Mangaluru Airport: AAI staff’s hunger strike against Modi govt’s PPP proposal enters 2nd day

News Network

December 11, 2018

Mangaluru, Dec 11: The three-day hunger strike launched by the members of Airports Authority Union at the Mangaluru International Airport here in protest against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government’s move to introduce public-private partnership for six airports entered second day today.

Mangaluru Airport too is included in the Centre’s proposal.

Speaking on the occasion, Arvind Gaonkar, the local branch president of the union and Shravan Kumar, the secretary, castigated the Union government for the move and said that it was surprising the government is privatising a body that was under profit.

AAI has been performing exceedingly well, pays dividend to the government and is elevated as a Mini Ratna, the union said.

On Monday, the first day of the protest, Kasargod MP P Karunakaran visited the agitating members and assured them of taking up the issue in Parliament.

In a release, union’s national general secretary Balraj Singh Ahlawat said that the union was compelled to resort to the relay hunger strike and mass casual leave following the Union government’s unilateral decision.

AAI, Mr. Ahlawat said, is working as per an Act of Parliament and as per the parameters of a memorandum of understanding with the Union government.

AAI has invested substantial public funds in developing airports across the country, including the six proposed for PPP, he noted.

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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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