KSRTC to operate 2,500 additional buses for Diwali rush across K’taka, neighbouring states
Bengaluru: In view of the upcoming Diwali festival, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has announced additional services to ensure smooth travel for passengers.
The corporation will operate 2,500 additional buses from Bengaluru to various destinations across the state and neighboring regions between October 17 and 20. Return services to the city will be available on October 22 and 26 to facilitate post-festival travel.
According to KSRTC, special buses will depart from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda Bus Station to popular routes including Dharmasthala, Kukkesubramanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Shringeri, Horanadu, Davanagere, Hubbali, Dharwad, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Gokarna, Sirsi, Karwar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Koppala, Yadgir, Bidar, Tirupati, Vijayawada, and Hyderabad, among others.
Additionally, Mysuru Road Bus Station will handle services toward Mysuru, Hunsur, Piriyapatna, Virajpet, Kushalanagar, and Madikeri, while premier buses from Shanthinagar TTMC will operate to cities in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, such as Madurai, Kumbakonam, Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, and Kozhikode.
Meanwhile the corporation is also offering a 5% discount on group bookings of four or more passengers and a 10% concession on return tickets if both journeys are booked simultaneously.
A release from the state run corporation also stated that additional special buses will be operated from all taluk and district bus stands within its jurisdiction, based on demand.
KSRTC introduces new non-AC sleeper ‘Pallakki’ service between Bengaluru- Gadag
In a bid to enhance connectivity within North Karnataka, KSRTC has announced the launch of its new “Pallakki” Non-AC Sleeper Bus Service between Bengaluru and Gadag, starting October 17, 2025, costing rupees 890.
The Pallakki buses will operate daily with departures scheduled at 10:00 PM from both Bengaluru and Gadag, reaching their destinations by 6:00 AM.
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Climate Change crisis: IMD to change parameters to declare heatwaves
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The IMD, along with its technical partners, will soon revise the criteria for declaring heatwave conditions in the country, as the present parameters do not suit India’s geographical conditions, according to official sources here.
Kerala, in particular, has faced difficulties in issuing heatwave warnings because of the limitations of the existing parameters.
Sources in the India Meteorological Department said the state experienced severe heat and humidity this summer and, for the first time, weather forecasts were made based on the anti-cyclone system that formed near the Karnataka–Maharashtra coast.
"We have never had an anti-cyclone system form closer to the South before, and this time we had to predict the weather based on it," a senior IMD official told PTI.
Anti-cyclonic systems are common over north-western parts of India, but this year one formed near the southern region, leading to unusually hot nights.
The anti-cyclone caused downward air movement, which pushed warm air towards the surface and prevented it from dispersing at night, the official added. As a result, Kerala recorded night temperatures 3 to 4 degrees Celsius above normal.
Because Kerala has experienced a steady temperature increase during the summer months for the last few years, changing the parameters for declaring heat waves would benefit the state, enabling the authorities to issue warnings more efficiently, the official added.
The IMD currently issues hot and humid weather warnings, although the situation warrants a heatwave warning, as the existing parameters do not allow the department to issue one.
At present, the IMD issues a heat wave warning in coastal areas when the maximum temperature reaches 37 degree Celsius or more with a temperature departure of 4.5 degree Celsius over the recorded maximum temperature.
For plains, the threshold is 40 degrees Celsius with a departure of 4.5 degrees Celsius or more from normal, while for hilly regions it is 30 degrees Celsius with a departure of 4.5 degrees Celsius or more.
Officials said the current heatwave declaration parameters also require these conditions to be recorded at two stations in the state to issue the warnings.
"In Kerala, we hardly get to record these conditions in two areas; moreover, we have severe heat stress that can easily cause a heat stroke. So we have decided to rework the heatwave declaration parameters and the changes will be implemented shortly. There will be a consultation with the Disaster Management Authority also before finalising the parameters," the official said.
Throughout Kerala, temperatures recorded this summer were three to four degrees Celsius higher than usual. The state also reported multiple cases of heatstroke despite regular warnings issued by the IMD and the state disaster management authority.
According to experts, Kerala has become a climate change hotspot, with a steady increase in atmospheric temperatures and erratic monsoons.
The IMD has also predicted a below-normal monsoon this year, as this is the first time two consecutive El Nino years are being witnessed.
