About 77% of children in Bangalore feel unsafe to move freely on the city’s roads, while a much higher number of parents, 88%, are not ready to allow their wards to travel alone in the city.
How safe is Bangalore for your kids? If this question is bothering parents, here comes a survey which might further raise parents’ growing concern about safety and security of their children in the IT capital, which, of late, is increasingly turning unfriendly towards its young population.
According to a research survey titled, Making Cities Liveable for Children–A Multi Sectoral Analysis of Bangalore, about 77% of children in Bangalore feel unsafe to move freely on the city’s roads, while a much higher number of parents, 88%, are not ready to allow their wards to travel alone in the city.
Almost similar is the perceptions of teachers about the city’s safety standards—About 67% of teachers feel that the city is unsafe for children.
The research was conducted by Evangelical Social Action Forum (ESAF) in association with HealthBridge Foundation of Canada (HB).
The survey covered around 800 children in Bangalore in the age group of 8-18 years, 200 parents, 200 teachers, and 10 officials, each from government offices, NGOs, health and police departments.
For 50% of parents, heavy vehicular traffic and accidents on the roads are the prime concerns, which dithers them from sending their wards alone on Bangalore roads.
Around 62% of children consider jam-packed roads with motorists a major challenge for their free mobility.
Moreover, 73% of kids in Bangalore are scared of stray dogs menace in the city, while 42% feel that several open drains on the roads are nothing less than ‘killing mines’, after a six-year-old Abhishek died, when he accidentally fell into an open rain-flooded drain in 2009.
The survey was conducted to know how safe the city is for children to live, told Manju George, project manager of ESAF.
“Through the survey, we wanted to know about children’s perception and dreams about their city. We also wanted to review how local policies and laws address child rights issues, map the organisations and institutions working on child issues, and identify city’s contribution to the development of children,” added George. The primary indicators on which the survey was done include education, governance, health, land use, neighbourhood, safety, and transportation.
The survey states that 75% of children look for help from their parents and elders, while doing their homework. As high as 79% children feel that quantity of homework is excessive.
About 68% of the schools provide just over one hour a week for sports activities. And what is shocking is that 65% of children have admitted that tobacco products are easily available within the school campuses.
“As close as 90% of the children lamented that frequent power cuts in the city hugely affect their studies,” said George.
In terms of health parameters, Bangalore does not provide a healthy environment to children’s growth, says Dr Indramma, associate professor of child psychiatry at National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences.
According to the report, Type 2 Diabetes, obesity and dental problems among kids are on the rise in the city. Around 76% of parents rued that city does not provide children open and safe places to play, as parks are shrinking at a rapid rate.
Similarly, 62% of children report that their surroundings are polluted with noise.
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