Advani, Sushma campaign for BJP in Karnataka

April 22, 2013

Ranebennur, Apr 22: BJP leaders L. K Advani and Sushma Swaraj launched the ruling party's campaign for the May 5 Karnataka assembly with a scathing attack on central government's corruption and promising "zero tolerance" against graft.

Advani addressed public meetings in this north Karnataka town, about 350 km from Bangalore, and in Davangere in the central part of the state while Sushma Swaraj spoke at a rally in the state capital.

Both indirectly referred to corruption scandals that rocked the first three years of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule in the state under then chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and said the party has given scam-free administration in the last two years under his successors D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar.

Advani told the Ranebennur rally that BJP policy was "zero tolerance against corruption in government and indiscipline in the party".

There was anxious time for nearly half-an-hour as Advani's chopper did not land near the venue as scheduled and kept circling. It landed around 20 km away as the pilot could not locate the helipad near the rally venue, police said.

In her address to the Bangalore rally, Sushma Swaraj asserted that the first BJP government in Karnataka did work for the welfare of the people though infighting and scandals hurt the party.

She said Sadananda Gowda and Shettar done the party proud by their work as chief ministers.

Gowda was chief minister for less than a year from Aug 2011. Shettar succeeded him in July last year and is the party's chief ministerial candidate.

Both Advani and Sushma Swaraj said the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the centre was "the most corrupt government" they had seen. She said that the UPA had failed to curb terrorism and crime against women.

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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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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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