Dr. Kottangada Pemmaiah, an Indian Revenue Services (IRS – Income Tax) Officer from Kodagu, has been appointed as Deputy Director of Enforcement in the Directorate of Enforcement.
The appointment order was issued by the Office of the President of India on May 25. Dr. Pemmaiah from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) cadre is among 17 officers who have been appointed as Deputy Director of Enforcement.
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) is a multi-disciplinary organisation mandated with the investigation of offences of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws.
It functions under the Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance. As a premier financial investigation agency of the Government of India, the Enforcement Directorate functions in strict compliance with the Constitution and laws of India.
The Directorate of Enforcement has Delhi as its headquarters and is headed by the Director of Enforcement. There are five Regional Offices in Mumbai, Chennai, Chandigarh, Kolkata and Delhi headed by Special Directors of Enforcement. There are 10 Zonal offices each of which is headed by a Deputy Director.
Dr. Pemmaiah has excelled in the roles of Deputy Director (Investigation), Surat, Gujarat and Deputy Director of the Foreign Asset Investigation Unit (FAIU) in Surat.
Speaking to Star of Mysore, Dr. Pemmaiah said that basically Indian Police Service or Indian Revenue Services or Customs, and a 5-year experience is the criteria for the appointment of Deputy Director of Enforcement.
“They had verified my previous work done and they had a series of interviews after which the selection has been made. So, with the blessings of ‘Guru Karona’ I was one of the 17 officers. I am happy that I have been given this responsibility and this is a sensitive assignment considering the nature of the job and its national importance,” he said.
Dr. Pemmaiah is the son of Kottangada late Devaiah. His mother Viju Devaiah is a social worker and President of Cauvery Pommakkada Koota at Gonikoppa. Before getting into Civil Services, Dr. Pemmaiah was serving as Resident Medical Officer at Gonikoppa Community Health Centre.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 27th, 2023
Our travel diary from a weekend of bliss at this 125 acre property nestled in the hills of Madikeri.
Baalelle restaurant at The Ibnii in Coorg
Waking up to the sound of birds chirping and the gentle lap of water is what mornings are like at our pool villa at The Ibnii. Turns out we forgot our swimsuit. But a deterrent this is not. With not a soul in sight, except the stunning views of lush green trees that tower up high and coffee plantations in the distance — a 7am dip feels a bit surreal. The air is chilly but the water is warm. Given it is temperature controlled, this is the case even at midnight, we soon discover, much to our delight. For now however, we realise it is our moral imperative to simply soak in the moment. Phone off. Soul turned on. One hundred and twenty five acres of pristine forest land embraces us in response.
Some moments like the one above are suspended in time. While others are steadily threaded into a highlight reel of our days spent at this wellness resort nestled in the hills of Madikeri, Coorg. Right on top of this list is when Priyanka, who is showing us around the property, over a walk, plucks an orange flower and promptly pops it whole, into her mouth. “It’s edible, I eat one every morning,” she says, most matter-of-factly, as though this is as common as a bowl of oats. We are keen to pop a morning flower too! The nasturtium, as it is called, is mild and sweet with an unexpected kick of spice at the end. Definitely our most memorable palate adventure, although the kitchen’s Pandi Curry, comes in a close second.
At the pool villa
Mindful eating To keep waste to a minimum, we find out that this resort has a unique policy — guests need to pay Rs 100 for every 10 grams of food they waste. Bold, but effective we realise, as we find ourselves doubly mindful about what we put on our plate from the buffet. That said, if you do end up paying for food wasted, it is heartening to find out that the funds are donated to an orphanage in Madikeri. Meanwhile, another big surprise is that the drinking water at The Fig, the resort’s multi cuisine restaurant, quite literally comes from the air. We spot a robust air water purifier that does the job in the corner one afternoon, after returning from a relaxing hour spent at the spa. En route, we recall spotting a family of sunbathing monkeys, so perhaps all species at this resort take ‘rest and recharge’ quite seriously.
Forest restoration With an awareness that all natural ecosystems are vanishing all over the world at an alarming rate, the resort has committed a third of its property for the purpose of restoration of forest. Sherry Sebastian, one of the founders of The Ibnii says, “Bringing back a complex ecosystem such as this one within the Western Ghats is a slow process. We have more than 50 species of trees already growing here but the whole understory is choked mostly by coffee plants that are growing densely. We have taken up the mammoth task of selectively removing the invasive plants so natural regeneration can happen.” She adds, “Additionally, this area will be used as a resource to educate our guests about the importance of the natural world.”
Breathe in
■ Electric cars and buggys are used on the property to keep the air clean ■ Guests are privy to a live air quality index monitor at the reception ■ Drinking water at the restaurant is quite literally bottled from moisture in the air with the use of an air water purifier
Kodava lessons A bit of trivia for folks looking at a getaway here soon, apart from nature walks and regional cuisine, you get impromptu language lessons in the local Kodava tongue, courtesy names like Baalelle (banana leaf) for their vegetarian restaurant or Pattole Palome (a collection of Kodava folklore), which is the name of the green building it is housed in. Kaldi Kappee, the resort’s award-winning lakeside coffee shop, however, has been named after the Ethiopian shepherd who discovered coffee beans back in 850 CE. As the story goes, he noticed his goats nibbling on some wild berries, following which they pranced around with more energy than ever, making him curious enough to try the berries himself.
Coffee date While on the subject of coffee, don’t miss the resort’s coffee trail. Ours encompasses the different stages of berries and coffee making and ends with the grand reveal of a prized jar of dried ‘civet poop’. The civet cat better known as the Kopi Luwak roams free on the premises and for conservation purposes, the coffee from their droppings is not sold or monetised. But we do get the unique experience of holding some premium poop in our hands (pre washed of course). And then we’re told to do the oddest thing — shake it. We hold it up to our ear and shake to hear the softest jingle of coffee beans inside.
While civet coffee isn’t available at the resort itself, here’s a golden nugget of trivia for any coffee lover. Apart from those nutty flavour notes, this luxury brew is a great choice for folks who suffer from uncomfortable bouts of acidity. Given that it is essentially pre-digested by the civet cat, you can enjoy your cuppa with no reservations. We have to admit, this coffee date, poop et al, is perhaps one of our most ‘memorable’ and is definitely a change of pace from the Tinder experience.
The Ibnii is a 12 hour drive from Chennai. Accommodation at INR 18,000 onwards.
source: http://www.indulgexpress.com / Indulge Express, The New Indian Express / Home> Travel / by Sonali Shenoy / May 19th, 2023
Congress candidates AS Ponnanna and Mantar Gowda won from Virajpet and Madikeri constituencies, defeating the sitting BJP MLAs with a considerable margin.
Facebook / AS Ponnanna
For the first time in nearly two decades, Congress managed to win an Assembly election in Kodagu district of Karnataka, breaking the BJP’s run of wins in the hilly district. Congress candidate AS Ponnanna, a former Additional Advocate General in the Karnataka High Court, defeated KG Bopaiah of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Virajpet constituency of Kodagu district. In the same district, another Congress candidate Mantar Gowda, son of former Karnataka minister A Manju, defeated BJP’s Appachu Ranjan in the Madikeri constituency.
In 2004, BA Jeevijaya of the Congress had won from the erstwhile Somwarpet constituency in Kodagu district. However, in the last three elections held in 2008, 2013 and 2018, KG Bopaiah and Appachhu Ranjan had won from the two constituencies in the district — Virajpet and Madikeri. This time, the two Congress leaders defeated the sitting MLAs by a margin of over 4000 votes each.
The incumbent Virajpet MLA KG Bopaiah had triggered a controversy in the run up to the election, when he claimed that a win for the Congress would lead to celebrations of Tipu Jayanti returning in the state. AS Ponnanna maintained a studied silence on the issue and urged the BJP leader to speak about development.
The Congress party has emerged victorious in the recently concluded elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, having won 132 seats and leading in four more constituencies as of 7.30 pm on Saturday, May 13, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
source: http://www.thenewsminute.com / The News Minute / Home> News / by TNM Staff / May 4th, 2023
The Kodagu District Administration has decided to bar entry to visitors who have not voted to tourist destinations in the district places on polling day.
Tourists visiting places in the Kodagu district on election day will be allowed only if they show indelible ink of voting. Dr. Sateesha BC, Deputy Commissioner of Kodagu, said the administration has taken this decision to encourage more people to vote. He said this will not be applicable to children and tourists from other states.
“We are allowing people to visit tourist places on May 10 only if they come after casting the vote. The bar won’t be applicable to non-Karnataka tourists. Only those who have voted will be allowed entry at Raja Seat, Abbe Falls, Sunnyside Museum, and Mallalli Falls. Along with this, some hotels in the district are offering 10% to 20% discount in hotel booking if people show indelible ink mark on their fingers,” Sateesha said.
Hotels in Bengaluru had made similar announcements offering free food to people to encourage voting. Bengaluru’s civic body BBPM issued a notice saying offering free food to voters amounted to violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
While announcing the date of polling in Karnataka, the Election Commission had said that a Wednesday was chosen for polling to encourage higher voter turnout. In the past, voting has suffered because of people going on vacation when voting is held at weekends.
Voting for election to the 224-seat Karnataka Assembly will begin at 7 am on Wednesday and end at 6 pm. Counting of votes is scheduled for May 13.
Party-wise candidates by constituency
Tap on the constituency to know the sitting MLA and the candidates for 2023.
source: http://www.news9live.com / NewsNine / Home> Elections / by Muralidhara Sampangishetty / May 09th, 2023
Publisher : Adiraaj Prakashana, 245/F, 5th West Cross, Uttaradhi Mutt Road, Mysuru. For book contact: 98445-76429. E-mail: ananth.alpinia@gmail.com
This is an age of information. Thanks to the quantum development in the area of information technology like never before. Books, newspapers, radio, telephone, internet etc., enable this revolution with speed and spread of information. But behind all these media blitzkrieg and bombardment is a journalist who provides the content. Smile please!
Being a journalist, it is natural for me to evince interest in the area of journalism and all that is related to that activity.
A few days back I learnt that B.G. Anantha Shayana, the senior journalist and the consulting editor of Kannada daily ‘Shakti’, Kodagu district, who is also the correspondent of United News of India (UNI), has written a book about his experience as a journalist.
Kodagu being my home district and having done my SSLC in Madikeri Government Central School and then the graduation there, the book interested me much, coming as it was from the editor of Kodagu’s first and only favourite Kannada newspaper even today. It was started in 1957 when I was in the second intermediate (1957-58). I was a witness to its founder-editor B.S. Gopalakrishna, a fair complexioned person with rotund visage, working at the slanting composing table, standing head bent over the wooden type-setting board. The press was at the landmark (for those days) “chowki”, where four roads converged. His was a gradual growth as a publisher and writer against all odds.
When I left Madikeri after graduation in the year 1959, Shakti had become a noted local paper in Madikeri spreading its wings across Kodagu. Now 65 years on, it is still an iconic newspaper in Kodagu. This was possible because of B.S. Gopalakrishna’s three sons who took over the reins and responsibility to keep the flag of success flying high. One of the sons is B.G. Anantha Shayana, the author of the book “Sodaru”. “Sodaru” in old Kannada means light, lamp.
This book of 98 pages is all about the author’s experience as a journalist, executive and tourist abroad. He also speaks of ethical values to be followed in the profession and about the personal risk a reporter-journalist unwittingly faces in his over-enthusiasm. His every experience is illustrated in detail and this makes the book unputdownable for any journalist. I finished reading it in one sitting and then decided to write this column.
Let me share some of his experiences here with my own remarks as an intervention! Anantha Shayana has in a way delivered a sermon and also given a road-map for aspiring journalists. Therefore, this book may be recommended as an optional reader for students of journalism in their graduate or post-graduate classes. I am sure many working or retired journalists, including myself, would have had similar experience if not the exact ones.
The author speaks of the importance of correct information a journalist collects and gives the example of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamiji of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt, Tamil Nadu. That on August 23, 1997, the Swamiji had suddenly and clandestinely left the mutt and disappeared. That naturally made national and even international news. Those days telephone communication was outdated and difficult. Author Anantha Shayana got a phone call in the morning from his friend in Talacauvery (birth place of river Cauvery) in Kodagu. The call was made by his friend after walking 8 kms from Talacauvery to the nearest telephone booth in Bhagamandala, a township. By now an all India search for the Swamiji was launched on a war-footing. The caller said, “Anantha, three days back at midnight some Swamiji has come here with a small group. When asked who he was, nobody opens mouth. Must be a very famous Swamiji.”
uthor says when he went there immediately, the Swamiji’s followers did not allow him to meet the Swamiji. However, when he said he was from UNI, he was allowed on assurance that it would make all India news! So it was, he was the first person to break this news.
By the way, I too reached there with our Mysuru journalists and met him at Talacauvery. But, what is important here is that UNI did not publish the news of finding the Swamiji IMMEDIATELY. The UNI Bengaluru and Delhi Office had called Anantha Shayana over 10 times to urge him to check, check and check again and confirm. They even asked him to go to Talacauvery once again. Further, UNI sent its Mysuru correspondent to Anantha Shayana in Kodagu to go again to Talacauvery. It was only then the UNI flashed the news, though many hours late, as “Sri Jayendra Saraswathi traced.”
This is called responsible journalism and responsible journalist on the spot. Which is why the motto of Star of Mysore printed on the second page declares: “We believe comment is free, but facts are sacred.” Sadly, these days we find more arm-chair journalists looking into a cellphone in hand, sometimes purveying fake news.
Be that as it may, I found in his one observation about the truth all the local newspaper editors and journalists come face-to-face with unlike the State and National newspapers. His observation is that what appears in those big newspapers do not embolden the reader, about whom a negative news has appeared, to directly go and attack the editor or the journalists. But the local, small-town or rural newspaper editors and journalists become direct targets of attacks and protests. Since I am a victim of this behaviour of readers, criminals, the corrupt and anti-socials, I can vouch 100 percent for what Anantha Shayana has written.
Writing about paparazzi and the British Princess Diana, the author refers to the famous photograph of her boyfriend Dodi Fayad and herself in a kissing pose under the caption “The Kiss.” He says the photographer was paid millions of dollars for this picture. However, sadly it was this obsession to take her photographs that led to the accident killing both of them. The moral Anantha Shayana says is that though a journalist should be a news hound, he should not intrude upon another person’s privacy.
We have seen on TV and read in newspapers some of our opposition leaders going abroad to Harvard, Oxford and elsewhere and giving lectures and interviews to the media criticising India, its government, its democracy and shaming India in foreign countries. But I was delighted to read in the book how the editor of a small district vernacular paper “Shakti” Anantha Shayana dealt with a delicate, despicable situation in a foreign country, Australia, where he went with seven of his friends. Anantha Shayana writes that in Australia they visited a primary school where he asked the group of six students what they knew about India. To his shock, instead of an answer he got a question from a student: Are you not afraid to live in India?
“Why should I?” said Anantha Shayana and asked, “Why do you ask me that question?” Then it became a kind of free-for-all. One said, India was a land of snakes and snake-charmers. “Do you know how to catch snakes?” another wanted to know. “Are there too many beggars? Do you have good houses to live? Do you have cars?” etc., etc. He then asked them if they had read any books on India. No, was the answer. Their opinion of India was hearsay.
Then Anantha Shayana took a class on India to them dropping famous names of politicians, Gandhiji, Generals, educationists, philosophers, space research, the heritage, culture etc. After he finished, one boy said, “I want to visit India.” When some of our opposition leaders visited England and Europe, nobody said “I want to visit India” because they were told by our own opposition politician that India is not a good place where democracy is dying or dead.
Anantha Shayana also writes about his meeting with two spiritual persons. One was Dalai Lama at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh.
Question: Will you wage a war against China?
Answer: Many nations in the world support us. One day we will win.
Question: But your youth organisations feel it is not possible to win back Tibet by peaceful means. What do say?
Answer: I am not in administration. I am engaged in matters spiritual. There is an elected government here in exile. They will look into it.
Question: Buddha gave up his palace and after meditating under a tree got enlightened. But you crossed Himalayas, came here and built golden temples, leading luxurious life with cars and palace-like residences.
Anantha Shayana says, Dalai Lama did not have an answer but brushed it aside saying, “These are the mischief played by monks. I don’t know anything.”
Another spiritual person Anantha Shayana mentions is one who became famous for teaching the art of living. Anantha Shayana met him when he visited Kodagu. The spiritual master told, “For propagating spiritual education I have trained 5,000 teachers. They will go to different parts of the country and teach art of living.”
According to Hindu Sanatana Dharma, only the enlightened souls can teach spiritual matters to the seekers. So Anantha Shayana asked: Are all these 5,000 teachers you have trained enlightened?
He did not like the question and he did not answer either.
Moral: Though unpalatable, the journalist must ask intelligent, probing questions.
e-mail: voice@starofmysore.com
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Abracadabra> Columns / by K.B. Ganapathy / May 08th, 2023
The passions that have been running high over the Cauvery have eclipsed that the river’s birthplace is in Kodagu district, where it is an integral part of the lives of the Kodavas, but not in terms of drinking water.
Journalist and author PT Bopanna has eloquently spoken about what the Cauvery means to the Kodavas, one of the communities of people who live within Kodagu district. The identity of the Kodavas is deeply linked with the river, which rises in Talacauvery. Ironically, Madikeri city, the district headquarters, frequently faces a drinking water problem.
“The Rs 230-crore Harangi project has been conceived for the benefit of politically powerful Mysore and Hassan districts. Though the Harangi Dam (in picture) is in Kodagu and the major catchment area of the Cauvery is also in Kodagu, the irrigation potential from the project for Kodagu is a measly 607 hectares, out of the 54,591 hectares of total irrigation potential,” Bopanna says on his website Coorgnews.in.
He pointed out that 1,909 acres of land in 13 villages had been submerged by the construction of the Harangi dam in Somwarpet taluk.
“See, we don’t benefit from the Cauvery at all. Every year the river floods and the roads get blocked. We are always inconvenienced by the Cauvery. We just want our basic water needs met, and it’s a small place,” Bopanna says.
Although people are worried about drinking water supply from the Cauvery, Bopanna says that in Kodagu, people are worried more about a larger problem.
“I’m worried about deforestation,” Bopanna says. Falling in the Malenadu region, Kodagu district houses 4,102 sq km of the Western Ghats, making it look as if a green carpet is spread across the land. It is one of the least populated districts in the state.
Referring to the 400kv power line from Yelwal in Mysuru to Kozhikode in Kerala, a distance of 55m, Bopanna said: “This government-sponsored deforestation needs to stop.”
According to some estimates, 55,000 trees will be cut in thick forest areas to set up the line. Activists have alleged that a few thousand trees have been cut in violation of the law.
“When trees were being cut for that power line, not a single politician made any noise. They weren’t bothered. This clearly reveals their short-sightedness and their lack of understanding about the effects of deforestation. Rainfall has become erratic in the region,” Bopanna says.
He advocates a complete ban on tree felling and the conversion of agricultural land for commercial purposes. “But Kogadu’s politicians depend on the timber lobby and sand mining. They have not allowed a discussion on the Kasturirangan report.”
Now he’s worried. Drought-like conditions that occurred only once in five years in the past, are now almost an annual feature. “We need to save the Western Ghats to save the Cauvery (for all of us). That’s the core issue.”
source: http://www.thenewsminute.com / The News Minute / Home> News> Cauvery Dispute / by Aneesha Sheth / September 22nd, 2016
The Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Committee, Kodagu, will hold ‘Run for Vote’ for the people of Kodagu in Murnadu village of Madikeri taluk at 8 a.m. on May 6.
A statement said the main objective of the run, which will be held from HP Petrol Bunk to Bachetira Lalu Muddaiah Sports Grounds in Murnadu village, is to create awareness about voting and its importance in democracy.
Those interested can reach the starting point by 7.30 a.m. For registration, call 98440-60174 or 99451-23921.
Air show
Meanwhile, the SVEEP Committee is also organising an air show of mini aeroplanes at Karmadu village near Balale in Ponnampet taluk at 10 a.m. on May 6.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India > Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / May 06th, 2023
Footloose in Kodagu, where the mercury still hovers around 20° Celsius.
Coffee is one of the mainstays of the local economy. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStock
While temperatures go up in the rest of south India with the advent of summer, in Karnataka’s Kodagu district the mercury still hovers around 20 degree Celsius. I sip my delicious freshly brewed, locally grown coffee. Coffee is one of the mainstays of the local economy: the rolling plantations stretch over a quarter of the district, not only up and down the hillsides of the Western Ghats, but also in tiny coffee gardens or even as the isolated backyard shrub.
Over 40,000 coffee growers in Kodagu have holdings below 10 hectares. A major portion of the coffee produced in India, both Robusta and Arabica, is grown in Kodagu. With its pretty white flowers and cherry-red berries, the coffee plant has brought prosperity to the district.
Flowers of Arabica in a Kodagu plantation. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStock
Sitting in the garden, I try not to be distracted by the anthuriums, peace lilies, Malabar rhododendron, and splendid roses that grow so well in this emerald-green landscape. I am reading a new translation of the short stories of the feminist writer Kodagina Gowramma by Deepa Bhasthi. Gowramma wrote in the early 20th century and her collection was published posthumously. Bhasthi’s translation has been published by the independent Indian publisher Yoda Press.
Kodagu’s Gowramma
In one of the short stories, a young man dreams about going to England to study further. “When I was a little boy, my neighbour’s son went to England to sit for some exam and came back after touring Europe. Then, the respect the villagers gave him, his car, his new fashionable clothes, the way he walked, the way he spoke, all this made me long to go to England and come back like him…. It was because of this fierce longing to go to England that I did not fail even one year in school. I was the class topper; I was a model student in school.”
Bhasthi, who is from Gowramma’s hometown in Kodagu, has written about her unusual life. On a trip to Kashi as a child, Gowramma had the traumatic experience of getting lost in the city before she was reunited with her family at the police station. As a young woman, Gowramma played tennis, loved swimming, and had independent views. As news of the freedom movement spread, she became deeply influenced by the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and began wearing khadi. Bhasthi describes how, during Gandhi’s visit to Kodagu in 1934, Gowramma reportedly went on a fast and insisted Gandhi should come to her house. She then gifted all her jewellery to the cause.
Gowramma died tragically young, at 27, in a swimming accident. A photograph of the young writer hangs on the wall of the rural library in Ponnampet, located close to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi that marks his visit to the town.
Kodagu’s libraries
Kodagu’s rural libraries are attractive and child-friendly spaces. Library walls often commemorate Kodagu heroes, such as Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa, India’s first Army Chief after Independence, and another legend, General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya. The library walls also have pictures of Karnataka’s distinguished Jnanpith Award-winning writers. And in Hoddur village, a tiny rural community located some distance away from the panchayat headquarters has set up a library of its own in an old anganwadi building. It is called the Savitri Bai Phule Community Library.
A monk in a Bylakuppe monastery | Photo Credit: Ramesh Meda/ Flickr
In Thithimathi, a tiny village on the outskirts of the Nagarhole forest, the rural library has bright blue benches in its yard. Two schoolboys play chess in a corner. I learn that one of them attends a private school; the other boy is from a tribal community and attends a government school. Here in the village library, it is a small moment of great happiness to see them playing chess together.
No weekend in Kodagu is complete without a few moments of calm in the nearby town of Bylakuppe, which is home to two Tibetan settlements dating back to the 1960s, Lugsung Samdupling and Dickyi Larsoe. The beautiful Namdroling Monastery is also located here. It is lined with prayer wheels and intricate, colourful murals that contrast with the deep red robes of the monks. The monastery reverberates with deep musical chanting, transporting visitors to places not dreamt of in philosophies.
Uma Mahadevan Dasgupta is in the IAS.
source: http://www.frontline.thehindu.in / Frontline / Home> Others> Travel – Diary / by Uma Mahadevan Dasgupta / May 04th, 2023
Honorary Secretary of Environment and Health Foundation Colonel C.P. Muttanna has proposed a novel solution to ward off tiger attacks that has claimed as many as five lives in Kodagu district so far.
Locals in southern Kodagu are in scare over the increasing instances of man-tiger conflicts. In this scenario, Muttanna at a press conference highlighted the technique followed by the residents of the Sunderban region in West Bengal.
Pointing out that tigers usually attack their prey from behind, Muttana said that people can wear face masks on the back of their heads to avoid a conflict situation. He said that the number of deaths due to tiger attacks has reduced considerably in the Sunderban region due to this ploy.
Muttanna said that he has put forth the proposal to the government and the forest department and urged them to take action in this regard.
Speaking further, he said that in most cases the tiger attacks have taken place during early morning hours especially when a person is out to answer nature’s call. Though the district claims to be open defecation-free (ODF), several houses lack toilet facilities. Thus, the government should make suitable plans to construct toilets for such houses.
Stressing on the predator’s eating habit, Muttanna said that the tiger usually eats a portion of its kill after preying on them. The big cats tend to return to the spot to eat at a later time when they are hungry. In this context, he said, that if a cattle has been killed by a tiger, people should not dispose of the carcass immediately as the tiger would then try to make another kill. Rather people should inform forest department officials of any killing who can take necessary action to capture and relocate the tiger.
He also urged the district administration to make suitable transport arrangements for school-going kids in areas facing tiger menace. Tigers are likely to come to hunt wild boars in the fields. Hence, Colonel Muttanna advised not to allow the growth of wild bushes in fields and coffee plantations.
source: http://www.udayavani.com / Udayavani.com / Home> State / by Team Udayavani / January 12th, 2023
The RTI further revealed that the Bhadravathi forest division in Shivamogga did not spend a single rupee on afforestation since 2015.
The RTI further revealed that the Bhadravathi forest division in Shivamogga did not spend a single rupee on afforestation since 2015. (Representational)
From 2015 to 2022, the Karnataka Forest Department spent Rs 1.98 crore and Rs 49,95,067 on afforestation in Kushalnagar and Bhagamandala forest ranges, respectively. The two forest ranges are located in Kodagu district. The figures were shared by the department in response to an RTI filed by The Indian Express.
The RTI further revealed that the Bhadravathi forest division in Shivamogga did not spend a single rupee on afforestation since 2015.
The amount spent on afforestation includes maintenance of the forests. However, some of the officials within the forest department opined that the forest department should concentrate on afforestation in the drier parts of Karnataka rather than spending crores in the Western Ghats.
“The Western Ghats has many naturally regenerated seedlings. The department should have pumped funds in greening the dry regions of Karnataka like Vijayapura, Raichur, Gadag and Koppal. These regions have less than 5 per cent green cover. Even in the Dakshina Kannada region, a huge amount is spent on afforestation,” a senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer of the Karnataka Forest Department said on condition of anonymity. Notably, a response from Dakshin Kannada forest region is still awaited.
Every year, Kodagu faces floods and huge loss of property and human lives.
Amount spent on afforestation in Bhagamandala range
2015-2016: Rs 15,82,293
2016-2017: Rs 3,10,974
2017-2018: Rs 3,66,500
2018-2019: Rs 14,33,305
2019-2020: Rs 4,03,750
2020-2021: Rs 3,02,865
2021-2022: Rs 3,35,720
2022-2023: Rs 2,59,660
Amount spent on afforestation in Kushalnagar range
2015-2016: Rs 11.17 lakh
2016-2017: Rs 12.90 lakh
2017-2018: Rs 24.66 lakh
2018-2019: no data
2019-2020: Rs 27.90 lakh
2020-2021: Rs 66 lakh
2021-2022: Rs 14.47 lakh
2022-2023: Rs 44 lakh
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> News> Cities> Bangalore / by Aksheev Thakur / Bengaluru – April 30th, 2023
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