World Bio-fuel Day observed in city

August 10, 2012

Mangalore, August 10: Karnataka State Bio-fuel Development Board (KSBDB) in association with Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat and Taluk Panchayat, Mangalore, celebrated 'World Bio-fuel Day' on August 10 at Taluk Panchayat Auditorium, Mangalore.

Prof. Airody Vasudeva Adhikari, Coordinator of Information and Documentation Centre, KSBDB, NIT-K, Suratkal, spoke on the occasion and briefed the gathering on the production of bio-fuel from oil seeds of Neem, Honge, Simaruba, Jatropha etc.

Speaking on the advantages of bio-fuel, he said that the bio-diesel generated from non-edible oils and waste fatty matter could be used as an alternate fuel. One litre of bio-diesel would cost Rs. 48 which could be used as fuel in vehicles, water pumps and generators. The usage of bio-fuel also contributes towards environment protection, he said.

Speaking on the current scenario, he said that 70 per-cent of the nation's wealth was spent on importing petroleum product from foreign countries. By becoming self-reliant in acquiring fuel to run machines and vehicles, Karnataka can contribute in reducing the import bill of oil for the country. Bio-fuel programmes in the state can increase rural income and women empowerment by generating rural employment. Information of cultivation of oil-seed crops, and generation of bio-fuel should reach the people at grassroots level, he said.

Prof. Vasudeva said that NIT-K has planned to inaugurate a Seed Collection Centre in the coming days, where seeds could be collected from farmers and growers. Funds will be required from Central Government to improve the centre so that further research could be conducted on bio-fuel. Centres should be set up at district, taluk and village levels so that the farmers are benefited by obtaining help from the centres, he said.

Janardhan Gowda, President, Social Justice Standing Committee, said that the district of Dakshina Kannada had worsened in the matter of preservation of the environment. In such a situation, the method of producing bio-fuel from oil seeds is a contribution to the land, which should be implemented on a large scale, he said.

“We should try our best to preserve the environment and ask ourselves how much we could contribute to it,” he added.

In his inaugural address, K.N. Vijayaprakash, CEO of Zilla Panchayat, said that the government of Karnataka had been most supportive in the research of bio-fuel. “We need commitment to apply and adopt the bio-fuel in our state. It needs to be applied in our homes and our daily sphere of lives as well,” he said.

Bhavya Gangadhara Poojary, President of Taluk Panchayat, Mangalore, presided over the programme. Dhanalakshmi Janardhana, Vice President of Zilla Panchayat and Vijayalaxmi Shetty, Vice President of Taluk Panchayat, were present on the occasion.

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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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