Google to help Bengaluru police manage traffic better: “A team of officials from Google and the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) are developing a custom-made ‘Traffic analyser app’ for the traffic police, which will help in congestion management, benefiting the general public,” said R. Hitendra, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), to The Hindu.
Rooftop restaurants already shutting shop: A number of rooftop pubs, bars and restaurants have complied with the orders of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to close down their establishments. They had been found operating without trade licenses. About 135 establishments had been given a week’s notice to stop their rooftop operations or else face closure by the Palike, said M N Lokesh, chief health officer, BBMP, to TOI.
Most of the establishments were located in the east zone, in areas such as Indiranagar and MG Road. Just by establishing fire safety norms and offering emergency exits, the units cannot function normally or offer safety, said Lokesh. (TOI)
Elevated Suburban Rail for Bengaluru?: Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said in Bengaluru that the Railways was considering building half of the proposed Bengaluru’s suburban rail network as an elevated corridor. He also announced that the Centre was willing to bring down the state’s funding to 50% from the 80% share proposed in the suburban rail policy for the country. (TNIE)
Converting lake pollutants into biodiesel: At a time when the city’s lakes have been polluted by fat and oil from the city’s broken sewage system, there is some good news. Eco Green Fuels, a private firm, is experimenting with converting waste into feedstock for biodiesel that requires fat, oil and greases (FOG). The Bangalore Water Supply & Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has permitted the firm to take up a pilot project at the Bellandur lake. Eco Green Fuels has already created alternative fuels with local resources such as used cooking oil and lubricants and is now exploring the fats that enter the sewage system and lakes. (ET)
Temple ruins from the 16th century discovered: In a search for archaeological relics, ruins of a lost temple were discovered in Jakkur village by a bus driver and “heritage enthusiast”, Dhanpal M. Many “pillar-like” stones were also found nearby that were found to go back to 1539 A.D. The temple was dedicated to the Hindu deity Allalanatha, built by Sadashiva Raya, the son-in-law of Krishnadevaraya. (Newsweek)
City leads office leasing activity: Delhi NCR and Bengaluru seem to account for more than 50% of the absorption of office space, according to the CBRE South Asia India Office MarketView Report. Last year, 13 million sq.ft. of office space was taken up in the city, even as annual absorption crossed 42 million sq. ft. The space for office leasing activity was concentrated in non-SEZ developments and was also dominated by the micro market in the Outer Ring Road. (The News Minute)