Mangaluru: Hostels sending back students; hotels too hit by water crisis

Mangaluru, Apr 19: In order to boost the Coast Guard's (CG) surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities on the country's west coast in Karnataka, CG OPV Varaha and CG Dornier 785 ex Kochi were pressed to service to undertake extensive surveillance.

"Both seawards and aerial surveillance of Karnataka coast line will be undertaken from Sunday," said S Babu Venkatesh, Commander, Coast Guard, Karnataka. The surveillance will be an air-sea coordinated operation.

The Coast Guard ships and aircraft maintained extensive search in the area for intercepting any suspect vessel. Indian Coast Guard ships classified various contacts in the area and kept them under constant surveillance.

Bengaluru, May 24: Karnataka Tourism Minister CT Ravi said that coronavirus lockdown has severely marred the tourism industry in the state and the government will revive it in a phased manner.

"It would be beneficial if hotels are opened keeping in mind few restrictions. At present, the tourism industry has fallen flat making it very difficult to promote tourism in the state," Ravi said.

"Our department has planned to promote tourism in a phased manner. In the first phase, we would focus on native tourism; then in the second phase, we will promote inter-district travel; in the third phase, we will put weight behind inter-state tourism and in the fourth phase, we would be promoting international travel and tourism," he added.

Karnataka's COVID-19 count surges to 1,958 with 216 new cases of the virus reported in the last 24 hours, said the Health Department in a bulletin on Saturday.

Out of the total number of cases, 1,307 patients are active cases and 608 patients have been discharged. The total number of fatalities due to COVID-19 in the state has risen to 42.

Mangaluru, May 2: Ibrahim Musliyar Bekal, a prominent Muslim religeous leader in coastal Karnataka has urged the Dakshina Kannada district administration not to end the covid-19 lockdown before the end of the blessed month of Ramadan. 

The appeal comes in the wake of reports that the state government may allow opening of clothe shops during the month of Ramadan to felicitate Muslims for Eid shopping.

"Muslims in the district have completely cooperated with the district administration in making the lockdown sucessfull. They have refrained from going to mosque even for Juma and Taraveeh during Ramadan. Such a lockdown is necessary to contain the pandemic," said Musliyar, who is also the Khazi of Udupi and Chikkamagaluru.

If the district administration withdraws lockdwon or relaxes it, people in large numbers may storm cloth shops wherein it physical distancing will be difficult, Musliyar warned.

He said that Muslims in the region have decided to observe Eid ul Fitr, a festival which marks the end of the blessed month, in a simple way maintaining physical distance. Hence the lockdown should be relaxed only after the festival, he suggested.