Bandh gets good response: The statewide bandh on January 25 was fairly successful and mostly peaceful, as it got a good response from diverse organisations. In the attempt to reach a resolution for the Mahadayi row between Karnataka and Goa, the bandh got BMTC and KSRTC buses to stay off roads, with shops remaining shut. However, Metro services remained unaffected, while taxis and autos too were plying on the roads.
Though it was fairly peaceful, the protest also witnessed some stray stone-pelters. There were more than 15,000 police personnel, along with 50 platoons of KSRP and CAR police persons who were posted in and around the city. (The Hindu)
Bellandur on fire: Spread over 1,000 acres, Bellandur lake caught fire on January 19. The National Green Tribunal has told the state to give regular timelines in order to rejuvenate the lake. The NGT said that there should be regular timelines to remove silt, block sewage entry points, clean up the lake and upgrade sewage treatment plants (STPs) by January 29. Due to toxic foam from pollutants on the lake’s surface, the fire kept raging for seven hours. About 5,000 army personnel and firefighters got the fire under control. (The News Minute)
RMP-31 gets 8,869 complaints: January 23 was the last date for submitting complaints against the draft RMP-31. The list of objections and suggestions from the public touched almost 8,869. The BBMP had refused to extend the deadline beyond January 23, and is looking into the complaints received. (The Hindu)
Another steel flyover to be in place within two years: A new steel flyover has been planned to link Hudson Circle and Minerva circle. It is hoped to be finished in two years, and might shorten the travel time from south to central Bengaluru. The 2.91-km bidirectional structure was approved almost a decade ago. The project is thought to bring down traffic congestion by 78% and save 30 minutes of travel time. (ET)
BBMP to support pink autos: To be distributed under the welfare schemes of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the pink autos will come equipped with CCTV cameras and GPS trackers and will hit the roads by the end of March. (TOI)
Police withdraw ISI helmet rule: Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) clarified that there is no way to ascertain if a helmet meets the prescribed standard safety requirements by a cursory visual inspection. Following this, the city police in unlikely to continue with the planned crackdown on the ‘fake’ helmets. (The Hindu)