Fruit and flower exhibition attracts good turnout

March 30, 2012

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Mangalore, March 30: The “Fruit and Flower exhibition” at Kadri Park organized by the Horticulture department along with Mangalore City Corporation, Siri Horticulture and Zilla Panchayath got underway on Friday evening today with as many as 20 stalls showcasing their products and specialities.

President of the Zilla Panchayath , K T Shailaja Bhat inaugurated the three-day exhibition. She was joined by Chairman of Coastal Development Authority , B Nagaraj Shetty , Deputy Director of Horticulture department Dr S Nanda and Laxmi Rao Aroor of Siri Horticulture. The guests later visited the stalls and got a good view of the floral arrangements done specially for this year. Mrs Rama B Ramamurthy has created a floral arrangement depicting the various festivals of India using flowers. The festivals the flowers represented were Deepavali, Dasara, Ramzan, Gokulashtami, Ugadi and Christmas.

The staff at stalls from various rural and semi urban areas were quite enthusiastic in informing the public about their products. K T Shailaja Bhat in her inaugural address said,:” The flower, fruit and vegetable exhibition is very beautiful ,I have observed the sculptures of some great leaders carved on watermelon, which is a very good idea. All the people in their houses must develop the art of growing medicinal plants which is quite useful in curing diseases. The public must buy the seeds being sold in the stalls and cultivate the hobby of gardening. Organic farming is gaining popularity these days and thus this exhibition must educate the public about it. We can keep ourselves healthy with these habits”

B Nagaraj Shetty said:” This exhibition is a good example of how plants can be taken good care of and it must be communicated to the public. Horticulture department is creating a good example for all in the field of gardening.”

V K Bhatrakodi, of Siri Horticulture educated the audience about the different organic farming methods and observed that since our farmlands are slowly disappearing we are going to have a crisis when it comes to food. He also encouraged the audience to cultivate the habit of gardening and learn more from their organization which frequently conducts classes in different gardening methods.

Many stalls in the exhibition were promoting herbal products and rural ways of growing vegetables and fruits. There were stalls selling fresh juices made from natural elements like ginger and amla. A variety of medicinal plants are also on display and flowers of various kinds are showcased in this annual event which is a fitting outing for the weekend for all the families in Mangalore.

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News Network
December 7,2025

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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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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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News Network
December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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