Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌫️ Today’s weather: High: 33 ℃ | Low: 17 ℃ | Mist.
🧐 Did you know? Bengaluru Karaga Festival, one of the oldest festivals in Karnataka, lasts 11 days in the month of March/April every year.
🖥️ Digital divide in education and work
A survey reveals low digital technology use for education and work among Bengaluru residents.
What’s it about? A comprehensive study titled ‘Digital Society in India – A Study of an Urban City (Bengaluru) 2024’ conducted by Itihaasa Research and Digital has highlighted a significant gap in the utilisation of digital technologies for educational and work-related purposes among Bengaluru’s general population.
- The survey found that 75% of respondents have never used digital technologies for educational purposes, and a similar trend is observed in the usage of digital tools for work, with minimal adoption for professional communication.
- There’s a stark contrast in the usage of government digital platforms between the general public and IT professionals, indicating a potential need for improved user interface and accessibility.
Training needed: The findings suggest a need for targeted digital training programs and public-private partnerships to enhance digital literacy and proficiency among the general public.
🏢 Zomato’s warehouse expansion
Zomato secures its largest warehousing space in India to bolster logistics capabilities.
What’s it about? Zomato has made a significant expansion in its logistics infrastructure by leasing a 300,000 square feet warehousing space at Sumadhura Logistics Park in Bengaluru’s Hoskote.
- This move is part of the Sumadhura Group’s ₹600 crore investment in the logistics park, which aims to provide 2.5 million sq ft of commercial warehouse space in its first phase, eventually expanding to 6 million sq ft.
- Coinciding with the warehousing lease, Zomato reported a consolidated net profit of ₹138 crore for the December quarter, a significant improvement from a net loss reported in the same quarter the previous year.
Significant collab: The collaboration with Sumadhura Group signifies a milestone in Zomato’s journey, promising to cater to the diverse needs of sectors such as e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, and FMCG, among others.
🥵 Warm weather in Bengaluru amid El Niño
Bengaluru experiences unusually high temperatures due to El Niño’s influence.
What’s it about? Bengaluru is currently facing warmer than usual weather conditions, with temperatures averaging at 31 degrees Celsius, attributed to the El Niño phenomenon. The unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, El Niño typically leads to suppressed monsoon rainfall and has been linked to the rising temperatures in the city.
- Karnataka has seen hotter and drier summers in recent years, with Bengaluru’s average high reaching 34.1 degrees Celsius over the past decade according to IMD data.
- The city recorded a maximum temperature of 34.1 degrees Celsius recently, 4 degrees above the average, and the weather is expected to remain warm in the coming week.
Same in other cities: This trend is not confined to Bengaluru; Telangana is also experiencing an early onset of summer, with Hyderabad witnessing the absence of cold waves for the first time in five years. As temperatures in the region climb, the early departure of winter signals a broader pattern of climatic shifts impacting Southern India.
🔌 Call for electrical safety reforms
Experts call for immediate electrical safety upgrades in urban areas following fatal incident.
What’s it about? Following a tragic electrocution incident in Kadugodi, Bengaluru, that resulted in the death of a mother and daughter last November, an expert committee has issued a set of urgent recommendations aimed at preventing similar accidents. The committee’s report emphasises the need for immediate action to address faulty electrical infrastructure in cities and towns across the state.
- Recommendations include repairing defective junction boxes, insulating overhead wires properly, and replacing existing wires with covered conductors or aerial bunched conductors (ABC) to enhance public safety.
- The committee pinpointed several technical failures and attributed the negligence to the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom), suggesting that the tragedy could have been prevented with proper maintenance and alertness to complaints.
Essential maintenance: The report underlines the critical importance of maintaining electrical installations, especially in densely populated areas, to safeguard against the high risk of electrical accidents.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- The Raghu Dixit Project is performing live this Sunday at 1522 The Pub Malleshwaram.
- Nrityanidhi brings Kathak dance pieces set to the tunes of India’s classical music heritage, titled “Raag – Inspired By Indian Classical Music”, this Sunday.
- Discover the gentle force of sound healing this Sunday at “Sound Therapy: Tibetan Bowls”.
- Learn to play the ukulele at the “Ukulele Ed-Ventures: Play like Ed Sheeran” event this weekend.
- Listen to insights from top founders, investors, and others in the alternative materials and climate biotech sector from India at the Terrarium S2 event this Saturday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I have coloured my hair: 16.7%
- I haven’t coloured my hair: 83.3% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!