Special kids chirp at Chili-Pili Park

December 30, 2011

Mangalore, December 30: The idea of a special park for special kids in the city was materialized with the inauguration of 'Chili-Pili' adjacent to Gandhinagar Park at Manna Gudda here on Friday.

In a novel ceremony, special children representing Chethana, Sanidhya and Roman Catherin special schools inaugurated the Chili-Pili Park by taking the stage and sharing their feelings.

Speaking on the occasion, Hundi Prabha Kamat, a member of Gandhi Nagar Park Trust, said such a park was necessary in this city, as there were many instances of discrimination faced by special children in parks.

She also thanked MCC for its cooperation in establishing a special park.

Conceptualised a year ago, the special park inspired by special parks as in Bangalore was designed keeping needs of special children in mind, Park's architect Venkatesh Pai said.

Spread over 35 cent area at the northern end of three-acre Gandhinagar Park, the Chili-Pili Park, ensures hassle-free entry for even children confined to wheelchairs.

There is also a 'sand table' to help the children in wheelchair to play with sand. Safety has been accorded the highest priority, he reveals while explaining how swings had been designed to prevent the fall of children.

A sensory walk with patches of grass, smooth granite has been designed to help the differently-abled children to realize the experience of walking on different surfaces. The Park built at a total cost of Rs 20 lakh will be open between 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm on all days except Mondays.

Zilla Panchayath CEO Dr K N Vijayaprakash, Deputy Mayor Geetha Nayak, office bearers of GPT and children from Chethana, Sanidhya and Roman Catherin Special schools were present on the occasion.

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Why Mangaluru Could Become India’s Next Offshore Wind Energy Hub

News Network

February 3,2026

Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta has urged the Centre to give high priority to offshore wind energy generation along the Mangaluru coast, citing its strategic importance to India’s green energy and port-led development goals.

Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha under Rule 377, Chowta said studies by the National Institute of Oceanography have identified the Mangaluru coastline as part of India’s promising offshore wind ‘Zone-2’, covering nearly 6,490 sq km. He noted that the region’s relatively low exposure to cyclones and earthquakes makes it suitable for long-term offshore wind projects and called for its development as a dedicated offshore wind energy zone.

Highlighting the role of New Mangalore Port, Chowta said its modern infrastructure, multiple berths and heavy cargo-handling capacity position it well as a logistics hub for transporting and assembling large wind energy equipment.

He also pointed to the presence of major industrial units such as MRPL, OMPL, UPCL and the Mangaluru SEZ, which could serve as direct buyers of green power through power purchase agreements, improving project viability and speeding up execution.

With Karnataka’s peak power demand crossing 18,000 MW in early 2025, Chowta stressed the need to diversify renewable energy sources. He added that offshore wind projects in the Arabian Sea are strategically safer compared to the cyclone-prone Bay of Bengal.

Calling the project vital to India’s target of 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030, Chowta urged the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to initiate resource assessments, pilot projects and stakeholder consultations at the earliest.

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