City transport scene
The European Investment Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have agreed to lend €500 million and €300 million respectively to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to execute the Gottigere-Nagawara line under Phase II of the project. A proposal to realign the Metro line to the airport through Hebbal junction was approved by the Karnataka cabinet. The state cabinet also approved the proposal for four suburban railway corridors that will have 81 stations, on a total route length of 160.50km.
TenderSURE work is set to begin on K.G. Road in Gandhinagar and Margosa Road in Malleswaram and the traffic police will be asked to make the required arrangements for smooth movement of vehicles. These are among the 13 roads, including Market Road, Palace Road, Museum Road and Brigade Road, divided into eight packages. A stretch of K.G. Road – from Mysore Bank Circle to Upparpet police station (865 metres) will be taken up. On Margosa Road, work will be carried out from Circle Maramma Temple to K.C. General Hospital (1.68 km).
Source: The Hindu | The New Indian Express
A young man attempted suicide on Friday by jumping onto the metro train track in National College Metro station, forcing the trains on Green line to a halt for 47 minutes. The passenger survived as he fell in between the rails where there is no electricity, and the loco pilot of the train saw him and stopped the train just in time.
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has been operating 500 special buses from Bengaluru from Friday to various places across the state and outside Karnataka to clear the Sankranti rush. They will ply to Madurai, Kumbakonam, Trichy, Mysore and Mangalore to name a few.
Illegal establishments in residential areas to go
The drive against encroachments, illegal establishments, which will cover the entire city by February-end, is being enacted by the BBMP on the orders of Deputy CM G Parameshwar. More than 1,000 notices have been issued on shops operating in basements, and commercial establishments along roads less than 40ft wide will be shut with immediate effect.
Source: The New Indian Express
KEA announces CET dates
Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) on Friday announced the time table for the state Common Entrance Test (CET) 2019. CET will be held on April 23, 24 and 25. Candidates who clear the paper will be eligible for admission to first year or first semester courses in engineering, technology, farm science, pharmacy, AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani and Homeopathy), architecture, medicine and dentistry for the academic year – 2019.
The KEA has dropped its plan to conduct the CET online this year citing lack of infrastructure and time.
Source: Deccan Herald
Pet guidelines for apartments
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) swung into action by proposing that the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences Department set up a State Animal Welfare Board (SAWB) in Karnataka to implement rules related to animal cruelty and check illegal breeding of dogs. BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad wrote to UP Singh, Commissioner, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, last week, in the wake of campaigns by citizens to stop illegal breeding of animals and unkind treatment towards animals.
Meanwhile, the Bangalore Apartments’ Federation (BAF) has released a note outlining guidelines for pet ownership in apartments. It educates apartment residents on maintaining cleanliness of common areas when the pet is taken outside, legal implications of abandoning pets among other points. This was created with inputs from animal rights activists as well as people who have faced issues with a few pet owners.
Source: Deccan Herald | Citizen Matters
Bangalore sees rise in recruitment
Recruitment activity in Bengaluru, the country’s tech hub, grew by 13% in December 2018, compared to the same month in 2017 across all sectors, while the software industry witnessed the highest growth rate of 22% year-on-year, Naukri data reveals. The IT capital also witnessed 22% growth in IT-software compared to 20% in Pune in December. Bengaluru also witnessed an 18% growth in IT-hardware sector.
Source: Deccan Herald
BBMP plans to treat leachate and release it to lakes
After waste-to-energy plants and waste treatment plants in the city, the BBMP now wants to work on treating landfill effluent in an effective manner. Chief secretary of the state government had asked the BBMP to transfer and dispose leachate generated in Chikkanagamangala, Doddabidarikallu and KCDC in Bellahalli landfill. Now plans are on to treat thousands of litres of leachate produced in these landfills. The leachate plant at Bellahalli landfill can convert the leachate into 1,25,000 litres of water a day on five shifts. The BBMP wants to release the treated leachate to lakes nearby.
Source: The New Indian Express
(Compiled by Rahna Jacob)