Stop dumping boulders into sea; give us new houses: Residents tell UT Khader

July 1, 2016

Mangaluru, Jul 1: A few residents of Uchila, Ullal and Kotepura villages of Mangaluru taluk whose houses have been affected by the sea erosion urged the Food and civil supplies minister U T Khader to provide them new houses in a different location instead of spending huge amount of money to dump boulders into the sea every year.

When Mr Khader, who is also the local MLA, paid a visit to erosion prone areas on Thursday, the residents poured out their woes and urged him to take necessary steps to solve their problems permanently.

Out of nearly 40 houses on the three km stretch of coast in Someshwar gram panchayat in Ullal, six have been damaged due to sea erosion during this monsoon. Similarly, several houses between Uchila and Kotepura in Mangaluru, the constituency minister represents, have been damaged.

"Give us house at any place away from the shore or protect our property with permanent solution against sea erosion," said Vishwanath Uchila, a resident in Uchila village of Someshwar gram panchayat. Vishwanath's house was partially damaged due to the rough sea waves on Wednesday.

Every year, the government spends crores of rupees to dump boulders promising protection from sea erosion. Let the government provide us land and compensation. We are ready to move from here," said Vishwanath, who suggested dumping boulders is a huge waste of public money.

Mr Khader promised that funds will be sanctioned for immediate relief measures for the residents whose houses have been damaged.

Deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim said that a proposal of Rs 5 crore will be sent to the government for temporary mesures.

On Asian Development Bank project under the sustainable coastal protection and management investment programme, the minister said that a proposal of Rs 16 crore to find a permanent solution for sea erosion in Someshwar village is awaiting ADB nod. Tenders will be invited soon after the project is approved, he added.

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i request UT khader to look into the matter very carefully, this s the case of cheating simply contracting the building only to get compansation, please verify their documents and all.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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