Death of pregnant woman at Vittla govt hospital triggers protest

October 28, 2015

Mangaluru, Oct 28: The death of a 30-year-old pregnant woman at the government hospital in Vittla in Bantwal taluk triggered a protest by her relatives.

Family members of 30-year-old Girija carried out a protest following her death at the government hospital in Vitla late on Monday night.

According to District Health Officer Ramakrishna Rao, a pregnant Girija was admitted at the hospital for delivery.

Doctors at the hospital administered dextrose for inducing pain. Around 8.30 p.m. doctors noticed Girija having convulsions. Immediately arrangements were made to send her in the 108 ambulance to the Government Wenlock Hosptial.

Dr. Rao said Girija died before reaching the Wenlock Hospital. The ambulance returned to the Vittla hospital where family members and other residents carried out demonstration accusing the doctors of negligence.

After heated arguments with the hospital staff, family members agreed for autopsy of Girija at Wenlock Hospital.

Dr. Rao said an inquiry will be conducted to find lapses, if any, that has led to Girija’s death. Vitla police said a relative of Girija has filed a complaint accusing doctors of negligence.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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