Wild elephant dies while trying to cross railway fence in Mysuru

News Network

December 15, 2018

Mysuru, Dec 15: In a tragic incident, a wild tusker was killed while trying to cross over the railway fence Nagarahole National Park in Hunsur taluk, of the district this morning. The fence was erected as a barrier along parts of the park to prevent elephants from crossing over to human landscape.

The tusker, which was around 42-year-old had entered human habitation and raided an agricultural field the previous night. It was returning to the Veerahosahalli range of the national park and tried to mount over the railway fence when it got stuck and was left dangling in midair unable to extricate itself from the precarious position.

The Conservator of Forests and Director of Nagarahole National Park Mr.K.M.Narayanaswamy said that examination of the site indicated that the elephant tried to heave itself out of the situation but its diaphragm was crushed by its own weight and died around 5 a.m.

“Three elephants had strayed into villages on the fringes of Veeranahosahalli on Friday night. Forest department personnel had driven them back into the forests. However, one of them, a tuskerhad not returned. It was returning to the forest on Saturday, during the wee hours, from Veeranahosahalli village, when it tried to cross over the railway track fence. In its efforts, it got stuck in the middle,” said ACF S R Prasanna Kumar.

Forest department officials said, it was an identified rogue elephant and it would often raid human habitats. It has tried to cross over the fence near the official quarters of the RFO in the forest. It has taken the fence route, even though the gates, leading to the forest, had been kept open, they said.

It has to be recalled that only a couple of weeks ago, on December 4, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had announced construction of a 500-km-long railway track fence at Alur and surrounding villages in Hassan district.

He had given the assurance to the people of Balupet and surrounding villages when they held a week-long protest, seeking a permanent solution to the wild jumbo menace.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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