IMD issues yellow alert to 7 K’taka districts, Bengaluru rainfall to continue

Weather

Bengaluru and many places over north-interior Karnataka will see rainfall until January 11 due to prevalent easterly winds, the IMD said.

TNM Staff

Representational image

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that heavy rain and thunderstorms with lightning are likely to occur in Karnataka for the next 24 hours. The storms will occur in all the coastal belt and ghat districts of south-interior Karnataka. Bengaluru and many places over north-interior Karnataka will also see rainfall till January 11 due to prevalent easterly winds, the IMD said.  In light of this, a yellow alert has been issued in districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Hassan, Kodagu and Chikkamgaluru and Shivamogga for January 8 and 9. On Wednesday, four stations in coastal Karnataka and five stations in south-interior Karnataka recorded heavy rainfall as well.  Meanwhile, rains will continue in Bengaluru till January 11, keeping the weather gloomy and overcast. The intensity of the rain will remain between light and moderate with most parts of the city expected to receive showers. The city recorded unexpected rains on Wednesday, due to the same weather phenomenon. Manoj Rajan, Special Commissioner for Disaster Management, said, “Under the influence of wind continuity, a trough at low-level easterlies over Karnataka state and due to cyclonic circulation, a trough over the central part of Arabian sea and southern part of Bay of Bengal have formed. As a result of this, most districts of Karnataka are very likely to receive fairly widespread light to moderate rains; and at isolated places, heavy to very heavy rains associated with thunder activity during the next 48 hours.”  He added, “Mainly Malnad and coastal districts are very likely to receive widespread moderate, with heavy to very heavy rains in isolated places. South and north-interior Karnataka districts are likely to receive scattered to widespread, with light to moderate rains, and heavy rains associated with thunder activity at a few places today and tomorrow.”

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Bengaluru airport train schedule revised, Railways hopes to resolve teething problems

Transport

The airport link train service, with tickets priced at Rs 10, was launched in Bengaluru on Monday.

Prajwal Bhat

Bengaluru airport halt station

The South Western Railways (SWR) revised its schedule for the newly launched suburban train from Bengaluru to the Kempegowda International Airport after reports of delays in the train service on the first day on Monday. The revision was necessitated after it emerged there were two trains clashing in a single line section between Yelahanka and Devanahalli around 6.30 pm. This reporter travelled in the train to the airport at 5.55 pm on Monday and it reached the airport at 7.12 pm, 22 minutes later than the scheduled arrival time of 6.50 pm. The train from the airport halt station to the city at 6.43 pm was more than an hour late. TNM had earlier reported that a 24-km stretch of rail line between Yehalanka and Devanahalli is a single track. This means that trains can only go once every 30 minutes in either direction and the airport halt station lies in this stretch.   The revised schedule however, did not solve the issue completely. One of the trains from the airport to the city now takes 2 hours and 20 minutes, more than an hour longer than the normal time taken for this distance.  Revised schedule of airport link train #06280 The airport link train service, with tickets priced at Rs 10, was launched amid fanfare on Monday. Five trains are now plying between the city and the airport offering residents in Bengaluru an option to reach the airport paying nominal prices. A free shuttle bus service takes travellers to and from the airport to the airport halt railway station located near the boundary of the airport. The Bengaluru International Airport is around 35 km from the city centre   In addition to the scheduling issue, a signal error compounded problems with the service on Monday. Responding to queries about the delays, South Western Railways (SWR) public relations officer E Vijaya told TNM that there was a signal failure at the Byappanahalli Route Relay Interlocking (RRI), which led to a few trains getting delayed. "There was a signalling failure in the evening at the Baiyappanahalli RRI around 5.40 pm which is the evening peak time. Trains which were crossing were delayed," Vijaya told TNM. Schedule of trains to airport compiled by Rajkumar Dugar She added that on Tuesday, only one of the airport trains was delayed by 11 minutes. "We are working to get the delays down to the single digit. Unless there is an unexpected failure, the delays will be minimal going forward and we aim to maintain punctuality on the airport train," Vijaya said. The Railways is looking at ways to improve the time taken to reach the airport from the city. "We are looking to reduce it by a further 20 minutes by looking into the number of stops there are along the way. We encourage Bengaluru citizens to try this cheaper, safer and eco-friendly transport," Vijaya said. Activists have suggested that the Railways take up doubling work or build a crossing station at Doddajala at the cost of Rs 10 crore. "We are also planning to do electrification of the line and for doubling work to be taken up. This will take time," Vijaya added. According to officials at the Bengaluru International Airport, the daily traffic at the airport is currently around 30,000. The five trains plying to and from the airport can transport around 3500 commuters everyday and activists said that the railways should aim to increase this number. Read: From Bengaluru to the airport for Rs 10: Why new train service is a game changer Read: From Bengaluru to the airport for Rs 10: Why new train service is a game changer

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Video: Leopard takes a walk in medical college quarters in Karnataka

The incident occurred at the Chamarajanagar Institute of Medical Sciences and was caught on CCTV.

TNM Staff

A leopard entered the Chamarajanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) doctors’ quarters in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka on Wednesday. CCTV footage showed the leopard entering the doctors’ quarters on campus around 9:30 pm. In the video, the leopard is seen running through a corridor, turning back and looking into a room before exiting the corridor again.  Dr GM Sanjeev, Dean and Director of CIMS, told TNM that the doctors’ quarters is close to the college campus in Yadapura village. He denied that the leopard was near the hospital, stating that the main hospital building is 8 km away in Chamarajanagara town. “The doctors’ quarters is located next to forest land and it is common to sight leopards in the area. This time the leopard entered the doctors quarters briefly for a minute. It was caught on the CCTV. There was no issue caused by this,” Dr Sanjeev said. According to Dr Sanjeev, leopard sightings in the quarters are not uncommon. Incidents of sightings have been reported a few times in the past as well. CIMS is affiliated with the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) and admits 150 medical students every year. It maintains a 300-bed district hospital at B Rachaiah Double Road in Chamarajanagara town. The institute was started by the Karnataka government and it was registered in the year 2013.  In 2019, a video of a leopard trying to sink its teeth into a porcupine near Chamarajanagar had gone viral. The incident happened at the Chamarajanagar-Satymangalamroad, which comes under the Biligiriranga Hills Tiger Reserve (BRT). A few travellers going down the road late at night captured the video, which showed the leopard trying to bite the porcupine, and the porcupine spreading its quills and deflecting the leopard’s attacks. 

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Bengaluru metro: Yelanchelli-Anjanapura route likely to open from Jan 15

Transport

The extension will connect the far end of the southeastern part of the city to the northern tip.

Soumya Chatterjee

he long-awaited Namma Metro line between Yelachenalli and Anjanapura in Bengaluru will be inaugurated by Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa at Konanakunte cross station on January 14, said Ajay Seth, Managing Director, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL). Along with Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh will take part in the ceremony scheduled at 4.30 pm, through video conferencing. Metro train services on the 6.29 km line between Yelanchelli and Anjanapura are likely to commence from January 15, a day after its inauguration. The metro rail extension is the first project under Phase 2 of the Namma Metro Project in Bengaluru, which was commissioned after multiple delays. The Commissioner of Railway Safety had given clearance for the Yelanchelli- Anjanapura project two months ago while laying down several conditions. At present, the metro has two lines —- the Purple Line between Baiyyappanahalli and Mysore Road which runs for 18.08 km and the Green Line between Nagasandra and Yelachenahalli which spans 24.22 km. The 6.29 km metro line between Yelanchelli and Anjanapura is an elevated extension of the existing Green Line of Namma Metro. The stretch constitutes five metro stations —- Konanakunte Cross, Doddakallasandra, Vajrahalli, Thalaghattapura and Anjanapura. This connects the far end of the southeastern part of the city to the northern tip. Meanwhile, the BMRCL plans to commence metro train operations between Mysore Road-Kengeri in the Purple Line and Nagasandra-Bangalore International Exhibition Centre in the Green Line. To a question about possible requirements of additional trains for the new Yellanchelli-Anjanapura metro stretch and upcoming extensions, Seth told the Deccan Herald, “The train sets will be deployed as needed...More trains will be needed only when we commence Whitefield line."

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My party will sink if I ally with BJP: HD Kumaraswamy to TNM

Interview

In an interview with TNM, the JD(S) leader said Nikhil and Prajwal Revanna will play a major role in rebuilding the party.

Naheed Ataulla

File Image | PTI

Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy seems to have ended speculations about the JD(S) renewing its alliance with the BJP for now. With the JD(S) faring poorly in recent elections, Kumaraswamy plans to overhaul it from the grassroots level. In an interview with TNM before the party workers meet in Bengaluru on Thursday, the JD(S) leader said his focus is rebuilding the party on the foundation of cadre and youth support. Even though Kumaraswamy ruled out any change of guard at the state level, Congress MLC CM Ibrahim meeting JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda at his residence on Thursday has triggered speculations of his joining the party. Ibrahim is reportedly unhappy with the Congress for not giving him any post in the party. If he joins the JD(S), he is likely to be appointed the state unit president, a post which he headed in 1994. Here are some excerpts from the interview: Is the JD(S) leadership confused over taking a firm stand on whether to ally or merge with the BJP? There is no confusion over the issue as the question of an alliance or a merger with the BJP does not arise at all. The confusion was created by the media. Looking at the way in which the BJP is conducting itself and taking a stand on issues, if the JD(S) decides to ally or merge, my party will sink. The JD(S) support to the BJP is very clear – it will be issue based. It’s true that a section of the BJP leaders who are unhappy with Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa approached me with the merger proposal as they did not have any alternate leader to replace Yediyurappa. I turned down the proposal at the outset. Talks of a merger or alliance are only to tarnish the JD(S) image. If allying with the BJP will sink the JD(S), how do you justify your statement that the goodwill you’d earned during the JD(S)-BJP coalition government in 2006-2007 was lost by tying up with the Congress in 2018? Yes, my political image took a beating when the JD(S) agreed to form the government with the Congress in 2018. The Congress agreed to give unconditional support to my becoming the chief minister. But from the day the cabinet was constituted, they wanted everything done according to their demands. They insisted on getting particular portfolios, and when it came to transfer of bureaucrats, which is the prerogative of the CM, the Congress interfered in the department of personnel and administrative reforms. Statements by former CM Siddaramaiah that the JD(S) was the ‘B’ team of the BJP and asking his party workers to hold on till the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 dented my image. I agreed to join hands with the Congress only to respect the feelings of HD Deve Gowda. What are your plans to revive the party, with the workers’ morale down and talks about some JD(S) MLAs planning to join the Congress or BJP? I’m preparing for the Assembly elections in 2023 which the JD(S) will contest independently in all 224 constituencies. The groundwork for this will start after Sankranthi. Since 2008, many JD(S) legislators have left the party for many reasons, including not getting a ticket. In every election, the JD(S) has managed to retain its vote share of 19% to 20% and losing some 15 seats by a margin of 400 votes. I will be building a booth level cadre and also fine-tuning programmes for farmers. My loan waiver programme for farmers did not get publicity because of Siddaramaiah. Building a cadre-based party from the booth level, which the BJP had started, seems to be the new fad with the Congress and JD(S)? It’s not possible to function in politics without a cadre-based party. My priority will be to give more representation to youth and also tickets to them in the Assembly polls. The JD(S) office-bearers committee will be dissolved and restructured. I plan to go back to the system of having just four general secretaries in charge of the four revenue divisions in Karnataka. This was the system during the old Janata Party and Congress (O) days. Presently, the party has 25 general secretaries, some who are just visiting card carrying members and the president may not know them. With representation to youth being your priority, will Nikhil Kumaraswamy be getting a bigger role in the party? You had plans to engage political strategist Prashant Kishor to overhaul the party. Yes, Nikhil and Prajwal Revanna (former Minister HD Revanna’s son) will be taking on more responsibilities. They will be playing a major role in rebuilding the party. I only had some preliminary discussions with Kishor on the JD(S) concept to revive it. There is speculation that Deve Gowda may pass on the national leadership mantle to you? There is no such proposal. The parental body will continue and there will be no change of guard either at the national or the state level. These speculations cropped due to Deve Gowda’s health issues. Naheed Ataulla is a journalist who has covered Karnataka politics for over two decades, and is a former Political Editor of The Times of India. Views expressed are the author’s own.

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Karnataka annual bird fest Hakki Habba to continue amid bird flu alert

Wildlife

The forest department has increased vigilance to safely celebrate the three-day bird festival amid the emergence of bird flu

TNM Staff

Representational image

The emergence of bird flu in Kerala and the other states has prompted the Karnataka government to issue an alert in the state. A high alert was issued in four districts that border Kerala: Dakshina Kannada, Mysuru, Madikeri and Udupi. However, the state's annual bird watching fest, which began on Tuesday in Mysuru, is set to continue on schedule.  The annual birdwatching festival, popularly known as Hakki Habba, kicked off at the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve in Chamarajnagar near Mysuru. The three-day festival was started in 2015 by the Karnataka Forest Department, in a bid to create awareness about the environment and to attract more people to the cause of bird conservation. The festival also aids in finding birds that are largely seen only in the region and to make note of new species that fly in. Santhosh, the Indian Forest Officer in-charge said, “The government has issued special guidelines. We have been asked to report any unnatural deaths among the birds. The veterinary doctors present at the festival have been monitoring the bird’s health.” The guidelines issued by the government read, “Further, in view of the fact that a large number of migratory birds visit India during this season, movement of birds to wetlands is also possible and it is requested to keep a strict vigil on the wintering habitats of migratory birds, including wetlands, for any mortality or disease outbreak signs.” The guidelines also said that the infected birds need to be kept in containment zones. The officer further added that to keep the event safe, they have taken necessary measures and have ensured limited exposure of the birds since the reserve sees a large number of migratory birds in the season. Karnataka dealt with an episode of bird flu in Mysuru last year.

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Setback for BSY as Karnataka HC refuses to drop illegal denotification case

Controversy

The case is related to alleged criminal conspiracy and forgery of documents in 2012 during Yediyurappa's first term as Chief Minister.

PTI

In a blow for Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, the Karnataka High Court has restored a complaint alleging forgery over withdrawal of approval for a parcel of land and refused to quash an FIR filed against him in an 'illegal' land de-notification case of 2015. Justice John Michael Cunha on Wednesday partly allowed a petition by Alam Pasha and accordingly set aside the August 26, 2016 order of additional city civil and sessions judge related to three of the four accused, including Yediyurappa, dismissing the complaint. The case under Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act related to alleged criminal conspiracy and forgery of documents purported to have been issued by Pasha in 2012 when Yediyurappa was the chief minister in his first term. Besides Yediyurappa (the then chief minister), former minister for industries Murugesh Nirani, former principal secretary VP Baligar and former managing director of Karnataka Udyog Mitra Shivaswamy K are the other accused. They have been accused by the petitioner of committing forgery of documents purported to have been issued by her seeking to withdraw the approval granted for allotment of 26 acres of land at Devanahalli Industrial Area in Bengaluru Rural District. Initially, the lower court had in 2013 dismissed a complaint filed by her on ground that sanction to prosecute the accused had not been obtained. The petitioner filed a fresh complaint in 2014 after Yediyurappa demitted office, but it was also dismissed by the lower court on August 26, 2016 on the same ground, though giving liberty to approach the court after getting prior sanction from competent authority. The petitioner submitted that since the respondents were no longer in office, sanction for their prosecution was not necessary. Concurring with it, Justice Cunha ruled that the quashing of the earlier complaint for want of sanction would not act as a bar to maintain the latest complaint filed in 2014 after the respondents demitted office. The high Court upheld the lower court order in respect of Baligar, the third respondent, as the government did not grant sanction to prosecute him. The court ordered, "The impugned order is set aside. The complaint in PCR No 32/2014 is directed to be restored to file, insofar as respondent No 1, 2 and 4 are concerned and the same shall be proceeded with in accordance with law." Earlier, Justice Cunha, in his order on Tuesday, directed the Lokayukta police to go ahead with its probe against Yediyurappa and others including a former minister in the alleged illegal land de-notification case. The court also imposed Rs 25,000 cost on Yediyurappa. The case relates to the de-notification of 1.11 acre land at Gangenahalli, which is part of the Matadahalli layout in RT Nagar in the city in which former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and others are also accused. Based on a complaint by social activist Jayakumar Hiremath, the Lokayukta police had registered a case under section 420 of the IPC (cheating) against the accused in 2015. Earlier on December 23, the court had rejected Yediyurappa's plea to quash criminal proceedings in another land denotification case.

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