Cong won Karnataka polls taking cue from AAP manifesto, says Kejriwal

Bengaluru: An eight-month old baby has been detected with the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in a Bengaluru hospital on Monday, with reports going viral online. This is likely the first reported case of HMPV in the country after the recent spike in China.

The baby is reportedly undergoing treatment in a private hospital in northern Bengaluru.

The Karnataka state health department has maintained that there is no cause for concern.

"We don't know what strain of virus is spreading in China. Without knowing that, we cannot say that this reported case is concerning. We have been reviewing all influenza-like illnesses (ILIs) from December to check for any strain that is concerning. There is no such concerning spike across the state or country," said a well-placed source in the state health department.

The HMPV is a known virus (first discovered in 2001) that causes respiratory symptoms similar to that of a common cold, largely affecting children below the age of five. It is not a new virus.

Cases have been reported in the past, especially in the winter season, note experts and health department officials, making it not an immediate concern, unless an unusual spike is observed.

In December 2024, 714 suspected cases of HMPV were tested in 16 Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs) across the country, of which only nine were confirmed positive.

Karnataka’s first C Band Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) in Mangaluru, work for which was supposed to have been finished by January 15, will be postponed slightly due to some technical difficulties, said N Puviarasan, head of India Meteorological Department (IMD)’s Bengaluru centre.

“We are hoping to get it running by this month's end at least,” said Puviarasan on the sidelines of a stakeholders’ workshop organised by the IMD Bengaluru on January 4 to commemorate 150 years of IMD. The workshop was held at the premises of Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre (KSNDMC) and had day-long sessions, including technical ones by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Bengaluru and Department of Agro Meteorology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru.

Puviarasan also said the IMD ran into obstacles in its bid to establish a S-band DWR in Bengaluru, due to problems in acquiring the land required. “We need 30X30 space to put up a tower and a small utility room,” said Puviarasan. According to him, IMD had originally planned to put up the radar in Nandi Hills. But, on Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour & Employment Shobha Karandlaje’s request, he said they started scouting for an appropriate place in Bengaluru. On July 23, 2024 Karandlaje had posted on X: “Following my request, the IMD has greenlit the installation of a Doppler radar in the city (Bengaluru), scheduled to be operational by year-end. This is a major step towards better weather forecasting & preparedness for natural disasters."

She had also posted a letter written to her by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jitendra Singh, who said the radar will have an operational range of 250 km and will be installed in Bengaluru by 2024. He also mentioned that the site for the radar installation has already been identified and the Centre had informed the state government to acquire the site. “But the site suggested by the minister is not feasible because of the elevation issues,” said Puviarsan.

According to IMD scientists, there should not be buildings higher than the radar within its range, as readings will be affected. Puviarasan said they have now identified a place within a government school in Bengaluru and are awaiting permission to establish the radar. He said usually land acquisition is a huge problem. “This time, it’s a government school. Here, we don’t even need to raise a boundary wall, as it exists already. So, we’ll see,” said the director. If this is not working out, he said IMD will go back to its initial plan and will establish the radar in Nandi Hills. Mangaluru radar, being established near Kadri, is expected to cover 250-300 km radius, putting regions prone to heavy rains during monsoons in Karnataka, like Agumbe, Hulikal, Talakaveri, Kerekatte and Bhagamandala within its range, said a IMD scientist. Earlier, in his presentation, Puviarasan had also said apart from Bengaluru and Mangaluru, one X-band DWR is coming up at Dharwad. He also said proposals have been submitted for S-band radar at Honnavara and C-band at Ballari.

Without a DWR, Karnataka has been depending on the radars in Goa, Hyderabad and Chennai for more accuracy in forecasts for thunderstorms and rainfall so far, said IMD officials. In his presentation, Director of KSNDMC, Bhoyar Harshal Narayanrao, talked about why Karnataka is vulnerable to hydro-meteorological and geological disasters. He also said 80 per cent of Karnataka is prone to drought, and that in the last 23 years (between 2001 and 2024), 16 years are drought affected. He also said maximum number of landslides leaving widespread damage and casualties have occurred in Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Chikkamamgaluru, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Hassan, Chamrajanagara Mysuru and Chikkaballapura. The year 2018 saw the most landslides, at 462, between 2006 and 2024. Narayanrao also said Karnataka is the only state in the south with its own disaster monitoring centre and seeing its success other states are also thinking of establishing one on the lines of KSNDMC. He said KSNDMC is also being approached by a few startups to involve Artificial Intelligence in disaster management. “We are taking a cautious approach towards the idea. We are looking into what AI can offer and will decide accordingly,” said Narayanrao.

Other presentations included an overview of IMD services by S Balachandran, head of Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai and possible integration of climate services in support of Karnataka State Action Plan on climate change by K J Ramesh, Former Director General, IMD. Sanjeev Verma, AGM, Air Traffic Management, Airports Authority of India, Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru also made a presentation of how weather forecasting is integral for air traffic management.

Mangaluru, Jan 2: The coastal city of Mangaluru witnessed yet another alarming car fire incident last evening, marking the latest in a series of similar mishaps in recent months. Fortunately, quick action by the driver and passengers prevented any injuries.

On January 1, a moving Volkswagen car caught fire on the road leading to the helipad at Maryhill. The passengers noticed flames emanating from the front of the vehicle. Acting promptly, the driver pulled over, and all four occupants exited safely.

Local residents attempted to douse the flames using water, and personnel from the Kadri fire service soon arrived to manage the situation. Despite their efforts, the car's engine was completely destroyed.

This incident adds to a growing list of car fire cases reported in Mangaluru recently:

December 16, 2024: A Hyundai car caught fire near City Centre Mall. The driver narrowly escaped.

November 15, 2024: A car was gutted within minutes near Kadri police station, though the driver escaped unharmed.

November 10, 2024: A Maruti 800 waiting at a petrol station caught fire and was completely burnt.

September 28, 2024: A parked BMW at Adyar was destroyed in a fire.

September 5, 2024: Another BMW caught fire near NITK.

In all these incidents, timely evacuation ensured that no injuries were reported. However, the frequency of such cases raises serious concerns about vehicle safety and the need for preventive measures.

Authorities and vehicle manufacturers must investigate the underlying causes of these fires to prevent future occurrences. Public awareness about vehicle maintenance and safety measures is also critical to avert such mishaps.