Good morning, Bengaluru!
☁️ Today’s weather: High: 28 ℃ | Low: 21 ℃ | Cloudy day with a chance of rain.
🧐 Did you know? Bengaluru has the tallest Ramanjaneya statue in India. It stands 63 feet tall. Over 40 families donated over ₹1 lakh each for its construction.
🏍️ Ride for a cause
Taruni, in partnership with TOI, Phoenix Mall of Asia, and She for Society, flagged off a bike rally to break stereotypes focusing on women bikers.
What’s it about? The “Her Ride, Her Rules” bike rally was flagged off at the Phoenix Mall of Asia to showcase women from diverse backgrounds, with a special focus on women drivers who embody independence, strength, and grace.
- The event began with a citywide ride led by women bikers. There was a live music performance organised during the event. It concluded with a panel discussion on how women can drive social progress.
- The event aligned with Taruni’s philosophy of bringing together women bikers, artists, and supporters to foster a community that embraces the different aspects of feminity.
Rally’s goal: The participants gained insights on how young women can catalyse social change and progress. The rally was a tribute to women who live their truth.
🆘 SOS alerts
The Safety Islands installed for women’s safety hasn’t received any emergency alerts from women.
What’s it about? The Safety Islands were installed by the city police to enhance women’s safety. It has received 56 alert calls in the past six months, mostly regarding theft and public disturbances. There have been no emergency alerts from women.
- Under the Safe City Project, 50 Safety Islands have been installed. They resemble blue telephone booths with emergency call buttons linked to the Command Centre at the Police Commissioner’s office. Each unit is monitored by nearby CCTV cameras.
- The command centre receives two prank calls on average per day as youngsters sometimes press the SOS button to see if it works.
Practical use: In March, a foreign national used the feature to report the loss of his laptop and phone, which he left in an auto-rickshaw. Through CCTV footage, his belongings were recovered the next day.
☔ Rains and waterlogging
Bengaluru woke up to severe waterlogging and traffic congestion following heavy rainfall.
What happened? Following heavy rains, the deputy commissioner of Bengaluru Urban District declared a holiday for schools and Anganwadi. Colleges remained open. The IMD has issued an orange alert for Bengaluru for heavy rains over the next three days.
- Till 8.30 am on October 21, the city received 62 mm of rain in 24 hours. Motorists reported heavy waterlogging on tech corridors like Outer Ring Road and Sarjapur Road.
- The state government didn’t issue any official advisory for work-from-home arrangements. Several underpasses witnessed heavy flooding. The police cautioned motorists to use alternate routes.
Confusion: The decision to declare a holiday for school caused some confusion since school buses operated before the announcement. Many parents said their kids left for school before the announcement was made.
🏏 City’s cricketing spirit
The heavy rains didn’t deter fans from attending the Test match against New Zealand.
What’s it about? Last week, as cricket fans were gearing up for India to take on New Zealand, the rain gods decided to disrupt proceedings. The opening day was rained out. That didn’t deter the legions of cricket fans as 17,000-odd people came to the Chinnaswamy stadium to cheer team India.
- The last time Bengaluru hosted a test match was 2022. Despite the less-than-stellar facilities, unkempt stands, scarce food, and difficulties in entering the stadium, fans turned up.
- Those in the stadium acknowledged the opponents for their prowess. They gave a standing ovation for Matt Henry’s five-wicket haul and cheered Rachin Ravindra’s century.
Captain’s praise: Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was all praise for Bengaluru’s fans who turned up. He said it was important for the team that people showed up even though the rain affected the match.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you buy sweets for family members and relatives for Diwali?
- I buy sweets for family members and relatives for Diwali.
- I don’t buy sweets for family members and relatives for Diwali.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s one app you can’t live without?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Six Bengaluru-bound flights received bomb threats via Twitter on Sunday.
- The rental housing market in Bengaluru has pushed past the pandemic’s impact and returned to normal.
- The BBMP has announced plans to widen and redevelop the road linking Bannerghatta Road to Kanakapura Road.
- PETA India approached the Karnataka High Court to stop the Kambala race on October 25.
- Alive India Foundation will host its 10th season celebration in Bengaluru with a concert to support musicians and awareness of Thalassaemia.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I have been to all of Bengaluru’s malls: 14.3%
- I haven’t been to all of Bengaluru’s malls: 85.7% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great day!