Why In News?

• PM Modi inaugurated the Shivamogga Airport at Shivamogga, Karnataka.
• He also laid the foundation stone for two railway projects in Shivamogga which include the Koteganguru Railway coaching depot and Shivamogga – Shikaripura – Ranebennur new Railway line to improve connectivity in the Malnad region.

About:

=> Shivamogga is a city and the district headquarters of Shivamogga district in central Karnataka.

=> The city lies on the banks of the Tunga River.

=> A major part of the Shivamogga district lies in the Malnad region.

=> Being the gateway for the hilly region of the Western Ghats, the city is popularly nicknamed the "Gateway of Malnad".

Malnad:

=> Malnad is a region in Karnataka.

=> It covers the western and eastern slopes of the Western Ghats or Sahyadri mountain range and is roughly 100 kilometres in width.

=> The region experiences heavy annual rainfall and includes Agumbe, which receives the highest annual rainfall in Karnataka.