Two killed in gang attack at Farangipet; three others injured

Chikmagalur, April 5: BJP Lok Sabha MP from Udupi Chikmagalur Shobha Karandlaje on Saturday claimed that "efforts to spread coronavirus throughout the country" began at Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi and termed it as "corona jihad".

"Efforts began at Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi to spread coronavirus throughout the country.

Most of the attendees of that event are untraceable. There seems to be 'corona Jihadi plan' behind that meeting," she said while speaking to reporters here.

Meanwhile, according to officials, out of the seven new cases from Mysuru, two cases are connected to the Jubilant Generics cluster while the rest five cases have a travel history to Delhi.

Total positive cases of COVID-19 in India stand at 3072.

Hubli, May 2: Around 1400 migrant workers from neighbouring districts, working at brick manufacturing factories in Hubli were sent to their respective districts on buses, amid coronavirus lockdown on Friday.

Dr Purushottam, Nodal Officer, COVID-19 task force said, "Total 1473 labourers from eight neighbouring districts, working in the brick manufacturing units of our district were sent by 74 buses. 876 labourers are from Kalburgi where we are sending 44 buses, 350 labourers are from Vijaypura where we are sending 27 buses."

He continued saying that 20 persons will be accommodated in a bus while maintaining social distancing.

"Before the labourers boarded, the buses were disinfected. NWKRTC officials took a special interest in doing so. The District Collector has written letters to the concerned DCs regarding shifting of labourers in every bus, one Nodal Officer will handover them to the local officials," Dr Purushottam added.

On Friday, the buses were sent to seven districts and one bus will be sent today.

Mangaluru, May 31:  Even as the worst locust attack on India in recent years raised concerns over its impact on crops, swarms of locusts have triggered panic in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada too. 

Farmers in the coastal district were taken aback when they found the swarms of locusts, which they feared as the arrival of desert locusts in the region.

According to reports, Renjalady village under the limits of Nuji Baltila Gramp Panchayats in Kadaba taluk and Shirlalu village in Belthangady taluk witnessed locust attacks in last couple of days. 

“Locust swarms were seen in many areas. We have also alerted agriculture department. Already insects have destroyed crops of many farmers,” said a farmer in Shirlalu village.  

Joint director of Dakshina Kannada district agriculture department MC Seetha confirmed that officials have received information from villagers about the locust scare and entemologists have already visited the place to collect more information.

Not Desert Locusts?

“We contacted entemologists and forwarded the pictures that farmers sent to us. Looking at the picture, entemologists have opined that it may be calotropis locust or colour grasshopper. Desert locusts usually arrive in lakhs,” said Ms Seetha. Desert locusts that are destroying crops in other parts of India may not come to Dakshina Kannada, she added.