Minister in charge of Kodagu district N.S. Boseraju flagging off the mobile septage treatment vehicles in Madikeri on Friday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMEN

Three mobile septage treatment units will soon begin functioning in Karnataka’s Kodagu district.

The mobile septage treatment vehicles flagged off by Minister in charge of Kodagu N.S. Boseraju on Friday are reckoned to be the first in the State.

The mobile septage treatment units were launched jointly by the Department of Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation, the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, and the Kodagu district administration.

While the septage treatment plants already operational at Bhagamandala in Madikeri and Suntikoppa in Kushalnagar takes at least three months to complete the process of treating the septage by separating it into solid and liquid waste, the mobile septage treatment units can complete the process of treatment within hours, said a statement issued by the district administration.

The mobile units can purify 60 to 70% of the water separated from the septage, but the water would not be potable. However, the same can be used for gardening or can let let out directly into the drains. The sludge or septage that remains after the treatment is about 80% decomposed, which can be transported to the septage treatment plants and used in the production of fertilizers, the statement said.

The vehicles have a capacity to process about 6 kilolitres of septage per day. “There is no need to transport the septage to a Feacal Sludge Treatment Plant for treatment, management, or disposal. The entire process is carried out within the mobile septage treatment vehicle itself, as it is equipped with all necessary machinery and can operate anywhere as required,” the statement said.

Each mobile septage treatment vehicle launched in Kodagu district costs around ₹30 lakh, the statement said, while pointing out that the total cost, which amounts to ₹90 lakh, had been funded by the Swachh Bharat Kosh Trust.

The mobile septage treatment vehicles will initially operate within the limits of Kutta, Napoklu, and Shanivarasanthe gram panchayats in the district. In future, the services of these mobile septage treatment vehicles will be extended across the taluks.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / August 16th, 2025

The pest has already been detected in several locations 29 acres in Chinalabudu gram panchayat, 29 acres in Malivalasa, 7 acres in Malasingaram, 5 acres in Chinalabudu, and 2 acres in Turaikiida.

Visakhapatnam:

“The coffee berry borer can be eradicated, but only with the active cooperation of farmers,” said District Water Management Agency (DWMA) project officer Dr Vidyasagar during an awareness programme in Pakanakuddi village of Araku Valley mandal on Friday.

The session urged growers to recognise the pest’s rapid spread and take immediate steps to contain it. Vidyasagar stressed that early detection is crucial: once the pest is identified, affected crops must be removed, boiled in hot water, and buried to prevent further infestation. Failure to act could cause a severe decline in coffee yields.

To assist farmers, the Coffee Board has announced compensation of Rs 50 per kilogram of infested coffee and Rs 5,000 per acre to cover burial and pest-control costs.

The pest has already been detected in several locations 29 acres in Chinalabudu gram panchayat, 29 acres in Malivalasa, 7 acres in Malasingaram, 5 acres in Chinalabudu, and 2 acres in Turaikiida. Officials will mark infected zones with red, yellow, and blue flags and will hold follow-up awareness sessions in these areas.

Coffee Board assistant director Bonju Babu and district agriculture officer S. B. S. Nanda also addressed farmers, underscoring that community vigilance and coordinated response are vital to safeguarding the region’s coffee economy.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Southern States> Andhra Pradesh / by DC Correspondent / September 05th, 2025

Over 150 families of tribes living within the Maldare Panchayat limits stated that they are unable to make ends meet as they are deprived of government facilities.

Over 500 tribes have not been supplied with nutritious food from ITDP for the past three months. (Photo | Express)

Madikeri :

The tribes settled across various settlements in South Kodagu have expressed anguish over the non-supply of nutritious food from the ITDP department for the past three months. They have demanded that the concerned officials take immediate action and resume the supply of the food items.

Over 150 families of tribes living within the Maldare Panchayat limits stated that they are unable to make ends meet as they are deprived of government facilities.

“The government used to provide nutritious food to the tribal settlements. The food items were helpful as most of the time we are unemployed and suffering from poverty. But no items have been received for the last three months,” shared Indira, a resident of the tribal settlement.

She explained that the tender for supplying food to the tribal settlements has allegedly been given to a contractor from outside the district and opined, “If the government gives the tender for supplying food to the district contractors, this will ensure timely supply of food items.”

She further stated that the tribal community living in the forest is deprived of all basic facilities. “We at least made sure that we did not stay hungry. But for the past three months, we are finding it tough to satiate our hunger,” she added.

Meanwhile, the tribes complained that their livelihood has been severely affected due to the increasing number of migrant workers from North Eastern states allegedly taking over their jobs as estate labourers.

“Migrant workers mostly live in the coffee plantations and work for low wages. In this context, several tribes have been rendered jobless. Alongside unemployment, the lack of facilities, including the absence of nutritious food supply, is affecting us,” she said.

When questioned, ITDP department district director Honnegowda said, “The supply of nutritious food was delayed due to technical issues. We had sent the sample of oil (supplied under the nutritious food scheme) for FSSAI testing in Mysuru over quality issues. The quality check report was delayed. Nevertheless, we have resumed the supply of food items for the past two days.” He added that the department has ordered the contractor to supply food before the 20th of every month.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Express News Service / September 05th, 2025

In the Kalyana Karnataka region, the rain was so heavy that a portion of the wall of the historic Bahamani Fort in Bidar collapsed.

A portion of the wall of the historic Bahamani fort collapsed due to heavy rain in Bidar on Thursday.Credit: DH Photos/Lokesh V Biradar

The intensifying monsoon covered many parts of the state on Thursday, including the Kalyana Karnataka region and the Malnad districts of Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru. 

In the Kalyana Karnataka region, the rain was so heavy that a portion of the wall of the historic Bahamani Fort in Bidar collapsed. 

There were rains through Wednesday night and Thursday, causing many bridges to flood and disrupting traffic, in the districts of Bidar and Kalaburagi. 

The showers disrupted normal life in Chittapur, Wadi and Chincholi of Kalaburagi district. Around 20 bridges in Bidar district are flooded due to discharge of water due to heavy rain in Maharashtra and Telangana.

The Chimmegaon-Chirki Thanda bridge in Kamalnagar taluk has been completely washed away. Four bridges in Aurad taluk are damaged.

A car got stuck in the water while crossing the bridge near Dabaka in Aurad taluk.

Locals managed to pull out the car to safety, using a rope. In Kohinoor limits of Basavakalyan taluk, canal water entered agriculture fields. A holiday was declared for anganwadi centres, schools and colleges in the district on Thursday.

The South Central Railway has cancelled the daily DEMU train services between Bidar and Kalaburagi on Friday, as a precautionary measure.

Water entered offices and settlements, including the tahsildar office in  Jewargi. The taluk received 149.5 mm of rainfall till Thursday morning. 

The bridge connecting to Jewargi-Gounalli village has been submerged as a nearby canal overflowed. A total of 21 houses collapsed in the taluk and 21 sheep drowned in rainwater in Andola village.

Rainwater entered Kollur village in Chittapur taluk, creating chaos. The gram panchayat office was flooded with rainwater, damaging computers, photocopying machines and documents.

Electric bulbs worth Rs 4 lakh, which were kept in the storeroom, have been damaged due to the rainwater. 

Houses and roads were flooded in rainwater in Yargol village of Yadgir district, throwing life out of gear for humans and cattle alike. There were reports of livestock being washed away. Crop loss was reported in many parts of KK region. 

In Chikkamagaluru district, Mudigere, Aldur, Kottigehara, Koppa, Kalasa, Narasimharajapura and Tarikere areas received heavy rains. Chikkamagaluru city too witnessed heavy rains.

Even though the rains took a break after lashing heavily in the morning, they returned in full force by the evening.

Kodagu district has been receiving showers since Wednesday night. Rains lashed Madikeri, Suntikoppa and Virajpet. The Sampaje ghat too saw heavy rains.

Mudslide

A mudslide was reported near Shaktinagar, which connects Madikeri and Virajpet.

The public, especially students, faced trouble owing to the incessant rains.

The Met department has sounded orange alert in the district till Friday morning.

Chimmegaon and Chirki Thanda villages in Kamalnagar taluk of Bidar district were cut off from each other as the bridge connecting them was completely washed away in flood water. 

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> India> Karnataka / by DHNS / August 29th, 2025