Articles by News Desk

H1N1 cases spurt in February Since January, 603 positive cases of H1N1 have been reported in Karnataka, according to the State Health and Family Welfare Department. Of these, the highest number of cases, 141, were from BBMP limits. Reported cases shot up suddenly in February - cases almost doubled from 49 in the last week of January, to 91 in the first week of February. Overall, 400 people tested positive in the state in February alone, of whom 14 have succumbed to the infection. Bengaluru Urban District Surveillance Officer, T K Sunanda, said at a press conference, that areas such…

Krishna water to stop flowing to Chennai Chennai may not continue to get its water supply from Krishna water as the Kandaleru reservoir in Andhra might shut its gates early next week.  Though Chennai was supposed to receive 1 tmcft water from  February till the first week of March, the Poondi reservoir has received only 370 mcft. Chennai is unlikely to get the remaining 630 mcft. Krishna water and Cauvery water have boosted water levels in the city’s four reservoirs which had fallen to below one tmcft last month. The city is currently being supplied with 480-550 MLD on alternate days…

BBMP's Rs 12,574 crore budget approved BBMP's 2019-20 budget with a total outlay of Rs 12,574 crore was approved on February 23, five days after it had been presented. For three days, 24 councillors had discussed and revised the budget, adding Rs 1,886 cr to the original allocation of Rs 10,688 cr. However, BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad stressed on the need for financial reforms, pointing out that even the original allocation was beyond the civic agency's revenue and receipts. He added that the budget should be "realistic", reported The Times of India. On the 18th, the budget had been…

A wooden toothbrush, an eco-nozzle that regulates water flow from the tap and detergents and bathing products prepared and packed by eco-friendly methods. If you are environmentally conscious and looking for options to lead a zero or minimum waste lifestyle, Namma Green Sandhai is where you want to be on March 2nd, between 3 pm and 7 pm. The sandhai is yet another community initiative by Namma Ooru Foundation (NOF), to encourage mid sized entrepreneurs dealing with environment-friendly, sustainable alternatives. NOF is organising the sandhai at Adyar Shastri Nagar Welfare Association Community Hall, as part of the organisation’s 4th anniversary…

Kashmiris attacked in the aftermath of Pulwama Kashmiris across the country came under attack by extremists in the aftermath of the terror attack in Pulwama on February 14 that left 40 CRPF personnel dead. Since the attack, Kashmiri students and traders in various parts of the country have been harassed and many forced to flee fearing for their safety. A trader was attacked by a mob in Kolkata and forced to chant ‘Vande Mataram’ before being rescued by the police. Kashmiri students in Dehradun were attacked by their peers who demanded their removal from their respective educational institutions. Shopkeepers in…

Another opportunity to enrol in voters' list If you have not registered your name in the voters' list yet, here is another chance to enrol. The Election Commission of India is organising a special two day camp today and tomorrow (Feb 23rd and 24th) to enable eligible citizens to add their names to the voters list. The camp will be open from 10 am to 5 pm at all polling stations. Source: The Hindu Railways says no to plastics  Indian Railways has identified 36 stations across the country including Chennai Central where plastics will be banned and CCTV surveillance will…

The 17 dead in last week’s Karol Bagh fire in New Delhi are still being mourned. Families of victims who perished in Mumbai’s Kamala Mills fire are still grappling with the loss of their loved ones. So is every family that has lost one or more of its members to fires, that were avoidable. This February 23rd marks nine years since fire ripped through the Carlton Towers on Old Airport Road in Bengaluru, which claimed nine precious lives. As part of the ninth anniversary of the Carlton fire incident, Beyond Carlton - India's first citizen-led fire safety community, born out…

On a humid Sunday afternoon, two lads meddle with the coconut twigs and rat skins at the bund of Rajakilpakkam Lake, near Tambaram. The young boys, aged 3 years and 5 years, spend the afternoon playing with the skin of the rats caught by their father a day ago. Hailing from the Irular tribe whose occupation is to hunt snakes and rats, these kids make use of the leftovers from the catch. "I have never thought about giving my children toys. Even if I wish to, I can never afford it," says a 40-year-old Varadan A, the father. Just a…

KSPCB orders closure of Graphite India Whitefield residents won their two-decade-long battle to get Graphite India Limited (GIL) shut down. The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) issued an order to stop GIL's industrial operations and processes that polluted the area. The order clarified that clearance had been given to GIL to operate in Mahadevapura till June 30, 2020, but this was being withdrawn with immediate effect. The KSPCB issued the order under Section 31(A) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, read with Rule 20(A) of Karnataka Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Rules, 1983. The order was…

Hotel fire kills 17 in Delhi, serious lapses found A fire that broke out in the five-storey Arpit Palace hotel in Karol Bagh on February 11 took a toll of 17 lives, including that of one child. The origin of the blaze is uncertain but it spread to the upper floors, trapping the guests. This is the highest death toll in a fire since the Uphaar cinema fire tragedy in 1997 that left 59 dead. The blaze broke out in the early hours on Tuesday, February 12th. Twenty five fire tenders were rushed to the spot to battle the fire…