Karnataka asks PM to ensure Bengaluru hosts air show
Bengaluru, Aug 13 : Karnataka on Monday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the biennial Aero India air show is held in this tech hub in February 2019, as over the past two decades.
"I seek your indulgence for conducting the 12th edition of Aero India-2019 in Bengaluru, where the mega event was held successfully for 11 times biennially since 1996," said state Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in a letter to Modi.
The letter was written following media reports that the Defence Ministry was planning to shift the upcoming air show to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the general elections in mid-2019.
"As the hub of defence and aerospace majors in the country, Bengaluru is the most suitable place to conduct Asia's premier air show, as evident from the huge response the event got from the world over in the last 22 years," pointed out the letter.
The five-day air show has been held in February of alternate year at the Yelahanka air base of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the city's northern suburb.
In the 11th edition, held on February 14-18, 2017, 549 global and Indian firms from 51 countries participated.
"Bengaluru has become synonymous with the air show for which the Defence Ministry and the state government had invested in upgrading infrastructure, including the air base, roads, highways and public amenities," said the letter.
The Chief Minister also assured Modi that the state government would ensure all assistance to the Defence Ministry in holding the next air show in the city.
Meanwhile, BJP's state unit President B.S. Yeddyurappa said he would do his best to ensure the air show was not moved of Bengaluru.
"No decision has been taken to shift Aero India to Uttar Pradesh. The Defence Minister (Nirmala Sitaraman) said several states, including Uttar Pradesh, was asking to give them an opportunity to host the event," said Yeddyurappa in a statement here.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
