Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌧️ Today’s weather: High: 28 ℃ | Low: 21 ℃ | Mostly cloudy with some rain possible.
🧐 Did you know? Bengaluru’s first planned mega shopping centre was the Jayanagar Shopping Complex. It was built in 1974 on a vacant site next to the Jayanagar Bus Stand.
🕳️ Pothole woes
The recent heavy rains have worsened the city’s pothole problems.
What’s it about? Bengaluru’s roads are infamous for their potholes. They’ve become more dangerous following the recent spells of rain since the craters aren’t easily visible to unsuspecting commuters.
- Among the dangerous roads, Hosa Road is particularly hazardous, especially the stretch after Nandhini Junction towards Electronics City. In Haralur, the situation is worse, given the size of the potholes.
- It’s the same situation in other parts of the city. Major roads like Dairy Circle, Bannerghatta Road, and Kodathi Junction reported waterlogging.
What’s the BBMP doing? The civic body has acknowledged the issue but blamed improper waste management for the flooding. They said citizens need to be more mindful of dumping waste.
🌊 Repeated flooding
Residents of Sai Baba Layout experienced flooding day after the BBMP cleaned homes.
What happened? Just a day after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) cleaned flooded homes at Sai Baba Layout in Horamavu Ward, residents experienced flooding following moderate rain, leaving many frustrated.
- One resident spent ₹10,000 on sump motors and electrical work repairs, only to have the house flooded again. Residents say this has been a repeated occurrence for the past decade.
- Residents have given up on whether the BBMP will be able to help anymore. They believe only the courts can intervene and demand officials take action.
BBMP’s response: The civic body downplayed the flooding and said water didn’t enter the homes. The Bangalore Development Authority said the layout was illegally developed without their authorisation.
🛍️ Shopping mall acquisition
Nexus Select Trust will acquire Vega City Mall for ₹877 crore.
What’s it about? Nexus Select Trust is India’s first Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) backed by rent-yielding retail assets. It will acquire the Vega City Mall for ₹877 crore. The Board of Directors approved the acquisition.
- The property has a fully functional mall with an approximate area of 0.45 million sq ft from Blue Horizon Hotels Private Limited. The land on which the mall is situated is owned by A.S. Muniswamy Raju H.U.F.
- The acquisition will be through Nexus’ special purpose vehicle, Vijaya Productions Pvt Ltd.
Company’s portfolio: The REIT’s portfolio consists of 17 shopping malls with a gross leasable area of 9.9 million sq ft spread across 14 cities in India. It also has two complementary hotel assets and three office assets.
✈️ Flights to London
Air India has announced new daily non-stop flights from Bengaluru to London.
What’s it about? Air India announced it will begin daily non-stop flights from Bengaluru to London’s Heathrow Airport beginning October 27. The new flight will now help connect Heathrow to all three of Air India’s hubs in India.
- The new flight will replace the airline’s existing Bengaluru-London Gatwick route. The frequency between Bengaluru and London has also been increased from 5 to 7 times a week.
- The non-stop service will be operated on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. It will have 18 flat beds in Business class and 238 Economy seats.
Air India’s performance: In the January-September period, the airline flew over 1.64 crore passengers with a 13.9% share. Vistara had a 9.8% share with 1.15 crore passengers. Air India and Vistara will merge on November 12.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you been to all of Bengaluru’s malls?
- I have been to all of Bengaluru’s malls.
- I haven’t been to all of Bengaluru’s malls.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your favourite comfort food on a rainy day?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In Other News…
- Several walls in the city will soon be adorned with murals reflecting Bengaluru.
- Manual scavengers in the city struggle to find alternative careers.
- The Harun Indian Rich List provides details on Bengaluru’s top 5 richest residents.
- Belagavi airport director received an e-mail indicating a bomb threat, prompting police action.
- Property registrations in the city declined by 60% due to the mandatory e-Khata system.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!