Smart City: Mangaluru citizens demand monorail, hi-fi roads and Wi-Fi hotspots

[email protected] (CD Network | Photos by Suresh)
October 12, 2015

Mangaluru, Oct 12: Monorail, modern and wider roads including a ring road, flyovers and Wi-Fi hot spots were some of the demands raised by different people at a meet organised by Mangaluru City Corporation seeking suggestions for inclusion in the project report to be submitted to the Union government’s Smart City project.

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The citizen’s participation meet was held at an auditorium opposite Kadri Park in the city on Sunday in the presence of Mangaluru South MLA JR Lobo and Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner HN Gopalakrishna. The Union government will select the first 20 cities where the project will be implemented this year.

Suggestions also came to provide alternate facilities to street vendors, to develop parks in vacant government lands, to develop parking complexes in the city, to take measures to get IT companies into the city, to build smart traffic control system, to impose smart city cess, to implement a more effective waste management system, formation of a separate team to look into infrastructure needs of the city and so on.

Mr Lobo felt for a need to develop a system through advanced technology to effectively take various services to people. There is also a need of a complaint management system for the fast reddressal of public grievances, he said.

He said that Rs 1000 crore to be released during the first phase of smart city project will be used as a seed money to develop the basic facilities to in turn attract investments for further projects.

Rajaram Shetty, from M.V. Shetty Institute of Technology, Moodbidri, said that the city corporation should have a separate cell that will work on problems facing the city development.

“For instance, the problems following rainfall should be addressed during the rainy season and not after that, ” he said.

The corporation should grant permission for constructing multi-storey building only after studying the need of accommodation in the area where it was being built, he said.

George Pais, who represented plastic industries in the city, expressed the need to develop a satellite town. “The satellite town can come up at Ganjimath,” he said, adding that the corporation should make arrangements to get power for the city from the Udupi Power Corporation Limited’s plant in Padubidri.

Expressing fears among people visiting the city regarding “moral policing” (also known as immoral rowdyism), Manohar Shetty, from the State Bank of India, said that action need to be taken to prevent such incidents.

Shyam Bhat expressed the need for Wi-Fi hotspots in the city for easy internet access to students. Ramesh Shetty from Attavar said that roads in the city needed to be widened and impetus should be given for measures that facilitate the smooth movement of traffic.

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News Network
November 13,2024

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In the heart of Mangaluru, where rising air pollution is spurring public health worries, voices are calling for a greener, cleaner shift in the city’s public transport. Leading this call is APD Foundation, a Mangaluru-based environmental NGO, which has urged Forest, Ecology, and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre to mandate electric vehicle (EV) adoption in public transport.

Abdullah A Rehman, CEO of APD Foundation, emphasized in a formal letter to the minister that Mangaluru’s public transportation system—efficient and organized with both government and private players—could transition smoothly to EVs in stages. He suggested that government-backed financial incentives, partnerships with EV manufacturers, and collaborations with environmental groups could streamline the switch.

Rehman stressed the potential of EVs to cut down emissions, enhance air quality, and reduce noise levels, noting the quieter operation of electric buses. He confirmed that a copy of his letter was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner as well.

However, Dilraj Alva from the Dakshina Kannada City Bus Association noted potential challenges, explaining that the shift might take up to two years due to infrastructure and budget hurdles. Most EV buses, he explained, are procured through aggregators, not directly by individual operators. The addition of charging stations and other essential infrastructure further complicates the transition.

Alva also raised the economic concern: while diesel buses are priced between ₹30-40 lakh, electric buses can cost up to ₹1 crore. Reflecting on recent meetings with companies, including one in Manipal, he questioned the assumption that EVs are an absolute solution to pollution. “EVs aren’t entirely eco-friendly, especially when considering battery disposal,” he cautioned.

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News Network
November 14,2024

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Bengaluru: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi led union government has requested the Karnataka High Court to direct the Mandya district administration and the state government to clear a madrasa operating within the premises of the historic Jama Masjid in Srirangapatna.

The Waqf Board, opposing this move, has claimed the mosque as its property and defended the right to conduct madrasa activities there.

The matter was brought before a division bench headed by Chief Justice N V Anjaria following a public interest litigation filed by a person named Abhishek Gowda from Kabbalu village in Kanakapura taluk. The petition alleged “unauthorised madrasa activities” within the mosque.

Representing the Central government, Additional Solicitor General of India for High Court of Karnataka, K Arvind Kamath argued that the Jama Masjid was designated as a protected monument in 1951, yet unauthorised madrasa operations continue there.

He noted that concerns over potential law and order issues have so far prevented any intervention. Kamath urged the court to direct the Mandya district administration to take action and vacate the madrasa from the mosque.

In defence, lawyers for the state government and the Waqf Board contested this request, stating that the Waqf Board had been recognised as the owner of the property since 1963 and, thus, conducting madrasa activities there is lawful.

After hearing both sides, the bench adjourned the case for further arguments, scheduling the next hearing for November 20.

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News Network
November 18,2024

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Mangaluru: A 14-year-old boy, Subodh, tragically lost his life after being struck by lightning while sitting outside his home in Kedila village, Bantwal taluk, on Sunday evening.

The incident occurred around 5:30 PM while Subodh, an 8th-grade student at Kalladka Shriram High School, was seated outside his house. Lightning struck him, leaving him unconscious. 

Family members rushed him to a nearby clinic and later to a private hospital in Puttur, where doctors confirmed his death upon arrival.

The boy's body was sent to Puttur Government Hospital for a post-mortem.

Tahsildar Archana Bhat has directed revenue officials to assist the grieving family. Vitla Revenue Inspector Prashanth Shetty, Village Administrative Officer Anil Kumar, Kedila Panchayat President Harish Valtaje, and panchayat members visited the family to offer their condolences and support.

This heartbreaking incident highlights the unpredictability of nature’s fury, leaving a community mourning the untimely loss of a young life.

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