Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌥️ Today’s weather: Partly cloudy skies throughout the day.
🧐 Did you know? At 107, Bengaluru is where the most number of languages are spoken in the country.
🧰 312 lakes to be restored
A list of the 312 lakes under its care that will be restored as part of the Jal Jeevan Mission has been created by the Bengaluru Urban Zilla panchayat.
Story so far: Bengaluru South has 90 of these 312 lakes, Bengaluru East has 18, Bengaluru North has 18, Yelahanka has 44, and Anekal has 142. Both the state and the union governments will contribute equally to the funds for restoring the lakes. The list of these lakes has been sent to the Environment Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI), Bengaluru, to prepare their detailed project reports (DPR).
- This is the second phase of the restoration of lakes under the Zilla panchayat custody.
- Under Phase-I earlier this year, a list of 150 lakes was sent to EMPRI for the preparation of DPR.
Funding: After developing DPRs, the zilla panchayat would look for funding to restore the lakes. The Jal Jeevan Mission will restore these 312 lakes. The funds for restoring each lake will be split equally between the state and union governments at 45% each, with the remaining 10% coming from CSR funding. Any private entity can contribute if they wish.
🍹 Sober and Co launched in Bengaluru
In Bengaluru, the lifestyle beverage company Sober and Co. launched its homegrown, ready-to-drink line of products.
Story so far: Brothers Nishant and Sharan Kripalani formed the company Sober and Co. Devi Singh, a world-class, award-winning mixologist, crafted the collection. The preferred spirit and the curation technique are listed on every bottle. The brand provides “Pop and Pour” as a non-alcoholic option because every flavour can be consumed straight from the bottle.
- In February, Sober and Co. introduced six new varieties, including the Cuban Spritzer, Goan Mule, Mexican Mama, Spanish Margarita, and Australian Sour.
About the beverage: Each 250ml bottle of Sober and Co. costs ₹99 and contains an alcoholic beverage. They are made by hand using natural extracts that have only their natural sweetness and no added sugar or preservatives. The soda concentration in the beverage is substantially reduced when aerated for direct consumption, resulting in fewer than 50 calories per bottle.
⌛ More time sought for BBMP elections
The Karnataka government informed the High Court that it requires further time to hold the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections.
Story so far: The previous elections for the civic body were conducted in November 2015, the tenure of which expired in November 2020. The HC, on September 30 this year, had set aside the August 3 reservation list of the state government and ordered a fresh list to be prepared by November 30. It had also instructed the State Election Commission to conduct polls for the civic body before December 31.
- In May this year, the Supreme Court directed that elections for all local bodies pending in the country should be conducted without any delay.
Further delay: Since Assembly elections in Karnataka are slated to be held in early 2023, there has been a further delay in conducting elections for the BBMP. Challenges to the reservation list and delimitation of wards made by the state government further delayed the process.
⚡ Fastest charging station
Bengaluru’s SUN Mobility CEO, Anant Badjatya, claims that the firm has created the “fastest charging station in the world.”
Story so far: The station can charge in “flat out one hour,” Badjatya adds. Additionally, it is capable of performing over 200 swaps every day. The station includes 14 batteries and 15 docks. On some days, the total can be estimated to be between 220 and 230 swaps. The station is pay-per-use, so the user just has to pay for what he uses.
- The battery, paired with the station, also offers great security.
- The battery is locked, so even if you try to remove it, it won’t budge. The battery is not unlocked until the station issues the order.
Ambitious goals: Every three kilometres in urban areas, an EV charging station has been suggested by the government. SUN Mobility, however, is taking a fresh look at this since they are attempting to figure out how to have charging stations every two kilometres.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Get ready for the most unique Christmas shopping festival, the SteppinOut Night Market Christmas Fiesta, at Jayamahal Palace Hotel this Saturday.
- India’s largest youth festival, the Under 25 Summit, is returning to Bengaluru this Saturday at BMS Institute of Technology & Management.
- Enjoy India’s greenest music festival, Echoes of Earth, this weekend at Embassy International Riding School.
- Desi rap fans assemble! Experience King live at Phoenix Marketcity this Sunday.
- Earthlings Comedy Theatre presents Sunday morning Stand-Up Comedy at Cubbon Park to watch budding stand-up comedians from the city.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I would rather have a forward button in my life: 46.2%
- I would rather have a rewind button in my life: 53.8% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!