PM lauds Karnataka environmentalist's efforts at building water tank
Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appreciated the works of Kalmane Kamegowda, Rajyotsava Award winning environmentalist, in the Mann ki Baat programme on Sunday.
The 83-year-old Kamegowda, a shepherd from Dasanadoddi village of Malavalli taluk in Mandya district, has constructed as many as 16 water tanks to ensure animals in the forest do not face shortage of water. The lack of water on Kundoor Betta – where he has been taking his herd of sheep for 13 years – led Kamegowda to build the water tanks. He has also been working at conservation of water.
With a desire to ensure a green cover on the Kundoor Betta, Kamegowda also planted more than 2,000 saplings on the hillock. With the plants having grown into trees, there is a lush jungle on the hillock that is a treat to the eyes.
People had called him crazy for working day and night to build the tanks, but the efforts of the illiterate shepherd have been an inspiration to people hoping to undertake such work to increase the green cover.
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
