Work for ” Development of the smart classroom (civil and ICT part) phase 2″ started at 3 government schools under Smart City Proposal in presence MLA Shri Anil Benake, Smt Rukhaiya Hadalge,AEE, and Shri Badami, EE and other smart city officers and block education officer.

Components will Include full-fledged renovation of selected classrooms in civil part with flooring, false ceiling, wall finishing, air-conditioning, waterproofing, fixing of new doors and windows with full UPS back up and other things required for renovation.

ICT part will include 20 nos of computer science, e-library kiosk, student workstations, teacher and student chair, LED screen touch board which can be integrated with the Command and control centre. The systems will be updated with the software of syllabus of English, Kannada, Marathi and Urdu language.

Teachers will be given training for operation.

The maintenance of the smart classroom is given to the contractor for 5 years after completion of work.

Development of Smart classroom phase 2

Cost of project-1.47 crores

Total 3 classrooms have been taken up in this project

1. School no 33, Vantmuri

2. Khanjar Galli Urdu school

3. Vishveshwaraya school

Smart classroom developed by the smart city at 8 government schools under Phase 1 are expected inauguration by August end of Phase 1 –

Chintaman Rao, School no 17, Vadgaon, School no 33, June Belagavi, School no 5, School no 14, Sardar’s school, School no 24, Mahantesh nagar, KHBS, Kanbargi.

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We have got the details about the development of the Heritage Park at Vaccine Depot by Belagavi smart city limited.
The major takeaway is No existing trees are planned to be cut in this project and all the construction is from the natural materials.

Development of Heritage Park

Phase-1 Works: Construction of Two Check weirs for impounding stormwater for rainwater harvesting and irrigation for plants and trees.

This is already over.

Phase-2 Works: Development of Park.

Salient features of Heritage Park phase 2 :-

1. Pathway 4m Wide: Pathway is made of 4m width having GSB, Murrum soil and Sand Stone Masonry kerb on the sides are considered. (eco-friendly materials used)

2. Toilets: Toilets are constructed for convenience of morning walkers.

3. Seating pavilions/Gazebos: Seating pavilions/Gazebos are planned at 6 places along the 2.5 Km Pathway for the convenience of the walkers and Seniors citizens. It will act as in between breaks and exercise places.

4. Food Kiosks: Food kiosks are planned for young crowd and children.

5. Parking space: Constructed with grass pavers which allow stormwater to soak. Parking spaces are designed for the convenience of walkers. A designated parking space will be created for the safety of vehicles of visitors to the park and avoid traffic.

6. Open-air theatre: Open Air Theater planned to provide space for children, adults, and senior citizens to organize a small gathering or art performances, classes. Social interaction center.

7. Rashivan: Rashivan is a landscape area which will house plants of various native species. Plantation will be taken in open spaces and there is a proposal of planting about 5000 plants of native variety plants.

8. Navagraha court: Garden with pathways created for the visually appealing area with plants and shrubs of local native variety.

9. Herbal Garden: Small Plantation of shrubs and plants of Herbal and Medicinal properties.

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The flood situation in districts of North Karnataka due to incessant rain in Maharashtra and North Karnataka regions has damaged property and affected people badly.

The government is monitoring the situation and has directed all district-in-charge secretaries through the Chief Secretary to take up rescue and relief operations on a war footing.

Currently, Belagavi, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Yadagiri, and Raichur districts have been severely affected.

Many villages were submerged and the flood has caused heavy losses to agriculture crops and other properties and houses. People and cattle are stranded.

In an unfortunate incident, Shivananda Shankara Naik a youth from Ankalagi village of Gokak taluk has washed away in flood. Several bridge cum barrages were submerged.

District Administrations need to take up rescue and relief operations in a war footing and ensure the safety of the lives of human and cattle.
Many villages have lost road connectivity and converted to islands. People and cattle must be shifted from such places immediately.

As an immediate relief measure, DCs must provide food, clothing, blankets and other amenities to the victims and fodder must be provided for cattle.
Rescue operations must gain full swing with the help of NDRF, SDRF, Military and other forces.
As there is a forecast of heavy rains in these flood-affected districts necessary precautionary measures also must be taken.

CM appreciated the rescue and relief measures taken by Belagavi and Raichur District administrations and directed to provide appropriate rehabilitation.

Currently, 3 teams from NDRF are involved in rescue operations in Belagavi and Raichur District and DCs were directed to get more teams deployed if required.

Personnel from Fire Services, Police, Revenue and other Departments were directed to take part in relief works day and night.
DCs were told to ensure good food, clean drinking water, milk and other basic facilities at temporary shelters to the victims.

As heavy damage is caused in the downstream of River Krishna due to a sudden release of water from several dams of Maharashtra, officers were directed to take precautionary measures.
Officers were told to keep in touch with authorities in Maharashtra regarding the release of water from dams and alert the villagers alongside Krishna river beforehand.

Saving human and cattle lives is the priority of the Government and rehabilitation works must be given importance.

Chief Minister will conduct an aerial survey of the flood-affected districts and review the situation.

There is no dearth of grants for relief work. The Government is prepared to provide additional grants if required.

The post North Karnataka Floods BSY to conduct aerial survey Tomorrow appeared first on All About Belgaum.

Apart from main responsibility of training the recruits for guarding the borders of the country The Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre located at Belgaum has always rendered timely assistance to Civil Authorities in rescue and relief operations during natural calamities like flood and drought etc.

On 02 Aug 2019 The Maratha LIRC was requisitioned for flood relief operations due to the havoc created by floods in the area of Northern Karnataka and immediate Maratha troops got involved in the rescue and relief operations in Chikkodi tehsil of Belgaum district which is witnessing very heavy rains since one week. The Maratha LIRC has carried out the execution of disaster relief task on a war footing, which have been greatly appreciated by the civilian populace and the state administration.

Brigadier Govind Kalwad, YSM, Commandant, The Maratha LIRC briefed the flood relief teams on ground about the preparations for rescue operations and assured civil administration of a quick response by the Army for deployment of flood relief tasks.

Due to heavy rains and release of water from Krishna River by Maharashtra, 37 villages of Chikkodi Tehsil have been heavily affected. Approximately 2,40,000 cusecs of water is being released from River Krishna due to which the rivers in Karnataka have crossed the danger level by increasing four feet every day.

As on date total three flood relief columns, having an approximate strength of five officers, six JCOs and one hundred fifty Other Ranks of the Maratha LIRC, carrying out rescue operations in Manjari and Shirguppi villages in Chikodi tehsil. The teams are equipped with 10 rescue boats, to evacuate civilians from the flood affected areas. Earlier after reaching the place they have carried out detailed survey of the area to provide relief and rescue. Apart from this the team of doctors of Belgaum Military Station has also established a medical aid centre which started providing medical aid to the people. Food distribution centre has also been established for worst affected people.

One column of the Maratha Regiment Centre and Engineer Task Force of Madras Engineering Group & Centre containing one Officer, two JCos and forty five Other Ranks have also joined the relief and rescue operation alongwith their relief equipment’s and boats. In spite of continuous and heavy rains, the flood relief team of the MLIRC Columns are working around the clock to restore connectivity to remote villages by constructing bunds and preparing alternative routes.

The post Flood relief operations carried out by the MLIRC at Chikodi appeared first on All About Belgaum.

Holiday for schools on 6 & 7 Aug in Belagavi

The Belagavi district administration has declared two days holidays for all schools on August 6 and 7 to schools in Belagavi and Chikkodi Education district excluding Ramadurg taluk in view of heavy rains in the Belagavi district. 

S B Bommanahalli, Deputy  Commissioner Belagavi in his order mentioned that the district was receiving heavy rains and due to the rising level of water in the rivers above the danger level.

The post Holiday for schools on 6 & 7 Aug in Belagavi appeared first on All About Belgaum.

Two deaths have been reported in Belagavi district, which remains the worst-affected district with multiple villages submerged. The district administration has relocated hundreds of families to safer areas, and eight shelter homes have been set up across the district.

More than 100 villages in Chikkodi, Raybag, Athani and Kagwad taluk have been affected due to floods and some of them have begun to get marooned.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa conducted an aerial survey of Yadgiri, Raichur, Bagalkote, Vijayapura and Belagavi districts.

One company of National Disaster Response Force, two companies of State Disaster Relief Force, one company of Army along with police and other department officials were conducting relief and rescue operations.

The MLIRC is also assisting in flood relief.
The north Karnataka subdivision has witnessed more than average rainfall throughout this monsoon season. From June 1 to August 4, the region has received 14% excess rainfall. 

8 gates of the Raja Lakhamagouda dam, also known as Hidkal dam, have been opened. Also Two gates of Naviluteertha dam were opened today.

The post Flood situation aggravates in North Karnataka appeared first on All About Belgaum.

August 7, 2019, as this time mark arrives, when we pause to count our blessings as it’s been a TWELVE-year journey of touching the various aspects of what makes us wish to continue our endeavor of bringing to the fore, the little things that make us showcase “All About Belgaum”.

For over the past decade, it has been a process of learning, sharing, and caring that has today enabled us to become an integral part of the lives of about thousands of individuals who share our passion for this wonderful place.

A very Big Thank you to you ALL.

As we move into our 13th year of operations, we wish to thank all those who have made this journey possible, pleasurable and worthwhile.

AAB has been doing the job in a highly impartial manner as you have seen for long. It is a supporter of no party, not even any politician, but doing yeoman’s service for the beautiful people of Belagavi. It has grown into a most authentic canvas depicting various facets and issues of the city and its residents.

AAB wishes to be the source of unity and harmony as we acquaint people with various aspects of various cultures and religions that our wonderful city is blessed with.
May be, Small but we did create an Impact by giving a vent to the voice of the citizens of Belagavi.
We are just a small drop in this ocean of information where we have tried to get the Better of Belagavi to you.
We wish to continue our journey in an unbiased and unprejudiced manner. It is in making a difference that we seek to be different.

The post AAB turns Twelve appeared first on All About Belgaum.

For the past week, Belagavi has been seeing one of its worst flood situation in many decades.

Unprecedented rain and then followed by waterlogged streets, flooded houses, stranded transportation – all this and more define the grim situation in Belagavi from Monday to Thursday.

The city is going through a very challenging time, facing its highest rainfall in 10 years and the floods that followed.

Waterlogging has risen to 6-10 feet in some localities and all residents are caught with very less water food.

HESCOM as a precautionary measure has stopped the power supply to most inundated areas. Some areas have no power for more than 48 hours now.

In such a situation, it is very important for people to help each other out. And they are doing so in some amazing ways. Standing strong against the heavy downpour, these Good Samaritans did not miss out on any opportunities to assist. This is our chance to thank and salute the selfless people who are doing their best for their fellow beings while being in the middle of a crisis themselves.

A host of Good Samaritan’s has come forward to help the stranded. May it be with food, rescuing the stranded or giving medical help.

This was also the time when Social media be it Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Whatsapp all were put to good use to gather volunteers and then the entire schedule was shared and they got to work. Rescue teams were Sent to Chandgad with a distress call received and then managed from Bengaluru.

Most of the restaurateurs have helped in making food and supplying it to the needy. Each one did just whatever he or she could do, but the feeling of helping others is important and being with your fellow citizens during their time of grief and need is of utmost importance.

From the MLA’s to the ground workers, each one tried to do his bit to help the stranded. The heavy downpour was not resistant at all for these youths, for them the aim was to give relief in form medicines, water, food, clothing to the needy.
Many were rescued in boats, even Plastic bathtubs and thermocol boxes. They helped when it was needed the most.

Many hotels, mangal karlayas have opened their doors with the help of others and are providing food shelter to the needy.

We salute this gesture of the people who have come to help others in need of time.

This worst situation in Belagavi has stood together. No Religion difference no political difference, Masjid, and Mandir giving shelter to all.

Salute to the great spirit of Belagavi.

The post Slaute the Good Samaritans – Belagavi Floods appeared first on All About Belgaum.

In a horrifying incident, a person from Goa was washed away with his car in a Nala near Santi Bastwad. He was on his way from Hyderabad to Goa on Tuesday.

The deceased has been identified as Jaichandra Gundapaneni.

He had made a call home in Goa from Belagavi that he would reach Goa in 4 hours but he never reached nor was his phone traceable today the car was found and also his body was recovered.

The post One dead as car gets washed away near Santi Bastwad appeared first on All About Belgaum.

Belgaum/Belagavi what do I say, my heart weeps as I see the thousands in distress, the houses gutted, the animals dead and water everywhere. But in this time of distress, there is a ray of hope and that is the high spirit of the people. My comrades, brothers and sisters stood like pillars giving what they could and this is something only humans with compassion can do. Today I stand proud as a Belgaumite, there is hope for us. However, we cannot loosen our guard. Now the water has started receding and we are trying to limp back to normalcy.

Mind you there is still no breather and the real problems will start now and that is why I want to give this message to all, it is now that serious health issues will surface.

The most important problem now will be that of health care and here I would like to give some info for the same. Basically, there are two types of diseases that we have to worry about, one the problem of foodborne diseases and second vector borne.

The foodborne diseases include cholera, hepatitis A, bacillary dysentery and viral diarrhea. The patients will have severe bouts of vomiting and loose stools which then causes hypoglycemia ( decrease sugars ), dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities. If not treated in time patient will develop renal failure, coma and possibly death.

So what do we do.

First, these infections spread through contamination of water with the drainage system which occurs in cases of floods. Today all the drains are clogged essentially due to the plastics we have dumped in them. The drains overflow and mix with sources of drinking water. There is even contamination of wells as their sources and nearby streams can pollute the water.

Don’t drink water directly, use only filtered or boiled water, it is not enough to only warm the water, it has to be boiled properly. See that the filter used is clean and new, as old filters are of no consequence. Do not eat raw fruits and don’t eat dead fish which are found near lakes. Try to avoid meat during this time, and if consumed cook it properly, do not consume stale food as it may be contaminated with bacteria and fungus.

If a person does develop gastroenteritis, do not starve him. It is important to hydrate the patient until help arrives. Drink plenty of fluids, lemonade, Ganji, water all are good.

If possible eat, eat what you can digest. Do not try to stop the stools, and wash your hands clean after every episode.

ORS can be procured locally and given as much as a patient can drink. Contact your doctor immediately and take proper medicines.

Hepatitis A is generally associated with jaundice and requires immediate admission, it is generally benign so don’t panic, sugarcane juice is of no use.

The other diseases are vector-borne diseases, vectors are usually insects like mosquitoes. The dreaded diseases are dengue, malaria, zika virus and chikungunya. While most of these diseases cause high fever there are different manifestations of each disease.

Malarial fever is high degree fever, it comes in periodic intervals of eight to twelve hours. The fever is typical for association with chills and rigors and comes down with profuse sweating. There could be jaundice and unconsciousness and death can occur if not treated promptly. As an immediate measure hydrate the patient, give paracetamol to bring down the fever and rush the patient to the nearest hospital.

Dengue is another disease, being a viral disease it has no cure but giving supportive care. The problem with dengue is that there is fever only initially, the real problems start after the fever goes down. This is the time when the platelets fall and the patient can be prone for bleeding. This is called dengue hemorrhagic fever and soon the patient can go in shock and die, but this is extremely rare and most patients recover after four to five days. Zika virus comes with nearly the same presentation. Chikungunya usually comes with high degree fever and severe joint pain, being a viral disease too it has only supportive care.

About these diseases, there is more of a misconception than education. Remember papaya and kiwi are fruits, good for health but they are not medicines for dengue, in fact, dengue has no medicines, it is a self-limiting disease.

Commercial vaccines for dengue are not yet available in the market, there are however few under testing. The efficiency of any other medicines or preventive solutions is of questionable efficacy as there is no proof, so do not fall prey to false propaganda and do not get negligent. Thirdly and most importantly, disease like these are treated by doctors not by neighborhood aunties or Google, so do not trust any social media, trust only your doctor.

What you really need to do is take precautions.

Mosquitoes have a short life but they breed at a very high rate, hence prevention of breeding is a good strategy, this can be achieved by destroying places which allow mosquitoes to breed. Most mosquitoes lay eggs in stagnant water or contaminated water, thus it is prompt to clean your surroundings, do not allow water to stagnate, coconut shells, plastic containers, small pits, tyres etc should be disposed of or closed.

Mosquitoes are prominently two types, Anopheles and Aedis Egypti, Anopheles causes malaria, while Aedis causes the other diseases. Anopheles is usually nocturnal and only the female bites, whereas Aedis bites even in day time, hence dengue is spread even in the day. This means we have to use mosquito repellents, mosquito nets and full clothing even during day time, especially for the children and elderly. In areas where mosquito breeding is possible fogging with insecticides should be done. If there is a stagnant pond then gambusia fish can be released in such waters, as these fish consume the larvae of the mosquitoes.

Another disease which is less frequent in Belagavi is Leptospirosis, its also known as ictero hemorrhagic fever which means there are bleeding and jaundice. The disease is caused by a delicate bacteria called leptospira and has a novel mode of spread. The organism is endemic in rats and rainwater is contaminated with the organism when rats pass their urine in stagnant water. Humans acquire this when they walk in such water barefoot, especially when there are injuries and cuts. The patient then has a fever, bleeding, jaundice and renal failure resulting in death if not treated. If such symptoms are seen do not waste time, take the patient to a doctor, if a treated early patient can be cured.

The disease can be prevented by avoiding going barefoot in the water, you can imagine in floods people loose everything including footwear, even rescuers go barefoot and this is dangerous.

Another problem which will surface now is fungal infections, there is a lot of moisture especially in the spaces in between the fingers and places which remain wet, especially when the feet are left in the water for a long time. The infections appear like white macerated skin and are associated with itching. The best treatment is to keep the skin dry, cover the parts with plastic bags if nothing is available and there is flooding of water.

Lastly, one more caution and this is regarding respiratory infections. Staying wet for a long time can cause pneumonia and respiratory infections, in elderly and smokers there can be bronchitis, these usually present with fever, cough, blood in sputum and wheeze. We need to take special care of the elderly and the small ones for in them it can be lethal. Wear warm clothing at all times, gloves and socks for the elderly should be a must. Keep them warm. For God’s sake do not smoke and drink at such times, these will aggravate the problem.

Please take care of your health, this message is for everyone, share it with your loved ones and keep them safe too.

The post Keep yourself safe, the worst is yet to come – Dr. Madhav Prabhu appeared first on All About Belgaum.

Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs who was on a visit to Belagavi to see the Flood affected areas one distressed woman threw a paper on her convoy.

The car had passed away, but then the minister asked the convoy to reverse and met the women.

The women whose house had collapsed wanted help from the minister but she passed away and while the car was passing, the woman threw the letter on the car.

The minister saw it and asked the convoy to come back and picked up the letter and consoled the woman and assured that the DC will help her.

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With regards to the holidays for School due to rains, the Schools will open on Tuesday.

Deputy Commissioner Dr. S B Bommanahalli had given holiday up to Sunday 11 August.

12 Monday being Bakri Id is a holiday hence Schools will reopen on Tuesday on schedule.

There has been a message viral on social media that holidays have been extended up to Aug 15, but no such notification has been issued for the same.

Hence the schools are set to open on Tuesday, August 13.

The post Schools to reopen Tuesday Aug 13 appeared first on All About Belgaum.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah today conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit areas of Belagavi district. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddiurappa was also present.

Over two lakh people have been evacuated from flood-affected areas and 1.61 lakh people are in 664 relief camps across the state.

Shah had reached Karnataka’s Belagavi around 2.30 PM before surveying the flood-prone areas in the district. 

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediurappa and several other top BJP leaders also accompanied the Union Home Minister during the aerial survey of the area.

After conducting the aerial survey, Yediurappa will meet senior officials in the presence of Shah at 4.30 PM at Sambra Airport in Belagavi to evaluate rescue & rehabilitation measures.

An official release said the death toll has risen to 31 with four more deaths last night while 14 people were missing.

The state government on Saturday declared 80 taluks in 17 districts flood affected and said relief and rescue operations will be carried out in a more focused manner in these places. Most of the Taluks are in Belagavi district which bore the brunt of the nature’s fury.

The Chief Minister has also announced Rs 5 lakh compensation to next of kin of the people who lost their lives in the floods that have crippled the state, on Saturday. The Chief Minister also informed that over two lakh people have been evacuated from flood-affected areas and 1.61 lakh people are in 664 relief camps across the state, while around 3.75 lakh hectare crop area, 14,000 houses and 478 km of power lines have been damaged in the floods.

The post Amit Shah conducts aerial assessment of flood damage appeared first on All About Belgaum.

The Water supply to Belagavi city has been totally crippled after the pumping station was flooded and all the electrical equipment and panels were submerged in water.

The repair work is in progress and as per the officials who spoke to Belgaum Live, it would take another 3-4 days and by Saturday Water supply would be partially restored.

The Hidkal pumping station is also in very bad condition and the would take more time for repairs and hence from Saturday water supply would be made once in 7 days until the Hidkal pumping station is repaired.

Still, the Hidkal pumping station might require 7-8 days for repairs to complete.

The post Water Supply by corporation could be partially restored by Saturday appeared first on All About Belgaum.

With heavy downpour over the past fortnight the Anmod, chorla and Amobli Ghat were closed for all kind of traffic. Now after a week Chorla and Amboli have been partially opened for movement of cars and bikes only.

HTV traffic is banned on both the routes Chorla and Amboli as of now.

The Amboli route will be open from 7 AM to 7 PM only for bikes and cars.

NWKRTC and Kadamba bus transport have still not commenced its bus services from Goa to Belagavi due to bad road conditions.

Landslides have stopped on the Chorla rote but the roads have gone bad ins some places and drivers are requested to drive slowly and carefully.

The post Chorla – Amboli Ghat partially opened for light vehicles appeared first on All About Belgaum.

Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity where an individual or group provides services for no financial or social gain “to benefit another person, group or organization”.

This is what Belagavi saw in the past week and the same still continuing which is another reason to be happy.

Even before the Administration knew what was happening (it must be known as it must have got distressed calls) but the ones to help first were the Volunteers who had not religion, caste, but were on the ground amidst the water even up to 6 feet deep trying to save life’s and help stranded people in the horrific floods that the district saw last week.

Even before the administration set up relief camps, local Marriage halls opened their doors for the distressed. When the hoteliers heard about people been shifted to these halls and they need food they started providing food.

The word spread like a wildfire and each one came up to help. From the Ganesh Mandals to the group of friends, from temple committees to Masjid committees, from Church to Gurudwara each one had only one thing on mind save the people in distress.

Someone who sold water started supplying water, one who had food supplies gave away some food supplies.
Then there was a need to identify the loss after the houses were washed away and with the City part having access to good help some good Samaritans thought it good to the reach the rural areas where help had not yet reached.

May it be villages in Gokak or the remote villages in Khanapur, they visited the villages ascertained what the villagers needed urgently, then worked on it and set back again in a day supplying whatever they could gather.

The best part was to the speed at which the things were moving, if the govt moved at such pace then it would have been a wonder. But leave it they have lot of paperwork to be done and here it is only emotions.

Each one did their bit for their satisfaction, photo bombing happened but we can ignore that part when the society at large is benefited and benefited in time.

We salute each and everyone who has contributed to this wonderful gesture of companionship and compassion.
You stood together when it was needed, Thanks for all the time and efforts you have taken for making the life of the distressed a bit cheerful.

So Don’t forget to Volunteer for your own city and your nation.

The post Volunteering the new passion appeared first on All About Belgaum.

A NRI lady Mrs. Manik Devalapur approached PYAAS FOUNDATION with an appeal to save a public well which was donated to the corporation by her grandfather the philanthropist Shri Shankar Shetappa Kalghatgi.

PYAAS had never tried to revive a well and there were plans to bury the well and build a gym. The Corporation of the city of Belagavi decided to give the foundation a chance after some persuasion. When they went to the site they were shocked as the place where the well was supposed to be was nothing but a garbage dump, there was no sign of a well at all.

With not enough funds the project was supposed to be back benched and then later a seed amount was given by Mrs. Manik, but the problem was that we had no estimate of how deep the silt was, nor what it would take to complete the project. Electricity connection was procured, submersible pumps were brought in courtesy KLE Society and contractors who dug wells were found.

It was at this time that the 1993 batch of St Paul’s High school Belagavi decided to contribute to the cause and this was the highest contribution, second only to what PYAAS FOUNDATION spent out of its reserves.

Thus started digging the well. It was then that problems started, normally you have soil which is dug from wells but here there were mountains of garbage which were coming out, the workers at the well were not used to seeing this and we had to change our contractors twice. It was as if we were digging a drain and not a well. Every day they dug and all they found was plastic and garbage. These were anxious times as there was no sight of water, every five feet seemed like a mountain. But soon the well started revealing it’s secrets, one fine day, out of the blue, it hit the water, initially a trickle and soon a shower, the water found its way out.

Now they had their second problem, the water was too much to handle and it started mixing with the garbage and made working impossible. Again they had to work with a new contractor. They had to pump the water out and dig, they pumped the water for two hours which allowed us to work for one.

The hard labor started paying and the aquifers started revealing themselves, the flow of water was so much that it was impossible to drain even with three pumps drawing the water simultaneously.

At forty feet and still, there was no sign of the garbage stopping, the only indication they were getting as to when the garbage was dumped was with the dates on the labels of packages, disposed medicines, and milk bags.

They dug to sixty feet and now the laborers started feeling asphyxiated so we had to procure oxygen cylinders and the laborers dug with oxygen masks.

The pumping on one side and digging on the other, the task was never-ending. But surely one fine day the garbage stopped and hit clay, this was the end in the digging part.

The troubles were not over yet and now test the water for potability, to their dismay the water was contaminated and there was a sense of frustration.
PYAAS had hit rock bottom with its funds and there was no hope. But then they still did not give up, Mr. R S Nayak of the city corporation started searching for the sources of contamination, and soon enough it was found that a neighboring building had let its drainage into the well. The drain was diverted and source of contamination taken off. They reconstructed the broken walls of the well and covered it with mesh to prevent any casualties.

PYAAS work was now over, rather an adventure was over.

KUWS then took over the well, a protective compound wall was constructed and a filter unit was fitted to the well, the filtered water was tested and found fit for consumption, this was a sweet success to us.

The well, however, showed it’s true utility when the floods damaged the pumping station at Hindalga. There was no water and there was no hope. It was at this time of peril that the corporation decided to open up the well and give connections to fill tankers. To the surprise of everyone, the water in the well was never-ending, tanker after tanker came and the well only obliged. Almost the entire Belagavi city was supplied water by this well, yet not once did the well have a fall in its water level. There is no greater joy than to be useful to society. Today one can proudly say that the dream of Shri Shankar Kalghatgi to supply water in memory of his wife stood the test of time.

The Kelkarbag well will be for times to come remembered as the iconic well that helped the city when there was no water in the floods of August 2019.

The post Once a garbage dump this well supplied water when it was needed most appeared first on All About Belgaum.

Dr. T Sekar, Inspector General of Police (IRLA No.-2533) currently posted as Principal, CoBRA School for Jungle Warfare & Tactics at Belagavi has been Awarded President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service on the occasion of the Independence day.

Dr. T Sekar was born on 1st May 1961 at Thirumazhisai, Chennai (Tamilnadu). He joined CRPF in 1986 in the rank of Dy.S.P. He did his PhD in Defence studies in 2014 from the University of Madras. During his long span of service, he had served in different operational theatres of the country especially in Punjab, J&K, Assam, Tripura, Manipur & Maharashtra (Gadchiroli). In the line of duty, he successfully led various anti-terrorist operations in disturbed/LWE areas to curb the terrorism/militancy. He served on deputation with SPG from 1989 to 1998 and ensured fool-proof security of VVIPs including Prime Ministers & former-Prime Ministers.

Due to his professional competence and training experience, he was selected to head the premier training institutions of CRPF, i.e, CTC (Neemuch) and CTC Coimbatore. He set an example in evolving of innovative, best practices and scientific ideas in training methodology and Disaster Management.

He also served on deputation with BHEL at Trichy (Tamilnadu) for three years as Chief Security officer. He commanded Operational Range Gadchiroli (MH) and led/planned many successful Anti-Naxal operations in 2018. On promotion to the rank of IGP, he joined as Principal, CoBRA School for Jungle Warfare & Tactics at Belagavi in Karnataka.

In recognition of exemplary services rendered, he was decorated with two hard area duty medals and many DG’s commendation discs & letters. He was also conferred Police Medal for meritorious services in the year 2009 for his outstanding service. Now he has been awarded President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service on occasion of Independence Day-2019 for his extraordinary service rendered by him.

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For the first time in many years, (maybe 30) the national flag will be hoisted this Independence Day by bureaucrats and not ministers.

Normally, the district in-charge minister is authorized to hoist the national flag during the Independence Day celebration but since the cabinet expansion has not yet been done, the DC’s have been instructed to hoist the flag.

Authorities have also been directed to keep the Independence Day celebrations simple in view of the prevailing flood situation. 

In his circular to the DCs’, the chief secretary of Karnataka Vijaya Bhaskar has informed that the Independence Day be celebrated in a simple way and the flag be hoisted by the DCs of the respective districts excepting Bengaluru Urban.

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by Swatee Jog

Years ago when I edited a children’s newspaper, we had declared an essay competition on the topic ‘Independence comes with the responsibility’. I was amazed by the stark responses we had got from school children but otherwise who completely agreed. It felt good that we could seed thought in their minds that being independent does not mean being wayward and footloose.

My grandfather, just like many of ours would have, spoke passionately about the freedom struggle. Ours would be the last generation who had someone tell first -hand about the freedom struggle. The people then fought with all their might against the British.

They had just one enemy to fight against, we have many.  And sadly, our enemy does not always have a face, it could be an ideology, the dark side of social media, apathy, unhindered desire and a general lack of values.

This enemy comes in all shapes and sizes, it is hidden anywhere, even amidst us and is hard to spot and difficult to eradicate. We fight our battles every day with a faceless enemy. We complain but rarely act. We wait for the government and the administrators to find solutions; we never become the harbingers of solutions. We crib about the potholes but rarely does anyone pick a spade and at the least pour some gravel over it.

I remember reading of a CEO who picks up trash on his way to office. When asked why he did so, he just said “Because I saw it first”. Why does it take a government scheme like Swacch Bharat to inculcate a habit of cleanliness? Is it the government’s business to tell us to maintain it?

Independence is wrongly used as a synonym for unrestrained liberty. The right to expression comes with the duty not to hurt anybody. The right to equality must be followed in the true spirit and not just tokenism. The right to freedom of religion implies respecting every other religion in this world. Right to education comes with the responsibility that knowledge thus acquired be put to fruitful use for the country. We all take the national pledge that India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters. The pledge ends by saying that in their well being and prosperity alone, lies my happiness. Does it? What do I do that my fellow countrymen stay happy and prosperous?

Do I save water/food so that others may get it in times of need?

Do I save fuel to save some precious foreign exchange?

Do I spare some time and money to help the underprivileged?

Do I follow honest business practices?

Do I pay my taxes properly?

Do I raise a voice when I see a wrongdoing that affects my brethren and the country?

We fight an enemy of too little and too much. And the balance is so skewed, we can barely fight it anyway. It’s going to be an era of knowledge in the days to come. Countries that thrive on sharing and caring would prosper more than others. All change begins with us, whether it’s about cleanliness, creation of wealth, eradication of corruption or education if I decide to start, who’s going to stop me?  Getting educated, being responsible citizens, thinking about ‘we’ and ‘us’ and together getting on the bus towards prosperity will be the roadmap for our future.

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