Mangaluru: Students protest after finding dead rats, cats in college well

November 11, 2016

Mangaluru, Nov 11: Hundreds of students of Canara Pre-University College on Jail Road protested on Friday against the college management for forcing them to drink contaminated well water.

The students, who got the water tested at KMC Hospital, found that the water they had been consuming for several months is contaminated. The laboratory report states that the bacteriological water shows significant numbers of coliforms concluding that the quality of water is 'unsatisfactory and not suitable for drinking.'

Protesting students said: "When we raised this issue with the college management, they were reluctant to clean the well and told us to drink that water or stay thirsty. Students added that the surface of the water in the well is fully covered with dirt and other waste materials. "We have also found dead rats, cats and other small animals in the well. We will continue our protest till the issue is solved," they said.

As prohibitory orders were clamped across the district in view of the Tipu Jayanti, police personnel rushed to the campus thinking that there was trouble.

A microbiologist said that when coliforms have been detected in the well water used fo r drinking, repairs or modifications of the water system may be required.

Boiling water is advised until disinfection and retesting can confirm that contamination has been eliminated. "A defective well is often the cause when coliform bacteria are found in the well water," he added.

Prabha Kamath Hundi, college principal, said that they have declared a holiday for the college on Saturday and classes will resume on Monday. "We have undertaken the repair and cleaning of the well, water tanks and other water storage units in the college. The issue will be resolved soon," she added.

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Neglect of Management towards student in one of the reputed college in Mangalore. Police and health department take strict action against college management and administration.

Throw those admin guys in the same well .....let them drink and die

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Air India Express brings back Mangaluru–Muscat direct flights from March 2026

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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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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