Fire escape staircase for BBMP’s head office
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to construct a fire escape staircase in the Annexure 3 building of its head office. In August this year, a fire incident occurred in the Quality and Control Department in Annexure 2 building, claiming the life of a BBMP chief engineer. For the last 13 years, the building has been without a fire exit staircase.
The building houses about 20-25 departments, including health, education, and road infrastructure.
The BBMP invited a short-term tender to build a staircase along with signboards, fire exit doors, air circulator, and other necessary fire safety measures. The last date to submit quotation is December 12th and the quotation will be opened on December 13th. The officer said apart from the staircase, the BBMP has already installed fire extinguishers.
Source: The Hindu, Deccan Herald
KIA most profitable airport in India
The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has been declared the most profitable airport in the country. It earned a profit of Rs 528 crore in the financial year 2022-23.
The Minister of State for Civil Aviation Gen. (Dr) VK Singh (retd), in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha during the winter session of Parliament, declared that the KIA recorded a profit in 2022-23 after incurring losses in the previous two years. In 2022-23, the KIA was the most profitable airport among public-private partnership (PPP) airports. However, other airports in the State incurred losses during the same period.
The KIA had incurred losses in 2020-21, when flight operations took a complete hit due to the travel ban. The airport recorded a loss of Rs. 572.8 crore during the pandemic years. In 2021-22 ,the airport recorded a loss of Rs. 376.52 crore.
Source: The Hindu
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Yellow Line to start after general elections
Electronics City, and other parts of southern Bengaluru, will get metro connectivity only after the general elections, contrary to the original deadline of February 2024. After receiving the prototype train, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) will need at least three months to conduct the necessary trial runs and get approvals for commercial operations, its Chief Public Relations Officer BL Yashavanth Chavan said.
The prototype train for the Yellow Line is expected to be shipped from China on December 21st and reach the city in January, according to BMRCL. A senior official in BMRCL confirmed that the decks had been cleared for the shipment of the six-coach trainset. However, BMRCL will not be able to start commercial operations in April or May because the model code of conduct will be in force due to the Lok Sabha elections.
The 19.15-km Yellow Line will connect RV Road with Bommasandra via Silk Board Junction and Electronics City. While civil works (construction of viaducts and stations) are almost complete, the lack of trainsets has held up the opening of the Yellow Line.
Source: Deccan Herald
Police seize drugs worth Rs 21 crore
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Bengaluru Police, on December 12th, arrested a Nigerian national and seized drugs worth Rs 21 crore.
According to the police, in an operation conducted by the anti-narcotics wing of CCB, 16 kgs MDMA powder and crystals worth approximately Rs 16 crore and 500 grams of cocaine worth Rs 5 crore have been seized. The arrested has been identified as Leonard Okwudili (44), who was in India on a business visa. For the last one year, he was allegedly residing in a rented house in Ramamurthy Nagar here, officials said.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner, B Dayananda, said as per a preliminary investigation, the accused was selling the drugs hidden in soap boxes, chocolate boxes, bedsheets or covers. A detailed investigation is underway to find out the source of the drugs, and if there are any cases against him in other states.
Source: The Indian Express
DK Shivakumar advocates for more white topping of roads
On December 14th, Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) and Bengaluru Development Minister, DK Shivakumar, announced more white-topping of roads. He added that it is a solution to rid roads of potholes. This statement came days after a newly white-topped part of the Kensington Road caved in, forming a giant sinkhole.
The sinkhole on Kensington Road, near Ulsoor lake, has sparked criticism for many, including the Aam Aadmi Party, who held a protest on December 13th and demanded a probe into the incident. The BBMP has blamed water leakage for the sinkhole. However, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has denied this.
Source: The Hindu
[Compiled by Harshitha Padmavinod]