Udupi: A free sapling distribution event was recently held at Sri Umamaheshwara Sabha Bhavan, organized by the Marpalli Sri Mahalingeshwara Maha Ganapathi Temple. The initiative aimed to promote environmental conservation.
Former Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, who inaugurated the event, emphasized that human survival is closely tied to nature. “Nature stands with us through all circumstances. It is our collective duty to preserve it,” he said during his address.
Sorake also revealed that the villages of Udyavara, Alevoor, Athradi, and 80 Badagabettu are on track to be upgraded to a municipal corporation. Once this status is granted, residents will benefit from improved drinking water supply and greater government funding. He noted that both the Rural Development and Finance Departments have granted approvals, and the final declaration is expected in the upcoming special state session.
The program was chaired by Dinesh Shetty of Kambala Mane, head of the temple’s management committee. Other prominent attendees included former Zilla Panchayat member Geetanjali Suvarna, ex-Alevoor GP president Harish Kini, District Farmers’ Association chief Ramakrishna Sharma, Trisha Educational Institution head Gopala Krishna Rao, and social forestry official Pratyaksha Kamath.
Also present were panchayat member Sudhakar Poojary, Shankar G. Devadiga, Shekhar Suvarna, Panduranga Naik, Umesh Marpalli, Shankar Acharya, Chandravathi, and Anantha Rao.
Lakshminarayana Rao delivered the welcome address, Vijayalakshmi M extended greetings, and Vishnumurthy Upadhyay handled the program’s compering.