Struggling to make ends meet: Karnataka bike taxi ban hits six lakh riders hard
Bengaluru: Over six lakh bike taxi riders in Karnataka have been left in a state of deep uncertainty following a High Court directive to stop bike taxi operations in the state. With their primary source of income cut off, many riders now find themselves struggling to meet basic financial obligations.
Bike taxi riders are holding meetings to explore their next steps after nearly six lakh of them have been left jobless, according to the Bike Taxi Welfare Association. Many are now grappling with mounting financial pressures, Deccan Herald reported on Thursday.
Adhinarayana, president of the Bike Taxi Welfare Association, revealed that around 300 riders visit their office in HSR Layout each day seeking support. “We are constantly in touch with them, trying to find a way forward. Shifting to other daily wage jobs will mean we will earn less than before,” DH quoted him as saying.
While the association reportedly met Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy last month, there has been no tangible outcome. “The government has the power to frame rules but has not acted. This has affected both riders and commuters who relied on us,” Adhinarayana added.
Many of these riders have been part of the bike taxi industry since its early days. Shivananda, a native of Belagavi who moved to Bengaluru over a decade ago, has worked as a bike taxi rider since 2018. Before that, he earned Rs 12,000 per month working for a company. A brief stint in food delivery followed, where he earned about Rs 800 per day under demanding and erratic conditions. However, his income had nearly doubled as a bike taxi rider.
For others like Vinayaka, the situation is extremely dire. With no SSLC qualification, job options are extremely limited. “I’ve been sitting at home, desperately hoping something changes. I have to pay my vehicle's EMI, send money home, pay rent as well, but I am unable to manage now,” DH quoted him as saying.
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Climate Change crisis: IMD to change parameters to declare heatwaves
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The IMD, along with its technical partners, will soon revise the criteria for declaring heatwave conditions in the country, as the present parameters do not suit India’s geographical conditions, according to official sources here.
Kerala, in particular, has faced difficulties in issuing heatwave warnings because of the limitations of the existing parameters.
Sources in the India Meteorological Department said the state experienced severe heat and humidity this summer and, for the first time, weather forecasts were made based on the anti-cyclone system that formed near the Karnataka–Maharashtra coast.
"We have never had an anti-cyclone system form closer to the South before, and this time we had to predict the weather based on it," a senior IMD official told PTI.
Anti-cyclonic systems are common over north-western parts of India, but this year one formed near the southern region, leading to unusually hot nights.
The anti-cyclone caused downward air movement, which pushed warm air towards the surface and prevented it from dispersing at night, the official added. As a result, Kerala recorded night temperatures 3 to 4 degrees Celsius above normal.
Because Kerala has experienced a steady temperature increase during the summer months for the last few years, changing the parameters for declaring heat waves would benefit the state, enabling the authorities to issue warnings more efficiently, the official added.
The IMD currently issues hot and humid weather warnings, although the situation warrants a heatwave warning, as the existing parameters do not allow the department to issue one.
At present, the IMD issues a heat wave warning in coastal areas when the maximum temperature reaches 37 degree Celsius or more with a temperature departure of 4.5 degree Celsius over the recorded maximum temperature.
For plains, the threshold is 40 degrees Celsius with a departure of 4.5 degrees Celsius or more from normal, while for hilly regions it is 30 degrees Celsius with a departure of 4.5 degrees Celsius or more.
Officials said the current heatwave declaration parameters also require these conditions to be recorded at two stations in the state to issue the warnings.
"In Kerala, we hardly get to record these conditions in two areas; moreover, we have severe heat stress that can easily cause a heat stroke. So we have decided to rework the heatwave declaration parameters and the changes will be implemented shortly. There will be a consultation with the Disaster Management Authority also before finalising the parameters," the official said.
Throughout Kerala, temperatures recorded this summer were three to four degrees Celsius higher than usual. The state also reported multiple cases of heatstroke despite regular warnings issued by the IMD and the state disaster management authority.
According to experts, Kerala has become a climate change hotspot, with a steady increase in atmospheric temperatures and erratic monsoons.
The IMD has also predicted a below-normal monsoon this year, as this is the first time two consecutive El Nino years are being witnessed.
