Rahul Gandhi is neither committed nor serious about Congress: SM Krishna

March 23, 2017

New Delhi, Mar 23: Veteran politician S.M. Krishna, who yesterday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has clearly blamed Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for his exit from the grand old party, stating that one should be serious if one has to rebuild the party from grass root level to the paramount level.

"I have been watching from past two and a half years that the leader of the Congress, excluding Sonia Gandhi the party is least concerned about the party. There is no seriousness at all. If one has to re-build the party from grass root level to the paramount level, one should be serious." Krishna said.

"But I did not find neither commitment nor that capacity to sweat it out," he added.

Citing example of the recent elections in the Uttar Pradesh, Krishna stated that unfortunately the grand old party is leading towards a ‘Congress Mukt Bharat’.

“In the Uttar Pradesh elections, the smaller parties which were given 30 seats, won at least nine seats. On the other hand, here a national party who ruled for so many years took 100 seats from the other party and in return gave six or seven seats,” he added.

Hailing Congress president Sonia Gandhi for her leadership quality, Krishna said, "She used to address so many public meetings and how she used to act with workers. She used to identify workers by nameS. Here at the present time there is no concern at all.”

Krishna joined the BJP on Wednesday, almost a year before the assembly electionS in Karnataka.

The 84-year-old joined the BJP in the presence of party president Amit Shah and union ministers Ananth Kumar and D.V. Sadananda Gowda.

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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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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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