Kerala temporarily bans trekking in forest areas after TN fire incident

Agencies
March 12, 2018

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 12: The Kerala government Monday temporarily banned trekking in state forest areas in the backdrop of the fire at Kurangani hills in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, in which nine people were killed.

A decision to this effect was taken by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, a statement issued by the chief minister’s office said.

As many as nine people, who were part of a trekking expedition were killed in the forest fire at Kurngani hills near Theni district, about 500 km from Chennai, Sunday.

The State Forest Department has been directed to take all necessary precautions to prevent forest fires, the statement quoted Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as saying. He added that the Authority was closely monitoring the situation.

The Idukki district collector and police superintendent were given instructions to assist the rescue operations undertaken by Tamil Nadu officials immediately when it was known that the fire had broken out in Theni district on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, Vijayan said.

Personnel of Kerala Fire Force, state police and the forest department took part in the rescue and relief operations, he added.

A 36-member team — 24 people from Chennai and 12 from Tirupur and Erode districts — on a trekking expedition had reached Kurangani hills on March 10. Nine died in the forest fire that raged on the hills while 17 were hospitalised with injuries and 10 did not require hospitalisation.

Vijayan expressed grief over the tragedy.

Comments

Danish
 - 
Monday, 12 Mar 2018

Why we need trecking. People doing trecking for their pleasure and they are not following safety guidlines for the safety of animals. They are following only for their safety. Should stop all such nonsenses all over India

Mohan
 - 
Monday, 12 Mar 2018

People only destoying nature.. Most of the forest fires were created by men. 

Rahul
 - 
Monday, 12 Mar 2018

After encroaching forest and building houses & resorts, humanbeings' greed not yet over. They want more.. They want to destroy rest of the forest  for their pleasure by doing adventurous trips.. Should stop completely

Ganesh
 - 
Monday, 12 Mar 2018

Good decision.. Restriction should needed always

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News Network
November 22,2025

Mangaluru: Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H has warned of strict action against individuals spreading rumours and attempting to create insecurity within the Muslim community and fuel hatred between Hindus and Muslims through social media.

Referring to a recent social media post alleging that police personnel had entered a masjid premises to check whether beef was being cooked, the commissioner said miscreants were attempting to push their communal agenda. 

“A group of people, both from Mangaluru and abroad, are trying hard to spread rumours. For the past 10 days, they have been attempting to rake up old issues, highlight routine matters as controversies, or fabricate news altogether,” he said.

He reiterated that any such attempts to disturb communal harmony would invite legal action. “Cases will be registered and the accused will be brought to book,” he stated.

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News Network
November 22,2025

Udupi, Nov 22: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has officially confirmed Narendra Modi’s visit to Udupi on November 28 and shared his detailed schedule with the Karnataka chief secretary.

According to the itinerary, the Prime Minister will land at Mangaluru International Airport from Delhi at 11:05 am and depart for Udupi by helicopter at 11:10 am. He is expected to arrive at the Adi Udupi helipad at 11:35 am.

The earlier plan for a roadshow has been cancelled. Instead, PM Modi will proceed directly to Sri Krishna Math at 12 pm, where he will have darshan of Sri Krishna and address participants of the Laksha Kanta Geetha Gayana event.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to depart from the Adi Udupi helipad at 1:35 pm, returning to Mangaluru Airport before leaving for Goa at 2 pm.

The state administration has been directed to make all necessary arrangements for the visit.

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News Network
November 26,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Assembly Speaker and local MLA U.T. Khader has initiated a high-level push to resolve one of Mangaluru’s longest-standing traffic headaches: the narrow, high-density stretch of National Highway-66 between Nanthoor and Talapady.

He announced on Tuesday that a formal proposal has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) seeking approval to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the widening of this crucial corridor.

The plan specifically aims to expand the existing 45-meter road width to a full 60 meters, coupled with the construction of dedicated service roads. Khader highlighted that land for a 60-meter highway was originally acquired during the initial four-laning project, but only 45 meters were developed, leading to a perpetual bottleneck.

"With vehicle density rising sharply, the expansion has become unavoidable," Khader stated, stressing that the upgrade is essential for ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving safety at the city's main entry and exit points.

The stretch between Nanthoor and Talapady is a vital link on the busy Kochi-Panvel coastal highway and connects to major city junctions. The move to utilize the previously acquired land for the full 60-meter width is seen as a necessary measure to catch up with the region's rapid vehicular growth and prevent further traffic gridlocks.

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