Heat wave predicted in north Karnataka this weekend

Weather

A disaster management official said that Deputy Commissioners of these districts are following the action plan chalked out in 2018.

TNM Staff

Representational Image/ PTI

Districts in north interior Karnataka, especially in Hyderabad-Karnataka region will continue to face heatwave like conditions over the weekend. This is the second heat wave in the region within the span of a month. At the same time, rest of the state including capital Bengaluru has been receiving pre-monsoon rains at regular intervals providing some relief. Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bidar, Bagalkot, Dharwad, Gadag, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Ballari, Haveri, Koppal and Raichur are the 12 districts in north-interior Karnataka. The heat wave alert issued by the Indian Meteorological Department has said that these heat wave conditions will exist till June 2. IMD said the entire region will see a 3- 5°C. increase from normal temperatures. “The heat wave conditions are expected to prevail over the next two days. Temperatures for most times of the day will be between 40°C.and 45°C. We have alerted the Disaster Management Department who have taken mitigatory steps,” Sunil M Gavaskar, Meteorologist, at the Karnataka State Disaster Monitoring Centre, said. He added, “This is not an isolated incident. Everywhere we are noticing these extremely dry conditions. Normally during summer, these conditions are not uncommon, but generally over the years we have been seeing them more frequently. The areas that come under the influence of heat waves are increasing gradually". A disaster management official said that Deputy Commissioners of these districts are following the action plan chalked out in 2018. These steps include tweaking school timings for children, restrictions on doing outdoor labour work during noon. Heat wave While there is no global definition, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) describes heat wave as a period of abnormally high temperatures, more than the normal maximum temperature that occurs during the pre-monsoon summer season. According to the World Health Organisation, the heat wave is on if the daily maximum temperature of more than five consecutive days exceeds the average maximum temperature by 5°C. The extreme temperatures and resultant atmospheric conditions adversely affect health and cause dehydration, heat exhaustion, physiological stress and sometimes even death    

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Water scarcity forces schools in coastal Karnataka to postpone reopening

Civic

While some schools have postponed the re-opening, others are cutting down on class hours.

Prajwal Bhat

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The severe water crisis has forced schools in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts to postpone their re-opening for the new academic year. Schools were scheduled to reopen earlier this week. However, due to lack of water, officials of many schools have decided to either send students back home after the morning session or have the reopening postponed to next week. “We had initially planned on re-opening the school on 27th May. Now, due to the water crisis, we had to postpone by a week and will reopen only on June 3. Our major challenge was to provide water for sanitation, which we have now stored and believe that it will suffice until rains start. The food provided in our cafeteria is prepared at  different places. Hence we don’t need to provide water for the preparation of the food”, Anuradha Shivaram, Principal, Manipal School in Mangaluru told TNM.. Some school authorities say that the situation is so severe that they are looking to ensure water supply by hiring water tankers. "We have asked permission from the Block Education Officer to reopen the school from June 3. We hope water is provided by then or else we have no option but to opt for tankers,” Jalajakshi, Principal of Canara High School in Dongarakere in Dakshina Kannada said. A lack of pre-monsoon rainfall in the summer months had led to severe water shortage in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts with the water levels in the Thumbe and Baje resevoirs dropping to critical levels.  Read: Mangaluru gripped by water scarcity, unprecedented situation sees residents struggle Water rationing has been put in place in both Udupi and Mangaluru. In Mangaluru, water is being supplied continuously for four days followed by no water supply for three days. In Udupi, water is being supplied once in three days.  Read: Udupi stares at water scarcity, Municipal Council taps Swarna river to meet water needs School authorities in Bantwal in Dakshina Kannada have already arranged for tankers to provide water for the students. "Till now around two schools complained of water shortage. The respective panchayats ensured that these schools are provided with sufficient water through tankers. Most of the schools are sourcing water from their wells. Meanwhile, I have directed school principals that in case of severe water shortage for sanitation, they could cut short school hours, “ said N Shivprakash, Block Education Officer, Bantwal. Many schools were forced to turn to wells and borewells to ensure water was available due to the lack of water supply from the municipal bodies. "If the water shortage continues, then the school will only function for half a day from June 3. The school has been managing basic sanitation as the students are provided with water from the wells in the campus. The students will have extra classes during October vacations or on Saturdays once the water crisis is over,” Nirmala B, Principal, Volakadu Government High School in Udupi told TNM. School authorities in the two districts are hopeful that the measures taken by them can help them manage till the monsoon arrives.They are also planning to implement rainwater harvesting in their schools to avoid this kind of a situation in the future.   With inputs from  Arza Safiya, Story Infinity (Subs and Scribes Media Ventures LLP.)

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Bengaluru corporators wear Modi masks to celebrate colleague’s Lok Sabha victory

Politics

A Congress corporator commented that the BJP should be re-branded “Modi Party”.

TNM Staff

On Thursday, almost 100 BJP corporators walked in to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike council meeting  wearing masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The masks were to celebrate the victory of former BBMP corporator S Muniyappa from the Kolar Lok Sabha seat. Muniyappa had defeated eight-time Congress MP from Kolar KH Muniyappa. But the masks made tempers flare in the council, that anyway usually sees heated arguments. Affronted by the celebratory mood of the opposition, Congress corporator Abdul Majid commented that the BJP should be re-branded “Modi Party”. “We don’t know where Sab ka saat, sab ka vikas went. They (BJP) lied and came to power. Let Modi be accepting of all languages and all religions,” Abdul Majid added. “Yours is not BJP it's an EVM Party. You have cheated and won. BJP did not win the elections. EVMs did,” Congress corporator K Venkatesh said. Reacting to the statements made by Congress corporator, leader of Opposition in the BBMP Council Prabhakar Reddy said that the Congress leaders would “quake in their boots” if they even hear Modi’s name. “Congress leaders are obviously quaking in their boots listening to Modi’s name. Like a mole on one’s face, Congress has one a single seat from Karnataka in the Lok Sabha elections. At least they should learn their lesson now,” he said. Meanwhile, Yelachenahalli BJP corporator V Balakrishna told the council members that garbage has been piling up on streets and empty plots in his ward and despite multiple complaints, the problem was not being solved. “Let us tell Modi about it. He will write a letter and release funds. Then we can clean it up,” quipped Congress corporator GK Venkatesh. However, accusing him of making disparaging remarks on her, BJP corporator Mamta Vasudev screamed at Venkatesh. “He (Venkatesh) was speaking against Narendra Modi and I could not stand by and watch. Besides, he commented up on the way I dress and my lipstick. Why should I be quiet? That’s why I shouted abuses at him,” she said. Soon after this statement was made, a ruckus erupted in the council. BJP and Congress corporators arrived at the well of the council and began hurling accusations at each other. The Mayor and BBMP Commissioner intervened and put a stop to the arguments.    

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Karnataka MP Pralhad Joshi becomes Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines

Politics

Pralhad Joshi is one of the three MPs from Karnataka to make his way into the Union cabinet.

TNM Staff

Four-time MP from Dharwad constituency in north Karnataka, veteran politician Pralhad Joshi of the BJP has been allotted the portfolio of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines. Pralhad Joshi is one of the three MPs from Karnataka to make his way into the Union cabinet in the Narendra Modi-led government. The 57-year-old is one of the three MPs from Karnataka to make his way into the Union cabinet alongside DV Sadananda Gowda and Suresh Angadi. The heavyweight from the BJP has never lost since 2004 from the Dharwad seat winning four consecutive times. This time, he prevailed against Congress’ former minister Vinay Kularni by a margin of more than two lakh votes. In his previous terms, he has been part of several parliamentary committees including the Committee on Chemicals & Fertilizers, Joint Parliamentary Committee on Wakf, Committee on Transport, Tourism & Culture and also the Committee on Railways among others. He was also part of the Indian delegation to the 63rd Session of the General Assembly in the United Nations in 2008 where he spoke against the atrocities on women and children. Prior to this, he was also touted to be one of the candidates for the Speaker’s position for the Lower House of the Indian Parliament. Before being an MP, he had held the position of General Secretary, Karnataka State Unit of the BJP. He was inducted into the RSS at an early age and he was part of the infamous Idgah Maidan agitation in which a group of BJP leaders hoisted the national flag in Kittur Channamma Circle (Idgah Maidan) in Hubballi in 1992. The agitation was led by BJP leaders Uma Bharathi and BS Yeddyurappa and helped the BJP to become popular in northern Karnataka. He was made the district President of the BJP in Dharwad from 1995-1998. In 2004, Pralhad contested the Lok Sabha Elections from the then Dharwad (North) constituency and defeated Congress leader BS Patil. He subsequently won from the Dharward constituency in 2009, 2014 and 2019.   Some of the issues on which he has been vocal as a lawmaker has been expansion and modernisation of railway services in north Karnataka and crop insurance schemes. In 2013, he was made the President of the BJP’s Karnataka unit and completed his term of three years. Later, in 2018, Pralhad courted controversy when he likened Sadarsofa, a Muslim-dominated area in Hubballi to Pakistan

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Karnataka MP Suresh Angadi appointed junior minister for Railways

Politics

Suresh Angadi is an educationist, with his foundation running several schools and colleges in Belagavi district.

TNM Staff

Four-time MP from Karnataka’s Belagavi, Suresh Channabasappa Angadi was inducted into Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet on Thursday. He was allotted the Ministry of State under Ministry of Railways portfolio. An educationist and a staunch BJP loyalist, Suresh Angadi became a strongman in Belagavi ever since he was made the party’s district President in 2001. He first contested elections in 2004 from the Belagavi segment and was re-elected in 2009, 2014 and in 2019. When Angadi won a hattrick in 2014, he was an aspirant for a Union cabinet berth. However, the BJP national high command did not approve his name. He, however, has served in various parliamentary committees. Between 2004 to 2009, Suresh Aangadi was a member of the Standing Committee for Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution. He later went on to serve in the Standing Committee on Human Resource Development between 2009-2014. He was also the member of the Joint Committee on Pension and Salaries and allowances of MPs and the Advisory Committee on Central Direct Taxes during the same period. He has served as the Chairperson of the Committee on House since 2016. As an educationist, he started the Suresh Angadi Education Foundation in 2008. The foundation has started several schools and colleges in Belagavi district including the Angadi International School, Angadi College of Commerce and Science, Angadi Institute of Technology and Management and Angadi School of Architecture. A Lingayat strongman from Belagavi, Suresh Angadi also runs the Angadi Sugars and Power Limited, which is involved in manufacturing sugar along with processing of meat, fruits and vegetables. Angadi was given the ticket to contest Lok Sabha polls despite several top BJP leaders standing in line. His candidacy was pushed by BJP state President BS Yeddyurappa as Angadi. Prior to the 2009 elections, Angadi was considered a staunch loyalist of Yeddyurappa. However, when Yeddyurappa formed the Karnataka Janata Paksha in 2012, Suresh Angadi had refused to leave the BJP and support Yeddyurappa. In 2014, when KJP was dissolved, Suresh Angadi had, however, played a pivotal role in recommending to his party men that Yeddyurappa must be brought back into the BJP’s fold. He is also one of Yeddyurappa’s key conspirators in Operation Lotus – the plot to poach ruling coalition MLAs and bring down the government. When Yeddyurappa announced that the state government would definitely fall in the coming days on May 23, Angadi had his back and had proclaimed that Operation Lotus would begin in Belagavi.  

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After bomb scare at Bengaluru’s KSR Railway Station, train movements restored

Railways

KSR Railway station in Majestic at the city centre is the busiest railway station in the city with a daily footfall of about 2 lakh passengers.

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A bomb squad was rushed to the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Railway Station in Bengaluru on Friday at around 8:45 am after an object looking like hand-grenade was spotted on the side of the tracks between Platform No 1 and 2. Security staff present at the station cordoned off the area and ensured the vicinity of the area was evacuated. At that time, Sanghamitra Express which plies from Bengaluru to Patna was on Platform No 1. Little over an hour after the suspicious object was spotted by passers-by, the bomb squad assessed the area to be safe. The police, as a precautionary measure, searched the entire station premises, including trains, and found it to be safe. Following this, Additional Director General of  Police Railways Alok Mohan, who had also rushed to the spot, said, “There is no threat to any place. There was a beeping sound within a train which triggered the scare. Upon investigation, it was found that the sound alerting about the malfunction of the CCTV inside the coach.” Sources in the police told TNM that the suspicious object was a dummy and not an actual grenade. An official confirmation is awaited. Police are investigating how the suspicious object reached the spot in the first place. “At 8:45 am, the Railway Security Control reported that a hand grenade was spotted at KSR Bengaluru Station near trolley path on platform no 1. Railway Protection Force immediately swung into action. The area was cordoned off. Senior railway officers including Divisional Railway Manager (Bengaluru) have reached the spot. Divisional Security Commissioner led the team of Railway security force to thoroughly search the entire premises, including the trains,”  E Vijaya, Chief Public Relations Officer of South Western Railways, told TNM. She added, “Train movement was normal, except for on platform no 1 and 2. The grenade was handed over to the bomb disposal squad at 9.55 am. After thorough checking, trains on platform No 1 and 2 were allowed to leave. Normal operations were restored fully. Railway workforce has been put on alert. Intensive checks at the entrance, platforms, and train coaches and at parcel office are being conducted.” KSR Railway station in Majestic at the city centre is the busiest railway station in the city with a daily footfall of about 2 lakh passengers and around 100 trains leaving and arriving daily. The Railway Station is also connected to the metro station and both intra-city and interstate bus stations through subways and skywalks.

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Setback for former B’luru civic body Commissioner as HC sets aside clean chit

Court

M Lakshmi Narayana, IAS, was embroiled in controversy after he granted a trade licence to an eatery named 154 Breakfast Club in Koramangala.

TNM Staff

In a setback to Karnataka-cadre IAS officer M Lakshmi Narayana, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday quashed a clean chit given to him in connection with a controversy regarding trade licence he issued to a Koramangala restaurant in 2016. When Lakshmi Narayana was the BBMP Commissioner, he granted a trade licence to an eatery named 154 Breakfast Club. This was opposed by residents in the area and the Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF), who approached the Urban Development Department. Additional Chief Secretary Mahendra Jain was then approached, who gave Lakshmi Naryana a clean chit after probing the allegation. Following this, NBF and residents approached the High Court. Residents alleged that the entire process was fast-tracked allegedly at the behest of Lakshmi Narayana, and said that the trade licence was illegal as it was a residential area. The High Court said that  Additional Chief Secretary Mahendra Jain was not the concerned authority to probe Lakshmi Narayana and hence, set aside his findings. The bench comprising Chief Justice AS Oka and Justice Dinesh Kumar said that NBF can approach the Department of Administration and Personnel Reform. In his probe, Jain had noted "lack of administrative prudence" rather than "malafide" intentions on Lakshminaryana's part. Citing lack of authority, Jain had then said he did not have powers to act further on the matter. Lakshmi Narayana retired from service earlier in 2019. Reacting to the order, Suresh NR, Director of NBF, said: “The Namma Bengaluru Foundation welcomes the Hon’ble High Court order and are determined to ensure prosecution of those officials who are complicit in violating laws.” The issue in mid-2016 had spiralled into a major controversy as the restaurant in question is co-owned by  Pranav, son of ex-Infosys CEO Mohandas Pai. According to Revised Master Plan of 2015 which was in effect then, the granting of licenses to the eatery was illegal as the land fell into a residential main zone. Even an interim order by the HC had cautioned BBMP against issuing trade licenses to establishments in residential areas.      

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