Civic

Increased vigilance as COVID cases rise On Thursday, 142 COVID cases were reported in Bengaluru Urban out of 154 in the state, with zero deaths. The day’s TPR (Test Positivity Rate) was 1.49%, while the weekly TPR touched 1.16%. The TPR in Bengaluru has been increasing slightly since April 9th. Cases of mucormycosis or black fungus were back in at least one private hospital, Manipal Hospitals in Hebbal. This is despite the absence of risk factors such as sharing of oxygen cylinders or unhygienic treatment facilities, which were suggested as the possible causes of black fungus in the second COVID…

Fires in Perungudi and RGGGH A fire began in Chennai's Perungudi dumpyard on Wednesday and continues to rage over many days. Several families living within a 1 km radius of the dumpyard had to move out owing to the toxic fumes in the air which were causing respiratory issues. Residents in some parts of Velachery even faced power cuts as the fire destroyed many overhead electrical lines in the area.  According to many residents nearby, smoke could be seen from the landfill as early as Sunday, but city officials were not responsive to it until Wednesday when the fire was…

IMD issues orange alert over heat wave in Mumbai The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert in many parts of Maharashtra including Chandrapur, Akola, Wardha, Yavatmal etc. Mumbai too has recorded above average temperatures. On April 28th, Mumbai’s maximum temperature was 4 degrees above normal, at 37 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature was 25 degrees, which is considered normal. IMD’s regional forecast suggests that sunny weather conditions will remain in coastal Maharashtra and Marathwada till May 2nd. Source: The Indian Express Read more: Rising temperatures in Mumbai call for mitigation measures, but where are they? Another…

Keys? Check. Wallet? Check. Dry Food, Wet food, Biscuits? Check. Spare Collar? Check. Phone. Check? Anxiety and love, Check? And Priya Chetty Rajagopal is ready to go out on her morning walks around Chalukya Circle, in Bengaluru. First up, time for a daily roll call of all the neighbourhood street dogs – Ringtone, present, Chime, present, 4GMother, present. Then exchange pleasantries, talk gibberish, pet them, feed them till she moves on to the next lane towards the BSNL building.  Priya is part of Canine Squads, a locality-based group of community volunteers who work to ensure both animals and humans are cared…

Wearing mask made mandatory in public places The Tamil Nadu Government has reinstated the rule that masks should be worn in Chennai and across the state while out in public . According to Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan, the imposition of a Rs. 500 fine will be imposed for non compliance with the rule. The official told reporters that while fining was relaxed, at no point was there an exemption from wearing masks.  The official also mentioned that there was an overall drop in thermal screening, use of hand sanitisers and masking at public places. According to him, testing would be…

Byculla station goes through a restoration The 125-year-old Byculla station was restored and its completion will be inaugurated on April 29th. It is one of five heritage stations in Mumbai. "This project had been initiated by 'I Love Mumbai Foundation' in memory of BJP leader Shaina NC's father, the former Mumbai Sheriff late Padmashree Nana Chudasama with the support of Bajaj Trust Groups, and Abha Narian Lambah Associates as their CSR initiative with the guidance and co-operation from Central Railway," a spokesperson said. The restoration project aimed to restore the station to its original architecture within 8 months, but because of the…

Action after garbage trucks cause fatal accidents After three fatal accidents caused by BBMP garbage trucks, the city traffic police conducted a special drive and booked 307 trucks for violations such as signal jumps and defective number plates. BBMP has made fitness certificates mandatory for the trucks, and marshals have been deployed to inspect the vehicles at mustering points every day. BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said the new garbage contracts would include a clause mandating the use of new vehicles. BBMP also decided to install speed governors in 600 compactors to restrict their speed to 35 kmph. BBMP, along with…

Chennai pedestrians need saving. Statistics of Chennai pedestrians dying on the road are alarming. But first: Is Chennai a walkable city? Not for the faint-hearted, the elderly or the disabled. Not for children, surely. The city acquires a busy character from its congested quaint enclaves like Mylapore, Triplicane, Mambalam, Saidapet and George Town with their warren of narrow streets. But old enclaves or new, Chennai does not really support walking. Things are so bad that the Smart City’s Pedestrian Plaza on Pondy Bazaar became a talking point for how it helped walkers. Poor record of road safety If road safety…

This story is one of a two-part series on the roles and structure of the Mumbai Police. Santosh Sapkal, a Junior Constable in the Goregaon Police Chowki operates the phone. He writes down complaints for non-cognizable crimes, informs senior officials, and follows up with the complainant to later get a statement on the issue, whether the complaint was resolved or not. “Most of the complaints we get on a daily basis are noise complaints from society residents and lost documents,” he says. “Often, people lose their documents like birth certificates, school admission letters, and they need police verification to issue…

Low demand for booster dose Only 8,041 people in the 18-59 year age group had taken the COVID booster dose in Karnataka as of April 14, five days after private hospitals were allowed to administer it. Of them, 86.97% (6,994 people) are from BBMP limits. Bengaluru has the highest number of private hospitals and private vaccination centres in the State. Given the low demand, the offer by vaccine manufacturers to compensate the slashed vaccine prices with additional doses has not gone down well with private hospitals. Many want a refund from the manufacturers instead. Dr H M Prasanna, president of…