Mangaluru boy Viani Antonio wins IM title in Abu Dhabi Chess Festival

September 8, 2016

Mangaluru, Sep 8: Viani Antonio D'Cunha, a young chess prodigy from Mangaluru, has achieved the International Master (IM) title in the Abu Dhabi Chess Festival - International Masters Tournament held from August 21 to 29.

The Ekalavya Awardee of 2011(Chess), Viani achieved his IM title by attaining the required rating of 2400 in the last round against IM Fawzy Adham of Egypt.

Thus, he is the first and only IM in chess from Dakshina Kannada district.

Viani has achieved five IM norms against requirement of three and these norms were achieved in earlier Abu Dhabi events. With an earlier rating of 2346, he netted 41 points in Czech Open 2016 and 23 in Abu Dhabi Masters for current live rating of 2410 points. IOC Ltd has granted Viani an elite scholar scholarship 2011-12 with a monthly stipend of Rs 12,000 for his chess activities.

Viani is currently pursuing his engineering at R V College of Engineering, Bengaluru. Recalling support and encouragement of his parents, he thanked Vishwanath, physical director and management of R V College of Engineering, Maria D'Costa of UExcel, Frs Melwyn Pinto, and Clifford Sequeira, teachers at St Aloysius, Fr Marcel Saldanha, now parish priest of Kumble, Valerian Dalmeida who has taken care of his stay during two norm events in Abu Dhabi, S P Ithal from Siddapur and IMs Raja Ravishekar and Nirmal E P.

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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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