Two construction workers died in Bengaluru on Tuesday after section of soil collapsed at an under-construction underpass site. The incident occurred near FTII Circle as workers for the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) were pumping water from a pit dug for laying reinforced concrete.
Around 11 a.m., the soil reportedly caved in,trapping two individuals while three others managed to escape. Sonaram,26, was rescued and transported to a hospital but was later declared dead. The other worker, Parimal, 31, died at the scene .
Separately, the Karnataka government informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, that bike taxis should not be classified as public transport vehicles. The state argued that a State High Court decision allowing them overlooked concerns about low motorcycle safety standards,higher accident fatality rates,and increased traffic congestion.
Represented by advocate Sanchit Garga,Karnataka asserted that its restrictions on two-wheelers for passenger transport were reasonable,proportionate,and served public interest. The government clarified it has not imposed a blanket ban on motorcycles for commercial use,only on carrying passengers .
Motorcycle riders, the state submitted, retain alternative livelihood options, including those provided under the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025. This legislation offers statutory protection and welfare measures for such workers.
Meanwhile,Karnataka Forest Department officials in the Belur range of Hassan district fitted two wild elephants with indigenous radio collars over two days. On August 10, elephant from the Bhuvaneshwari herd was captured and collared. The following day,August 11,an elephant from the Beetamma herd received a collar after being sedated with a tranquilliser dart, then released back into the forest.
The department had previously collared an elephant from Bhuvaneshwari herd three years ago and one from the Beetamma herd two years ago . Those collars' batteries had expired, hindering staff efforts to track the herds. The new collars will allow officials to resume monitoring the groups' movements.
In a report on marine fisheries, Union Government stated that post-harvest losses in Karnataka ranged between 6.21% and 10.13%. These figures emerged from a comprehensive study conducted in 2023-24 by the National Productivity Council of India (NPC), an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through the Union Department of Fisheries.
Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, provided this information in response to an unstarred question from MP Captain Brijesh Chowta. Karnataka government,he added,has reported an estimated post-harvest loss of around 6%,based on studies by the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT).
