Good morning, Bengaluru!
☀️ Today’s weather: High: 32 ℃ | Low: 20 ℃ | Clear and sunny weather.
🧐 Did you know? The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or ISKCON, was established by Srila Prabhupada in 1965.
👮 Hotels to enhance security
Following a low-intensity bomb blast at Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru, the Bruhath Bangalore Hotels Association announced plans to bolster security across city hotels.
Vigilance SOPs: The association will convene a meeting with police officials, hotel owners, and stakeholders to discuss Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for maintaining vigilance in hotels. The focus will be on reviewing SOPs, stepping up security measures, and adopting a zero-tolerance approach against suspicious individuals.
- The meeting aims to enhance security systems and ensure the safety of people in public places.
- The association is awaiting the police investigation report to finalize a detailed security plan.
Citizens’ responsibility: PC Rao, President of the Bruhath Bangalore Hotels Association, emphasised the need for collective responsibility as citizens to secure public places like hotels, railway stations, and bus stands. The association plans to discuss and implement preventive measures to avoid such incidents in the future.
🤝 IIIT-B and IAF’s Partnership
The International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B) has partnered with the Software Development Institute (SDI) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to drive research and development in avionics software systems.
What’s it about? This collaboration aims to leverage IIIT-B’s expertise in telecommunications technology to enhance the capabilities of the Indian Air Force. SDI, responsible for software development tasks related to avionics systems, will work with IIIT-B to create innovative products and processes. A specialised training program, ‘Communication Theory and DSP for Waveform Design,’ will be initiated for IAF personnel.
- The partnership focuses on advancing waveform design to improve the performance and efficiency of airborne systems.
- Tailor-made training programs directed by SDI will equip IAF personnel with the knowledge and capabilities needed for innovation in the field.
Accelerating innovation: Debabrata Das, director of IIIT-B, highlighted the significance of this collaboration in driving innovation and advancing telecommunications technology. The MoU will emphasise research and development and training programs to accelerate innovation within the Indian Air Force.
🚰 Government to take over water tankers
In response to the water crisis in Bengaluru, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that the state government will take over all private water tankers to regulate water distribution and pricing.
What’s it about? The decision comes as residents face exorbitant water costs, with prices reaching nearly ₹2,000 for 12,000 litres. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has been instructed to register all water tankers and borewells by March 7 on a BBMP portal. The move aims to address the depletion in groundwater levels and ensure equitable water distribution across the city.
- The state government is holding daily meetings to tackle the water crisis, with more than 200 taluks declared drought-hit.
- A formal circular will be issued today after a meeting with government officials.
Officials say: BMP Chief Civic Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath stated that unregistered water tankers will be seized and used to supply water to arid regions in 110 villages for free. BWSSB chairperson Ram Prasath Manohar V reported that out of the city’s 10,955 borewells, 1,214 have dried up, with an additional 3,700 experiencing significant reductions in water levels.
💉 Polio vaccination coverage
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has successfully administered the polio vaccine to 94.33% of children under the age of 5 in Bengaluru, with the highest turnout in the Dasarahalli zone at 97%.
What’s it about? A total of 11,13,617 children between 0-5 years were targeted for vaccination, with 10,50,348 receiving the polio vaccine at various locations, including urban primary health centres, Namma Clinics, and anganwadi centres. The vaccination drive was inaugurated by Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister for Health and Family Welfare.
- National Immunisation Day on March 3 marked the state-wide pulse polio immunisation drive.
- Dr Naveen Bhat, Director of the National Health Mission (NHM), highlighted door-to-door visits to administer the vaccine, with special focus on high-risk areas such as urban slums and the migrant population.
Type 1 focus: The WHO officially certified the eradication of Type 2 and Type 3 polio cases in 2015 and 2019, respectively. India’s last reported case of the Wild Polio Virus was on January 13, 2011, in West Bengal. The ongoing efforts aim to prevent the occurrence of Type 1 polio, which is currently the only type causing cases worldwide.
📊 Today’s Poll
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Have you ever been awake continuously for 24 hours or more?
- I have been awake continuously for 24 hours or more.
- I haven’t been awake continuously for 24 hours or more.
❓ Today’s Question
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When was the last time you played any sport?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- This summer, BBMP parks in Bengaluru will be kept green using water tankers and treated water.
- A panel discussion titled ‘How Can Bangalore Do Better for the Mental Health of Its Residents?’ was held at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC) in Domlur.
- Read about a potential solution for the water crisis in Bengaluru by tapping an additional 100 MLD water.
- A book on a non-event that impacted the British Raj was launched in Bengaluru.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!