Mangaluru: Pumpwell Kalasha' shifted to facilitate flyover work

March 22, 2016

Mangaluru, Mar 22: Dilly-dallying for more than four years to shift the huge Kalasha from Mahaveera Circle at Pumpwell for building a flyover, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) finally shifted it out of that place on Monday night.

The Kalasha has been temporarily placed just a few metres away near a police chowki now. With this, the construction of flyover can go on smoothly.

The shifting work, which began at 9 p.m. on Monday, ended at 2.30 a.m. on Tuesday, a NHAI official said. The Kalasha installed in 2003 was a major attraction for those who entered the city from Kerala and Bengaluru.

A gift from Jains

The Jain community had gifted it after the circle was named after Mahaveera during his 2006th birth anniversary. It was being maintained by a bank.

On its part, Mangaluru City Corporation has been delaying from taking a decision on whether to allot some land near the police chowki to place the Kalasha there permanently. Mangaluru Jain Society in 2012 requested the corporation and the district administration the land near the chowki.

Though the matter came up for discussion in the corporation council in 2014, the council referred it to the Standing Committee for Town Planning and Improvement for a decision. The committee has kept its decision in abeyance till now.

Land for Kalasha

Mayor Harinath said that now the corporation would allot the land sought near the chowki. “As we allowed the society to place it in 2003 and rename the circle as Mahaveera Circle, now we have to grant it land for relocation,” Mr. Harinath said. The Mayor said that the issue would be resolved soon.

Pushparaj Jain, a member of the society, said that the society would bear the cost of re-installing. Installing it in 2003 cost about Rs. 15 lakh, he said and added that the name Mahaveera Circle should be retained after the Kalasha is reinstalled.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

Comments