Good morning, Bengaluru!
☁️ Today’s weather: High: 30 ℃ | Low: 20 ℃ | A cloudy day ahead.
🧐 Did you know? The old HAL airport in Bengaluru was the only airport in the world where commercial and defence flights operated from the same strip. Commercial flights were later moved to the Kempegowda International Airport.
⚕️ AI system to save lives
Bengaluru-based Dozee’s contactless AI-based system could help save lives and reduce healthcare costs.
What’s it about? Researchers at King George’s Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, have studied the technology for doctors to detect early signs of deterioration in patients. The technology could help save 21 lakh lives and reduce healthcare costs by ₹6,400 crore.
- At the heart of it is Dozee’s Continuous Contactless Monitoring system. It detects heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure through a remote health monitoring device. It can detect patient deterioration up to 16 hours in advance.
- For the study, data was collected from Dozee sensors placed under the patient’s mattress. The alerts are based on severity levels to reduce false alarms for healthcare providers.
Findings: The study showed Dozee’s system was good at catching warning signs when a patient’s health might worsen. It spotted signs of deterioration between 67% and 94% of the time.
🚍 BMTC’s recruitment drive
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The BMTC recently announced a recruitment drive to address operational shortfalls.
What’s it about? The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has been dealing with a workforce shortage. Drivers and conductors have been working overtime to compensate. The increased working hours have raised health and safety concerns among the staff. The BMTC recently announced a recruitment drive for 2,500 new conductors, but they won’t be available until they’re fully trained.
- The growing shortage has been noticeable since 2016 as 2-3% of the workforce retires every year. 2016 was also the last time the BMTC had a recruitment drive. It currently has 28,283 staff that work to serve the BMTC’s network.
- The dwindling workforce has put pressure on existing employees, especially during the festive seasons and after the announcement of free bus rides for women.
Government’s assurance: Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the BMTC was allowed to recruit an additional 9,000 staff, and 7,500 are set to join in the next three months.
🚇 Yellow Line opening soon
The Namma Metro’s Yellow line is expected to launch in January 2025.
What’s it about? Following months of waiting, the 19.15-km Yellow line will launch in January 2025. The line stretches from RV Road to Bommasandra via BTM Layout, Silk Board Junction, and Electronics City. The tracks are ready but the delay was due to a shortage of trains.
- The Bengaluru Metro only has one prototype train that arrived from China in February. It has been undergoing trials and got the necessary approvals from the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO).
- The first train from West Bengal’s Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL) will arrive by early December. Officials expect to get the final clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety Systems (CMRS) by the end of December.
Green Line update: The 3.14-km Nagasandra-Madavara stretch of the Green Line is awaiting final government approvals. The section has three stations and will expand the city’s metro network to 76.95 km.
🛣️ Road development tussle
Jayanagar’s omission from the Deputy Chief Minister’s order for road development has irked the opposition.
What’s the story so far? In the aftermath of the recent spells of rain, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar ordered ₹10 crore to be allocated to develop the roads in each constituency of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) region. The omission of Jayanagar, represented by a BJP MLA, has irked the opposition.
- The BJP has criticised the Congress government. Jayanagar MLA CK Ramamurthy questioned whether Brand Bengaluru excludes his constituency. The issue was escalated to the state BJP President BY Vijayendra.
- A BBMP official clarified the order and said money would be allocated without discrimination. He stated that the Yelahanka assembly was mentioned twice in the order, which was an oversight.
Battered roads: The decision to release funds was made after roads were waterlogged and filled with potholes following heavy spells of rain. The areas most affected were North Bengaluru and the IT belts.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you plan to burst crackers this Diwali?
- I do plan to burst crackers this Diwali.
- I don’t plan to burst crackers this Diwali.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your favourite non-Indian cuisine?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- The Bengaluru cantonment was home to many Tamil families who migrated to the city to enlist in the English Army.
- Bengaluru’s University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) has developed a new AI-powered system to scare away birds.
- Groups of volunteers undertook a cleaning drive and collected 100 kg of waste.
- Strict licensing protocols are among the reasons cited for Bengaluru’s poor cracker sales.
- The BBMP has opened over 1,200 parks, roundabouts, and road medians to be adopted by individuals and corporations.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I enjoy working from home: 88.9% 🏆
- I prefer working in an office: 11.1%
That’s it for today. Have a great day!