Mangaluru: U T Khader opens MCC’s renovated Mangala swimming pool

coastaldigest.com web desk

February 16, 2019

Mangaluru, Feb 16: Minister for Urban Development and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge U T Khader today inaugurated the renovated the Mangala swimming pool managed by the Manglauru City Corporation here.

Mangala Swimming Pool, which is of a size of 50mtsx15 mts, has the capacity of containing 25 lakh litres of water. While it starts at a depth of 4 ft on the shallow side, the diving end is of a depth of 16 ft.

The pool remained closed since July 2018 for renovation which included the installation of a new ozonation plant at a cost of Rs 98 lakh and peripheral development works.

The ozonation will ensure the water quality improves, and that costs can be saved in the long term. Mayor K Bhaskar Moily said, “The renovation work is over and we will dedicate the pool for the public on Saturday.”

The new ozonation plant was set up on 25 cents vacant land adjacent to the swimming pool. An old filter plant, which was filtering water for the pool, has been dismantled and the new ozonation plant is functional. The plant will save Rs 50 lakh per year for the MCC since it does not require replacement of water from the pool every six months. At present, water from the pool is being replaced completely once in six months. With the new ozonation plant, water needs to be replaced once in two or three years, the mayor said.

The contract to install ozonation plant was handed over to Walrus Pools & Fitness Private Limited, a Bengaluru-based agency. The ozonation plant will make water in the pool crystal clear. Further, it will keep the pool free from algae and make it safe for swimmers, he added.

At present, the MCC authorities charge Rs 20 as entry fee for swimmers, and the monthly pass is also distributed for Rs 400. The entry fee for children and senior citizens is Rs 10 per session and Rs 200 per month.

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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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