The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Reporter's Diary

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 20, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Reporter's Diary

Make science simple

ORGANISATIONS, which announce "international conferences", sometimes overdo their eagerness for publicity. One such event went with little beyond the local element in its participants and everything was over in two hours.

For many reporters, unless they are specialists with a science background, covering scientific conference is not easy.

The organisers can help out by preparing abstracts of scientific papers in simple language and make them available at least by the end of the proceedings.

After all, a majority of the people are not likely to be scientists either.

One big walk

YEARS AGO, when security concerns were not as high as today, visitors to Bangalore airport could actually walk up to the aircraft on the tarmac.

Those were the days, when September 11 and terrorist strikes were not so common. Life was one big walk in the airport.

Then came the viewers' gallery, complete with tickets and the excitement of watching aircraft land, park and take-off, all from a distance.

Armed with the lowly priced tickets, crowds thronged the gallery. The airport had turned a big attraction, for the tourists and local people alike. Today, the gallery is just a name. You can still buy a Rs. 20 ticket to the gallery. But all that you get to see is a hole in the wall.

Visitors can spot a jumbo jet's tail or a Boeing's wing through the meshed up view. Here is the latest from the gallery: The space has been reduced, thanks to the accommodation provided for new airlines.

The next time a visitor wants to view an aircraft, he may have to buy an air ticket. Security, thy name is not freedom.

Heaps of promises

When you did a road, which side of the road do you heap the mud? You will naturally say that on the side that does not affect the traffic flow. But the officials behind the greater Bangalore project to provide city outskirts with Cauvery drinking water seem to think otherwise.

Recently, when they dug up parts of the roads in T. Dasarahalli City Municipal Council areas, they piled up the mud in the middle of the road.

People did not mind because they were told that it was only for a day or two.

"We are fixing valves and check the effectiveness of valves and close them tomorrow," an official said.

Twenty days have gone since then. The heaps of mud remain at many places. Vehicle owners are forced to take detours. Will someone educate the men who dig the roads to be a little considerate to the road users?

K. Satyamurty,

Rasheed Kappan

and Govind D. Belgaumkar

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