Good morning, Bengaluru!
☀️ Today’s weather: High: 36 ℃ | Low: 23 ℃ | Mainly clear sky.
🧐 Did you know? Varthur Lake is the second largest lake in Bengaluru with an area of 445.8 acres.
🌿 India Flora Online
Bengaluru-based renowned botanist Dr Sankara Rao is set to launch India Flora Online, a comprehensive digital database of Indian flora, marking a significant contribution to plant biodiversity documentation.
Career in botany: Dr Sankara Rao, a distinguished fellow at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has dedicated his life to the study of plants. His childhood fascination with trees in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, has blossomed into a distinguished career in botany. With the upcoming launch of India Flora Online, Rao aims to provide an accessible resource for knowledge on every plant in the country, including those from neighbouring regions.
- The database will include records of plants from Afghanistan, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Pakistan.
- Rao has been managing the herbarium at IISc’s Centre for Ecological Sciences for 17 years, growing the collection to about 22,000 specimens.
More initiatives: India Flora Online follows Rao’s previous initiatives – Digital Flora of Karnataka, Digital Flora of Eastern Ghats, and Flora of Peninsular India.
✈️ Tata and BIAL to enhance Bengaluru airport
Tata group airlines, including Air India, are partnering with Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) to develop Kempegowda International Airport as a premier aviation hub for southern India.
What’s it about? The collaboration aims to enhance international connectivity, operational efficiency, and passenger experience at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. Air India will also establish a comprehensive maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility at the airport. This partnership is expected to strengthen the Tata group’s presence in Bengaluru and stimulate the MRO ecosystem, generating over 1,200 new job opportunities.
- The initiative includes expanding Air India’s network, establishing a dedicated domestic lounge for premium and frequent travellers, and enhancing synergy between Air India and Vistara.
- The collaboration aligns with the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s vision to develop Indian airports as hubs and aims to position Bengaluru as the primary international gateway in Southern and Central India.
South Indian hub: The partnership between Tata group airlines and BIAL is set to transform Kempegowda International Airport into a leading aviation hub, catering to the growing demand for direct long-haul routes from southern India.
🚰 Officials visit Chennai for water resilience insights
A team from the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board visits Chennai Metrowater to learn about innovative water resilience projects.
What’s it about? The Bengaluru team, comprising five members, explored various Metrowater facilities in Chennai, focusing on the circular water economy concept. This approach aims to improve wastewater quality, reuse water multiple times, and reduce freshwater stress. They were introduced to solutions like the tertiary treatment ultrafiltration plant at Nesapakkam, which blends treated wastewater into Porur Lake, and the use of abandoned quarries as alternative water storage sources during droughts.
- The team learned about decentralizing water supply with a focus on local sources like Retteri and Porur lakes.
- Officials discussed the potential for implementing similar water resilience schemes in Bengaluru to address its severe water crisis.
Inter-city collab: The visit highlights the importance of inter-city collaboration in addressing urban water challenges. The insights gained from Chennai’s initiatives could pave the way for innovative water management solutions in Bengaluru.
💃🏼 Bengaluru embraces the Tango
The Bangalore Tango Academy celebrates its 7th anniversary, promoting the Argentine Tango dance form in Bengaluru.
What’s it about? The popularity of Argentine Tango, a partner dance form originating from the Argentina-Uruguay border in the 19th century, is growing rapidly among Bengaluru residents. The Bangalore Tango Academy, led by founder and main instructor Roopa Math, is at the forefront of this trend. The academy plans to host events and classes across Bengaluru, including Marathahalli and Indira Nagar, to popularize the dance form.
- Argentine Tango is an interpretive, improvisational social dance that emphasizes deep connection between the dancers, the music, and the environment.
- Roopa Math trained in Tango in Buenos Aires, Argentina, before establishing the Bangalore Tango Academy.
Multiple dance batches: The academy offers multiple levels of training, with each batch consisting of around 35 learners on Saturdays and Sundays.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you prefer wearing shorts while going out?
- I prefer wearing shorts while going out.
- I don’t prefer wearing shorts while going out.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
How many close friends do you currently have?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- City meat markets are witnessing a decline in footfall due to renovation, parking issues, and the rise of corporate chains.
- Bastian, the popular Mumbai restaurant, makes its debut in Bengaluru.
- Ranga Shankara has been a pillar in sustaining the theatre arts in Bengaluru for more than two decades.
- Google is aiding Bengaluru in tackling its traffic issues by incorporating artificial intelligence with traffic signals.
- Bengaluru railway network is set to get automatic signalling by 2028.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I have bought a house: 30.8%
- I haven’t bought a house: 69.2% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great day!