Govt. prepared to help endosulfan victims'

Mangalore, May 6: The state government is prepared to fulfill the demands of endosulfan affected people said DV Sadananda Gowda, Chief Minister of Karnataka.

Speaking after inaugurating the annual convention of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Zilla Angavikalara Sangha in Mangalore on Sunday, the Chief Minister said that he will direct the Deputy Commissioner to visit the rehabilitation areas and meet endosulfan afftected people.

“I will ask him to give me a list of your problems and demands and will take appropriate steps and release funds”, he said.

The CM also said that he had received complaints from physically handicapped regarding ill-treatment and improper service being given to them by government officials.

“I have asked the Deputy Commissioner to take action against such officials. No official should stay in office if he misbehaves with physically handicapped or takes their service lightly'”, he said.

Stating that physically handicapped persons possess immense knowledge and skill, Mr. Gowda said that they do not need our sympathy. “They must feel as though we are being normal with them”, he said.

The chief minister distributed scholarships and medical aid to children of physically challenged persons on the occasion as well.

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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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