Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌧️ Today’s weather: High: 28 ℃ | Low: 20 ℃ | Generally cloudy sky with light rain.
🧐 Did you know? Bengaluru has the most number of engineering colleges in the country.
🚇 Yellow Line from December
The Bengaluru Metro’s Yellow Line is set to open by December, featuring at least eight trains running every 15 minutes.
What’s it about? The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) confirmed that the major civil and system works for the ₹5,745-crore project, which spans 19.15 kilometres from RV Road to Bommasandra, are largely complete.
- This update marks a shift from the initial plan of launching six to seven trains at 20-minute intervals.
- The Yellow Line will include 16 stations, with significant stops such as Jayadeva Hospital, BTM Layout, Silk Board Junction, and Electronics City.
Tallest metro station: Jayadeva Hospital will be an interchange hub and India’s tallest metro station at 39 meters, featuring a six-level structure including an underpass, road, flyover, Yellow Line platform, concourse, and a Pink Line platform.
🛣️ Elevated corridor project resurfaces
In a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the long-debated Bengaluru elevated corridor project resurfaced, though the government did not reveal its decision.
What’s it about? DCM DK Shivakumar noted that the discussion also covered tunnel roads and building roads on the buffer zones of stormwater drains. These topics will be brought before the state cabinet, and further discussions with city-based MLAs are scheduled for July 27.
- The elevated corridor project, initially proposed by former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in 2018, aimed to connect the city’s north-south and east-west axes.
- However, tenders were cancelled after transport experts and citizen groups criticised the project, arguing it would undermine efforts to promote public transport systems.
DKS’ side quest: On the sidelines, Shivakumar separately met with members of the BBMP restructuring committee to refine the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill 2024, which is expected to be presented to the state Cabinet on Monday.
🔒 Classist mall closed down
The Karnataka government has ordered the temporary closure of Bengaluru’s GT World Mall after an elderly farmer was denied entry for wearing a dhoti.
What’s it about? The incident involved a farmer, Fakirappa, and his son being stopped at the mall’s entrance despite having film tickets. A video of the event went viral, sparking outrage and prompting Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh to invoke a week-long shutdown.
- A case under Section 126(2) (wrongful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been filed against the mall owner and the security guard involved.
- The incident drew criticism from various quarters, including the BJP, whose spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress government of being “anti-farmer”.
‘Dress code’: The farmer had travelled from Karnataka’s Haveri district to visit his son in Bengaluru, only to be told by security staff that mall policy prohibited entry for individuals in dhotis and that he needed to change into pants to be allowed inside.
✈️ AI’s A320neo takes flight
Tata Group’s Air India has launched its first narrow-body Airbus A320neo aircraft into service, starting on the Delhi-Bengaluru route.
What’s it about? The aircraft, registered as VT-RTN, arrived in Delhi from Airbus Headquarters in Toulouse on 7 July and began its commercial operations with flight AI813. The A320neo features new cabin interiors and livery.
- The craft includes three cabin classes: Business, Premium Economy, and Economy.
- The Business Class cabin has eight seats with 40 inches of seat pitch, 7 inches of recline, leg rest, footrest, and additional amenities.
Future plans: This A320neo will gradually cover more routes within India, reflecting Air India’s commitment to enhancing passenger comfort and expanding its service network.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Vir Das is back home and ready to make Bengaluru laugh with his MindFool India Tour.
- Immerse yourself in the spellbinding “Sagar Waali Qawwali” at Sunburn Union.
- Dance your heart out at the DISCO DEEWANE Bollywood Carnival at IBAR.
- Take your kids to enjoy fun activities like DIY crafts, soft play adventures, and Adventure zones at the Mantri Mall.
- Escape to a world of romance and creativity with this exclusive Couples Pottery Workshop.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I have been to ZLB23: 27.3%
- I have not been to ZLB23: 72.7% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
Among the six, what will be the best location for the second airport?
Santhosh: “In between Kunigal and Tumkuru is good for Karnataka industrial development and also to grow other tier 2 cities like Haasan, Tumkuru and Shimoga”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!