Bengaluru enjoys calm weather on Independence Day; Light showers expected in some areas
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) issued no weather warnings for the day in Bengaluru, forecasting only light to moderate rain in isolated parts of the city.
ALSO READ | Independence Day 2025: Bengaluru struggles to achieve freedom from flooding, traffic and unplanned urban growth
Despite overcast skies in some areas, the morning remained dry in most parts of the city, allowing thousands to gather for flag hoisting events, cultural performances, and community parades across schools, public spaces and apartment complexes.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah unfurled the national flag at the Field Marshal Manekshaw Parade Ground, where the state-level Independence Day function went on smoothly, a video shared by news agency ANI showed.
With maximum and minimum temperatures for the day hovering between a comfortable 25 and 20 degrees Celsius, respectively, Bengaluru residents enjoyed a relatively cool and serene holiday, a welcome break from recent spells of heavy rain earlier this month.
Bengaluru set for grand I-Day parade at Manekshaw Grounds
Bengaluru will see a grand celebration at the Field Marshal Manekshaw Parade Ground today as it does every Independence day. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hoisted the national flag, and is expected to deliver the state address and review a ceremonial march-past featuring over 35 contingents from the armed forces and police, according to a report by The Logical Indian.
The event will include performances by over 1,150 students, showcasing Karnataka's cultural richness and historical contributions. Public entry is managed through Aadhaar-linked e-passes for the first time, enhancing both security and accessibility. Around 2,000 police personnel will be deployed, supported by 600 CCTV cameras and multiple checkpoints, the report stated.
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First Post
8 minutes ago
- First Post
Why is the UK asking people to delete old emails and photos to save water?
The UK is battling its worst water crisis in nearly 50 years, and authorities are urging citizens to save water in unexpected ways — including deleting old emails and photos. With drought declared across several regions, officials say small actions, with major infrastructure fixes, can ease pressure on rivers, reservoirs and water supplies A man walks along the dry river bed of the River Derwent after a prolonged period of dry weather in Seathwaite, UK, June 18, 2023. File Image/Reuters The United Kingdom (UK) is confronting one of its most severe water shortages in decades. With much of England in drought and reservoir levels continuing to fall, the government and water regulators are calling on citizens to rethink their daily habits. Among the steps being promoted is a surprising one: clearing out old emails and photos stored online. Worst dry spell since the 1970s Data from the UK's Met Office shows that the country has experienced its driest January-to-July period since 1976. Five areas of England are formally designated as being in drought, while six others are enduring what officials term 'prolonged dry weather.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD These conditions have persisted despite sporadic rainfall and unsettled weather patterns in recent months. Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, the East Midlands, and the West Midlands are all classified as drought zones. Other regions, including the Northeast, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, East Anglia, Thames, Wessex, Solent, and South Downs, are facing sustained dryness and could tip into official drought if conditions persist. The country has been hit by multiple heatwaves, with August marking the fourth of the summer. Dr Will Lang, Chief Meteorologist at the UK Met Office, explained that parts of southern England have recorded temperatures in the mid-30s Celsius, putting pressure on already stretched water supplies. July this year ranked as the fifth warmest July on record, and while heavy showers provided temporary relief in some places, they failed to offset the long-term decline in river flows and reservoir reserves. How UK is coping with the crisis To cope with the worsening situation, water restrictions have been imposed across a wide area. Hosepipe bans remain in force for Yorkshire Water customers and apply to parts of the Thames Water, South East Water, and Southern Water networks. These restrictions are aimed at curbing non-essential use and prioritising water for households and essential services. The National Drought Group (NDG) — which brings together the Environment Agency, the Met Office, regulators, government departments, and water utilities — has expressed gratitude to the public for following the rules where they are enforced. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We are grateful to the public for following the restrictions, where in place, to conserve water in these dry conditions,' said Helen Wakeham, Director of Water at the Environment Agency. Wakeham emphasised the importance of community participation in conservation efforts: 'Simple, everyday choices – such as turning off a tap or deleting old emails – also really help the collective effort to reduce demand and help preserve the health of our rivers and wildlife.' How digital storage is linked to water The inclusion of digital behaviour in water-saving advice reflects the massive scale of resource consumption tied to data centres. Every email, photo, and file stored online requires energy for servers to operate, and that energy demand, in turn, carries a water cost. An Oxford University study estimated that a single 1-megawatt data centre can consume around 26 million litres of water per year through cooling processes alone. This water is used to prevent server overheating, often through evaporative cooling systems that spray or evaporate water to lower temperatures. Facilities that rely on such systems can evaporate millions of litres annually. The water footprint extends beyond direct cooling. Electricity generation itself consumes significant quantities of water, whether through steam-driven turbines at fossil fuel plants, nuclear reactors requiring cooling towers, or hydroelectric stations managing reservoirs. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The energy used by data centres indirectly adds to the overall demand on water resources. An August 13 press release from the National Drought Group highlighted the reality that 'every click, photo, and email stored online has a hidden water cost — data may be digital, but its footprint is deeply physical.' Why AI-data centres are central to the call The UK has seen delays in the construction of some data centres due to constraints in the electricity grid, pointing out the enormous energy requirements of these facilities. Cooling systems not only place pressure on water supplies but also raise concerns about emissions and air quality. Globally, data centre expansion has already caused local tensions. In Newton County, Georgia, in the United States, a Meta-operated data centre reportedly accounts for around 10 percent of the area's total daily water usage, reported Tech Republic. Residents have complained of such severe water pressure problems that some cannot sell their homes to relocate. The issue is compounded by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, which relies heavily on data processing power. AI systems require vast amounts of electricity, and keeping the associated servers cool consumes yet more water. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The UK government has launched its AI Opportunities Action Plan, promoting adoption in the public sector and investing in infrastructure, including the construction of what will be Europe's largest data centre in Hertfordshire. Partnerships with OpenAI and NVIDIA form part of this strategy, but the environmental costs are significant. Controversy over deleting emails & photos The suggestion that individuals delete emails and photos has faced pushback from some experts who argue the effect is negligible. Analysis shows that a 75-kilobyte email consumes a tiny fraction of energy to remain stored — translating to approximately one-thousandth of a millilitre of water per month. Deleting emails or photos, especially if it involves extensive searching and device usage, may actually use more energy than leaving them archived in a dormant state. Nonetheless, the government and regulators maintain that collective action is important. Encouraging digital clean-ups is seen as part of a wider effort to raise awareness about the hidden resource demands of the online world. The criticism has not gone unnoticed, but authorities continue to focus on the symbolic and educational value of linking digital consumption to real-world water use. Traditional conservation measures remain vital While attention has been drawn to the digital sphere, conventional water-saving steps remain central to the response. The UK National Drought Group has advised households to: Fix leaking toilets, which can waste between 200 and 400 litres of water per day. Collect rainwater for outdoor use. Reuse household water for plants. Limit lawn watering and car washing. Turn off taps while brushing teeth. Take shorter showers. In addition to public action, water companies have committed over £700 million over the next five years to address leakage in supply networks. The UK Environment Agency has increased compliance checks on businesses and utilities to ensure that official drought plans are being followed. Despite the challenges, conservation messages have shown measurable results. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The UK National Drought Group reported that in the Severn Trent region, water demand dropped by 20 percent from a July 11th peak after targeted communication campaigns encouraged residents to save water. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies
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First Post
38 minutes ago
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Flash floods in Pakistan kill over 320 as monsoon rains devastate north
At least 321 people have died in flash floods triggered by intense monsoon rains in northern Pakistan over the last 48 hours, with the majority of casualties reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Rescue efforts are being hampered by landslides, washed-out roads, and ongoing heavy rainfall, as officials declare several districts disaster-hit. In this photo released by Rescue 1122 Emergency Department, rescue workers and local residents gather at the site of a massive cloudburst led to flash flooding in Salarzai, Pakistan. AP Flash floods caused by intense monsoon rains in northern Pakistan killed at least 321 people in the last 48 hours, according to authorities on Saturday, and rescuers were having difficulty recovering remains from debris. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, the majority of the deaths—307—were recorded in the hilly region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Most of the victims were killed by flash floods and collapsed buildings, including 15 women and 13 children. There were at least 23 additional injuries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD About 2,000 rescue personnel were working to remove remains from the rubble and conduct relief operations in nine affected regions, where rain was still impeding efforts, the provincial rescue agency told AFP. 'Heavy rainfall, landslides in several areas, and washed-out roads are causing significant challenges in delivering aid, particularly in transporting heavy machinery and ambulances,' Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's rescue agency, told AFP. 'Due to road closures in most areas, rescue workers are travelling on foot to conduct operations in remote regions,' he added. 'They are trying to evacuate survivors, but very few people are relocating due to the deaths of their relatives or loved ones being trapped in the debris.' The provincial government has declared the severely affected mountainous districts of Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra and Battagram as disaster-hit areas. The meteorological department has issued a heavy rain alert for Pakistan's northwest for the next few hours, urging people to take 'precautionary measures'. Nine more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five died in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, the national disaster authority said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Another five people, including two pilots, were killed when a local government helicopter crashed due to bad weather during a relief mission on Friday. 'Doomsday' monsoon The monsoon season brings South Asia about three-quarters of its annual rainfall, vital for agriculture and food security, but it also brings destruction. Landslides and flash floods are common during the season, which usually begins in June and eases by the end of September. Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah, a representative of the national disaster agency, told AFP that this year's monsoon season began earlier than usual and was expected to end later. 'The next 15 days… the intensity of the monsoon will further exacerbate,' he said. One resident likened the disaster to 'doomsday'. 'I heard a loud noise as if the mountain was sliding. I rushed outside and saw the entire area shaking, like it was the end of the world,' Azizullah, a resident of Buner district, where there have been dozens of deaths and injuries, told AFP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I thought it was doomsday,' he said. 'The ground was trembling due to the force of the water, and it felt like death was staring me in the face.' In Bajaur, a tribal district abutting Afghanistan, a crowd gathered around an excavator digging through a mud-soaked hill. On Friday, funeral prayers began in a paddock nearby, with people grieving in front of several bodies covered by blankets. The torrential rains that have pounded Pakistan since the start of the summer monsoon, described as 'unusual' by authorities, have killed more than 600 people. In July, Punjab, home to nearly half of Pakistan's 255 million people, recorded 73 percent more rainfall than the previous year and more deaths than in the entire previous monsoon. Pakistan is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its population is contending with extreme weather events with increasing frequency. Monsoon floods in 2022 submerged a third of the country and killed around 1,700 people. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Another villager in Buner told AFP locals kept on searching through the rubble throughout the night. 'The entire area is reeling from profound trauma,' 32-year-old local schoolteacher Saifullah Khan told AFP. 'We still have no clear idea who in this small village is alive and who is dead,' he added. 'I help retrieve the bodies of the children I taught, I keep wondering what kind of trial nature has imposed on these kids.'
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Business Standard
38 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Heavy rains hit Mumbai; low-lying areas flooded, local trains disrupted
Heavy downpour pummelled Mumbai and its suburbs, with some parts recording more than 200 mm rainfall in the wee hours of Saturday, inundating low-lying areas and affecting the movement of local trains. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in the metropolis for two days. Incessant rain continued to lash parts of the city in the morning with occasional heavy spells. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has appealed to citizens not to step out unnecessarily. Two people were killed and as many others sustained injuries in a landslide amid rains in the Vikhroli Parksite area in the eastern suburbs. The downpour began around 1 am and continued into the early hours of the day, causing waterlogging in low-lying areas of the western and eastern suburbs, including Vikhroli, Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Chunabhatti, Aarey, Andheri, Kings Circle, Malad, and Goregaon, among others. The suburban train services were also severely affected due to waterlogging on tracks at several locations on the Central and Western Railway lines. On the Central Railway line, tracks were submerged at Matunga, Sion, Kurla, Vidyavihar, Ghatkopar, and Bhandup on the main line, and Wadala, Chunabhatti, Tilak Nagar and Kurla on the Harbour Line. Passengers have complained that Harbour Line services continue to be badly affected. Tracks were also inundated on the stretch between Dadar and Mahim stations on the Western Railway. "The water receded around 8 am and the train traffic slowly returned to normalcy," said Swapnil Nila, chief public relations officer of Central Railway, adding that the trains were running 15-20 minutes late around 11.30 am. A spokesperson from Western Railway said that suburban services on the network were running about 15 minutes late. According to railway officials, most government and private officers and establishments in the city have declared a holiday for the Dahi Handi festivities, and the suburban services were not crowded. A spokesperson from the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) said that bus operations were also affected, as several buses were diverted from waterlogged areas in Sion, Kings Circle, Aarey Colony, and Malad Subway, among others. Civic officials said pumping operations were underway in multiple areas, and response teams had been deployed to address complaints of waterlogging and tree falls. Municipal Commissioner and administrator Bhushan Gagrani visited the disaster management emergency control room at the civic headquarters and gave necessary instructions to officials, a BMC spokesperson said. According to the IMD, several parts of Mumbai recorded more than 200 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am on Friday and 5.30 am on Saturday. Vikhroli, in the eastern suburbs, recorded the highest rainfall at 248.5 mm, followed by Santacruz with 232.5 mm, Sion with 221 mm, and Juhu with 208 mm. The intensity of rainfall was higher in the suburbs compared to south Mumbai, where Colaba recorded just 70 mm of rainfall during this period. The IMD had on Friday issued an orange alert for Mumbai for two days, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall. However, the department updated it to a red alert in the wee hours of Saturday. "Warnings are updated as early strengthening of synoptic situations," said Shubhangi Bhute, an IMD official, adding that in the coming days, the entire west coast is likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy spells. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
