station, which draws water for Mysore, cannot draw water from the KRS, as the storage level remained as low as 39 inches, Venkatraju revealed. He said only further release of water from Hemavathy can get this pumping station resume.

The only source of water for Bangalore city other than the Cauvery river, the Tippagondanahalli (TG Halli) reservoir too is in no state to come to the city's rescue. Though moderate pre-monsoon showers are pushing up water level in Tippagondanahalli (TG Halli) dam up to 11 feet, due to rapid evaporation water level is receding to five feet, making any pumping of water impossible. BWSSB stopped drawing water from TG since November. More here

If the ground reality at the dams are that bad. Not sure what plans does our newly elected Chief Minister have up his sleeve to solve {or avert} water crisis.

One cannot have a quick-fix solution for such a problem. There needs to be planning, co-ordination & execution from various departments. Am not aware if we have any such Department or Ministry related to Town / City / Urban planning that does any work for holistic growth of our city. Bangalore has expanded very rapidly in the last 8 years & continues to do. When BWSSB can't plan & provide water for the existing areas under their jurisdiction. It shall only remain a distinct dream for all those new townships and gated communities that are mushrooming around the Old Bangalore. 

We may not have war between Mysore & Bangalore in the coming weeks. But those of you investing Crores of rupees in properties, do check if you will have sufficient water in the years to come.

Also, conservation of water doesn't happen over a festival or an IPL tournament. One gotta save every drop everyday. Good Night!

~ Vote maadi ~

Citizens of Karnataka, do step out & vote tomorrow. Agreed that not every constituency is being contested by candidates you wish to support. However, it is important to cast your vote. 

Those of you who are part of Hebbal constituency please show your support for Sridhar. Why Sridhar Pabbisetty?

• Educated - MBA from IIM Bangalore, BE Computer Science from Bangalore University has resigned from his coveted post of Chief Operating Officer of the Centre for Public Policy, IIM Bangalore.
• Aspiring to bring transparency & accountability in a system which is known to pass the buck from pillar to pillar
• Has keen interest in the public policy which focuses on advancing the research in the areas of inclusive education, enhancing employability, better waste management.

You can read more about his Credentials & Experience. 

B.PAC has a list of manifestos from all the parties. If you wish to read them check here.

If you want better Bangalore then NOW is the time! Vote maadi

~ Connectivity ~

~ Karnataka State Highway ~

Am not talking about internet connectivity. Am talking about offline, real world connectivity - Roads. Yes, you read it right - Roads. Roads help region(s) progress & prosper with the rest of the country or world. 

We the Citi-zens keep complaining about road conditions. I agree that we are entitled to do so, as we pay our taxes year-on-year. What about those who are living in villages or semi-urban areas, have you given a thought about them.

~ Kerala / Karnataka Border ~

I have travelled extensively by Road across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and I feel the three states fair well in the terms of connectivity to remote areas. Over the last couple of months have heard stories from people or read articles about Roads & how it changes lives.

First story was from a friend who spent time living with a family during his travel. The family originally from a farming background faced a lot of hardship earlier. Currently, the family is happy with a highway cutting through their fields. They didn't mind giving a piece of their land, for a token price, for betterment of lives all around. They have prospered well & leading a decent life.

Second story was from my colleague who did his studies from Sikkim. As another colleague was travelling to Gangtok earlier this month, this colleague was giving him travel tips. I was surprised to hear that there is ONLY one main road which connects Sikkim with rest of the country and that is via Silliguri, Darjeeling, Kalimpong. Unfortunately, the only road was affected very badly during the Sikkim earthquake and people had to face a lot of hardship. The update being, Sikkim will soon have their first civilan airport. 

Yesterday I read an headline which stated 

A 28-year-old bureaucrat takes a different road to reach the people’s heart

Definitely, Armstrong Pame is a harbinger of change who has brought happiness to those living in Tousem. The idiom, "It takes one to know one" fits very well here. 

The 2009 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer was moved by the plight of people when he saw how they had to trudge for five hours by first crossing a river and then a stretch that can by no stretch of imagination be called a road to reach Tamenglong just 50 km away.

"After writing my IAS exam, I came to Tamenglong in 2007. Since I had seen hardship in my childhood, I decided to visit 31 villages of Manipur on foot to see how the people live," said Pame.

"In 2012, I became SDM of Tousem. I traveled to many villages and saw how people were carrying sacks of rice on their backs, walking for hours, and patients being taken on makeshift bamboo stretchers due to the non-availability of motorable roads. When I asked villagers what they wanted me to do for them, their only wish was for a road," he said.

Indeed he is the miracle man for having understood the basic problem of people & providing solution for the same. Another Statesman whom I can recall is Atal Bihari Vajpayee. A true visionary, who knew how to collectively take the country forward than just one specific region or state. Am referring to GQ | Golden Quadrilateral project which connects 4 metros & major cities along the route in an integrated manner. In January 2012, the GQ was officially announced as complete. 

The largest highway project in India and the fifth longest in the world, it is the first phase of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP), and consists of building 5,846 km (3,633 mi) four/six lane express highways at a cost of 600 billion (US$11 billion). The project was launched in 2001 by Atal Bihari Vajpayee under the NDA government, and was planned to complete in January, 2012. {Wiki}

How I wish the political class showed some common sense & interest in solving basic problems like roads, sanitation, drinking water, education, etc for everyone above everything else. 

I hope people of my state - Karnataka, will caste their vote in a sensible manner for a right candidate over a party.

~ War for Water ~

Am not sure who the F*$k should be blamed for this - Will Bangalore have to be evacuated by 2023?

“The Government of Karnataka will have to evacuate half of Bangalore in the next ten years, due to water scarcity, contamination of water and diseases.”

Bangaloreans would do well not to dismiss Balasubramanian’s peep into the future as an exaggeration of a worried mind. It is corroborated by the lab results at the Public Health Institute, and the Department of Mines and Geology of the Karnataka government. The results reveal that 52 per cent of the borewell water, and 59 per cent of tap water in Bangalore, is not potable and contain 8.4 per cent and 19 per cent E.coli bacteria respectively.

The reason: the groundwater in at least half of Bangalore is contaminated with sewage water. In 1790, a British captain had described Bangalore as the land of a thousand lakes. Today less than 200 of those 1000 lakes remain and are no more than sewage tanks. The sewage water contaminates the ground water and percolates into the borewells.

Absolutely lack of town/city planning coupled with disorganised growth across various parts has changed the face of Bangalore. What was once known as 'Garden City' or Pensioners' Paradise has turned into a dysfunctional metropolis, due to the lack of vision & concern for the city by the those who are elected to govern.

There are lot of woes which citizens of Bangalore are facing. After the being held for ransom at the hands of Land & Garbage Mafias, we will see the rise of Water Mafia. We are seeing Apartment mushrooming across the new areas of Bangalore - Marathalli, Sarjapur, Whitefield, Electronic City, Kanakapura Road, Tumkur Road, Hebbal, North Bangalore, Outer Ring Road - & also some of the builders are taking over factories or mills and converting them into townships - Mantri Mall, Brigade Gateway. I have always wondered how can the Real Estate Developers provide water for so many families who form the community in such town ships.

For the purpose of statistics, if we assume that an apartment has 3 members. Then the average water flushed = 9 times {3 per person} with 3 lts flush tanks = 27 lts. Now assume that an average township would have about 500 Apts, then the water being flushed per day equates to 13500 lts. Add to this we have 4 Wheelers which are on rise across India & on a average 5000 cars are washed everyday sending  3,75,000 litres of water down the drain.

The place I live in is better off with Cauvery water being provided on alternate days. Am sure that there are many of them living in layouts, apartments, town-ships & gated communities who are all dependent on ground water for sustenance, as BWSSB does not provide water. That's where the Water Mafia steps in. They charge anywhere between 500-800 INR {$10-$16} per tanker depending on where you live in Bangalore. Even if BWSSB aspire to do QUENCH the thirst of 8 million inhabitants, they simply cannot. Due to the fact that Karnataka hasn't had a good monsoon last year & the rivers - Arkavathi, Hemavathy, Shimsha, Cauvery - which are responsible for feeding Bangaloreans are in dire straits this year.

Even the Water Mafia will not be able to supply for long, as the ground water levels are depleting rapidly as everyone is sucking from the same water-table. Not sure how many {people living here & those governing the boards} of us really worry or care to think about such crisis looming over our future. This is definitely a CAUTION considering the fact that rivers are National resources which need to be shared amongst different States. Going by Karnataka's history w.r.t water sharing with our neighbouring States; except for Goa, we have had issues with the remaining states { Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala } at one point or another. As Maharashtra is already reeling under severe draught & according to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Center, the forecast for KA doesn't look good.

Am all for holistic planing & growth of the City or the State or the Country. If we do not have a sense of how to utilize natural resources & sustain them or If the Government cannot encourage businesses to operate from various parts of the state than just the capital of a State then who else can be blamed for this but us.

Evacuation might not happen, but War for Water amongst ourselves is a possibility in the years ahead. Use it responsibly. Educate your family, friends, colleagues, et al and conserve water.

Been reading many articles on water for quite sometime, if you have time then do go through them
Bangalore Water Supply & Source BWWSB | Aabid Surti: The painter who catches every drop The Alternative| Help us save water, pleads Bangalore Water Supply & Sewerage Board TOI | Bangalore heading for a water crisis in May TOI | Where will the water go? Caravan | Water Crisis Boston Globe | Paani. Water needs an integrated approach as we have passed the danger mark Shekhar Kapur | Rain or Not, India is falling short of drinking water NYT | Delhi groundwater may run dry in 3-5 yrs: Study TOI | All construction activity comes to a halt in Gurgaon The Hindu | Massive March for Yamuna River Nears Delhi NYT India | 15,260 cr given for improvement of clean, drinking water facilities Tweet The Hindu | Mapping villages with water scarcity Deccan Herald | Urban Floods: Case study of Bangalore IISC

~ Go Vote! ~

Finally a video which summarises my thoughts { & probably others too} very well. The video nails all the points. Stop voting for parties whose ideologies are - religion, caste, free supply, dynasty - oriented. Time for some movement from WE THE PEOPLE. Doesn't matter if these unknown candidates win or loose, at least the corrupt ones will get a taste of citizens.

Let us put a fight against the corrupt ones. Do your bit, know your candidate & VOTE!

~ Weekend getaway ~

Last Friday was a hectic day. A photo shoot in the morning, packing, work, college re-union, 5 hours of sleep & then a drive of about 330kms towards western ghats.

Here are some pictures from the getaway.