Category Archives: Business & Economy

Drive detox #28States28Plates drive goes to Coorg

Business & Economy, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports

Moving our way right across the country towards the west, we go to Coorg from Bengaluru.

Day 22 of the #28States28Plates drive saw us leaving the hustle and bustle of Bengaluru city as we headed to a beautiful hilly region in Karnataka — Coorg. Also known as the Scotland of India, Coorg is famous for its coffee plantations, chilly climate and the amazing views.


There are three ways to get to Coorg from Bengaluru and because of our tight schedule, (the real reason was we just couldn’t wait to get there), we took the shortest route which passes through cities like Ramanagara (silk city) and Channapatna (city of toys). This highway is christened NH275, but the locals know it simply as Mysore road.

All the three routes from Bengaluru join-in at Mysore. It is to be noted that if you are taking the route we took, be ready to face a lot of diversions as some parts of this highway are still under construction.

After crossing Mysore, the road turned into a two-lane winding stretch of smooth tarmac with trees on both sides! It definitely was a sight to behold.

Now, our destination for the day was a town called Yevakapadi, situated in the hills of Coorg.

We reached there by lunchtime, at Bungalow 1934, where a friend of evo India, Amrith, had kindly invited us for lunch at his super famous estate — Bungalow 1934.

A place so pretty, a certain Gordon Ramsay chose to shoot his show Uncharted here!

We were in awe of the beautiful views from Amrith’s estate and just as we thought it couldn’t get better, Amrith set up a traditional Coorgi cuisine buffet for us. Pandi curry (pork stew), bamboo shoot curry, colocasia curry — a few of the dishes we enjoyed, along with a view to die for. To wash it all down was prepared-on-the-farm coffee liqueur and some bird’s eye chilli wine.

After that wonderful lunch, we headed to our abode for the night. King’s Cottage, a place situated just 15km from Amrith’s estate, but by the time we reached and rested for a bit, it was time for dinner time. So, the kind folks at King’s Cottage setup a much needed bonfire for us to enjoy our dinner. We were treated to simple but oh-so-delicious veg food with a view of the clouds, touched by bright moonlight, settling right in front of us in the valley. After chilling our bones to the cool blowing winds, we went straight to bed in our cozy little cottage.

This place was certainly a good detox from the city life and we loved it so much that we decided to take day 23 off for some rest.

Is Coorg a haven in the hills? We’d certainly say so!

Day 24 will see us reach the west coast of the country, Mangalore — via Kasargod.

source: http://www.evoindia.com / EvoIndia.com / Home/ by Team Evo India / August 22nd, 2021

Kodagu district admin ready to tackle third Covid-19 wave

Business & Economy, Covid-19 (wef. May 31, 2021), Records, All, Science & Technology

The experts in the state have warned that the third wave might reach its peak either in October or November.

The Designated Covid Hospital in Madikeri. Credit: DH photo

Though the Kodagu district administration has taken steps to check the outbreak of the third wave of Covid-19, the district sharing its border with Kerala has proved to be a hurdle.

The rise in Covid-19 cases in Kerala is a cause of concern for Kodagu district.

The district administration is implementing the advice of the technical expert committee.

The experts in the state have warned that the third wave might reach its peak either in October or November. The district administration is preparing itself to brace for the situation.

Deputy Commissioner Charulata Somal has directed officials to vaccinate all those who are above 18 years on a priority basis in the villages sharing its border with Kerala.

Further, the check posts have also been strengthened.

To tackle the third wave, steps have been taken in the taluk, said Somwarpet taluk medical officer Dr Srinivas.

Four to five beds have been reserved in all the government hospitals in the taluk. The health camp for children has already been conducted at hotspot areas of Nelyahudikeri, Valnoor-Tyagathoor, Suntikoppa, and other areas, he said.

A health check-up is organised for even pregnant and lactating women and they have been administered vaccination. The work on an oxygen generation plant is in progress at Somwarpet at a cost of Rs 1 crore. The work on installing machines is pending, he added. 

Further, the border area check posts in Shanivarasanthe, Kodlipet, Shanthapura and others have been strengthened in the district.

Circle Inspector S Parashivamurthy said that labourers who were hesitating for vaccination were convinced to take vaccines at Mullur Colony.

Dr Chandan in the Community Health Centre said that oxygen cylinders, swab tests, masks and sanitisers have been arranged at the centre.

Awareness of Covid-19 is created among the patients who arrive at the centre for treatment, he said.

Further, the health department has set up an 80-bedded Covid Care Centre at Morarji Desai Residential School in Koodige and Basavanahalli.

Taluk medical officer Dr Srinivas said that everyone should strictly adhere to the Covid appropriate behaviour.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / August 29th, 2021

Women in Karnataka’s Virajpet form self-help groups, buy field and cultivate paddy

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All
Question of livelihoods: Women self-help groups purchased an unused paddy field and have now become full-time farmers

Madikeri :

Following the Covid crisis, several women have taken to cultivating paddy in the district, giving a new lease of life to uncultivated land.


Women — mainly from Virajpet taluk — under the banner Sanjeevini Okkuta, are growing paddy on land that had remained uncultivated for years. Fifteen women self-help groups joined the Okkuta, which purchased an unused paddy field.

Okkuta president Indira and assistant secretary Nisha have helped members with initial capital for the work.

Villagers say owners of the field had stopped cultivating the crop as paddy cultivation requires a huge workforce to plough, sow and transplant plants. This demands high wages.

National Rural Livelihood Mission district programme manager, who indentified himself only as Kumar, was pleased with the latest move by women of Sanjeevini Okkuta.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Mysuru News / by TNN / August 06th, 2021

Neelakurinji blooms beckon tourists, chopper rides on offer

Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, Uncategorized, World Opinion

The mass blooming of the Neelakurinji flower (Strobilanthes kunthiana) in Kodagu district is giving the much-needed boost to the state’s tourism sector.

Neelakurunji flowers bloom at a hillock in Kodagu district | forest department

Bengaluru:

The mass blooming of Neelakurngi in Coorg has made it a rallying point for wildlife enthusiasts, botanists, photographers and tourists.

The blooming at the hillocks of Mandalpatti and Kote Betta in Kodagu, tourism has also taken up the north. Since the blooming has happened for the first time in a such a massive scale and is after 12 years, more so after tourism activities have opened up after the pandemic, every one are heading to India’s Scotland to see them. 

The new entrant in the list to draw tourists is heli- tourism. As the state government and the tourism department are trying the revive the long pending heli- tourism, a firm in Bengaluru has undertaken a heli- ride to Kodagu and surrounding areas, giving an areal view of the blooming Neelakurunji flowers on the hillocks. 

Govind Nair, Director, Thumby Aviation Private Limited said already one trip from Yelahanka air base to Coorg was done earlier this week. Now it is being offered as a part of the Nowhere trip to Coorg, a package tour, where a detour to Mandalapatti will be done. 

Tourism packages and inineraries are being revamped on the go, depending upon the blooming and withering of the flowers. But since it is a once in 12 years sighting, many resorts are offering a visit to the region as a part of the package, to draw more crowds. 

Trekking and flying has now taken the front seat to draw tourists. Even as the recent guidelines of the ministry of aviation states that drones are prohibited over national  parks, wildlife sanctuaries and other eco- sensitive places, conservationists and foresters object to helicopters flyover over the region. They point not just is the area a fragile Western Ghats region, little is know the species in Kodagu and so all precaution should be exercised to safeguard them. 

Botanists point that utmost care should be taken in the area as the flowering in this part of Western Ghats has not been recorded and documented. Karnataka as around 45 species of Kurunjis and in different altitudes different species have been recorded. Each species blooms at different intervals like once in six years, nine years, 11 or 12 years. So administration must ensure that tourism and footfall is limited to the region, so that they are well protected. 

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Bosky Khanna, Express News Service / August 27th, 2021

This Coorg resort does prefab better than Elon Musk’s Texas home

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, World Opinion

Ayatana Resort in Coorg, a collaboration between architect Vishal Vincent and landscape architect Paul Blanchflower, uses prefabrication technology.

Set amidst 100 acres of lush landscape in Coorg is a cluster of cottages that are an experiment in eco-friendly  luxury hospitality. Ayatana Resort is the glorious result of an attempt to sustainably manifest a luxury development in the middle of lush, untouched rainforest.

Landscape architect Paul Blanchflower crafted the grounds of Ayatana Resort in Coorg 

The intrigue doesn’t end there; the cottages were constructed using prefabrication technology. The outer structure is made of prefabricated steel with 40-mm concrete used to craft the roof and the floor. If the word ‘prefab’ sounds familiar, it’s because Elon Musk recently made it one of the most Googled terms.

Elon Musk’s Prefab Texas home

Thanks to Musk, many of us heard of prefab technology for the first time recently. The billionaire is currently living in a prefabricated home (https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/elon-musk-lives-prefab-tiny-house-texas) in Texas, worth approximately USD 50,000.

Prefabrication is an alternative to the traditional in-situ construction method, and uses precast components to build spaces.

A prefab living space similar to the one Elon Musk lives in. Photo courtesy: Boxabl

The Tesla CEO reportedly lives in a transportable unit of about 400 square feet. It is set up like a studio apartment and features a fully equipped kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom. The unit is on the SpaceX Texas site.

How Ayatana Used Prefabrication Methods

Ayatana’s indulgent spaces offer a lot more to its purveyors than the spartan space chosen by Musk. Ayatana effortlessly mixes prefabrication innovations, which are touted to be more energy- and cost-efficient than traditional construction methods, with the latest in luxury hospitality, and a generous dose of a tropical escape.

The resort is a cluster of stilted cottages that offer stunning views

Ayatana Resort is the brainchild of architect Vishal Vincent and landscape architect Paul Blanchflower. Blanchflower, who brought a lifetime of experience and wisdom as a horticulturist to the project, explains the decision to use prefab components: “While planning Ayatana, the decision to retain as much as possible of the existing landscape including the waterfall, led to the use of prefabricated steel construction for the structures. This minimized the on-site work and its subsequent impact on the natural landscape.” The structures were fabricated in a workshop in Bangalore and just assembled on-site—to keep the site activity at a minimum.

How to Build Without Disturbing Mother Nature?

“Taking inspiration from the trees on-site, the initial thought was to create treehouses, which eventually manifested into stilted cottages. These provided a similar experience to that of a treehouse without doing much harm to the existing trees and giving us the opportunity to create luxurious abodes,” says Vincent, who is the managing director and founder of the Coorg property.

Blanchflower and Vincent also guided the team in understanding what the landscape was communicating to them and in turn its importance. “Paul helped identify critical aspects of the untouched site that needed to be retained in the final design outcome. He has been responsible for the entire design being more environmentally sensitive since its initiation,” adds Vincent.

A Look Inside The Luxury Resort 

The open-plan lobby overlooks the cottages and has been minimally designed. Water is an important element that has been used in the design, with a reflecting pool and a still water edge detail providing a seamless visual connection to the surroundings. The lobby’s floating globes of cane lanterns make it easily identifiable from the rest of the site at night.

The resort has 36 standard cottages, 13 luxury suites and a presidential suite. The highlight of the cottages is the luxurious cantilevered balcony that almost brings the wilderness inside. The cottages are placed far away from each other, to allow a socially distanced vacation.

The interiors of Ayatana spell minimal luxury 
The cantilevered balcony is the USP of the cottages 

The Restaurant, Pool and Spa 

The in-house restaurant, The Glass House, offers an indoor area warmed with teak lights, panoramic views, and an outdoor bar and deck. The deck overlooks the infinity pool and doubles as a romantic candle-lit space for al-fresco dining in the evenings. 

WelcomHeritage Ayatana, Coorg The Western Ghats Coorg Resort, FREE Cancellation*, Price, Address & Reviews
The view from the deck of The Glass House includes the swimming pool and the waterfalls beyond 

The infinity pool, with a view of the waterfall, stands out from its surroundings, thanks to its blue mosaic tiles, which appear in sharp contrast to the yellow Jaisalmer stone that has been used on the deck. This deck leads us to the lobby of the Wilderness Spa, nestled under the deck of the restaurant. Its treatment rooms are crafted in exposed brick, with framed vistas of the surroundings.

WelcomHeritage Ayatana, Coorg The Western Ghats Coorg Resort, FREE Cancellation*, Price, Address & Reviews
The pool at Ayatana, Coorg 
Coorg resort Ayatana
A peek inside The Wilderness Spa 

source: http://www.architecturaldigest.in / Architectural Digest / Home> Architecture & Design / by Bindu Gopal Rao / Photography by Ayatana Coorg / August 20th, 2021

Kerala workers shuttling daily by foot to Kodagu estates

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Records, All

Estate owners urged to discourage it over COVID-19 fears.

Amidst the growing fears of an impending third wave of pandemic, it has now come to light that workers from Kerala bordering Kutta village in Kodagu were being employed in coffee estates and are shuttling daily by foot for work.

The State government has made it mandatory for those coming into the State from Kerala to carry an RT-PCR negative report not older than 72 hours irrespective of whether the travellers were vaccinated – either first or both doses of vaccine.

When former Speaker and Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah visited the checkpost at Kutta on Tuesday to oversee the COVID-19 surveillance at the border over a spike in cases in the neighbouring State, he came to know about workers belonging to a Kerala village bordering Kodagu coming daily to Kutta by foot to work in the estates.

Mr. Bopaiah advised the coffee estate owners to provide accommodation to the workers after complying with the guidelines in case they have emergency works in their plantations and would like to employ workers from Kerala.

As per the district administration’s order, persons from Kerala travelling daily to Kodagu must carry out COVID-19 test once in 15 days and always carry the RT-PCR negative report with them. It is not clear whether the employers were cross-checking the details while engaging them in their estates.

“The task force set up in each gram panchayat must look into all various aspects for controlling COVID-19 in the border villages. It must work on preventing daily commuting of workers from Kerala to the border estates. This can help prevent the COVID-19 spread,” he opined.

The staff roped in from various departments for work at the checkposts in Karike, Kutta, Makutta and Sampaje in Kodagu have been categorically told to ensure that no vehicle enters the State without the travellers producing valid RT-PCR negative report not older than 72 hours.

The district officials have been told to continue with the guidelines issued based on the test positivity rate which is currently below 5 per cent. If the TPR crosses 5 per cent, stricter measures were needed.

About 40-50 vehicles from Kerala cross the border at Kutta daily.

source: http:// www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – August 03rd, 2021

`Karnataka to play a critical role in increasing domestic consumption of coffee’

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Records, All, World Opinion
A file photo of a server collecting coffee from a container in a restaurant.   | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

‘Nations should jointly combat issues in coffee sector’

Coffee growing countries, India, Brazil, and South Africa, should collaborate to combat common challenges they face such as global price volatility, high cost of production, and labour shortage, suggested International Coffee Organisation (ICO).

At the opening session of the two-day IBSA Coffee Festival on Wednesday, ICO executive director Jose Sette said India, Brazil, and South Africa had several opportunities to work together to address common issues they face in the coffee growing, processing, and marketing fronts.

India produced over 3,20,000 tonnes of green coffee in the last harvest season that ended in March 2021. Karnataka alone accounts for over 70% of the country’s total coffee production, with Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, and Hassan districts being the State’s coffee heartlands.

Coffee Board chairman M.S. Boje Gowda said, “It is great that we are joining hands with the international coffee community to improve the coffee scene of India and this exercise means a lot for coffee farmers across the country, and especially for an army of them in Karnataka.”

Suresh K. Reddy, Ambassador of India in Brazil, said coffee production had increased 34% in that country in the last two decades although the area under production had only reduced. Indian coffee community had to adopt cost-effective growing techniques and yield enhancing practices from Brazil, he recommended.

“We are also looking forward to collaborating with Brazil in enhancing domestic consumption of coffee in India,” said Mr. Reddy. India’s per capita coffee consumption is around 200 grams while it is 6 kg in Brazil.

Mr. Reddy further said time had come for the commodity apex body, Coffee Board, to position itself as a holistic organisation for the overall development, promotion, and growth of Indian coffee.

Jaideep Sarkar, High Commissioner of India in South Africa, said under the free trade agreements of WTO regime, it was tough for individual governments to promote their own coffees beyond a point and therefore working together was the best option for the global coffee growing community.

Andre Aranha Correa do Lago, Ambassador of Brazil in New Delhi, said, India was beginning to see a lot of speciality coffee coming via exports and this would open up newer opportunities for coffee entrepreneurs in India to process, value add, and re-export.

“We want to be part of the growing India coffee story and IBSA is an ideal platform for a unique partnership between these coffee producing countries,” Mr. Lago added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Mini Tejaswi / Bengaluru – August 05th, 2021

This estate house on a Coorg coffee plantation brings the outdoors inside

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Records, All

Rose Thampy of Edom Architects talks about balancing the contemporary with the vernacular to create a rustic forest home on a stunning coffee estate in Coorg, Karnataka

Kutta Estate House is an homage to its environment

Kochi-based architecture firm Edom Architects had the rare privilege of designing a weekend home in one of the most stunning landscapes of the country: a 2,000-acre Coorg coffee estate. A rustic, two-storey, 1,750-square-foot structure, Kutta Estate House is an homage to its environment, and is carefully crafted not just to be a warm, comfortable home in its own right, but an immersion into the luscious greenery of its surroundings.

The plantation, which is rich with a variety of wildlife in addition to the coffee plants, is almost like a forest of its own right. Lead architects Rose Thampy and Joseph T. Kallivayalil wanted to preserve the sensory experience of the environment, and kept the design earthy and rustic, as opposed to contemporary or overly ornamented. “We also decided to build a viewing deck,” Thampy says, “since one side of the site offers a stunning view of the Western Ghats.”

Cement-textured finishing on the exterior walls allows the building to blend into its environment. Large windows allow the home to remain open to the surrounding greenery, and also promote cross-ventilation throughout the interiors, while wooden louvres and jalis allow for the control of the airflow. “It was a very minimalistic concept, but I didn’t want to create a contemporary minimalistic feel,” says Thampy, adding, “The screen and wood added a little bit of vernacular style to the design.”

The style is vernacular in its approach
The home is surrounded by greenery

The interiors see a flourish of natural stones—from sandstone to slate and natural granite. The use of lime-yellow sandstone for the flooring enhances the sense of space and interconnectivity throughout the house. “We thought of sticking to one or two colours for the interiors, since the space is very small,” says Thampy, “but I wanted each space to have a slightly different feeling.”

Lounge and Dining Area

The entrance foyer breaks off into a combined lounge and dining area, which also includes a kitchenette. “We needed to create a subtle segregation between the living space and the dining and kitchenette,” says Thampy, “so we created a small deviation in the flooring pattern.” The staircase that leads to the top floor was crafted in metal, so as to reduce its sense of bulk, with a matte-black finishing that allowed it to blend into the grey-toned palette of the structure. An outdoor seating area leads from the dining space into the garden, offering a seamless transition between the interior and the environment outside. The home also has an outdoor kitchen, which is accessible from the dining room but also allows for food to be easily served outdoors. Much of the furniture and ornamental lighting is sourced from Mysore, Kochi and Bengaluru, while two large ceramic pots from Chettinad bring in a touch of the old world. Finally, two pig statuettes from Coorg make for a playful homage to the wildlife on the estate.

Viewing Deck

A significant portion of the first floor is dedicated to the viewing deck, which is underlined with slate flooring, so as not to distract from the true hero of the space: the view. A unique piece of furniture is the centre table, crafted from the stem of a coffee plant sourced from the estate itself.

The home is kept raw and rustic in appeal

Bedrooms

Two bedrooms—one each on the ground and first floors—see a continuation of the sandstone flooring, but are also warmed by rich wood tones of the furniture and window frames. Subtle textural details, like a patterned rug or vibrantly upholstered sofa, infuse the rooms with colour, but allow the space to feel open, warm and welcoming. In the first-floor bedroom, an abstract painting in blue sets the theme for the property: it is a pop of colour that accentuates the rustic nature of the space, while also serving as a visual complement to the climate.

Lighting

All architectural lighting has been sourced from Kochi, and has been designed to create a warm ambience throughout the home. Track lighting in the TV lounge highlights the cement texture of the walls, while decorative pendant lights from Bengaluru double as pieces of art. Clay pendant lights over the staircase reflect the rustic tones of the jali, and also allow the staircase area to seemingly merge with the outdoors. On the first floor, matt-black ceiling-mounted lights blend into the palette and allow the eye to focus instead on the views of the estate, and the Western Ghats beyond.

source: http://www.architecturaldigest.in / Architectural Digest / Home> Architecture & Decor / by Avantika Shankar / Photography by Turtle Arts / July 31st, 2021

Kodagu District Minister Offers Bagina At Harangi Dam

Agriculture, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All

Madikeri:

With the Harangi Dam in Kodagu district full to the brim, thanks to copious rainfall in the past few days, Kodagu District Minister V. Somanna yesterday offered bagina at the Dam, in keeping with the tradition.

During the offering of the Bagina, Somanna performed puja to four crest gates of the Dam and also pressed the crest gate button to release 8,000 cusecs of water from the Dam.

Later speaking to press persons, Somanna said that Harangi Dam was the first major Dam in the State to have filled up this monsoon. Noting that the Dam feeds water to 1.65 lakh hectares of Kodagu, K.R. Nagar taluk in Mysuru and five taluks of Hassan district, he said that water will be released for standing Kharif crops and through all canals of the Dam.

Maintaining that the B.S. Yediyurappa Government is doing what all it can for expanding the irrigation network in the State, Somanna contended that there was no drought in the State for two years. However, rain has played havoc in some parts of the State, he said and added that scattered rains across the State has helped farming.

Clarifying that the Government has released money for de-silting of Harangi Dam, he said that tenders have been invited for the purpose. Noting that there were no successful bidders two times, he said that the Government was ready to hand over the works if a competent contractor comes forward for the third time.

Asserting that Kodagu DC has informed him that the district has so far suffered an estimated loss of Rs. 95 lakh due to heavy rains, Somanna said that measures will be taken for providing relief to the family of a person who was recently washed away in floods.

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha, in his address, said that though he was an elected MP for seven years, he could not offer bagina to Harangi Dam for one reason or the other. But he was happy now that he got a chance. Arguing that the State has been receiving good rainfall after B.S. Yediyurappa came to power, he said that nature too seems to be impressed by the works of the Chief Minister. 

Referring to the damages caused to Madikeri-Mangaluru National Highway, Simha said that it has come to his notice and he will do all he can to repair the damaged sections of the road. Also, it has been planned to construct earth retaining wall at landslides prone 22 points of the Highway, for which he would render all help, he added.

Harangi Dam officials said that the Dam has a water storage capacity of 8.5 TMC and the maximum water level of the dam is 2859 ft. At present, the water level is retained at 2858 ft. as a precautionary measure and whatever additional water that the Dam gets (inflow) will be discharged through canals.

Earlier, the Minister and a host of other dignitaries offered puja to the idol of  Goddess Cauvery  at the lower level of the Dam.

MLAs Appachu Ranjan,  A.T. Ramasway and H.P. Manjunath, DC Charulatha Somal, MLC Sunil Subramani, BJP District President Robin Devaiah and a host of other officials and people representatives were present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore /Home> News / July 17th, 2021

Dubare Hanging Bridge Project Shelved

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All

Kushalnagar:

The Kodagu District Administration has shelved the ambitious project of constructing a hanging bridge at Dubare that was originally planned to be 110 metres in length and having a width of 1.8 metres. The funds that were sanctioned for the project have been withdrawn and it has been used for COVID relief.

The proposal of the hanging bridge was submitted by Kodagu Tourism Department to the Forest Department and the latter had opined that as thousands of tourists visit Dubare every year, a hanging bridge that connects one side of the river to the other would be an added attraction. 

River Cauvery flows in full force here and the two sides can only be accessed by motorised boats at present. While one side of the river bank is controlled by the Tourism Department, the other by the Forest Department that runs the popular Dubare Elephant Camp. 

The proposed hanging bridge was to have three columns — two at the sides and one in the middle — and 1.8 metres wide. The Tourism Department first sent a proposal in 2015-2016 and the estimated cost was Rs. 2.35 crore. The estimate was later revised in 2020 to Rs. 4 crore and Rs. 1.5 crore was reserved for the purpose. 

District Administration sources told Star of Mysore that while the Forest Department wanted either Nirmithi Kendra or Tourism Department to construct the hanging bridge, the Tourism Department wanted both Forest Department and Nirmithi Kendra to work in tandem to make the bridge a reality. However, no consensus was reached and the project has been shelved now. The Rs. 1.5 crore reserve money has been utilised for COVID relief in Kodagu, sources added. 

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / July 30th, 2021