Good morning, Bengaluru!
đ¤ď¸ Todayâs weather: Sunny temperatures and gentle breeze.
đ§ Did you know? Khaleel Mamoon, the famous Sahitya Akademi winner, was born in Bengaluru. After serving as Inspector General, he became the first Urdu writer to win the Karnataka Rajyotsava Prashasti in 2004.
đ Cultivating medicinal mushrooms
With the right technology, farmers and entrepreneurs can capitalise on medicinal mushrooms.
Story so far: The Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) in Hesaraghatta is developing the right technology to leverage the health benefits of various mushroom varieties. The Shiitake and Hericium varieties grown locally have met with sufficient commercial success. IIHR will hold a four-day fair at its premises from February 22 to display best practices and technology for mushroom cultivation.
- A senior scientist at the Mushroom Research Laboratory in IIHR reveals that the daily mushroom yield is only 20-25 kg. Cultivating them in large quantities is a challenge in Bengaluruâs changing climatic conditions.
- Some varieties need temperatures lower than 18 degrees celsius and humidity all cycle. To foster this environment, scientists are using technology thatâs usually supplied to hotels and restaurants in the city.
Why it matters? For a long time, Japan, China, and South Korea met the lionâs share of mushroom demands in Southeast and West Asia. However, the COVID-19 pandemic substantially disrupted its cultivation and supply chain. This allowed demand for Indiaâs mushrooms to boom in Asian and domestic markets.
Benefits: The high medicinal value of mushrooms is used in cancer treatments in Japan. They have anti-ageing properties and help in reducing cholesterol. The IIHR is creating millet mushroom cookies with a high protein content of 13.5% – 15% and lower carbohydrates.
đš Safe city surveillance plan
The rise of surveillance cities can set a dangerous precedent for profiling citizens.
Story so far: The Bengaluru police, partnered with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), is launching a âSafe Cityâ Project under which the authorities will install Facial Recognition Technology-powered CCTV cameras in public spaces. On February 17, CM Bommai announced a âš261 crore grant for the Nirbhaya Scheme, under which 4,100 cameras were installed.
- The police plan to create a repository of blacklisted individuals whose faces appearing on the surveillance cameras will alert the authorities and help them to preempt crime against women.
- The system will match facial images with pre-recorded video feeds sourced from CCTVs deployed in certain areas in the city and from other organisationsâ video feeds.
Why it matters? Several activists and privacy experts argue that the FRT-powered surveillance system can infringe on citizensâ right to privacy and encourage the reproduction of social discrimination in law enforcement. Identifying people in critical locations is a type of neighbourhood profiling based on the caste and class of suspected intruders.
đ¸ More funds for clean air projects
Bengaluruâs third grant for improving air quality does not impress citizens.
Story so far: The central government has green-lit a âš116 crore grant for projects targeted at improving Bengaluruâs air quality. The Urban Development Departmentâs (UDD) technical committee has prepared a micro-action plan containing eight projects for the Chief Ministerâs Officeâs (CMO) approval.
- The BBMP will receive a large share of the pie to improve junctions, develop footpaths, and build nurseries and parks. A slice of the grant will also flow into the BMTCâs coffers to add electric buses to its fleet.
- In its current action plan, the Palike has incorporated the construction of the controversial waste transfer station, even as a similar project is under investigation for tender-related discrepancies.
Why it matters? The Centre had earlier apportioned two grants for improving the cityâs air quality, amounting to âš279 crore and âš140 crore each. While the former allotment has projects underway, projects under the latter are still awaiting approval from the CMO. Another problem is the environmental and physical damage caused by multiple development projects initiated simultaneously.
- Lawyer and researcher Aishwarya Sudhir demanded an audit of the new grant to increase transparency on how the authorities spend their money.
- According to her, roadworks, construction dust, and metro expansion have made it difficult to walk or breathe in the city. Scientists, too, argue that large-scale construction has made the city hotter.
đ Children manage a public library
An NGO empowers children to read and learn the ropes of driving social progress.
Story so far: 28 kilometres from the city, in the Chagaletti village, stands a library curated and managed by children with the assistance of Child Rights Trust NGO. Initially, the initiative included ten children, whose numbers have now grown to hundreds. The library has won an award for being the best community library and fostered a culture of reading among children in the area.
- Children have hands-on roles to play in the library. They invite new members, raise funds for the library, collect old newspapers from home to raise funds, secure donations from businesses, and distribute the books.
- The children with experience in overseeing the library visited Udupi to train other kids in collecting books, curating them, and organising them according to reading levels.
Why it matters? According to Child Rights Trust, the library has significant advantages for childrenâs educational and cognitive growth. The project bolsters childrenâs right to participate in matters that affect them by encouraging them to take charge of improving the villageâs reading habits.
- Besides, the library also counteracts the screen addiction problem that afflicts many children.
đ Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you prefer reading books or watching movies?
- I like reading books more.
- I like watching movies more than reading.
â Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Whatâs something you would like to say to your younger self?
Reply to this email with your answers.
đď¸ In other newsâŚ
- RaceFor7, an awareness walk for treating patients with rare diseases, will be organised in Bengaluru on February 26.
- BBMP plans to purchase additional 25 machines to collect dust and fallen leaves.
- Data suggests that 29% of water supplied to Bengaluru gets wasted every day.
- An IISc professor says that a lack of understanding of the science and tech spectrum inhibits funding in deep science ventures.
- Bengaluru buses will go green with electric AC double-deckers coming next month.
đď¸ Local Lounge
Yesterdayâs Poll:
- I enjoy adventure sports: 50.0% đ
- I donât enjoy adventure sports: 50.0% đ
Thatâs it for today. Have a great day!