Plumes of smoke billowing due to a major fire that raged at Chamundi Hills in Mysuru, on Friday (February 21, 2025).
| Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
1. Major fire breaks out at Chamundi Hills in Mysuru
Chamundi Hills in Mysuru witnessed multiple incidents of fire on Friday (February 21, 2025), with vast tracts of dry and scrub forest gutted due to the conflagration. The fire was noticed close to Bandiplaya and Uttanahalli Road which is one of the approach roads to Chamundi Hills. It is suspected that the fire was initially stoked by miscreants. Fire extinguishers have been deployed at different sites where the fire was raging.
Chamundi Hills is prone to fire given the nature of its vegetation. The place is an important watershed for Mysuru and regulates its microclimatic conditions.
2. Karnataka government directs temples to hold ‘Gau Pooja’ during Deepavali
The Muzrai Department has issued a circular directing the temples operating under its ambit to conduct Gau Pooja (cow worship) on the occasion of Balipadyami during Deepavali festivities in Karnataka.
Cows are revered in Hinduism and it’s important to spread awareness about the religious and cultural significance attached to the cow. On the day of Balipadyami, the temples should bathe cows, adorn them with flowers, arashina-kunkuma (turmeric and kumkuma) and offer jaggery, rice and fruits as Gograsa, and later in the evening, the pooja should be offered to the cattle, the circular stated.
The circular also directed the temples to celebrate Varamahalakshmi festival by giving green bangles and arashina-kumkuma to women devotees.
3. Karnataka’s Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao again writes to Centre seeking withdrawal of contaminated injectable drugs from Indian market
Union Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao wrote to the Centre demanding the withdrawal of contaminated injectable drugs within Karnataka by manufacturers from outside the State. In the letter, Mr. Rao pointed out that in the last month, nine injectable drugs manufactured in other States failed ‘sterility testing’ in laboratories of the Karnataka government.
This is the third time the Minister is flagging the issue of sale of substandard drugs in Karnataka by manufacturers from other States.
4. Karnataka kicks off investment rollout, starting with Emvee Energy
The Karnataka government has officially started the rollout of projects worth over ₹10 lakh crore that were roped in at the recently-concluded Global Investors’ Meet 2025 in Bengaluru.
To start with, senior officials of Emvee Energy met Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B Patil on February 20. The company manufactures components for solar power generation, including solar photovoltaic panels and modules, aluminium frames, glass, EPE, JB Ribbon, and wafers. It has committed to an investment of ₹15,000 crore, to set up a plant in the State.
5. Leopard dies after getting caught in snare near Mudigere in Karnataka
A leopard died after getting caught in a snare allegedly placed to capture wild boars in a coffee estate near Baluru in Mudigere taluk of Chikkamagaluru district. The animal had multiple injuries as a result of its efforts to pull out of the snare.
The animal died even as the officers were trying to make arrangements to bring in a veterinarian and release the animal from the snare after firing a tranquilizer dart.
Published – February 21, 2025 06:32 pm IST
