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Please do not plan to settle down in Bengaluru, it is dying.

Average: 3 (27 votes)

To

All those dear Indians and others from all over the world,

Please do not mistake this post.  This is for your own good and ours too; while the final choice is yours, have a look at the bleak future you may face if you come and settle down:

Source: Deccan Chronicle-front page-todate:

Nutshell: RITES Report -

Our beloved Bengaluru  is headed for a disaster and do not be a part of it: 

- 2001  Population 61 lakh, likely to touch 88 lakh in 2015 and 1.22 crore by 2025 or earlier

- 3.25 per cent increase is the annual growth rate of population

- 2400 kms is the present and future road net work  that cannot be increased any more 

- 28 lakh is the number of registered motor vehicles on road

- 240 hours is the number of hours that you get stuck in traffic jam

- 13.5 km is the average speed one can travel on Bengaluru roads

- 46 per cent is the modal split in favor of BMTC and is estimated to fall below 29 per cent by 2025.

- 3.6 (the lowest) is the figure of walking index on national index for pedestrian traffic in core areas with highly inadequate and deteriorating by the day. 

Think about these draw backs that result in your productivity, poorer air quality, reduced quality of life and increased costs for services and goods.

Final choice is yours; however, do visit namma Bengaluru

- Bengaluru has become a future city with no 'future'.

Vasanth Mysoremath

 

Comments

silkboard's picture

Obsession with Bangalore

Author lives in Mysore, but posts mostly about Bangalore. An exmaple of the obsession that he, and many have with the city - whether its about bettering, bitching, working, living or leaving this place.

I sincerely look forward to parallel posts on

  • "Why you should come to live and work in Mysooru". Or
  • "Ten things to do to make Shivamogga an alternative to Bengaluru".
  • "Shifting capital of Karnataka to Kumta, Bhatkal or Kundapura, or Bidar" :)

Thats probably the way to go about it - the surest way out of this sense of gloom and doom.

Many bitch - city sucks, is a disaster etc, but not many leave? Why? Its the best city in our country, and despite its issues dealing with growth, has a bright future, and is poised to lead the state towards more prosperity.

Cheer up.

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

Language guidelines overruled by SB

We are all swayed by split second emotions and we must have the ability to control and count ten before inscripting some words that may convey very low attitudes.

My qualification for commenting about Bengaluru

-  My being in Mysore has been made an issue by SB - Is it an issue?  Are we not Indians anywhere in India !!  Why I moved lock, stock and barrel to Mysore in 2007 after spending a life time in Nanna Bengaluru - now a dying city, being raped (a more respectable word - compared to words used by SB) from all and sundry, is because my nostradamic thoughts warned me that my grand children will not be able to live safely, will not be able to go to school on time, will not be able to withstand pollution and waste of precious hours in commuting to school, tution...etc., ..list is long).

While in Nanna sundara Bengaluru,  I lived in Basavannana Galli, a cross road of Avenue Road and  was walking upto National School in Basavanagudi for my education; dad was giving me one rupee - I used to eat two idlies near city market for 50 paise with 4 cups of sambar (sometimes the supplier used to refuse extra cups!);  By the way SB, can you tell how many 'kaasus', or how many 'aanes' or how many 'paavalies' or 'entaanes' were there in 'ondu rupaayee?' 

- Majestic circle was headquarters in the evening hours on week days and Brigades and MG Road were headquarters during week ends for me and my friends. Ten Commandments, Benhur, Koshy's Restaurant, Four Aces - pop dacing floor, Catholic club, Liberty theatre, the beautiful Bund - now a graveyard of trees?

- At Majestic, me and my friends have counted how many stone slabs are protruding and hurting pedestrians between Mysore Bank circle upto Majestic theatre on the one side and Govt. Law College to present elevated walk way in Majestic Circle;  had brought them to the notice of the area corporation officials who were very obliging and used to set right when even ten of us trooped into his office!  

The list of public concern works done is fairly long but mention of some may help clear your frayed temper - many of what I am mentioning here have been covered widely through print and electronic media and some with which I was associated as a convener, have been taken over as benchmarks - (I was not alone in some of these achievements but played the key roles in making them more than successful),

- First ever free Udyoga Mela in Rajajinagar in 2005 - on a mega scale in association with NGO Public Vigilance Forum - on stage interviews and job offers and appointment orders were issued - even today such Melas are being arranged in almost all district headquarters with the help of Employment Exchanges;

- First ever Citizen-Metro Rail interactive conclave with road show by BMRCL officials from Yeswanthapur railway yard upto Nagappa Park in Srirampuram culminating in a fiasco because Metro authorities answers were unconvincing - in association with Public Vigilance Forum and Sri Narendra Babu, MLA, Rajajinagara;

- First ever 'Vote India Movement' when Sri Krishna Murthy, Chief Elec.Commr. was brought to the door step of voters in Mahalakshmi Layout for correcting the defective electoral rolls - mother of all frauds - in association with Janaagraha - Ramesh Ramanathan and Jaya Prakash Narayan the former IAS officer who resigned and jumped into public service from Hyderabad

- First ever unique concept -  Bring Birds Back to Bengaluru - Where have all the sparrows gone - designed and developed bird friendly nests, bird baths facility, feeding corners, in association with BBMP and Public Vigilance Forum and Horticulture/Forest dept.  This unique concept is an ongoing BBMP programme and has been implemented in many major parks in Bengaluru.

---- The list could be long.

But I saw Bengaluru making great strides on the grave yard of many who had lived for more than a century as farmers in peripheral lands and businessmen on main roads in cities and were displaced unceremoneously in the name of developing with inclusive development of the'haves' and  not 'have nots'.

That is why this post and it is in the interest of those like you and your children and grand children.

I hope I have not violated Praja guidelines.

Saakaa, innoo bekaa?

PS- I am fighting in Mysore also to keep it as virgin a city as possible; but the ghosts of Bengaluru are on the hoirzon here also - Recently, was part of organising Appiko movement to save decades old herbal and other 123 trees on Lalitha Mahal Road marked for destruction (raping) -  school children and elders from Mysore Grahaka Parishath 

 Vasanth Mysoremath from Heritage City of Mysore

 

psaram42's picture

Thought Provoking post?

 I am reminded of Justice Santosh hedge lamenting about the obsession of successive governments in developing Bangalore alone. He was for the shifting development to other parts of the state as well. It is true that our successive governments are falling in to an oblivious trap.

However VKM sir is happily ignorant of the fact that Global warming is in fact a global phenomenon. Similarly the population growth is bound to be exponential with the present levels of human development, globally. Not surprising the film industry is also keeping in pace. My reference is to the Hollywood movie 2012.

VKM sirs post is like lecturing a hungry Tiger to behave while providing sheep for his company. I feel the city of Mysore is also not like it was when I left it in 1964.

silkboard's picture

the point was this

VKM, the point was about expressing on the same subject in constructive ways. Writing such stuff (population, car growth etc etc) on Praja is like preaching to the converted.

This is not a you vs me thing, nor is it about your qualifications, so you don't have to write your mile long activist resume in response. The obsession with Bangalore is real deal - we all do it, and so does the state government. Key is to spread the awareness that we all need to get out of that self defeating mode.

Let you and me spend the next month writing only or mostly about Mysore. Or Mangalore, or Shimoga. Pick a city. I am game. I am talking stuff like:

  • Talking tier-2, and beyond Bangalore, we will quickly get to the discussion on - should the investment in state's cities be proportional to the GDP they fetch?
  • What is missing in other cities that even the industries that primarily need people and electricity (IT, BT) and not the mines, rivers or space for ancilliaries like many others are not going there.

Let us talk what our beloved news papers don't talk about. Experienced guys like you need to, because you know a lot.

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

@psaram42 - who is talking about global warming?

Sir psaram

You have happily forgotten my practical demonstration at your home during my last visit to nanna bengaluru, about my World Bank honored  Project U-SEE, and my contribution about switching off bulbs and saving the world from global warming; please refurbish your memory. 

@ SB Sir

/Mile long activist resume....!!??  You asked for it.../

/Author lives in Mysore, but posts mostly about Bangalore. An exmaple of the obsession that he, and many have with the city - whether its about bettering, bitching, working, living or leaving this place/

Have been commuting between Bengaluru and Mysore often.  Reg your being  game for projecting Mysore as aTier II City, let me assure you, the city has been sold to land mafia and is turning out to be another hell hole like Bengaluru in no time. I had written about this menace some months ago here, indicating some of the dark alleys where poor farmers having lands on highways from around Mysoru like Bannuru, Nanjanagudu, Hunsuru, KR Nagara, Srirangapattana were being herded by brokers, were being fed vodka enroute, made to sign power of attorney papers, were being handed over a smart business brief case containing some money, some fancy gadgets, a cell phone etc., again being fed another peg of vodka - one for the road - and how they were being fleeced again by middlemen, before going back home with some money.  

Mysore Railway authorities have indicated that they need 300 ha of land for converting the present single railway line into double line and the process of land acquisition is likely to start- once it is done, Mysoru and Bengaluru will become twin cities and it is not far off - NICE road, once completed will hasten the development.

Mysoreans are red with rage about gross mishandling of supply of available power  - household connections are being subjected to 6 to 8 to 12 twelver hours of unscheduled power cuts disorienting the people of mysore to reschedule their day today life and a planned time table containing scheduled power shut downs will be announced on Nov.10th;   

In a novel protest, hundreds of small and medium scale industry honchos are handing over the KEYS of their units to the CHESCOM because their production schedule is in total disarray.

-- hundreds of vehicles being registered and lane discipline has literally gone to (male) dogs. 

--Mysore has become a city of compromises - adulterated food stuffs mixed and matched in the small alleys, illegal gas connections, trafficking, chain snatching in broad day light on a very busy Irwin Road in the heart of the city and house breakings aplenty. 

--We are witnessing hordes of labourers from as far as Bihar landing everyday in Mysoru, house hunting and hunting jobs mostly for catering to construction industry.

--IT, Mysoru,  has made remarkable foray and its contribution for earnings from export of software has been all time high. 

God bless Mysoru.

 

silkboard's picture

Thats more like it

Write all the those things about Mysore, and spread awareness all around. Away from pure whining, if you can be more specific about things, write one item at a time in gentler words, put some thoughts on how to go about fixing these in local ways - that will be even nicer. But then, why do I hope that you will listen to people like me.

So now that Mysore too has become "hell hole" (to quote your phrase), which place are you moving to next!?

Anyway. Siging off now, you can have the last words.

blrpraj's picture

yelli irrodu?

VKM avargale,

Bangalore is unlivable, mysore is a hell hole, so yelli irrodu saar? Mysore is sure as hell becoming a hell hole similar to Bangalore and we all know the reason. It starts as a simple case of demolition of one house on a street to build a multiple unit flat in it's place. Then you have unauthorized commercial office buildings coming up in random places for office space. All this happening without thought to transportation and then other infrastructure like water, power, sewage etc. and the end result is that we have hell holes like Bangalore, Mysore etc. Don't believe me? Think that I am writing in a defeatist tone? Please read my article -  http://praja.in/en/blog/blrpraj/2009/11/04/total-breakdown-urban-planning-microscopic-look-lowest-level

That is a stark reality of what is happening in most of our Indian cities. We all know the problem, we all know what the solution is, in fact there are laws in place too to prevent the chaos, but the biggest question that has remained for the past 50 or 60 years since independence still remains - how to execute/implement/enforce the solution?

When I find time I will be uploading photos of an old neighbourhood near where I live and to compare and contrast that to our very own Jayanagar which is younger that tne neighbourhood I am about to compare.

 

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

Prevention is better than cure - reduce influx is the mantra

@blrpraj sir,

Having lived for more than 63 years, I do not like to see Nanna Bengaluru dying a slow death.  My post is not defeatist but altruistic and to see that further decay does not affect the future generation with incurable maladies. Thats why I am trying to dissuade in an indirect way the evergrowing influx into Namma  Bengaluru.  

With incremental population increase and land mass being devoured by uncontrollable gigantic tidal waves due to climate change and rising of the sea levels, the entire world itself will shrink and will be one hell hole one day and people will be suffering to the maximum extent; future wars will be faught on water and resource issues.  Lecturing.....?  According to SB.... no

Choice is given to those who are planning to arrive with bag and baggage and suffer for themselves and make those who are suffering already more sufferers.  This is the only holistic thought that made me post this post.

As you have rightly pointed out short sighted planning without a futuristic ambience is marring a planned and sociologically acceptable growth of Mysoru city;  We, the members of NGO Mysoru Grahaka Parishat  and similar other units are trying our best to suggest to the authorities concerned about the need for a proper vision statement for the city, to exercise proper due diligence, create bench marks, adopt best practices for usage of available land and natural resources like water, not to clutter Mysoru with polluting industries and to have in place  proper public utilities, amenities, road  and transport  infrastructure from now itself.  

But public consultation and about the outcome of its contents, deliverables and credibilities are always unclear and ultimately such confusions are leading the authorities to implement - what they think is best according to their best practices (!).  Then where do some prajas who are concerned stand?  

Bengaluru Praja discusion on BMTC was brushed aside with only one assurance - yes, praja group was magnanimously assured  by the BMTC official that he will issue necessary instructions to the drivers to stop at the bus stops proper!    Rest of the points projected went into pages of history. 

So, let us innovate and adopt at our own levels wherever we are living without unduly depending upon somebody to spoonfeed us.

Vasanth Mysoremath

 

Mwm_mute's picture

Reduce the influx?

Rapid urbanization is both imminent and inevitable. World is 50% urban today and India too shall reach there very soon. All this talk of stopping the influx to urban areas is futile. Can anyone hope to convince a migrant labourer from the Gangetic plains to not seek a "better" future in this "hell-hole”?

 

idontspam's picture

Data can change perceptions

Data can change the way we look at the world and issues. Take a look at this video by Hans Rosling and compare with our prejudices. Also observe in the presentation what effect economic progress as defined by percapita wealth and GDP has caused to life in third world countries.

There are some good data points in this post but is it complete? With a forecast of 30% on public transit and 3.6 as walkability index, Is the population actually unmanagable or we are doing something wrong? Sure population in general is an issue at a global. See consipracy theory on reducing world population here.

A comprehensive plotting is required. Let me see if I can start a project to collect data.

 

IDS

§§§ Tweetenator

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

Bengaluru is a stretched rubber band

@Mwm_mute Sir,

For decades Bengaluru has warmly hugged and extended its theme of 'athithi daivo bhava' and will continue its magnanimity - take my word for it. 

But 2,400 kms is the limit of stretching the road rubber band and its effect is those on road are travelling at an average speed of 13.5 kms. per hour.  We cannot stretch this and other infrastructure rubber bands and if we do force, it may snap and life will be miserable for all, including the migrant laborer from gangetic plane.  Recognise the obvious and the limit of the hell hole.

You are right civilisation has flourished  where green pastures abound and improved the lifestyle of mankind  for millions of years and mankind always migrated for better living conditions in search of more green pastures. 

But when the green pastures have dried up and become brown barn patches, what is the use of settling in such a place - in my opinion,  gangetic plane would have been a much better place - this is the holistic message of this post.

Final choice is yours.

 

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

@ IDS - good informative video link on tweet but...

IDS Sir

But Hans Rolling's theory of 'linking design to data' is passe as far as Bengaluru is concerned. The city has grown beyond designing and in population -  As he says, it is better to cleverly say 'we can't do it (stretching further)' instead of bluntly saying 'impossible'.

 

idontspam's picture

Defeatist

 The city has grown beyond designing and in population

That is your interpretation and you can keep it, I dont have to either subscribe or succumb to that defeatist view. 

I would like to use the data you have provided though for different purposes. 

 

IDS

§§§ Tweetenator

idontspam's picture

Urbanization

 Here is some data driven gyan.

Watch how China the (red dot) overtakes India the (blue dot) in urbanization & GDP.

 

IDS

§§§ Tweetenator

blrsri's picture

karma bhumi..

I too felt disgusted as Mr VKM describes above..akrama everywhere..for eg.

Tagore circle gets an unwanted underpass just cos JnNURM allocated funds..

BDA reaps in crores cos of Sakrama and encourages violations..

There is a racket for cutting down trees for metro..

Violations and akrama's every where..

 

But the again..this city and our country is our Karma bhumi..and Praja is one of the vehicles of hope..lets continue our tryst!

Btw I still average 20KMPH for my Girinagar - CV raman ngr daily trip..and expect to do better in dec next year when metro goes live!

 

kbsyed61's picture

Turning away from the problem!

I am sure there will be many more such sadistic views of cities like Bangalore. Also I am sure many of us are not in denial of what ever statistics and data has been shared by the author of the post. But million dollar question is how do you reverse the degradation.

The problems presented in the post is not just unique to B'lore. It is same story all across India. One of my office colleague (He is from Taiwan) recently visited India including Bangalore, Mysore, New Delhi, Agra, Pune. He made a very interesting comment that Traffic in Bangalore is much organized than in any other city in India including Delhi. BTW, he is a passionate BIRD watcher and on my travel tips, he visited Ranganna Thittu. He seems to have like the place and various birds.

Now coming Back to the problem with decaying Bangalore city (not according to me), needs a long treatment and a long healing period. but one thing I will emphasis, there is still hope and it can be done.

The diagnosis for this degeneration lies in planning, execution and maintenance of policies and programs for sustainable living all across the state. This is true for all across the country.

For the sake of keeping discussion focused I will break my response into 4-5 comments.

 

 

blrsri's picture

Traffic not so Syed..

When I was growing up..the discussions on traffic was abt autos..'ella kade nuggusthare'..that is autos sqeeze/force themselves everywhere, even in narrow places..

Now on radio...an RJ talks to a 2 wheeler rider asks 'nuggisokke aagthillava?'..'are u not able to squeeze/force ureself'..

After putting the barricade concrete divider..the south end signal from elephant rock road takes 15 min minimum..also hav they introduced  traffic lights on bull temple rd cos of barricades,,etc..miss placed priorities here

There are no more kids playing on streets cos of the scare of traffic!

Metro construction has made roads even worse..cmh road and ulsoor rd etc are like war zone...bombed by some stuka dive bombers...

There is a constant scare on peds..including old folks..cos of missing footpath and heavy traffic

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

Are statistics also sadistic?

Here is some more Pizza to chew on how dangers namma Bengaluru has become - source - Bangalore Mirror 11-11-09 - front page Stats:

- 34 lakh vehicles - whooping 24.5 lakhs are two wheelers

- 14 per cent annual growth rate of vehicles in Bengaluru - Hyderabad-12, Mumbai-8 and Delhi-7 per cent

- 10 RTO offices - issue average 2 lakh driving licenses every year - 08-09 total: 2.37 lakh

- 9,264 drivers booked in seven days (btw 25-10-09 to 31-10-09) for jumping signals alone

- 800 people get killed in road accidents every year in Bengaluru,

- 6000 suffer injuries 

- 250 children die due to road accidents and 13 per cent died after a fall, 6 per cent drowned - NIMHANS study

- 10,000 children are hospitalised for accidents in places of recreation-NIMHANS

-35,614 motorists were booked for using Mobile phones between 1/09 to 9/09 

Real time experience - travel time taken in different modes of transport - trail conducted:

(1) MG Road - Trinity Circle to Anil Kumble Circle - distance 2 kms - Cycle took 10.40 minutes; Mobike: 7.30; Car: 17; Walking 20 minutes 

(2) Hosur Road - Dairy circle to Madivala check post via., Forum mall - distance: 1.5 kms- Cycle took 7.00 minutes; Mobike: 10.45; Car: 12.05 and walking: 18.23 minutes

(3)Central Silk Board to Jayadeva fly over: 2.6 kms - Cycle took 15 minutes, mobike: 8, Car 17 and walking: 26 minutes.

Vasanth Mysoremath 

kbsyed61's picture

BMTC - our work doesn't stop here!

VKM avare,

Bengaluru Praja discussion on BMTC was brushed aside with only one assurance - yes, praja group was magnanimously assured by the BMTC official that he will issue necessary instructions to the drivers to stop at the bus stops proper! Rest of the points projected went into pages of history.

With regard to this comment of yours, let me say few things. Engagements with BMTC or KSRTC, BDA, BMRC, BBMP doesn't end with one meeting. Each meeting creates more work for us, because it is a ongoing activity. Frankly we have not done much after the meeting with BMTC in June. You are at liberty to lay the blame on me and other Praja members who are on this team for being quite on this front.

As for myself, lately have been little busy with our daily work and family. Manjary, Ritesh and others are right now very busy with Mobilicity event. I am looking forward to some action after the event.

In the example given by you w.r.t BMTC, the ball is in our court to follow up on the last meeting. It is in our own interest to go back and do some reality check on this assurance. I am thinking on doing some focused actions to capture the reality on BMTC issues and take it up with BMTC for corrective actions.

The plan is every month we run a different campaign. Let say for December, we will do a reality check on Buses stopping at Bus stops. Basically on different bus stops we collect data on no. of buses that stops at bus stops. If 25 Praja members just volunteer for 2 hours at any bus stop, we will have enough data to sit across with BMTC and ask for corrective actions.

Another month campaign to collect data on different BMTC services to plot the disparity in BMTC services in different areas of B'lore.

Likewise here is a list of some other focused campaigns we can run:

  1. Right display of destination Boards
  2. Data on redundant routes
  3. Public Amenities/facilities Check at Major Bus station like SBS, KBS, KRM, Jaynagar including the upcoming TTMCs

Our approach should be that we trust but we will verify. Pls feel free to add anything that you see important and missing.

 

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

Some more Pizza

@ Syed Sir

This post does not talk only of BMTC and its stratified services to the majority of aam aadmi commuters and/or about misuse of JNNURM funds to being spent on civil works in the guise of TTMCs finally turning them into non-transport profit making cash cows (otherwise the funds will lapse). 

Ponder over this paradoxical and helpless situation being faced by BMTC - 

- 2400 kms of road length available - maximum limit reached - cannot be stretched further

-  5600 is the approx number of buses that ply on road daily

- 45 minutes is the approximate average time given to a BMTC driver to make one way trip but 90 minutes is the actual time taken as per a BMTC driver and they spend nearly 10 hours on the Steering of the bus. They try to make up the missing trips by speed-drive and brushing past other vehicles

- 5.4 lakh cars in the City

- 1.05 lakh Autos

- 24.5 lakh two wheelers

-  18 meters minimum is the road length required by one bus to safely run and manouver on the road and with the mad traffic on road will it be possible for a BMTC bus to exactly stop at the bus stop?    Issuing instructions to driver is passe.

-  Assuming 4000 buses will be on road at any given moment and my car will be at the end of these buses - add other vehicles occupying the same road, simple maths will tell you to take to the cycle than any of the other modes.

Solutions suggested:

- Bring in rules - A family can own only one car and one two wheeler and any number of cycles.

- If second car is brought in for registration, supply satisfactory details of disposal of the first car.

- Maximum two wheelers per family to encourage travelling together by family members

- Children to be admitted to the nearest available schools and priority in admissions - must for locality kids - avoids cross-city travelling, helps kids to save time and energy and anxiety to parents.

- MNCs, IT, ITeS etc., to encourage 'working from home culture'

Bottom Line: Reduce influx into the city and avoid creating further congestion and miseries to the existing cosmopolitan citizens.

Vasanth Mysoremath  

 

spry's picture

Things would be much better with Metro/local train

Mumbai local carries ~7 million passengers (equal to entire bangalore population) on daily basis  with the system length of 303 KM, one fourth of bangalore road network. In mumbai i can have proper estimation of my travel time, it is not possible in Bangalore with traffic jam at every nook n corner.

So, with better planning this city can handle much more than existing population. The focus should be to improve the infrastructure. If we discourage people from coming to Bangalore, it will also discourage investment from industries which in turn cut it growth. Also, migration is not one way. People from Bangalore also move to other places to earn  their bread an butter and its part of natural process. If they, individuals n industries, find it un-sustainable, they will simpley move to another place. Its as simple as that.

What purpose does this post inted to solve???

 

 

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

Mumbaikaars created Navi Mumbai

When Mumbai became unliveable and was bursting at its seams, Mumbaikars created a very well planned Navi Mumbai, bigger than Mumbai and is the abode of many of the rich and famous and page 3 figures.  Per capita income of many of those living is higher than Mumbai.  one of the finest bridges connects and makes it easy to commute; Navi Mumbai is not congested and polluted like namma Bengaluru. the Municipal Corporation of Navi Mumbai is a very rich municipal authority and utilises its moneys for providing best possible long term tangible infrastructure.

Can we create Hosa Bengaluru?  Whatever land that is available in the BBMP area has been gobbled up by real estate lobbies.  

'Erstwhile BMP adopted the best escape route - they wanted more land, simply extended the boundary marks,  burried the green belt and called itself  BBMP, this clever move increased the real estate values, made the poor farmers surrender to the real estate mafia, made them pay taxes as applicable  to the city dwellers without providing basic infrastructure.  

With regard to Bengalureans going outside, only those who are highly qualified and gifted with something extra special in IT / BT and similar other fields may be making their way to a wider world but local populace are simpletons and have become minorities with hardly 23 per cent of bangalore's population. To boot, even their simple living abodes and their peace of mind have been snatched away by the process of development and in creating Metro/Widening of Roads etc.  Tier II cities like Mysore, Mangalore, Tumkur, Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum are beng projected as future growth cities - good - go ahead but before making the local populace suffer, please ensure that there is an inclusive growth.

Can this the called social justice?

- So, let us live and let live - enough is enough - we are having enough of investments and created name and fame and simply put, nanna Bengaluru cannot any more of either of your investment or your creating more and more of confusions and misery.

- Vasanth Mysoremath       

 

psaram42's picture

Can we compare Mumbai to Bangalore?

 Mumbai extends primarily in one direction. Its width is comparatively much less than the length. Hence the local train is highly efficient. The local train lines are double and each a double track. So your comparison must be examined carefully before being carried away. Also Mumbai has plans for several metros in addition. Bangalore traffic is much more complex to handle because of its spread is all four directions. 

Whether to get more investment at any cost is better left to the judgment of people of the state. What kind of investment and what kind of Industries does also matters.

Purpose of the post is exactly that as per my understanding.

 

 

 

kbsyed61's picture

Meeting with BMTC on Stratified Services !

VM avare,

This post does not talk only of BMTC and its stratified services to the majority of aam aadmi commuters and/or about misuse of JNNURM funds to being spent on civil works in the guise of TTMCs finally turning them into non-transport profit making cash cows (otherwise the funds will lapse).

You did not respond to my comment. Anyway, w.r.t this comment of yours, I see that repeatedly you bring up this topic of 'Stratified Service' from BMTC. I think we have discussed enough and now it is time for some action.

If you are willing, we can setup a meeting with BMTC officials and present them your take on this topic. For that, we need to present BMTC with all the data that you can pull up, show the devil and ask for their response and possible action. I think you are the best choice to be presenting this case to BMTC, so your presence would be very much needed for this meeting. It doesn't have to be immediate, wecan plan according to your availability.

We need following for this meeting:

  1. A detailed report along with relevant data from official sources showing the stratification of services.
  2. A seperate document that list some practical solutions to correct the course.
  3. A power point presentation not more than 10 slides summarizing the above report.

Let me know if you are game for this.

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

@ Syed Sir - pl hve this post to "Stratified ....BMTC

Syed sir

I am at a loss to understand as to which comment of yours in your earlier posts require my answer. 

Let us hive this post  about BMTC from this post to "stratified services by BMTC...' that will be the right platform where BMTC meetings are planned.  

I have given some suggestions in my above post about BMTC and they can also be hived off.   

I am more than game for tackling BMTC on the subject of ...let us work towards this end, provided some responsible official from BMTC is ready to sit across and without outsourcing this kind of public consultation through some agency that cannot be held for transparency and accountability. 

Further - your post asking me to prepare /A detailed report along with relevant data from official sources showing the stratification of services/  needs correction - Have you ever got a straight reply from a government office when you point out their mistake?  I have not based my observation of loss making on Volvos - it is the media  reports and their own admittance of continued loss making three years in a row amount to Rs.3 crores plus.

Consider prajas observations in that post as the detailed report and the only need of a separate document on solutions would be - listen to experts like Srihari, consider postponement of further purchases of hi-end buses to cater to a few instead of the majority, reduce losses, fulfil the social obligation of a public transport sector entity and hive off Volvo/Merc/Marcopolo class of providing transport to a separate entity without investment from the consolidated fund of India because public money is meant for all and not catering for a few.   Let us talk about BMTC only - not about Railways, Air travel, economy class, business class, I AC etc.  Such posts diolute.

Vasanth Mysoremath

 

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

Bengaluru-City of Accidents/Deaths/Injuries

 

NIMHANS study report on BISP in Bengaluru

Pointers from NIMHANS - Benglauru Injury/Road traffic Injury Surveillance Programme (BISP) :

- 5000 deaths and

- over 1 lakh hospitalised in 2007

- Road Traffic Injuries are leading causes

- 3 out of 4 injured/killed were young males

- 1.1 million million deaths and 22 million hospitalisations are likely to occur in India by 2010

- CHOICE IS YOURS

source: Dec.Herald 16th Nov

Vasanth Mysoremath

 

 

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

Pl don't plan to buy property on Tannery Road

Dear All

If any of you are planning to invest on buying some property on Tannery (meaning: a building or factory where animal skins and hides are tanned - tomorrow it may be YOU) Road or its vicinity, please re-think.

BBMP is planning widening of Tannery Road:

- 13 meters is the present width

- 24 meters will be the proposed new widened road (11 meters more)

- 163 property owners will have to part with their homes/business/property - bait: F A R ?

- 5 kms is the stretch proposed to be widened

-  Benefit: will help motorists to get to the outer ring road through Nagavara and Hegdenagara.

- Choice is yours

source: Dec.Chronical 16th Nov.09 

Vasanth Mysoremath

 

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

Majestic KSRTC-out of bounds for 3(or 5) years

- 27 acres of land to be handed over to Metro for the time being

- Buses to outstations will start from satellite centers - Peenya TTMC,  Mysore Road Satellite Bus stand, Shantinagar Bus stand and Byappanahalli TTMCs

- Get ready for more messy traffic hold ups in CBD/Majestic area

- Construction work, huge JCBs, Debris, monstruous trucks, dust and noise pollution, approach to railway station is also likely to be affected.

- wait for more details from official sources

 

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

Metro in Majestic-Env.Impact Com warns

- Metro rail may start work in Majestic in a week-Lakhs of BMTC commuters will be the worst sufferers and shops etc;

- Avoid consuming anything outside in and around Majestic because with the dry winter weather, dust pollution coupled with humidity, ambience will not be good.

- Initial excavation will cover 7.5 acres for 90 days

- Huge amount of excavated material to be transported in about 100 trucks everyday

- It is understood that there are rock formations in the earth's strata and controlled/uncontrolled blastings may take place during day and/or night

- Dust from drilling, excavated debris and transportation through Central Business District will create untold environmental pollution and consequent health problems

- Dust on tree canopies will hamper their CO2 absorbing capacity

- No Dumping yards identified/earmarked so far

- Citizens living around the remaining neglected Lakes in and around the city like Bannerghatta, Bellary Road, White Field etc., must now be more vigilant and prevent dumping of debris of any kind either from BMRCL or others. 

- Environmental Impact Assessement committee alleges that BMRCL has not so far convened any meeting to delve into the potential environmental hazards, the excavations may cause.

-  Mr.Yellappa Reddy has suggested that the entire work area must be made a covered area with regular tree canopies wash and regular sprinkling of water to avoid dush in the air.  With a few rains, the slush, mud and consequent unsafe roads will hamper traffic and cause undue hardship to all classes of people.

- Mr.Kempe Gowda's Circle will not be the 'same old oriental majestic' any more because it will be transformed into a cluster of mega concrete structures monsters spewing Carbon Dioxide and creating a hot ambience.

-  our service providers have exhibited rank inability while executing ad-hoc and ill planned projects with naive temperory solutions - classic example - Ananda Rao Circle Fly over - take the traffic from Railway/Bus Station areas  and dump them on Seshadri Road/KR Circle/Nrupathunga Road.

 -  They are not used to executing mega projects and there is no systematic coordinated executable plan between the seven stakeholders and no credence to public opinion or consultation.

-  Choice is yours - Avoid Majestic area for the next 5 years.

- Vasanth Mysoremath

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

Uprooting businessmen for Halasuru Metro Stn.

Source: Dec.Herald today

- Development at what cost and for whose sake?

- Business establishments, residents on Old Madras Road - now Swami Vivekaananda Road - have surrendered their residences and business premises 

- Maximum number of private properties have been acquired to align the Metro station at Halasuru

- most of the land loosers had to shut shop and have been offered fair market value under section 29(2)  of Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board Act, 1966

- Chairman of FICCI has voiced concern about "short term pains to be decreased for long term gains (for whom?) like the Bengaluru Metro - In developed countries like London, Metro was planned hundreds of years ago ...

- logically, aligning a Metro through a CBD has to be below ground but we have elevated corridor in congested area and an underground corridor in front of Vidhana Soudha.

- bottom line - "Depriving people of their livelihood, which is a fundamental right, is bad planning" - Poovayya, FICCI

- Choice is yours -

Vasanth Mysoremath

 

 

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

More Pizza on Bang-lure

Prajas uvaacha on Grade Separators across arterial corridors

 @vinay-srinivas

- why is such a huge project not being taken up when an elected council is not in place?

- no public consultations were held

- where will they get the funding for this?

- what sort of facilities will they give pedestrians? underpasses, overpasses are exclusionary and wont work. besides, its not just the issue at the junction..if you make the junction signal free, all the roads leading to/away from it will have continuous traffic. how will people cross there?

- this requires widening roads , which means homes, shops will be broken, trees will be cut.

i think its a terrible project, one which will permanently scar the city

@s-yejaman

I feel like weeping!  BBMP can only see our city as a network of roads.

Knowing BBMP's execution capability and capacity this will make our lives miserable for the next 3-4 years and then leave a permanent scar on the city. 

When the keeper of the city becomes its worst enemy then there is no hope.  Ironically this comes a few days after we do Mobilicity.  Srivathsa

@sanjayv

However, given our past experience, the chances of a screwed up outcome is extremely high.

- Choice is yours

vasanth mysoremath

 

 

 

 

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

Some 'Bisi Bele Bath' on Bang-lure

 

/There is serious lack of parking space in Bang-lure/

/wanted: 8,000 acres of land in Bangalore/

- Flash back 1980 - No.of cars 1.68 lakhs

- 2008 - 31.28 lakh vehicles on road

- In a year out of 8.760 hours, a car runs only for about 400 hours (on an average 6 hours per day) and the car remains parked for 8,360 hours

- DULT (Directorate of Urban Land Transport) report: Bangalore city is radial and a concentric one with a series of roads - road net work is a star like structure where all major roads converge on CBDs

- In Bangalore, vehicle to person ratio is 1:3 the highest in the country

- People buy vehicles without any thought to availability of road space either for traversing or for parking -

- DULT Warning: In the long run vehicles are outstripping available space and Bangalore will suffer extreme hardship  leading to poor quality of life.

If there was government land available many viable solutions could have been suggested like stand alone multi-level car parking etc., but unfortunately, most of the land has been gobbled up/encroached/misused for housing and commercial purposes.

- Governments have been thinking for a decade now to address the problems created by the buregoning population but appear to have stopped thinking or escaping by creating more DULTs, ABIDes but very cleverely allowing the problem to be solved by itself or in the alternative, to let the city die a slow death.

- choice is yours, if you are thinking of coming to Bang-lure and settling down - think again.

courtesy: JAMaluru, BM todate.

- Vasanth Mysoremath

 

 

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

Rabies City - another feather for Bang-lure

Courtesy: Dec.Chronicle todate.

- Bang-lure City Corpn is loosing its battle against stray dogs

- BBMP has 3.27 lakh dogs as per 2001 census

- Says between 2000 and Nov 2009 total of 2.69 lakh dogs have been castrated and released back in the same area from where they were caught in most cases.

- Barking and Biting stats:

- NIMHANS BISP Report

- 50 deaths due to dog bite

- 50,000 dog bites

- 2007-08 - reported dog bites 21,121

- 2008-09 - At Isolation hospital - reported dog bites 4,279 - rabies attack in 31 cases

- Upto November 2009 reported dob bites - 479 out of these 16 have rabies

- 35 per cent of animal bites cases were kids below 15 years

- Corporation pays Rs.515 for castrating a male dog and

- Rs.525 for castrating a female dog

- Animal NGOs under scanner for having failed to serve the cause for which they are receiving money

PAC Chairman Padma Bhushan Dr.Samuel Paul deplores that no action has been taken against these NGOs

- SUGGESTED SOLUTION:

- With due regards and respects to animal lovers, why not catch them, check their health, transport them to nearby forest areas where they can live comfortably and also help the animal kingdom to maintain a respectable food chain?

- BBMP/NGOs - are you listening please?

- Choice is ours.

- Vasanth Mysoremath

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

'GREENHOUSE CITY' - another RED FEATHER on Bang-lure cap

Next to Delhi, it is Namma Bangalooru that has popped up like a pop corn to achieve this dubious distinction on the eve of Global Sumit on Climate Change at Copenhagen commencing from today and being attended to by 192 nations.

- India's PM has DECIDED to participate in the Sumit, at last.

IISc Prof.NH Ravindranath who is taking part in COP15 uvaacha -

- Bengaluru is steadily becoming one of the highest contributors to global warming

- attributable to not only increased number of vehicles but also due to rapid strides in the IT Sector becos they are gurglers of scarce electricity (and of course FE earners but....question remains .. for what purpose ? To hasten what ?)

- bulk of 60 to 80 per cent GHG emission is from urban area

source: Dec.Chronicle todate

Add-ons:

- State Government:  Rs.25,000 crore outlay is planned to improve (?) over a period of time ...?

- Choice is yours but please do visit Bang-lure at least once.

- Vasanth Mysoremath

 

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath's picture

'MOST CORRUPT CITY' - Bang-lure-another yellow feather

Cosmopolitan and Richie Rich Bengaloreans are the top bribe givers amongst 3 cities - Mumbai, Delhi and Bang-lure.

- LA uvaacha

- Society is turning pro-corrupt - Corruption has reached an all time high -  not to beg for more power since there is no political introspection 

- 34 raids conducted with 303 traps laid during 2007

- 92              -"-                 265          -"-              2008

- 53              -"-                 284          -"-              2009

- Trapped 852 officials and seized 286.52 crore worth of unaccounted assets.

- A Study covered 1226 people from 3 cities - 402 were from Bang-lure - showed that more than 50 per cent of people contacted are ready to pay bribe to get their work done easily.

Courtesy: Dec.Chronicle todate.

- The above study shows that most Indian Bangaloreans have a high level quality of compromising moral and ethical values of the society they are living in for breaking laws and gaining more and more material and other comforts.

- Want to be a part of it?

- Choice is yours.

- Vasanth Mysoremath

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