Bengaluru west has over 3k active containment zones, highest in the city

Coronavirus

In total, 57% containment zones have returned to normal in Bengaluru, while 43% are active.

TNM Staff

Image for representation/PTI

Bengaluru added 199 new containment zones on August 16, taking the tally of active containment zones to 14,676 from 14,518 on August 15. The total number of containment zones is now at 34,326. While the west zone has 3,074 active containment zones, 3,191 have returned to normal status there. The south zone – which has a majority of the containment zones overall – has 2,860 active ones and 6,173 that have returned to normal status. East zone has the third highest number of containment zones with 2,721 being active and 4,261 having returned to normal status. Mahadevapura, Yelahanka and Dasarahalli are the three zones that have more active containment zones than those that have returned to normal. Overall, Bengaluru has 57% of the containment zones have returned to normal status while 43% are active. Bengaluru reported the highest ever single day spike of coronavirus cases on August 15, with 3,495 patients in a single day. On August 16, 2,131 new patients were reported with west and south zones reporting an equal number (18%). Bommanahalli had the second highest share, recording 17% of the new cases, followed by east zone (13%), Mahadevapura (11%), Dasarahalli (10%), RR Nagara (9%), Yelahanka (4%). In the last 10 days, after the west zone, east zone (18%), south zone (16%) and Bommanahalli (13%) have reported most coronavirus patients respectively. Since the start of COVID-19 in Bengaluru, 191 out of 198 wards in the city have reported between 121 to 140 COVID-19 patients. So far, the positivity rate in the city is seeing a reduction in August, when compared to July. While the positivity rate was 24% in July – significantly up from 7% in June – it now stands at 17% for August till the 15th. The active rate is at 38.5% and the recovery rate is at 61.5%.

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Bengaluru reports 2131 new COVID-19 cases and 49 fatalities on Sunday

Coronavirus

Karnataka has 81,512 active cases as of Sunday.

TNM Staff

PTI

Over 7,000 fresh coronavirus cases have been reported in Karnataka, taking the total tally of cases reported in the state to 2.27 lakh, and the death toll to 3,947 on Sunday. Karnataka has also reported that 124 people succumbed to the virus on Sunday, taking the total fatalities to 3947.  The state's total coronavirus cases rose to 2,26,966 with 7,040 new cases of coronavirus being reported in the state on Sunday, while 6,680 people were discharged, taking the cumulative recoveries to 1,41,491. The active cases now stands at 81,512, including 692 people who are being treated in the intensive care units (ICUs) in different hospitals, the department said in the health bulletin on Sunday evening. The fresh spike in cases and deaths on Sunday was led by Bengaluru Urban district, which recorded 2,131 fresh infections and 49 fatalities. The city has so far reported 89,811 coronavirus cases and 1,444 deaths due to it, with 34,584 people currently under treatment for coronavirus. After Bengaluru Urban, Mysuru accounted for the maximum number of fresh cases at 620, followed by Belagavi (478) Ballari (381) Kalaburagi (285) and Dharwad (268) with higher counts. Similarly, Mysuru reported ten deaths and was followed by Ballari with nine fatalities. Dakshina Kannada district meanwhile reported seven new deaths in the district. While a majority of those who died were aged above 50, there were also a 16-year old and two each in the 20s, 30s and 40s who succumbed to the infection. As on Sunday, a total of 3.5 lakh people were under home quarantine, the statement added. According to the testing data released by the health department, 18,352 rapid antigen tests were conducted, with 25,274 RT PCR tests undertaken on Sunday. This takes the total tests undertaken by the state on Sunday to 43,626 tests for coronavirus. The department does not share data regarding the tests per million conducted.

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Bengaluru violence: Karnataka Home Min to hold meeting with cyber crime experts

Bengaluru violence

The minister spoke on the need to ‘discuss ways to tackle social media posts that can cause unrest in society’.

PTI

PTI

With prohibitory orders clamped on riot-hit areas of the city being extended till August 18, the Karnataka government on Sunday said it would soon hold a meeting to discuss ways to tackle social media posts that can cause unrest in the society, in the backdrop of recent violence in Bengaluru. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant, in his order said there is a ban on more than two persons gathering at any place, carrying any kind of weapon and convening any public meeting. Violators would be prosecuted, he said. As a precautionary measure, the city police has extended the prohibitory orders till August 18. Speaking to reporters, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, "In view of inflammatory posts on Facebook and WhatsApp among others, I have decided to hold a meeting with cyber crime experts next week." Noting that inflammatory social media posts causing disturbance in society was a nationwide issue, he said he would meet technical experts and find out what the social media companies can do, what measures they have taken now and what steps they can take in future. Three people were killed after police opened fire to quell a mob that went on a rampage in D J Halli and adjoining areas on Tuesday night over an inflammatory social media post allegedly put out by P Naveen, a relative of Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy. The MLA’s residence and a police station at D J Halli were torched by the rioters, who also set many police and private vehicles on fire. Police said that they have so far filed five cases in Devara Jeevanahalli and Kadugondanahalli police stations, and 264 people have been arrested in connection with rioting. No juveniles have been arrested in connection with this, police said. Meanwhile, state Forest Minister Anand Singh said MLA Murthy deserved more security since the riots targeting him were ‘pre-planned'. "Once the investigation is completed, we will get to know about the background and conspiracy behind the riots, but security should have been provided. We have heard that it (riot) was a pre-planned one," Singh told reporters in Davangere, while replying to a question on Bengaluru riots. The Congress has been accusing the BJP government, especially the Home Minister, of its 'intelligence failure' to contain the riots and delay in taking action on time, which had put the life of its MLA and his family at risk.

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Karnataka Health Minister Sriramulu recovers from COVID-19 infection

Coronavirus

Videos showed the Minister walking out of the hospital following his recovery.

TNM Staff

File photo

Karnataka Health Minister B. Sriramulu on Sunday tested negative for the coronavirus and was discharged from the Bowring hospital in Bengaluru following his recovery. The Minister had tested positive for the virus last week, on Sunday, August 9. He admitted himself in Bowring, a government hospital in Bengaluru, which drew praise from various quarters. On August 16, videos emerged of the Minister walking out of the government hospital surrounded by healthcare professionals wearing personal protective equipment kits. He was also presented with a bouquet of flowers for recovering from coronavirus. He was the fourth minister in the state to be diagnosed for having coronavirus, apart from Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. The Chief Minister has since recovered and has been discharged from a private hospital in Bengaluru. Like Yediyurappa, Sriramulu too had earlier expressed confidence that he would recover soon, and asked people not to worry. From the beginning of the pandemic in March, the minister has been touring the state to review the Health Department's work and make arrangements to combat the virus. Sriramulu had earlier said that he has prayed to God to heal him soon and bestow strength to serve more people during these hard times. Karnataka Ministers B.C. Patil, S.T. Somasekhara and C.T. Ravi have also tested positive for coronavirus. Even former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had tested positive for the virus, and has subsequently recovered. Karnataka currently has a record number of active cases with 81,276 people currently recoving from the virus. The state capital Bengaluru currently has 34,858 active cases of coronavirus patiengs, while the state has reported 3,831 deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, as per the latest numbers received from the government on August 15. With IANS inputs 

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Karnataka: 4 fishermen missing after boat capsizes off the coast of Udupi

Accident

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, fishermen were warned not to venture into the sea.

TNM Staff

Four fishermen from Karnataka are reported missing after the boat they were in capsized after being hit by high waves on Sunday afternoon. The accident occurred around the coast of Koderi in Kundapur town in Karnataka’s Udupi district.  A total of 12 men were on the boat and the remaining nine were rescued by fishing boats in the vicinity. Udupi Deputy Commissioner G Jagadeesha confirmed the development and said he is himself going to the port area to oversee the search and rescue work. “As of now, four men are reported to be missing. The other eight people who were on the boat were rescued by nearby fishermen. There was heavy current in the port area due to which this mishap has occurred,” he told TNM. The boat they were on was named Sagarashri. The missing people have been identified as  Shekara, Naga, Laxman and Manjunath, said a Daijiworld report.. The report said following the accident, local Byndoor MLA B M Sukumar Shetty and former MLA Gopal Poojary also went to the spot to oversee search operations According to the Indian Meteorological Department, fishermen were warned not to venture into the sea. “Squally weather with wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph is likely to prevail along & off Karnataka coast,” the IMD warning said.\ In addition to this, high waves in the range of 2.7-3.2 metres were forecasted between Sunday to Monday along the coast. Isolated heavy rainfall is expected to occur in all the three districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada till Monday morning. According to the Disaster Management department, one person has earlier died in the district as a result of the heavy rains that has been lashing major parts of the state since August 1. 

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Ban corporate funding of elections: Former Union Min SM Krishna

Politics

PTI

Former External Affairs Minister and ex-Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna has called for a "complete and total" ban on corporate funding of polls, saying there is a need to end political corruption and cleanse the electoral system in the country. The root of administrative corruption lies in political corruption, and the root of political corruption lies in electoral corruption, said Krishna, who has seen electoral politics from close quarters for over five decades. "We first need to cleanse the electoral system. The process is going on here and there. There have been some reforms which are just in the initial stages", the former Karnataka Chief Minister told PTI. "But I am happy that there is no political corruption at the top in the Centre. There is not a single allegation of corruption or nepotism. The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) himself is absolutely and impeccably clean and honest. This is a very big positive development", he said. "Slowly, things will fall in its place. A situation will arise where people will choose candidates on the basis of the performance of the party in the government and in the opposition", the former Maharashtra Governor said. Krishna, who joined BJP over three years ago after more than 45 years' association with the Congress, said electoral reforms need to pick up pace and we must think of bringing in public funding of elections and a complete and total ban on private funding, which means funding from corporate companies. "It is a long way to go, but I am confident that we will have clean politics. If we have to see the emergence of clean politics, electoral reforms are a must. Unless money power is eradicated, there cannot be clean politics. My emphasis is for the eradication of money power, which is the first step we have to take", he said. Secondly, appealing for votes on communal and caste basis during elections must become a penal offence, the 88-year-old leader added. Asked if he thought there should be a retirement age for politicians, Krishna said politics is not a government job to fix retirement age. With age comes maturity, knowledge and experience, the BJP leader said, adding, Morarji Desai became Prime Minister at the age of 81, and he did a fantastic job. "Suppose, hypothetically speaking, if he (Desai) had retired at the age of 60 of 65, then the country would have been deprived of such a sagacious leadership", Krishna said. Atal Behari Vajpayee became Prime Minister at the age of 74, and he did a fantastic job. L K Advani became Home Minister at the age of 71 and he did a wonderful job, he said. "But at the same time, it is also essential...that the youngsters must be given opportunity". There should be a blend of age and youth; maturity and initial starters. Elders should not be totally discarded, but their knowledge and experience must be utilised to groom the younger generation, Krishna said. "It is like what we say in Kannada; 'Old Roots and New Leaves", he added

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Heavy rains trigger flood alert in areas downstream of Karnataka's Malaprabha dam

Weather

The region has been experiencing heavy rainfall locally and in upstream areas of Maharashtra.

TNM Staff

File image: Manjunath Doddamani Gajendragad at en.wikipedia / Public domain

A flood alert was sounded on Sunday in the northern parts of Karnataka owing to heavy rainfall in Malaprabha river’s catchment area. More rain is expected in the coming days. At present, all residents of villages downstream of Malaprabha dam and nearby low lying areas of Ramdurg in Belagavi district and Badami in Bagalkot district have been cautioned and are being evacuated to safer areas. This alert comes as northern Karnataka, bordering Maharashtra, has been experiencing flood-like situations due to heavy rainfall locally and in upstream areas of Maharashtra over two weeks. A total of 18 lives have been lost due to the heavy rains since August 1 in the state and three others are missing. According to officials, at 7 am on Sunday, the dam reservoir level was at 2,075.6 ft when the full capacity is 2,079 ft. The inflow of water was at 18,000 cusecs while the outflow was at around 10,000 cusecs. This outflow can be increased upto 15,000 cusecs in case of persistent rainfall in the catchment area or in upstream areas, officials said. “Yesterday (Saturday) night, almost all the upstream areas of Krishna, Ghataprabha and Malaprabha rivers had recorded heavy rainfall. It is expected that the inflows into all the dams in this part of the state will increase significantly. Almost all the dams are full both upstream in Maharashtra and in north Karnataka, so at any given time, if there is heavy rainfall, there is no cushion to hold extra water. That is why we have taken precautionary measures and sounded an alert,” Sreenivas Reddy, senior consultant with the state Disaster Management Authority, told TNM. Both Ghataprabha and Malaprabha are tributaries of river Krishna. “As of now, due to excess water in the Malaprabha river, areas that will be affected are Belagavi, parts of Dharwad and Gadag. If there is a similar situation which arises in Ghataprabha river, then Belagavi and Bagalkote will be affected. If there is flooding in Narayanpura river, then parts of Raichur and Yadgir will be affected,” he added. The official said that inflows in south Karnataka dams, including those in the Cauvery basin, are under control. With no excess rainfall predicted, there is no immediate worry.

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