Fire kills five in Kailash Bar: Safety norms are always drawn up carefully, but remain only on paper. Even though the state fire department had asked Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to cancel the occupancy certificate of 106 high-rise buildings in 2015, no steps were taken to ensure safety. Notices had been issued to roof top pubs after the Kamala Mills tragedy in Mumbai, yet a fire, maybe due to short circuit, killed five staff members in Kailash Bar, Kalasipalyam.
“My question is: Why did we wake up after a mishap occurred in another city when the matter was known to us? I call it irresponsible behaviour of the authorities,” Umesh Shetty, council member from Govindaraja Nagar, told Bangalore Mirror.
The Bar lacked a second exit and the victims got trapped near the entrance at 2.30 am. The Excise Department and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are looking into the norms being flouted here. But the issue is simple: plans for solutions are already existing, but lack implementation. (The Hindu)
Namma Metro’s green signature: Namma Metro’s Gottigere to Nagawara line will result in cutting down a number of trees in this area. But at least 185 trees from Swagath Road cross to Gottigere on Bannerghatta will be transplanted by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL). The trees will be rerouted and replanted in a number of locations, including the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B) campus and Shantiniketan Park in Arekere. Each tree transplant is expected to cost about Rs 10,750. (Bangalore Mirror)
Raksha Band can protect you: If you are scared of being attacked when you venture outside, you can look forward to slipping on a Raksha band – sometime when the plan is implemented, of course! This new, technology-backed band has been proposed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). It will be part of an integrated project called ‘Suraksha Mitra’ that will get a boost from the Centre’s Nirbhaya Fund. It involves wearing a motion-sensitive band that can send SOS signals upon attack. It would be linked with the police control room, such that upon raising an alarm, ‘guardians’ can be alerted. The band can also record voice clips and snapshots and send them to the police monitoring cell. (The Better India)
Biometric airport entry gets nod: Soon, by March 2018, you can board your aeroplane through Aadhar-enabled biometric entry points. The national regulatory authority for civil aviation security, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), has granted an “in-principle” green signal to enable this novel entry. Through security and boarding checkpoints at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), you can reach your destination – through technology. (Bangalore Mirror)