The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), responsible for water supply in Bengaluru, has deployed 200 water tankers to address the water shortage crisis. Following numerous complaints about inflated prices for water tankers during the crisis, the district administration has imposed price caps based on the water quantity and delivery distance.

For delivery areas within a 5 km radius, a 6000-liter tanker will cost up to ₹600, while for distances between 5 km to 10 km, the cost will be up to ₹750. Similarly, an 8000-liter tanker will cost up to ₹700 for areas within a 5 km range and up to ₹850 for distances between 5 km to 10 km. Additionally, a 10,000-liter tanker will cost up to ₹1000 for delivery areas within 5 km and up to ₹1,200 for distances between 5 km to 10 km.

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar held a special meeting with BBMP and BWSSB officials to address the water scarcity issue in Bengaluru. With summer approaching, he instructed both agencies to be adequately prepared in case the situation worsens further.

Previously, private water tankers charged between ₹500 and ₹2,000 for a 1000-liter tanker. To regulate the supply, the Karnataka government mandated that all private water suppliers must register with BBMP for their operations.

The state is grappling with severe drought conditions, with over 3,000 borewells out of 7,000 in the city having dried up.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has initiated the second round of e-auctions as part of its Festival Dhamaka housing scheme, starting with Middle Income Group (MIG) flats and penthouses from 11 am on Monday.

In a recent announcement, the land authority stated that buyers can now pay 75% of the flat’s cost within the stipulated timeframe mentioned in the Demand-cum-Allotment letter, deviating from the usual requirement of 100%. However, this flexibility applies exclusively to H1 bidders interested in flats in Dwarka’s Sector 19B.

The auction for Super Higher Income Group (S-HIG) flats will commence on February 6, while for High Income Group (HIG) flats, it is scheduled between February 7 and 10. The MIG flats are situated in Dwarka Sector 14, while the penthouses, S-HIG, and HIG flats are located in Sector 19B.

The DDA’s festival special scheme, launched in November last year, presented 32,000 flats across Delhi, including locations like Dwarka, Lok Nayak Puram, and Narela. Notably, this includes 1,130 luxury flats, comprising 14 penthouses, 170 S-HIG residences, and 946 HIG flats.

The penthouses are designed as four-bedroom duplex apartments, featuring a spacious plinth area of 424 square meters. Positioned in proximity to the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, these residences are expected to be ready for occupancy by early January, as per officials.

The first round of auctions, held in early January, garnered an enthusiastic response from buyers. On the initial auction day, 129 MIG, 138 S-HIG, and seven penthouses were booked. Officials reported a total of 296 bookings, with 274 confirmed sales.

This rare species of bear has been photographed in the mountainous regions of Sikkim. Recently, Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan shared pictures of this rare Tibetan Brown Bear on a social media platform.

For the first time in India, the Rare Tibetan Brown Bear has been spotted, which is usually found in the high-altitude regions of the Himalayas. These images were captured in the mountainous areas of Sikkim. The Sikkim Forest Department and WWF-India’s cameras documented these images. Parveen Kaswan, an officer of the Indian Forest Service, recently shared these pictures on social media, highlighting the rarity of the sighting.

IFS officer Parveen Kaswan shared the images on social media platform X with the caption, ‘You are witnessing the first image of the rare Tibetan Brown Bear. With this, another subspecies is added to India’s wildlife. This animal has been recorded in the high-altitude areas of Sikkim through the joint efforts of the Sikkim Forest Department and WWF, meaning there is still much to explore in India.’ Social media users are appreciating and liking his post.

According to officials, these rare Tibetan Brown Bears were captured in the camera trap in December 2023 during the night. This subspecies of bear survives by consuming plants. These cameras were placed in the high-altitude regions of Puchung Lachenpa in the Mangan district. It is worth mentioning that the Tibetan Brown Bear is also known as the Tibetan Blue Bear and has been spotted in India for the first time.