Four of family drown as car plunges into canal
Madikeri, August 06: Four persons of the same family drowned as the car in which they were travelling plunged into a canal near Mantikoppalu in Periyapatna taluk on Monday.
The deceased were identified as Palaniswamy (45), Sanju Kumari (34), Poornima (19) and Likhith (15). The accident occurred when the family was going to their land at Lakshmipura after visiting the post office at Doddakamaravalli in the taluk. The family had land in Lakshmipura village, but was residing at Napoklu in Kodagu district for the last ten years. Palaniswamy was working as a mason. As both Poornima and Likhith were physically disabled, they have gone to the post office to get the physically disabled pension and were going to their land in the car, it is said.
While driving the car near Mantikoppalu village, Palaniswamy lost control over the car and plunged into the Harangi right bank canal. Because of the current, the car was dragged for some meters in the canal and all the four died inside the car.
Fire brigade and police lifted the car from the canal and removed the bodies. Bettadapura police registered a case and bodies were handed over to the relatives after postmortem at Kushalnagar community health centre.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
