Five from Bantwal among 12 killed in Thane building collapse; many trapped

[email protected] (CD Network | Photos by Rons Bantwal)

August 4, 2015

Thane, Aug 4: At least a dozen people were killed and seven injured after a three-storey building collapsed at B Cabin area in Naupada in the old Thane city on Tuesday. The incident occurred at 2.45 am.

The deceased included five members of a family from Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district.

The family, which originally hailed from Bantwal’s Sri Venkataramana temple, had been residing in the ill-fated building for over four decades.

The five victims have been identified as Panduranga Bhat (62), his wife Meera Panduranga Bhat (52), Subraya alias Subhash Bhat (56), Ruchita Bhat (25) and Rashmi Ramachndra Bhat (25).

“More than 15 persons are feared to be trapped inside the concrete wreckage,” according to Sandeep Malvi, press officer with the Thane municipal corporation.

The residential building was in a dilapidated state and was declared dangerous for occupancy, Malvi told media persons. The residents, however, continued to stay in the building putting to risk their lives.

Thane municipal commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal rushed to the site even as the fire brigade personnel started the rescue operations using heavy machinery.

NDRF team has reached the spot with sniffer dogs and sensory equipment to locate survivors. This is a developing story.

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Harekala Hajabba’s school introduces bilingual education

News Network

December 16,2024

In a significant milestone, the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Higher Primary School in Newpadpu, Harekala, has introduced a bilingual Kannada-English medium this academic year, a move spearheaded by Padma Shri awardee Harekala Hajabba. The school has so far received 13 admissions for its Class 1 bilingual program.

This initiative is part of a broader effort by the state government, which approved 38 schools across the district to launch bilingual mediums. Expressing his delight, Hajabba shared that he had been advocating for a bilingual school for years. "The bilingual medium will greatly benefit students in this region who otherwise rely on private schools. However, we currently face a shortage of classrooms. Construction of two additional classrooms is underway, and once completed, we expect higher admissions," he said.

The school had previously been permitted to introduce LKG and UKG classes in the last academic year. According to the school’s headmistress, Rajeshwari, while the pre-primary sections have seen good enrolment, the bilingual Class 1 faced challenges, securing only 13 students. She attributed this to the late notification of permission, which arrived a month after the academic year began, leading many children to enroll elsewhere.

Rajeshwari remains optimistic about the future. "We expect better admissions next academic year as awareness about bilingual education at this government school grows," she said, adding that the classroom shortage will soon be addressed.

Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) Venkatesha Subraya Patagara noted that bilingual schools across Dakshina Kannada have generally received a positive response, with some schools enrolling more than 100 students. The effort to offer bilingual education in government schools marks a step forward in providing affordable, quality education to underserved regions.

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