1. Teething troubles in Shakti scheme taking a toll on BMTC bus conductors
Bus conductors with the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) are a stressed lot. Many have expressed that ever since the implementation of the Shakthi scheme, their jobs have become harder with the everyday work pressure amped up by several levels.
From repeatedly asking women passengers to show their ID cards, to tearing more tickets than before, and to simultaneously dealing with the new norms of the government, teething troubles have taken a toll on crew members. BMTC employees also pointed out issues like staff crunch, lack of buses to handle the growing number of passengers, and how the onus of passengers travelling without tickets has completely fallen on the conductors.
2. Ban on two-wheelers, autos on Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway from August 1
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has banned two-wheelers, autos, tractors, non-motorised vehicles, multi-axle hydraulic trailer vehicles, and quadri cycles from the main carriageways of the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway from August 1. It said that alternate routes and roads are available for such classes of vehicles.
The NHAI notification stated: “The movement of high-speed vehicles may pose a risk to the safety of certain classes of comparatively slow-moving vehicles...due to their vulnerability and associated speed differentials, and compromises road safety aspects.” Since the inauguration of the expressway in March 12, 2023, 100 deaths have been reported and over 150 people have been severely injured in 308 accidents.
3. Fishkill in Lower Ambalipura lake in HSR Layout in Bengaluru
Residents of HSR Layout in Bengaluru are fed up of seeing dead fish floating in the Lower Ambalipura lake for nearly a week now, making this the 13th fishkill reported in the city this year. Data compiled by Action Aid on fishkill from 2017 reveal a sharp uptick in the phenomenon in Bengaluru’s lakes this year.
Residents suspect that sewage is entering the lake through a stormwater drain. Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) officials collected water samples from the lake on July 25, and the report is awaited.
4. LEA International submits preliminary report to develop Raichur city in Karnataka
Canada-based LEA International Agency, an expert in urban development, has submitted the first interim report to the Karnataka government on all-round development of Raichur city, with focus on the conservation and preservation of historically significant traditions, culture, heritage and symbols.
Raichur — a prominent city in the Kalyana Karnataka region — was under the Nizam rule. LEA International’s task will be to modernise and globalise the city without compromising its intrinsic identity.
