Good morning, Bengaluru!
⛈️ Today’s weather: Thundershowers.
🧐 Did you know? Brigade Road was a gateway to KFC’s spread in India. India’s first KFC outlet opened on Brigade Road in June 1995.
🛣️ NHAI’s expensive road project
Bengaluru’s proposed tunnel road, with an estimated cost of ₹50,000 crore, will reduce travel time.
The project: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is proposing a tunnel road in Bengaluru, which aims to alleviate traffic congestion and reduce travel time between the city’s major arterial roads to 20 minutes. The estimated cost of this ambitious project is a staggering ₹50,000 crore.
- NHAI’s Bengaluru Regional Officer, Vivek Jaiswal, stated that a tunnel road is the only viable solution due to numerous obstacles above ground, like flyovers, metro lines, and religious structures.
- While the expensive project cost makes the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model impractical, NHAI is exploring the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) for funding.
Viability? The modalities and traffic bottlenecks the tunnel road would address are still being determined. NHAI intends to acquire government land along the tunnel’s alignment and plans to provide direct access to housing societies, apartment complexes, and shopping malls through ramps.
- The fate of the long-standing plan for a 74-km peripheral ring road (PRR) connecting Hosur Road with Tumakuru Road remains uncertain if the tunnel road becomes a reality.
👩🏻💼 New officers at an old club
Century Club, one of South India’s oldest clubs, recently announced its newly elected office-bearers.
Details: Century Club, a prestigious institution in South India, holds a special place in Bengaluru as one of its oldest and most distinguished clubs. A recent election brought new office-bearers to lead the club, including Tallam R Dwarakanath as the President and MR Krishna Murthy as the Vice President.
- Notably, the Century Club also houses the Seshadri Iyer Library, named after the Diwan of Mysore who preceded Sir M Visvesvaraya.
- This library boasts an impressive English and Kannada literature collection and counts renowned lexicographers G Venkatasubbaiah and Bharat Ratna CNR Rao as esteemed members.
History: Established in 1917 by Sir M Visvesvaraya, the club began as a hub for intellectual pursuits and recreational activities for government officials and bureaucrats. It was originally situated on a generous grant of seven and a half acres within the scenic Cubbon Park.
- Now, it has reduced in size but still features amenities like tennis courts, a badminton court, a swimming pool, and a table tennis court.
😷 Rising viral infections in children
A rise in flu-like infections among children has highlighted the importance of hygiene.
What’s it about? Doctors in Bengaluru have observed a rise in viral fever and respiratory tract infections among school-going children, with approximately one in ten children affected by flu-like symptoms in the past three weeks. The inclement weather and the reopening of schools have been attributed as contributing factors, with many children developing viral pneumonia.
- Health professionals are attending to over 70 children daily. The pediatric ward at KC General Hospital is operating at full capacity, with numerous flu cases, wheeze-associated lower airway infections, and viral pneumonia.
- Many children are also being diagnosed with dengue, warranting precautionary measures like mask-wearing and staying home from school in case of fever or flu-like symptoms.
Remedies: In the past few weeks, one out of three cases has required hospitalisation. Typically, viral infections resolve within a few days, but they are lasting longer this season.
- To prevent the spread of diseases, maintaining hand hygiene, covering the nose while coughing or sneezing, avoiding sharing personal items, staying away from furry pets, and getting vaccinated are recommended.
🚗 New tolls on the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway
The Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway will get costlier from July.
New toll: Commuters on the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway should brace themselves for increased travel expenses, as the NHAI plans to introduce a new toll plaza in Ganangur, Shrirangapattana Taluk in Mandya. Effective from July 1, this toll will be applicable for those travelling on the Mysuru-Nidaghatta route, on top of the extant toll on the Bengaluru-Nidaghatta route.
- The toll rates for one-way journeys on cars, vans, and SUVs will be ₹155, while return trips will cost ₹235. Light commercial vehicles, large goods vehicles, and minibuses will incur a toll of ₹235 for one-way travel and ₹375 for return trips.
- For trucks and buses, the toll prices will be ₹525 for one-way trips and ₹790 for return journeys. NHAI will offer a monthly pass priced at ₹330 for non-commercial vehicles travelling within a 20-kilometre radius of the toll plaza.
Other changes: From mid-July, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and agricultural vehicles will be prohibited on the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Mark your calendars for the SAFF Championship’s semi-finals 1 and 2 this Saturday.
- Shop, groove, and munch at the Namaste Festival, the largest flea market in town.
- Enjoy an evening of the best from musicals at ‘The Sound of Musicals – And More!’ at the Bangalore International Centre.
- Laugh with Harsh Gujral at his Jo Bolta Hai Wohi Hota Hai comedy show on Sunday.
- Forge new connections at a social event designed exclusively for adults on Sunday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I rarely fall ill: 50.0% 🏆
- I fall ill often: 50.0% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!