Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌧️ Today’s weather: High: 29 ℃ | Low: 21 ℃ | Generally cloudy sky with light rain.
🧐 Did you know? Except for the Gulf Region, Bengaluru sends the highest number of professionals abroad, especially to the USA.
🚂 Vande Bharat’s sleeper coach
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw unveiled the prototype of the new Vande Bharat sleeper coach at BEML’s Bengaluru facility.
What’s it about? The prototype sleeper coach is now set to undergo a 10-day trial at the BEML facility, followed by further on-track testing. Once the prototype passes the necessary tests, production will commence, with plans to roll out two to three trains each month after an initial production period of one and a half years.
- Designed specifically for long-distance overnight journeys, the Vande Bharat sleeper train will cover distances ranging from 800 to 1,200 kilometres.
- The trainset consists of 16 coaches: 11 AC three-tier, four AC two-tier, and one AC first-class coach, offering a total of 823 berths.
Amenities included: In addition to its safety advancements, the sleeper version of the Vande Bharat train will offer an array of modern amenities aimed at providing a comfortable travel experience. These include integrated reading lights with USB charging ports, public announcement and visual information systems, modular pantries, and specially designed berths and toilets for differently-abled passengers.
✈️ Mid-air engine failure
A Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight from Kolkata, carrying 173 passengers and crew, experienced an engine failure shortly after take-off, leading to an emergency landing at Kolkata Airport.
What’s it about? The pilot reported the issue minutes after take-off, triggering a full emergency declaration at 10:39 pm. The airport swiftly cleared the runways, allowing the plane to land safely on a single engine at 11:05 pm.
- No injuries were reported among those on board.
- Per airport officials, the pilot of flight 6E 0573 managed the situation “effectively”, ensuring a safe return to the airport.
Streak of incidents: This incident is the latest in a series of emergency landings involving flights to Bengaluru. In May this year, an Air India flight from Delhi to Bengaluru had to make an emergency landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport due to a fire in its air conditioning unit. In the same month, an Air India Express flight bound for Bengaluru also made an emergency landing in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirappalli because of a technical glitch.
🕉️ Ganesh Chaturthi guidelines
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda has issued strict guidelines for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations to ensure public safety and prevent illegal activities.
What’s it about? The Commissioner has emphasised the prohibition of forced donations and adherence to Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and BBMP regulations, particularly concerning flex and banner installations.
- Other key directives include mandatory permissions for public Ganesh idol installations, which must not obstruct movement or traffic.
- Safety measures such as CCTV cameras, fire extinguishers, and proper lighting at event sites are required.
Other guidelines: Organisers must also manage crowd control, ensure safe procession routes, and prevent any criminal activities or harassment during the festivities. The visarjan (immersion) processions must be completed by 10 PM, with volunteers easily identifiable, and the routes must remain unchanged.
🚇 Land reforms can aid BMRCL
A recent study by the University of Southern California (USC) highlights that land use reforms could significantly amplify the benefits of Bengaluru’s Namma Metro system.
What’s it about? Published in the Journal of Development Economics, the research demonstrates that while the metro has already enhanced the city’s economic output and residents’ welfare, further benefits could be realised by relaxing building height restrictions near metro stations.
- The study found that the metro has increased the city’s output by 4.3% and welfare by 1.3%.
- However, by adopting a transit-oriented development (TOD) approach, which involves relaxing height restrictions to allow taller buildings near metro stations, these benefits could rise to 14.7% in output and 3.4% in welfare.
Wider observations: The study also critiqued existing land use regulations in Indian cities, noting that strict controls on building heights and floor-to-area ratios (FARs) can limit the potential benefits of metro systems. In Bengaluru, the BMRCL’s 2020 Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) proposed a TOD approach with higher FARs but faced delays due to bureaucratic hurdles.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you travelled on a Vande Bharat train?
- I have travelled on a Vande Bharat train.
- I have not travelled on a Vande Bharat train.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Who’s your emergency contact?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In Other News…
- A leopard strayed into the BRS Layout in Kyalasanahalli.
- Air India Express has launched daily flights from Bengaluru to Vijayawada and Indore.
- Bengaluru Traffic Police booked 1,707 cases of drunk driving in the past week.
- Koramangala Police has submitted a 1205-page chargesheet in the July 23 PG murder case.
- Writers, activists, and citizens have come together to create an H.S. Doreswamy Memorial Trust.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!