Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌧️ Today’s weather: High: 29 ℃ | Low: 21 ℃ | Generally cloudy sky with light rain.
🧐 Did you know? The country’s longest bus route is a 36-hour 1,935-kilometre journey from Bengaluru to Jodhpur.
🛫 Meeting for second airport
Karnataka’s Minister for Infrastructure, MB Patil, announced that a meeting will be convened soon to decide the location for Bengaluru’s proposed second airport.
What’s it about? The decision will hinge on passenger load and connectivity to the existing Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). Potential locations include Sarjapura and Kanakapura Road for passenger load priority, and Tumkur and Dabaspete for connectivity to KIA.
- The exclusivity clause with KIA’s operator, which restricts another airport within a 150-kilometer radius, ends in 2032, paving the way for a new airport by 2033.
- The planning process has begun to account for land acquisition and compensation.
Peaking by ’33: KIA, the third busiest airport in India, handled 37.5 million passengers and over 400,000 tonnes of cargo last year, with projections of reaching peak capacity by 2033.
🦟 Second dengue death amidst emergency calls
An 11-year-old boy is suspected to have died from dengue marking the city’s second potential dengue-related death.
What’s it about? Earlier, a 27-year-old man had also succumbed to the disease on June 28. BBMP Chief Tushar Giri Nath emphasised the need for lab tests and health department confirmation before officially declaring a death as dengue-related.
- Bengaluru has reported six dengue fatalities this year.
- Dr CN Manjunath, a prominent cardiologist, has called for Karnataka to declare dengue as a state medical emergency.
Emergency calls: Dr Manjunath highlighted the need for a task force to manage the outbreak and urged preventive measures against mosquito breeding. He also noted the rise in dengue cases, especially among children, and stressed the lack of effective treatment if complications arise.
🌧️ KRS inflow high
Heavy rainfall in Karnataka’s coastal and Malnad districts has led to a significant rise in inflows to major reservoirs including the Krishnarajasagar (KRS) dam.
What’s it about? The KRS dam, a key water source for Bengaluru, recorded an inflow of 11,027 cusecs as of Sunday morning. The water level at KRS reached 31.09 TMC on July 7, higher than the 24.23 TMC recorded the previous year.
- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for very heavy rainfall in coastal regions until July 9.
- Karnataka received 266 mm of rainfall between June 1 and July 6, 7% above the normal average of 249 mm for this period.
Rainfall distribution: 10 districts, including Bengaluru Urban and Rural, recorded large excess rainfall, 10 districts experienced excess rainfall, eight had normal rainfall, and three faced a rainfall deficit.
🚸 93-year old school wall demolished
The compound wall of the 93-year-old Smt Kamalabai Educational Institution (SKEI) on Queens Road, Bengaluru, was demolished without authorisation.
What’s it about? A group of people, including Maria Elizabeth, Mohammed Jabi, and Zerard Stephan Harry, forcefully entered the school premises with a JCB and demolished the compound wall.
- An FIR was lodged at the High Grounds police station under various sections for voluntarily causing hurt, property damage, and intimidation.
- The incident is linked to a long-standing 25-year property dispute.
Court orders violated: Assistant Secretary Anuradha K P stated that SKEI had a temporary injunction order from the High Court in 2023 against any claims to the property, marking this as the third trespass attempt by Elizabeth and her group.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Does Bengaluru need a second airport?
- Bengaluru needs a second airport.
- Bengaluru does not need a second airport.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
How do you protect yourself against dengue?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In Other News…
- A 29-year-old woman made a hoax bomb threat call to the Bengaluru airport in order to prevent her boyfriend from boarding his Mumbai-bound flight.
- BMTC launched a free health screening drive for its employees to protect against lung diseases.
- 60 SpiceJet Bengaluru-Delhi flight passengers were left stranded for over 12 hours.
- Bengaluru’s residential property rates have appreciated nearly 60% over the past five years.
- The Karnataka government will be issuing 1 lakh new auto permits in Bengaluru.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!