Good morning, Bengaluru!
☁️ Today’s weather: High: 30 ℃ | Low: 20 ℃ | Mostly cloudy with some light rain possible.
🧐 Did you know? Cherry blossom trees in the city were brought by German and British horticulturalists in the late 19th century from colonial territories and botanical gardens.
🐕 Coexisting with strays
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The BBMP launched a new initiative to foster empathy and coexistence with street animals.
What’s it about? The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)’s Animal Husbandry Department began its six-month-long campaign to help citizens coexist with stray animals, especially dogs. The activities organised will include flash mobs, street plays, and contests for school children.
- The programme is zonal-level, with 100 activities planned every month. The BBMP hopes to reach out to schools, shopping malls, railway stations, and residential communities.
- The BBMP hopes that this initiative will help reduce the street dog population. Human activities have forced them to become hostile and aggressive.
Outreach: The BBMP has been working with NGOs on animal welfare. While a one-to-one approach works in some cases, most citizens are animal-neutral. A widespread initiative can help increase awareness faster.
🌳 BEL’s proposal to cut trees
BEL’s proposal to cut 900 trees on its campus in the city has been criticised.
What’s it about? Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has proposed to cut 900 trees inside its city campus to help facilitate the construction of production, storage, and testing facilities. The BBMP has been asked to issue a paper notification to invite objections within a few days.
- Some objected to the short 10-day timeframe for objections as insufficient. Bengaluru Biodiversity member Vijay Nishanth said the tree committee hasn’t published a report on planting saplings as a backup.
- The felling of trees can only be done once authorities are finished with their inspections. BBMP officials have said they will reach out to the public before taking a final call.
Petition: The city-based Namma Bengaluru Foundation launched an online petition challenging the announcement. It stated that cutting down the trees would threaten and degrade the ecological integrity and diversity of the complex.
✈️ Second airport location finalised?
Following extensive evaluation, the government has reportedly chosen a site near Nelamangala-Kunigal for the new airport.
What’s it about? To cater to the city’s increasing development needs and air traffic, the state government initiated the process of finalising a location for the second international airport. The site near Nelamangala-Kunigal is along National Highway 75. The technical standards were based on the ones set by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
- The Nelamangala area is the most suitable since connectivity on Mysore Road and Kanakapura Road won’t be affected. NICE Road, the proposed Peripheral Ring Road, and Satellite Town Ring Road will help connectivity from South Bengaluru.
- The proposed site is about 30 km from the city and begins near the toll on NH 75. It’s also well connected to the national highway and railway line. There’s also plenty of government land available.
Next steps: Once the final decision is made, the proposal will be sent to the AAI. The restriction on building a new airport within a 150 km radius of the existing airport expires in 2035.
🦠 Mpox testing at KIA
Following the first confirmed case of monkeypox, the Bengaluru airport has begun screening international passengers.
What’s it about? The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has started mandatory screening of international passengers as a precautionary measure. It comes after the first confirmed case of monkeypox was reported in Delhi.
- KIA has set up four kiosks for passengers to undergo testing for elevated temperatures. Around 2,000 passengers are screened daily with a designated officer supervising the process.
- Any person found to be infected will be placed under a 21-day quarantine, following similar protocols implemented during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Equipped: Airport officials said they’re equipped with medical services under the guidance of health authorities. There’s currently no specific treatment for Mpox, making early detection crucial.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Does your neighbourhood have a lot of greenery?
- My neighbourhood has a lot of greenery.
- My neighbourhood doesn’t have a lot of greenery.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your favourite type of flower?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In Other News…
- DK Shivakumar sought inspiration from New York’s Skydeck to build something similar in Bengaluru.
- Three new restaurants in the city spotlight its interiors, blending luxury and coastal sophistication.
- A ₹25 lakh fine was imposed on the contractor by the BBMP for delays in completing the Ejipura flyover.
- IISc scientists have made a breakthrough to help bring complex AI tasks to personal devices.
- A new helpline number was launched by the BBMP to report dog bite incidents.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!