Govt proposes to develop villages near Kaiga nuclear plant

January 27, 2012

Karwar, January 27: The Karnataka government has prepared a proposal for upgrading the infrastructure facilities in villages close to the Kaiga Atomic Power Plant in Uttar Kannada district. The Karnataka government has informed the NDMA about its proposal.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), a unit under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, had carried out mock exercises in association with different state governments at all nuclear installations to assess the preparedness of various agencies in the event of nuclear disaster.

After the mock exercise, the NDMA had instructed all states to prepare development plans in villages falling under the emergency planning zone of the nuclear plants.

Responding to this, the Karnataka government had intimated the Disaster Management Authority that it has prepared a proposal on upgrading infrastructure around Kaiga nuclear plant.

Meanwhile, during a meeting with a delegation led by Rajya Sabha member Sitaram Yachury, the NDMA vice chairman Shashidhar Reddy said that his organisation will ensure that people living close to nuclear plants get better infrastructure including healthcare, education and livelihood opportunities.

In response to the delegation's request to rehabilitate the residents of five villages falling within five km radius of Kaiga plant, Reddy explained that people living only in the 1.6 km sterile zone have been rehabilitated, while in the exclusion zone covering five km radius, residents were not rehabilitated.

Reddy also promised that he would take up the issue with the Planning Commission to ensure that separate funds are earmarked for the development of villages close to the nuclear plant, said a statement from the Authority.

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.

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.

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.

Mangaluru NRI returning from Saudi Arabia arrested over Instagram post

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.

Comments