Probe into fire accidents
Mudpipe Cafe, a hookah bar, where a fire broke out on October 18th, was being run illegally as the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had given permission only for food catering, said Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara. He added that as the BBMP had failed to verify the business, action would be initiated against the owner and officials.
Mudpipe Cafe is on the fourth floor of the KDP building in Koramangala. The fire force came within five minutes, but Prem Kumar, 29, a chef from Nepal, jumped from the fourth floor and was rushed to hospital. About a 100 people, including employees and customers, ran out from the nearby Nexa showroom.
Sources from the Fire and Emergency Services said that the accident had been due to the owner’s negligence, as 12 gas cylinders had been stocked in one spot. A case has been registered against the cafe and the building owners.
When the fire broke out, some cylinders fell from the roof and damaged vehicles but the 10 staff members had managed to escape.
The number of fire accidents in the city has risen by 12% this year. There were 2,289 recorded cases till October 19th, according to data by the Fire and Emergency Services Department. In 2022, the numbers had reduced compared to the previous year.
Meanwhile, the government ordered a magisterial inquiry into the Attibele fire tragedy and will submit the report within three months.
Source: Deccan Herald, Indian Express, The Hindu
KIA most punctual airport in world
The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has topped the list of the world’s most punctual airport for the past three consecutive months, according to ‘On-Time Performance Monthly Report’ published by a data analytics firm, Cirium.
Cirium is a leading aviation analytics body. KIA recorded on-time departure punctuality of 87.51% in July, 89.66% in August and 88.51% in September. The on-time departure ranking measured the percentage of flights that left within 15 minutes of the schedule. The city’s airport was ahead of Salt Lake City International Airport in the USA (87.04%) and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad (86.48%) in the rankings.
Source: Indian Express, The Times of India
Read more: A community-centric approach to building a climate resilient Bengaluru
Fish kill in Varthur Lake
Thousands of dead fish were floating on the surface of Varthur Lake on October 17th. The lake had seemed promising and rejuvenation was underway. But the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had allowed the inflow of rainwater and due to the breach of the diversion channel, which carried sewage, the lake was contaminated and led to fish kill, said sources from Varthur Rising.
The BDA filed a police complaint. On October 18th, a major operation was launched to remove 25,000 dead fish.
Jagadish Reddy, a lake activist, said that within the 440-acre lake, there were many small ponds with fish. But as sewage water flooded the lake last week, it would have impacted the availability of dissolved oxygen (DO) for the fish, which would have finished them.
Source: Deccan Herald, The New Indian Express
Steps for space policy
By 2033, the space economy could grow to $44 billion, from the current value of $8.4 billion, said IT/BT Minister, Priyank Kharge. The state aims high in the space sector, for attracting investment and manufacturing, innovation, research and development. It also hopes to increase private participation, global collaboration and partnerships. Some discussions on the space policy were held by the Department of Electronics Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology.
As the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the maximum number of institutions related to space are in Bengaluru, the state will benefit from the India Space Policy, which has formalised ISRO’s technology transfer to non-government and private firms, he pointed out.
Recently, Kharge interacted with aerospace industry representatives to restructure and revitalise the existing Center of Excellence in Aerospace.
Source: Indian Express, moneycontrol.com
Read more: Piped gas yet to reach majority of Bengaluru households
Nod to city gas distribution network
The cabinet cleared the implementation of the State Policy for the Development of City Gas Distribution (CGD) network for the safe and uninterrupted supply of natural gas.
The policy is expected to involve seven aspects of the network, including promoting adoption of natural gas, faster implementation and rationalisation of price for domestic, industrial, and commercial purposes. It is an adaptation of the central law, said Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil. The policy will also encourage the use of clean energy and CNG in transport vehicles.
Source: The Hindu
[Compiled by Revathi Siva Kumar]