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Unclean Bengaluru
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Good morning, Bengaluru!

🌤️ Today’s weather: Partly cloudy skies with warmer temperatures and low chances of rain.

🧐 Did you know? Rangashankara, the popular theatre in Bengaluru offers a course in theatre appreciation every year for a fee of ₹5000 or lesser.


🗑️ Bengaluru ranked 43rd under Swachh Survekshan list

Bengaluru was ranked in the bottom three in the Swachh Survekshan 2022 rankings, holding 43rd place among 45 cities.

Story so far: Released on Saturday, the 2022 list witnessed the city’s downfall from the 28th spot out of 48 cities last year to the 43rd position out of 45 cities. Bengaluru was placed above Chennai and Madurai which were the bottom two cities.

  • Madhya Pradesh’s Indore ranked first for the sixth consecutive year followed by Surat and Navi Mumbai.
  • Mysore secured the eighth spot on the list while Madhya Pradesh was deemed the cleanest state in the country.

Angry responses: The chief commissioner of the BBMP IAS officer Tushar Giri Nath stated that there was a conflict between the consultant appointed by the Centre and the BBMP and that the authorities will assess this ranking in detail. Harish Kumar, the BBMP special commissioner for solid waste management observed that it is unfair to compare a mega city like Bengaluru to smaller cities in the same categories as they have different challenges.


🚝 Corridor 2 for suburban rail project

Civil works on Corridor 2 (Baiyyapanahalli – Chikkabanavara) of the Bengaluru suburban rail project are set to start in a few days, awaiting clearance of trees in the way.

Story so far: The designing and constructing work of the corridor was awarded to L&T in August by the Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited or KRIDE. The corridor which is 25.57 km long comprises an 8.027 km elevated viaduct and 17.551 km at grade line with 14 stations.

  • The ₹859.97-crore project has been divided into two packages; Baiyyapanahalli – Lottegollahalli and Lottegollahalli – Chikkabanavar.
  • 2,194 trees have been spotted along the construction site. After the tree committee determines how many can be transplanted, the remaining can be felled.

Further plans: While preparatory measures are being carried out to begin construction of Corridor 2, plans of taking up Corridor 4 (Heelalige – Rajanukunte) and subsequently Corridor 1 (KSR Bengaluru station – Devanahalli) are being discussed. Corridor 3 (Kengeri – Whitefield) will be the last leg of the project.


👛 BBMP gets ₹350 crores to flood-proof city

The Karnataka government has sanctioned ₹350 crores to the civic body for carrying out projects to flood-proof Bengaluru.

Story so far: The Urban Development Department (UDD) of the state sanctioned the funds to the BBMP within 10 days of the body making a request. Of the sanctioned funds, ₹317 crores will be allotted to restoring missing links between the city’s lake network. Due to encroachments on lakes and stormwater drains, the city has witnessed urban flooding.

  • Since Mahadevpura was the worst affected by the floods, it has received ₹160 crores.
  • Meanwhile, KR Puram will get ₹40 crores, Yelahanka ₹10 crores, Bangalore South ₹27.25 crores, Bommanahalli ₹65 crores and Byatarayanapura ₹10 crores.

UDD instructions: The UDD stated that all the projects should be carried out as per the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act while sanctioning the funds. It also instructed the BBMP to conduct a third-party audit to assess the quality of completed projects.


🚑 QR codes for emergencies at traffic junctions

The BBMP and City Traffic Police have collaborated with Manipal Hospitals to put up QR codes across the city at major traffic junctions for medical emergencies.

Story so far: In case of any medical emergency, an individual can scan the code to connect to the emergency number, which will direct them to an ambulance service. The initiative was launched on the occasion of World Heart Day.

  • Scanning to avail healthcare is the easiest and fastest way to receive medical assistance to people who may not remember important numbers.
  • The initiative is a step forward in the adaptation of technology into healthcare and urban infrastructure.

Commendable initiative: So far, the QR code facility is available at 15 major traffic signals in the city and will be expanded to other locations. This facility will allow ambulances to reach without any delay. Additionally, another QR code was launched to help people navigate through the steps to perform CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation).


📊 Today’s Poll

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Do you prefer summer or winter?

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❓ Today’s Question

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What is your favourite cuisine and why?

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🗞️ In other news…

  • Due to poor maintenance and lack of infrastructure, the state government has decided to close 22 Moulana Azad Model Schools with fewer than 150 students.
  • The Karnataka HC ruled that lawyers do not have the right to park their vehicles inside the premises of the courts as the space is limited and entry of vehicles needs to be regulated.
  • Airport authorities corrected a Kannada spelling error on a signboard at Bengaluru airport after a Twitter user shared an image on the social media platform.
  • The Bengaluru Police has released a guide on how to report auto drivers who demand exorbitant amounts for travelling short distances on Twitter.
  • The BDA has taken up the task to restart construction of two additional lanes to Hebbal flyover after two years.

That’s it for today. Have a great day!

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