Mangaluru: Amai Mahalinga Naik, whose hard work of 40 years turned a barren hilltop land with no water into a lush green terrain, was conferred with the ‘Press Club Award 2018’ at Ladyhill Church Hall on Saturday, January 5.

The award was presented by Mangaluru Commissioner of Police T R Suresh, during the Press Club Day celebration, organised by the Mangaluru Press Club. After receiving the award, Mahalinga Naik said, “Though my efforts of digging tunnel to fetch water failed twice, I succeeded in the third attempt. Now, I feel proud of myself when I see people drink water from a place where there was no water several years ago”, he said.

The Press Club Day was inaugurated by veteran music director and actor Gurukiran. After inaugurating the programme, he lauded the efforts of Mahalinga Naik and opined that the Press Club had selected the right person for the award.

Meanwhile, mediapersons like Jagannath Shetty Bala, Dinakar Indaje, Dr. Seethalakshmi Karkikodi, Dayananda Kukkaje, Govindaraja Javali, Jithendra Kundeshwara, Mounesh Vishwakarma, Apul Alva Ira, Lakshmi Macchina, Jagadishchandra Anchan and Divakar Padmunja were felicitated on the same occasion.

After the programme, the journalists staged a Yakshgana programme ‘Narakasura Moksha, Mainda Dvividha Kalaga’, which enthralled the audience.