Kuthlur families pour out grievances to A B Ibrahim

[email protected] (CD Network)
December 18, 2014

Mangaluru, Dec 18: As many as 25 families living in the forested area in Kuthlur in Belthangady taluk in Dakshina Kannada urged the district administration to provide them with basic facilities where they lived.

Malekudiya families living in the Alamba and Panjalu areas of Kuthlur village on Wednesday requested the district administration that they should be provided with basic facilities such as good roads and electricity, when a team of officials led by Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim and Superintendent of Police S D Sharanappa visited the village. The team of officials listened to the grievances of the Malekudiya families till noon.

The family members urged that the Kakkunje Cross-Alamba road should be repaired, and the forest department's permission was required for this. The Malekudiya families also complained the solar lights provided by the district administration were not in working condition.

Responding to their grievances, Mr Ibrahim directed the concerned officials to take the necessary steps to provide repairs for the said road and solar lights.

Five of the families which have shifted from inside the Kudremukh National Park area to nearby areas complained to the deputy commissioner that they had not received the compensation amount for their rehabilitation. They also complained that they had not received sites from the government promised to them.

The Tahsildar of Belthangady taluk was directed by the DC to immediately survey the available government land near Sulkeri and hand over the title deeds of the land to the shifted families.

On allegations that the families were being harassed by police officers and forced to vacate their homes, Mr Sharanappa said that the police department was responsible for protecting the families living in the forested area and the Anti-Naxal Force personnel would also be notified of the problem.

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Dc visit 17 1

Dc visit 17 1

Dc visit 17 1

Dc visit 17 1

Dc visit 17 1

Dc visit 17 1

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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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News Network
December 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

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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