Good morning, Bengaluru!
⛅ Today’s weather: High: 32 ℃ | Low: 21 ℃ | Partly cloudy.
🧐 Did you know? The two-headed bird in the seal of Karnataka is the Gandaberunda, a form of Lord Vishnu.
🍻 Dry week ahead
Bengaluru will prohibit liquor sales from June 1 to June 6 due to upcoming legislative council elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha election counting.
What’s it about? During this period, all wine shops will be closed, while pubs and bars can serve only non-alcoholic beverages and food. The Lok Sabha election results will be declared on June 4, and the legislative council elections will occur on June 3, with votes counted on June 6.
- Six legislative council members are retiring on June 21, prompting the elections.
- The retiring members include Dr Chandrashekhar B Patil, Ayanuru Manjunatha, A Devegowda, Dr YA Narayanaswamy, SL Bhoje Gowda, and Marithibbe Gowda.
Mumbai gets exemption: The temporary liquor ban in Bengaluru is part of measures to ensure smooth legislative council and Lok Sabha elections. This contrasts with Mumbai, where the High Court permitted post-election liquor sales from June 4.
🌧️ Monsoon predictions come in
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts the monsoon will reach Bengaluru by June 13-14.
What’s it about? With pre-monsoon showers already impacting the city, rainfall in Karnataka is expected to begin in the first week of June, reaching the Karnataka coast by June 6-7.
- IMD forecasts a “generally cloudy sky with light rain” for Bengaluru in the upcoming days.
- Expected temperatures range between 31-33°C max and 22-23°C min through the end of May.
Possible delay: However, cyclonic activity over the Bay of Bengal could delay the monsoon’s onset. Pre-monsoon showers are expected to resume on May 29, enhancing conditions for the monsoon’s arrival.
🛂 US Consulate likely
US Ambassador Eric Garcetti announced plans to open an American Consulate in Bengaluru by next year, following an agreement between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Biden.
What’s it about? This follows the 2023 agreement between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden to establish two new US consulates in India. The consulate will significantly benefit Karnataka residents by facilitating visa-related work locally, saving substantial travel costs to other cities.
- Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya highlighted that this development will assist around four to five lakh people annually.
- Garcetti’s visit also aimed to strengthen US-India economic and commercial ties, focusing on space sector collaboration.
The beneficiaries: Ambassador Garcetti emphasised the importance of the consulate for two key sectors of people: Bengaluru’s large number of US-bound students and the tech professionals.
🏥 Aster’s expansion
Aster DM has signed an agreement with Cauvery Medical Centre to expand its Aster CMI Hospital in Bengaluru, adding 350 beds by FY 2027.
Immediate actions: This expansion will increase the hospital’s capacity by 300,000 square feet and is expected to be completed by FY 2027. Aster DM will pay a refundable security deposit of ₹42.5 crore and anticipates additional capital expenditure of ₹210 crore, funded through internal accruals.
- Aster CMI currently operates as a 500-bed super speciality hospital in Bengaluru.
- Aster DM aims to increase its total bed capacity in India to over 6,600 beds in the next three years.
Revised terms: The amendment extends the existing O&M agreement by five years, making the revised term 19 years starting from FY 2025.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Will you be stocking up for the dry week?
- I will be stocking up for the dry week.
- I won’t be stocking up for the dry week.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
When did you start drinking and how?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Laughter clubs have made a resurgence in the city’s parks.
- The traffic police have drawn up a fresh proposal to implement the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) project before the start of the academic year.
- City’s chicken prices have crossed ₹300 in a first as consumption grows with feed costs and worsening weather conditions.
- Touchscreen kiosks have been installed at the Banashankari temple on a pilot basis for devotees to book puja services.
- May 16-23 helped Bengaluru cops net nearly ₹16 lakhs in traffic fines during a special drive.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!