Nethravathi diversion will be a national disaster, warn experts

January 11, 2014

Mangalore, Jan 11: In retaliation against the stand of the Karnataka state government to move ahead with the proposed Yettinahole (Nethravathi diversion) project, few local activists have decided to oppose diverting the Nethravathi waters under the banner of 'Karavali Jeevanadi-Nethravathi Rakshana Samiti'.

The Samiti includes Congressmen Vijaykumar Shetty and P V Mohan, local activists M G Hegde, Vasudev Bolar and Rohitaksha Rai and others including Prof S G Mayya who is a professor of Department of Applied Mechanics and Hydraulics at NITK, Suratkal.

Addressing media persons at a press conference here on Friday, Prof Mayya said that the Yettinahole project would turn out to be a national disaster. A precise study of the forests, wildlife and ecology in Western Ghats has not been done. According to the Paramashivaiah report, the priority of the project is to provide water to the industrial area in Bangalore, then to certain parts of Tumkur, Hassan and Chikmagalur and finally to Kolar and Chikkaballapur. Moreover, the proposed project with an estimated budget of Rs 8,000 crores would be a burden and a waste of taxpayers' money as implementation of the project would not yield any results. The project is only for political gains and nothing else, he stressed.

M G Hegde said that people of Dakshina Kannada were being deceived with the guarantee of “conveyance of the extra water from Nethravathi which flows into the sea.” If this is true, why are they pumping water from the sources of the rivulets and not from the estuary? By trying to divert the river, they are going against the law of nature. This is a bogus project and will not benefit anyone except those who stand to gain from it financially, he said.

He said that the Samiti would organise a 'nadi pooja' on the banks of river Nethravathi on January 14 in Bantwal.

President of the Samiti Vijaykumar Shetty said, “It is saddening that despite several assurances from top state political leaders, the government has decided to go ahead with the project. Having lost hope in these assurances, we have decided to protest against this move of the government.”

He also said that the Samiti had decided to oppose the project in the High court.

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News Network
December 16,2025

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Melkar (Bantwal): The 9th Annual Day celebration of SMR Public School, titled “EXCELLENTIA”, was held on December 15 with great enthusiasm and dignity, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s journey towards academic excellence and holistic development.

The programme was inaugurated by Dr. U. T. Iftikar Ali. The chief guests were Dr. Akhtar Hussain, Mr. P. Moosabba Beary, Mr. Zakaria Jokattre, and Dr. T. M. Abdul Rahuf—whose inspiring addresses motivated the students and appreciated the school’s contributions to education.

Mr. Abdul Nasir, Mr. Ibrahim Gadiyar, Mr. Razak Golthamajal, Mr. Sali Koya, Mr. Arshad Hussain, Mr. Ismail Balanoor, Mr. Feroz Bawa, Mr. Sahul Hameed, Mr. Abubakkar, Mr. Hameed K. Mani, Mr. Abdul Majeed (Principal, Melkar Women’s College), and Mr. Abdul Lathief (Former Principal, Melkar Women’s College) were the guests of honour.

The Annual Report was presented by the Headmistress, Ms. Fathimathul Zaheera, highlighting the school’s achievements and progress during the academic year. The Presidential Address was delivered by the Chairman of SMR Public School, Dr. Haji S. M. Rasheed, who emphasised the vital role of education in shaping students’ futures and stressed the importance of discipline, dedication, and consistent effort in achieving 100 per cent academic results.

Secretary of SMR Public School, Mr. Rifath Ahmed, and PTA President, Mr. Sandeep Kumar, were also present on the occasion.

The Annual Day celebration showcased the collective efforts of students and teachers and reaffirmed the school’s commitment to quality education and all-round development. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all dignitaries, parents, and well-wishers for their support. The 9th Annual Day—EXCELLENTIA—was a memorable and successful event, leaving a lasting impression on everyone present. 

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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