BIAL opens India’s first on-Airport Public Bonded Warehouse

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KIA has the largest air cargo terminal in south India, with a handling capacity of 570,000 MT and an average travel time of nine hours from major manufacturing clusters across south India.   | Photo Credit: K_MURALI_KUMAR

The facility will help re-export of goods, long-term storage of bonded cargo, assist in partial clearances and allow value-added services

With an aim to make Kempegowda International Airport (KAI) a cargo hub, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) recently opened what is said to be India’s first on-Airport Public Bonded Warehouse, which is expected to reduce supply chain costs and facilitate trade in and around Bengaluru.

According to BIAL, the facility will help re-export of goods, long-term storage of bonded cargo, assist in partial clearances and allow value-added services such as labelling, packing and re-packing services.

The 10,000 sq.ft. warehouse facility will be operated by Cargo Service Centre (CSC) and fall under the jurisdiction of the City Commissionerate, Bengaluru Customs.

A BIAL spokesperson said that KIA was the third busiest cargo airport in the country and the busiest in south India. “The new facility will play a significant role in boosting the economy of the region by improving trade and connecting markets around the world,” the spokesperson said.

KIA processed 99,154 MT of cargo between April and August 2020, recording a 92% growth in Cargo Air Traffic Movements. KIA has the largest air cargo terminal in south India, with a handling capacity of 570,000 MT and an average travel time of nine hours from major manufacturing clusters across south India.

To bring further efficiencies into cargo operations, BIAL has announced implementation of the Air Cargo Community System to streamline the air logistics supply chain.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / September 11th, 2020

With 99.99 per cent, Bengaluru boy bags AIR 65 in JEE Mains

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Shubhan R of Bengaluru, the state topper in JEE Mains, is looking to pursue artificial intelligence at IIT Bombay.

Karnataka topper in JEE Mains, R Shubhan

Benglauru : 

Shubhan R of Bengaluru, the state topper in JEE Mains, is looking to pursue artificial intelligence at IIT Bombay.

“The field has changed the world around us in unfathomable ways, has possibilities of changing may people’s lives, and perhaps is the way forward for biomedical purposes, including new drug creation,” he told TNSE.

Shubhan secured 99.99 percentile during the January attempt and retained his position as the state topper in the JEE Mains, and bagging an all-India rank of 65. Son of Ravi Prasad J, who works in the medical transcription industry, and Sudha Gopalakrishnan, Shubhan decided not to attempt the mains in September. “My main goal is to prepare for the JEE Advanced and had wanted to avoid exposure crowding in the pandemic situation,” Shubhan told TNSE.

A student of an integrated course at the Sri Chaitanya PU College, Vidyaranyapura, Shubhan said he was coaching classes during the lockdown, and was in touch with his teachers online. Karnataka, which has been at the forefront of conducting multiple examinations, be it the board exams or the entrance tests for various courses, could not get into the Top 50 for JEE Mains that was held in two phases – January and September.

For some of the toppers, the lockdown came as a boon as they used the time to prepare well for the examination. They told TNSE that because of the lockdown, they were comfortable by the time the JEE Mains was held in September.

Anniprakash, a parent, said that by the time JEE was near, her son had already attempted several other entrance examinations, including CET, IIIT and COMEDK, which added to his comfort level. Her son, Shashank P, a student of Expert PU College, Valachil, secured 99.73 percentile in the September attempt of JEE Mains.

Shashank told TNSE that the January attempt was a bit more difficult owing to the new pattern of the paper, and by September, there was enough time to work on the mistakes.  Another Student, Rakshith, who secured 99.8 percentile, agreed that the lockdown gave him enough time to prepare better for the mistakes committed in the January test.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Pearl Maria D’Souza / Express News Service / September 13th, 2020

Kempegowda awards 2020

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The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) gave away Nadaprabhu Kempegowda awards to 32 persons on Thursday in a simple function at the Dr. Rajkumar Glass House.

The function was scheduled on the day the five-year term of the BBMP council ended, making it M. Goutham Kumar’s last public event as the Mayor.

The last event, however, was not bereft of controversy. Mr. Kumar had earlier stated that 20 ‘COVID-19 warriors’ would be identified for the awards. However, opposition Congress alleged that several RSS functionaries had been chosen for the awards while only four ‘COVID-19 warriors’ had been identified.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Correspondent / September 10th, 2020

Belagavi man gives free oxygen cylinders to needy

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A social worker-cum-entrepreneur in Belagavi has come to the rescue of critical Covid patients with respiratory issues who cannot afford or procure them.

Oxygen level being measured on a pulse oximeter. (Photo| PTI)

Belagavi :

 A social worker-cum-entrepreneur in Belagavi has come to the rescue of critical Covid patients with respiratory issues who cannot afford or procure them. Venkatesh Patil of Belgaum Oxygen Private Limited realised the need of the hour and started refilling empty cylinders with oxygen, free of cost, to help the poor and needy in the district.

The dearth of oxygen cyliners had allegedly claimed the lives of several Covid patients. Several NGOs and social workers started collecting oxygen cylinders for the needy. However, after the they were utilised, refilling them became a challenge for them.

When Patil came to know about this, he started refilling empty cylinders bought by NGOs, through his company, BOPL. The cost of refilling each Rs 260. Till date, Patil has refilled 1,882 oxygen cylinders free of cost. Many other NGOs have been approaching him with empty cylinders, and he has refilled them without charging a single rupee.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Express News Service / September 08th, 2020

Bengaluru solar rooftop mapping tool goes live

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File photo of a solar mapping LIDAR flight   | Photo Credit:  Sudhakara Jain

After a series of delays, the ambitious project – touted to be the first of its kind in India – to assess Bengaluru’s rooftop potential to harness solar energy finally took off on Wednesday.

CREST – STEP’s Rooftop Evaluation of Solar Tool (CREST), was launched virtually, enabling consumers to assess their rooftop’s potential to generate solar energy for their own consumption, as well as to supply additional power generated to the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) grid.

Mahendra Jain, Additional Chief Secretary, Energy Department, Karnataka said the State is already a leader in renewable energy with 63% energy coming from renewable sources, including solar and hydel. “The world’s largest solar park is located in Pavagada, which is fully functional. Although we have achieved such stupendous success, in the matter of solar rooftop we have been below the mark. Once generation and consumption are localised, there is greater scope for storage and it becomes viable at a solar rooftop level,” he said.

He admitted that Bengaluru was still “woefully behind the target” in solar rooftop generation. “Why we have not achieved our potential despite solar radiation scope is because of inhibitions about the high cost, lack of information whether the particular rooftop is technically and commercially viable, and also because people are at a loss as to who to approach,” he said.

The LIDAR-based project, he said, maps the minutest detail of the rooftop, including how much it would cost. “It will help us in accelerating the rooftop plan. We will be able to resolve a lot of problems in power supply. Renewable has problems of unpredictability, and evacuation of solar power in a large plant becomes problematic. It took a long time in Pavagada too and was capital intensive. In a rooftop, generation and consumption are localised, and so it is advantageous. If you pair renewable and storage, the day is not far when we can do away with thermal energy completely. If any State can dream of becoming a thermal-free State, it has to be Karnataka,” he said, adding that the KERC too has allowed third party investment in solar rooftops.

G. Sheela, General Manager, Demand Side Management, Bescom, said though the target set by the Karnataka Solar policy is to achieve 2400 MW by 2022, with Bescom’s target being 1200 MW, only 140 MW has been commissioned so far.

Saptak Ghosh, Research Scientist, CSTEP, said the CREST project has covered 1076 sq km and estimated that 2.8 GW is the actual realisable potential in Bengaluru.

Bescom Managing Director M.B. Rajesh Gowda said with rooftop generation picking up, it will be a win-win situation for Bescom and consumers, as transmission costs will also come down.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / Bengaluru – September 02nd, 2020