Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌦️ Today’s weather: Thundery showers.
🧐 Did you know? St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School is the oldest surviving education institution in Bengaluru. It was founded in 1858. After independence, it became open to all races. Some notable alumni include Rahul Dravid and Krishna Bharat.
🚇 Nallurhalli station waterlogged
.jpg){kind=link}
The nascent Nallurhalli metro station was waterlogged after heavy downpours in the area.
Story so far: Raining cats and dogs is alright, but when it rains elephants and whales, it’s something of a nuisance. Only a few days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the KR Puram – Whitefield stretch of the Bengaluru Metro Phase II project, the Nallurhalli metro station has become waterlogged.
- Several netizens have shared how the water has seeped inside the station and reached ticketing counters.
- The metro staff’s efforts to clean up the slippery station were largely futile. According to some of the travellers, in a hurry to inaugurate the stretch, the officials have overlooked basic structural deficiencies.
Tell me more? Due to heavy rains in Whitefield and surrounding areas, several roads were affected by waterlogging. Apart from insidiously slow-moving traffic, the rains caused concerns over inadequate drainage infrastructure in the city. Light rains are expected to continue for a few days.
🌕 ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 workshop
Students from various institutions participated in a data analysis workshop by India’s space agency.
Story so far: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to launch the Chandrayaan-3, the agency’s third lunar exploration, between June and July of 2023. On March 28 and 29, it organised a workshop on the mission’s data archival and analysis.
- Held at the Indian Space Science Data Centre, Byalalu, near Bengaluru, the workshop saw 50 participants who were trained in the analysis of in-situ data.
- It prioritised teaching the analysing of laboratory data of the Chandrayaan-3 payloads. Subsequently, an interactive session between representatives of academia and various institutions added rigour to the lectures.
Why it matters? The Chandrayaan-3 mission will use scientific apparatus to examine the thermo-physical properties of the lunar regolith, lunar seismicity, elemental composition in the vicinity, and lunar surface plasma environment in the landing site.
- The students’ introductory training will prepare them to deal with data from the mission.
🌉 Skywalk’s fate hung in the balance
The BBMP will investigate a thirty-year-old skywalk for its strength and stability.
Story so far: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) plans to study the stability of the old skywalk near Santosh Theatre in Majestic to determine whether it should be restored or demolished. The BBMP commissioner noted that the body had floated three tenders in the past, which didn’t take.
- According to the BBMP’s preliminary inspection, the skywalk’s condition is not too bad. A non-destructive test will reveal its strength and stability.
- Locals argue that the Palike has failed to maintain the skywalk. Over the past few years, it’s become a garbage dump, a scattered garden, and even a urinal.
History: The skywalk was built in 1990 – 1991 to help pedestrians cross the bustling Kempegowda Road at Kempegowda Circle. But recent reports suggest that the skywalk has slowly come to be underutilised. A road vendor said that barely 50 people use the skywalk every day.
🧑⚕️ Rehab on wheels
‘Rehab on Wheels’, a doorstep rehab service, might extend to rural areas soon.
Story so far: By April 4 2023, the Association of People with Disability’s (APD) mobile rehabilitation initiative has helped over 834 people in Bengaluru. It was launched in November 2022 in collaboration with the ABB India Foundation.
- Rehab on Wheels covers five areas – Hebbal, MS Palya, Kothanur, Whitefield, and Hoskote – one each weekday. They visit old age homes and special schools every day and ensure follow-ups.
- They deliver free rehabilitation services like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, counselling, and skill training. They offer other essential support services like job referrals and surgical or medical treatments too.
The future: Based on its success parameters, the non-profits will extend the service to rural areas. The need for doorstep rehabilitation arises because while public hospitals provide treatment, they overlook the patients’ rehabilitation into society and functionality.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you know how to drive a car?
- Yes, I know how to drive a car.
- No, I don’t know how to drive a car.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s a book you’d like your parents to read?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) clears ₹92 crore tax dues and agrees to pay ₹5 crore annually.
- Flyers fume as heavy rain disrupts flight operations at Bengaluru airport.
- The Commissioner of Police issued an order transferring the Sankey protestors’ case to Halasurgate.
- ₹3.37 crore cash, 8.6 kg gold seized by election duty officials in Bengaluru.
- As the police pursued him, self-styled cow vigilante, Puneeth Kerehalli live-streamed it.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I prefer raincoats: 22.2%
- I prefer umbrellas: 77.8% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great day!