Mangalorean Michael Saldana Commands Air India's Vande Bharat Mission flight
Mangaluru: In what has come as a proud moment for Karavalians one of Captain-Flight Commander, Michael Saldana, of the Vande Bharat Mission's Air India flight is a Mangalorean, which, on the first day, brought back the Non-Residential Indians who were stranded abroad due to the corona-lockdown.
He was the commander of an Air India flight that carried 177 passengers from Dubai at 5:30 pm on May 7 and landed at Kallikote airport at 10:30 pm.
Meanwhile, pilot Sarfaraz of the flight that brought medical equipments from Singapore, is also a Mangalorian. Both of them are being widely praised on social networking sites.
Michael Saldana, a resident of Valencia in the city, is an alumni of Milagres and St .Aloysius College. He had also secured the first rank in RV Engineering College, Bengaluru. After completing engineering, he had joined Air India and is currently employed with the it.
Known for his wide range of aircraft flying skills, Michael has the ability to handle aircrats on tabletop airports like Mangalore, which is very complex.
Currently, he is working as a base manager in Mangaluru and is training 30 pilots under him. His grandfather, Colonel JW Soares had fought in World War II. Colonel JW Soares had also participated in the 1962 China War.
Speaking to 'Varthabharati', Michael Saldana reflected on why he decided to fly the aircraft as a part of the mission and asserted how he was feeling lucky and proud after successfully completing the task assigned to him of bringing the stranded Indians safely to India.
"It is a matter of pride to bring Indians back home, who are stranded abroad due to Corona. This is why I voluntarily agreed to airlift them. I have the satisfaction of bringing them safely. I am always ready to bring back people of the country," he said.
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Hospital wall collapse: CM orders suspension of executive engineer; kin of victims get solatium
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday ordered the immediate suspension of an executive engineer for the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital wall collapse that claimed the lives of seven people, during a high-level review meeting at Vidhana Soudha.
A compensation of Rs 5 lakh, as announced by the CM Siddaramaiah, was distributed to the families of seven victims who lost their lives in the tragedy on Wednesday evening, which occurred due to heavy downpour with gusty winds and hailstorm.
The meeting of municipal commissioners of the five corporations, chaired by the chief minister and attended by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, focused on fixing accountability and examining lapses that led to the tragedy.
"Why was soil dumped in a way that damaged the wall? Why did you not monitor this?" Siddaramaiah asked, pulling up hospital authorities during the meeting.
A statement from the chief minister's office said that the CM ordered the immediate suspension of the executive engineer of the Karnataka Health Systems Development Project (KHSDP).
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He also questioned the hospital authorities, asking why they failed to monitor the dumping of soil that weakened the structure.
The chief minister directed that a notice be issued to the head of the Hospital.
During the meeting, Siddaramaiah said the rains had caused extensive damage in the city, with over 250 trees uprooted.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to take necessary measures before the onset of the monsoon to avoid untoward incidents.
Commissioners of all five municipal zones in Bengaluru have been asked to take precautionary steps, including trimming dry and dangerous tree branches, the CMO said.
Siddaramaiah also directed them to get the silt cleared from stormwater drains to prevent flooding, and that immediate action be taken to remove debris and fallen branches from roads.
Further, he instructed that barricades be placed at underpasses where water stagnates and restricts public movement.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said in a statement that Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad distributed compensation cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased on Thursday.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured when the compound wall collapsed amid heavy rain, strong winds and a hailstorm on Wednesday evening.
Police said the victims, comprising three from Bengaluru, two from Kerala on a study tour and one each from Uttar Pradesh and Assam, had taken shelter near the wall when it suddenly gave way, trapping them under the debris.
The chief minister questioned officials over the dumping of soil near the wall despite knowing it could weaken the structure, and directed that a notice be issued to the head of Bowring Hospital.
Siddaramaiah, who had visited the spot soon after the incident along with senior officials, reviewed the situation and ordered a detailed probe into the collapse.
