Mangaluru: Mangaluru International Airport is set to enhance air connectivity to Bengaluru and other key domestic and international destinations as part of the Summer Schedule 2025, which comes into effect from March 30. The expanded schedule aims to provide passengers with increased travel options and seamless connectivity.

As part of the revised schedule, the frequency of flights between Mangaluru and Karnataka’s capital, Bengaluru, will increase from the current seven daily flights to eight. IndiGo will operate six flights, while Air India Express will run two flights. From May 23, IndiGo will add another flight, taking the total number of daily flights on this route to nine.

The Mangaluru-Mumbai sector will continue to have five daily flights—three by IndiGo and two by Air India Express. Flights to Delhi will remain at one per day by both IndiGo and Air India Express. Hyderabad will have two daily flights, with an additional flight on three days a week, all operated by IndiGo. Chennai will continue to see two daily flights, also operated by IndiGo.

On the international front, Air India Express will now operate both of its weekly flights to Bahrain directly from Mangaluru, instead of routing one through Kannur. The airline will also continue its two daily flights to Dubai, a daily flight to Abu Dhabi, and four weekly flights each to Dammam and Muscat. Additionally, there will be two weekly flights to Doha and one each to Jeddah and Kuwait.

IndiGo will introduce a larger aircraft, the 232-seater Airbus A-321 Neo, on its daily Abu Dhabi route to increase seat availability. The airline will also continue its four weekly flights to Dubai.

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Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Members of the Opposition BJP on Tuesday slammed the Karnataka government for not taking measures to prevent the alleged noise pollution caused by 'azaan', the Islamic call to prayer.

BJP MLC D S Arun raised the issue in the Legislative Council during the question hour, accusing the ruling Congress of "appeasement" by failing to take action against mosques that are violating the Supreme Court's directives.

Karnataka Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment Eshwar Khandre, responding to the question, said, as per the directives of the Supreme Court in sensitive zones, the noise level should not exceed 50 decibels during the day and 40 decibels at night, and in residential areas, 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night.

In commercial areas, the noise should not exceed 65 decibels during the day, 55 at night, and in industrial areas, 75 during the day and at night 70 decibels, he said.

Pointing out that the Karnataka government had issued an order in 2022, assigning responsibility to a committee headed by a DySPs or ACPs for the effective implementation of the rules, the minister said when a complaint is received about noise pollution, the Pollution Control Board will inspect it and provide information about the decibel level to the police to take further action, including filing of criminal cases.

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"Not only during azaan, but also during bhajans held in temples and marriage events, among others, the violations happen. There is a need to spread awareness. The Supreme Court has ordered against bursting firecrackers, but it is being violated. Efforts will be made to implement the rules effectively," he said.

Several BJP MLAs, including Arun, Bharathi Shetty, among others, were not satisfied with the minister's reply. They took strong exception to it.

Arun noted that in the last three years, only 52 cases have been taken, and said there are clear violations by almost all mosques, but no action has been taken. "The decibels have in fact increased under this government. The government is giving protection to them."

Reacting to this, Khandre, calling it a "sensitive matter", said, "It is not right to politicise the issue. The law of this land is equal for everyone."

Hitting back, Arun asked, "Why is the matter sensitive? What is preventing you (the government) from implementing the Supreme Court directives?"