Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌦️ Today’s weather: Light rain showers.
🧐 Did you know? The Bangalore United Cricket Club was founded in 1919. One of its notable members was Rahul Dravid, who points to club cricket as the bedrock of Karnataka’s success in the sport.
🛣️ Pioneering road infrastructure and maintenance
PotHoleRaja’s new campaign is all about vigilant, citizen-led maintenance of roads.
The mission: India holds numerous impressive titles, but there’s one ranking we’d rather not boast about: the top spot for global road accident fatalities. In 2022 alone, a staggering 155,622 lives were lost. Enter PotHoleRaja, a Bengaluru-based social venture determined to revolutionise Indian roads. Their mission? To reduce India’s road accident fatalities and bring the nation below the top ten.
- Through the Great Indian Pothole Fixing Drive, they aim to make roads safer across the country.
- Sourabh Kumar, co-founder and director, emphasises the ongoing nature of the project, acknowledging that the battle against potholes is a never-ending one.
How it works? Report a pothole by sending PotHoleRaja a photo and GPS location. Volunteers will assess the severity and organise repairs through fundraising. Donors are encouraged to participate in the fixing process for a hands-on experience.
One step ahead: PotHoleRaja is taking road innovation to the next level by tackling the root cause of the problem: outdated road infrastructure. They use Grid Mats, a revolutionary product crafted from 100% recycled plastic waste. These mats offer the potential to construct pothole-resistant roads, while significantly reducing costs and environmental impact.
- So far, they have utilised over 64 tonnes of plastic waste, resulting in a reduction of approximately 7 lakh carbon emissions – equivalent to driving a car for 28 lakh kilometres or planting 3400 trees.
🐶 Stray dog census
Bengaluru’s municipal corporation will conduct a census of stray dogs to evaluate its animal control measures.
Census details: From July 1 to July 15, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is going on a mission to count all the stray dogs in the city. Last time, they found around three lakh dogs! The census will take place in the wee hours of the morning when the dogs are calmer. Passionate volunteers will each cover 5 km every day.
- The Animal Husbandry Department is launching a pilot project to keep tabs on furry friends even after the census.
- They’ll install microchips in 100 strays, which will hold vital information like vaccination and sterilisation records. They’ll be attached to the dogs’ necks and can be easily accessed by scanning.
Why it matters? A census will help the BBMP evaluate the success of its vaccination and sterilisation efforts in managing the dog population. KP Ravi Kumar, Joint Director of the Animal Husbandry Department, stated that this data will be vital for planning Animal Birth Control (ABC) and Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) programs.
👩🏻💻 Women in Data Science
On Tuesday, software technology company Intuit hosted a conference which focused on women in data science.
Story so far: On Tuesday, Intuit organised a one-day conference called ‘Women in Data Science (WiDS)’, focusing on the expertise of women in the field. It was a platform for discussing data-efficient matching, generating analytical text from structured data, the role of analytics in data governance, gender bias in artificial intelligence (AI), and responsible AI in gaming.
- Distinguished speakers included Soma Biswas from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Preksha Nema from Google Research, Kalapriya Kannan from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Kalika Bali from Microsoft, and Rukma Talwadker.
- Rukma emphasised the ethical significance of monitoring player engagement in online gaming platforms. Platforms should limit engagement to ensure player well-being and retention.
🤝 Brand Bengaluru website
The state government has launched a website for citizen input on developing the Brand Bengaluru.
Website details: The Karnataka government has taken a proactive step to involve citizen collaboration in the issues facing Bengaluru. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced the launch of a new website to gather feedback and ideas from people worldwide on potential solutions.
- The website, http://www.brandbengaluru.karnataka.gov.in, allows users to provide inputs on critical areas such as traffic management, governance, and solid waste management.
- People are encouraged to submit their suggestions by June 30, as timely submissions will facilitate better discussions on implementing effective solutions.
Then what? This initiative shows the government’s willingness to engage citizens in developing Bengaluru. The government will take the suggestions into account, and implement them per their capacity.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Did you go to the Mango Mela this year?
- Yes, I visited the Mango Mela this year.
- No, I didn’t go to the Mango Mela this year.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Who is your WiFi provider?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- The BBMP has asked the education department to take over its schools.
- Jalahalli junction underpass construction is delayed due to challenges in property acquisition.
- The BBMP’s third attempt to streamline waste collection stalls with the HC verdict.
- Bengaluru’s ‘quiet reading’ movement has gone global.
- Eggs will be given only once a week in government schools’ midday meals until July 15.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I have operated a drone: 33.3%
- I haven’t operated a drone: 66.7% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
If all Bengaluru localities were a person, which locality would you never date, and why?
Sriranga: “Bellandur – Too toxic 😂”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!