Good morning, Bengaluru!
⛈️ Today’s weather: Light rain with generally cloudy skies for today.
🧐 Did you know? The National Gallery of Modern Art in Bengaluru is also known as the Manikyavelu Mansion, named after one of the previous owners of the building, Manickavelu Mudaliar, the mining baron after whom the house was named.
🕌 Mosque hosts all faiths
Masjid-e-Khadria, a mosque in Bengaluru, hosted a tour on Saturday for people of all faiths.
Story so far: People of various religions were invited to a guided tour of the expansive Masjid-e-Khadria mosque on Millers Road in the Cantonment on Saturday. Between 4 pm and 8 pm, almost 2,000 people gathered at the mosque.
- Muhammad for Mankind, a student and youth organisation, planned the event to spread a message of unity among people.
Event details: Due to what they see in the media, people have preconceived conceptions about institutions like mosques and madrasas. A Q&A session was provided in this event to allay any such uncertainties.
- Additionally, in order to learn more about the religion, the participants watched live prayers.
An exhibition featured artefacts like antique cameras and historic medical instruments, as well as talks about how Islam changed the world by introducing things like algebra and coffee.
🏭 10 works to improve air quality approved
Bengaluru has received a fresh grant from the 15th Finance Commission for improving the air quality in the city.
Story so far: The 15th Finance Commission has awarded the city supplementary funding of ₹140 crores for the current fiscal year to improve the air quality. This is in addition to the ₹279 crores that the Center released the previous year. The action plan for ten projects, which will mostly be carried out by the BMTC and BBMP, was authorized by the State Level Monitoring of Implementation Committee (SLMIC).
- The BMTC has secured ₹46 crores for projects including electrifying E-bus depots and purchasing double-decker buses, among others.
- The BBMP received a sizable portion of the money for initiatives including the purchase of mechanical sweepers, the removal of construction debris, and others.
Progress so far: Despite having plenty of money to spare, the city’s leaders have made little headway in putting their plans into action. Most of the ₹279 crore grant approved for 2020–21 is still unused as a result of irregular review meetings, disputes over the choice of unnecessary works, and subpar service provider responsiveness, among other factors.
- These grand announcements, according to experts, are useless if no steps are taken to assure compliance with current standards to reduce air pollution.
👴 Elderly care pioneers
The Nightingales Medical Trust, founded by two Bengalureans is the pioneer in addressing issues related to the elderly in the city.
Story so far: The Nightingales Medical Trust, which Dr Radha Murthy and Premkumar Raja co-founded in 1998 as a result of their 1996 experience providing home medical assistance for the elderly from the garage of Dr Murthy’s residence in Sadashivanagar, has over the years addressed issues like abuse of the elderly, care of the elderly who are homeless, as well as illnesses.
- Elderly assistance in Bengaluru is still primarily provided by the Elders Helpline (1090), which was established by the Nightingales in collaboration with the Bengaluru police two decades ago.
- The charity was chosen earlier this year to establish an Elders Helpline (14567) for Karnataka and teaches paramedics how to care for the elderly.
Additional services: The Nightingales also manage several elderly enrichment centres throughout Bengaluru to engage senior citizens who are healthy but frequently home alone in creative and vocational pursuits.
- These facilities include Sandhya Kirana and Sandhya Suraksha, two homes for elderly men and women from the weaker segments of society who are in need of assistance.
⚒️ Gandhi Park renovated by BBMP
The open space near Maurya Circle has been renovated by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to prevent it from being used as a garbage dumping spot.
Story so far: The BBMP rebuilt Gandhi Park at Maurya Circle, one of the key protest locations in Bengaluru, adding an amphitheatre, a vibrant automated watering system, and a gazebo with seating. The project cost the BBMP ₹1.23 crore. The area has been renovated after Seshadri Road’s white topping was finished a few months ago and left an empty, open space close to the junction.
- According to officials, the initiative was designed by Sensing Local, an urban living lab, The Hull, a private architecture firm, and the BBMP.
- A corporation will be awarded the space as part of a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project and will be responsible for maintaining it for two years.
Resident responses: The authorities received praise from the public for reclaiming the vacant 13,000 square feet and converting it into a public area. The BBMP also has plans to create such public places throughout the city.
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🗞️ In other news…
- The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) management received approval from the civil aviation ministry on Saturday to use drones to film the opening of the new airport terminal on November 11.
- Imagine has recently opened two more locations in Bengaluru at the Bhartiya Mall and Global Malls (Lulu), sure to please Apple fans.
- On Saturday, the BBMP and the BMTC collaborated for the first time to boost bus connections throughout Bengaluru and solve the city’s transportation issues.
- According to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, the Karnataka government is ready to set up arbitration centres and offer necessary facilities for the quick resolution of cases.
- The Association of People with Disabilities (APD) has conceived a rehabilitation service, ‘Rehab on Wheels,’ that provides accessible services for the vulnerable population.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!