Good morning, Bengaluru!
⛈️ Today’s weather: Cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms and light rain for today.
🧐 Did you know? Kitty Ko in the Lalit Ashok is one of the most popular nightclubs that hosts drag queen shows.
FYI: Our team will take a break on Sunday and Monday on account of Deepavali. So, we won’t be sending this newsletter on Monday and Tuesday next week. We will be back on Wednesday, 26th October. Happy Deepavali!
📴 Third city to adopt Central Equipment Identity Register
There is a new way to track down stolen phones – the police in Bengaluru have begun employing an advanced internet tool called Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) that can disable a stolen phone’s IMEI number, rendering it almost useless to the criminal.
Story so far: Since September 20, 2022, the city police have been testing the portal. Police have been able to block about 1,200 stolen phones, which has led to positive results. 476 phones had SIM cards inserted into them as thieves attempted to utilise them. Not just that, the new portal system gives way for the police to track down when a SIM is inserted into a different device. The information in the alert about the SIM card enables the authorities to find the stolen item or burglar.
- The success of the use of this method is now being officially adopted by the Bengaluru Police, as they have been given access to the CIER by the Department of Telecommunications.
Other details: If a person has both the original bill and the FIR or e-lost report, they can additionally disable the stolen phone through the CEIR portal. The owner should obtain a replacement SIM card with the same number if the phone is found. An OTP will be delivered to the phone through the CEIR portal. To ban or unblock the phone, you will require the OTP.
📈 Enforcement drives haven’t curbed high bus fares
Special drives carried out by the Transport Department to curb skyrocketing bus fares during festive seasons have not made any impact in the past.
Story so far: This Deepavali season, hiked bus fares are burning a hole in the pockets of people travelling long distances. Bengaluru-Mangaluru bus fares have been pushed to ₹2,000 on online booking sites. Travelling to Hyderabad from the city will now cost ₹3,500. The fares are double the normal prices.
- During the last festive season, transport department officials booked over 1,000 cases while conducting an enforcement drive across Karnataka.
- Passengers claim that these drives did not have an impact as private operators continued to charge exorbitant fares.
What private operators say: Private operators have argued that the Karnataka government is discriminatory as they target only private bus operators. They also state that hikes are carried out during the festive season to meet the operational costs. While the transport department allows state-run bus corporations to charge flexible fares, private operators are targeted for charging more.
🛑 Floods resulting from lack of coordination
The lack of coordination between different civic bodies has been blamed for the Bengaluru floods in different parts of the city.
Story so far: Amid the chaos in the city due to unrelenting rains, many residents and trade body members have blamed the lack of coordination between civic bodies for flooding. The BBMP, BESCOM, BWSSB and the police department, in particular, have been on the receiving end of this criticism.
- Flooding was observed recently in Sultanpet, Mamulpet, BVK Iyengar Road and Avenue Road in the Central Business District (CBD).
- Drains get choked due to hawkers dumping waste and plastic, resulting in flooding in the CBD area.
Lack of political will: A resident pointed out that the areas that fall between segments like Chikpete, Gandhinagar, and Chamarapete lack political will, and as a result, officials avoid questions on basic problems. An Assistant Executive Engineer, Cottonpet Sub-Division, Revanna, stated that BWSSB pipes and stormwater drains get choked due to the dumping of plastic and other waste.
🏗️ 90-metre aerial ladder in Bengaluru
After Mumbai, Bengaluru becomes the second city in India to get a 90-metre aerial ladder platform for rescue services.
Story so far: The aerial ladder platform truck was inaugurated on Thursday in Bengaluru by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who noted that the occasion “marks a critical day for the growth of Bengaluru as well as injecting the greatest strength for the Department of Fire Services.”
- According to the Chief Minister, fire safety and its regulations are equally crucial. The ability to access high-rise structures during an emergency was important for the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
Other projects: CM Bommai noted that under the Nirbhaya project, up to 7500 cameras have been deployed, and they will be utilised to address the issues of traffic density and women’s safety. They revolve 360 degrees while developing artificial intelligence.
- In the past two and a half years, efforts have been made to obtain this, and grants have been made available when CM Bommai served as the home minister. However, it was delayed because of things like Covid-19 and production issues, he noted.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Head to Jayamahal Palace Hotel for the biggest Sunday Soul Sante Diwali Dhamaka this Saturday.
- Hone your crafting skills with a pottery workshop at Lahe Lahe over this weekend.
- Show off your moves with Bhangra Night at Dialogues Cafe in JP Nagar this Sunday.
- Dust off your best ethnic clothes and head to Koramangala Socials this Sunday for the best Diwali Dhamaka party this season.
- Calling all first-timers and seasoned performers! Head to Dialogues Cafe for a fun-filled open mic night.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I prefer North Indian food: 36.8%
- I prefer South Indian food: 63.2% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!