Bantwal, Dec 4: An elderly man who had served as a priest of Sri Panchalingeshwar temple at Vittla in Bantwal taluk for several years, committed suicide today by jumping into a well.
77-year-old Vasudeva Kedilaya, a resident of Vittla, was suffering from depression apart from age-related physical ailments, sources said.
It is learnt that he had lost mental peace and retired from the service. A case of suicide has been registered at Vittla police station.
Mangaluru, Jul 31: Muslims across coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada today observed Eid al Adha following the safety guidelines issued by the government amidst covid-19 pandemic.
While coastal Karnataka is celebrating the festival of sacrifice today, it will be observed in other parts of Karnataka and country tomorrow.
Congregational Eid prayers were held in many mosques while ensuring physical distancing norms. Only 50 devotees were allowed in mosques. Children below 10 years of age and elders above 60 years of age weren’t allowed.
Eidgahs in the region wore a deserted look as the government has temporarily prohibited prayers in the open grounds. The Eidgah at Lighthouse Hill in Mangaluru, which usually witnessed huge crowd during Eid celebrations, was also closed this time.
As expected, the celebration this time was a low key thanks to the restrictions placed in tune with the threat of coronavirus infection.
Prayers were held in Kudroli’s Nadupalli and Bundar’s Zeenat Bakhsh Central mosque. All those who entered mosque were wearing masks.
In Udupi city, Eid prayers were held at Jamia Masjid and other mosques with limited number of devotees. In Bhatkal took some of the mosques hosted Eid prayers with all precautionary measures.
Bengaluru, Apr 8: A 65-year-old man from Kalaburagi district became the fifth COVID-19 fatality in Karnataka, where six new positive cases were confirmed, pushing the tally in the state to 181, the health department said on Wednesday.
The man with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), died at a designated hospital in Kalaburagi on Tuesday, a day after being shifted from a private hospital where he was initially treated for two days.
"On April 4, he had got admitted to a private hospital, on April 6 he was shifted to ESI hospital, where he passed away," Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar told reporters here.
The private hospital had been locked and its entire medical team quarantined, he said, adding a notice had been served on it for act of "criminal negligence" (by not referring the patient to designated hospital) and will be followed with a police case.
"He was suffering from SARI, on collecting his sample, tests have revealed that he was positive....investigation is on to find how he got infected," the Minister said.
Noting that the hospital in this case did not refer the patient to the designated hospital and kept treating him for two days, he appealed to all private healthcare facilities to inform authorities if anyone showed any indications for COVID-19.
"As of 5 PM on April 8, cumulatively 181 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, it includes 5 deaths and 28 discharges," the health department said in a bulletin.
Out of the positive cases, 71 are those who had come back from foreign countries, while remaining 110 are contacts and those who had gone to Delhi, the Minister said.
Kumar also said an expert committee comprising Narayana Health founder-chairman Dr Devi Prasad Shetty and Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences director Dr C N Manjunath among others, constitutedto devise an exit strategy for the lockdown, has submitted its reports with various recommendations to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.
The chief minister and officials were examining it which was likely to come up before the cabinet meeting on Thursday after which the details will be shared, he added.
The health department said the six fresh cases reported on Wednesday included the elderly man from Kalaburagi who died.
Among the positive cases are a woman from Uttara Kannada with history of SARI and contact of a Dubai returnee, a 72- year-old woman from Kalaburagi, who is mother of a patient that tested positive for the disease; a man from Mandya with contact to two patients.
Others include a man from Chikkaballapura with travel history to Delhi and a woman from Bengaluru also with a travel history to the national capital.
Contact tracing is in progress for all the cases, the bulletin added.
The department said out of 148 active cases in the state, 146 COVID-19 positive patients (including 1 pregnant woman) are in isolation at designated hospitals are stable and two in ICU (one each on oxygen and ventilators).
It said out of total 181 cases in the state, six are transit passengers of Kerala.
Bengaluru accounted for the highest in the state with 63 cases, followed by Mysuru (35), Dakshina Kannada (12) Bidar (ten), Uttara Kannada and Kalaburagi (9 each), Chikkaballapur (8) Belagavi (7), Ballari (6), Bagalkote (5), Mandya (4) Davangere, Bengaluru Rural and Udupi (three each), and Kodagu, Tumakuru, Gadag and Dharwad one each.
Those discharged include 16 from Bengaluru, four from Dakshina Kannada, two each from Uttara Kannada, Kalaburagi and Davangere, and one from Bengaluru Rural; while among those dead are two from Kalaburgari and one each are reported from Bengaluru, Bagalkote and Tumakuru.
Bengaluru, Mar 30: The nationwide lockdown has left the state on the brink of a fresh agrarian crisis.
The lack of transport facilities spells doom for ready-to-harvest grapes worth Rs 500-600 crore in Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts. Unable to find buyers, several farmers have begun dumping their produce into compost pits.
On Sunday, Munishamappa, a farmer in Chikkaballapur, emptied four truckloads of grapes into the pit as buyers didn’t turn up due to the lockdown. “If the grapes wither and fall to the ground, it will affect the soil’s fertility and I will be forced to dispose of them,” he said.
Venkata Krishnappa, Munishamappa’s son, said their 1.5-acre vineyard yielded 25 tonnes of grapes. “Just before the lockdown, 10 tonnes were harvested and delivered to the market. Due to lack of transport, buyers haven’t turned up for the remaining 15 tonnes which we are dumping into the pit.”
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Anjaneya Reddy, a farmer leader, said that in Chikkaballapur alone, they have cultivated grapes on 2,000 acres. “Even if you consider 15 tonnes per acre as yield, there are about 30,000 tonnes ready to be harvested in the district. At a market rate of Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kilogram, the net worth will be Rs 200 crore to Rs 300 crore. And if you consider the crop in Kolar and Bengaluru Rural, grapes worth Rs 500 to Rs 600 crore are at stake,” he explained.
The ‘Dilkush’ grapes is the most preferred variety of domestic consumption, according to the farmers.
This apart, farmers would have invested about Rs 3 lakh to 4 lakh per acre on fertilisers, pesticide and labour. “With markets being shut and no of the transport facilities available, farmers are forced to dump their produce into pits. It is high time the government intervened and provided us with market options so that farmers can sell at an affordable price of Rs 30 to 40,” Reddy said.
Somu, a farmer in Ganjam village of Srirangapattana, dumped two tonnes of chikku (sapota) citing market shutdown in Mandya. Reddy appealed to the government to emulate the Maharashtra model where the government is helping farmers market fruits through Hopcoms or dairy units as nutrient supplements to people.
Comments
Sudden atmosphere change he couldnt accept and led to depression
I felt the same. It led to depression then suicide
The reason is nothing but he was institutionalized. Suddenly after retirement he may felt emptyness. Shawshank redemption mentioned that
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