Apart from these conflict mitigation projects, the department is releasing special packages to help farmers located in conflict areas.
Madikeri :
The pandemic situation had affected the maintenance works and sanction of projects from the forest department across Kodagu leading to a peak in the wildlife conflict. Alongside the perpetual problem of wild elephants, the tiger menace had claimed the lives of humans and an increased number of cattle. However, the department has assured to provide a permanent solution to the man-animal conflict and grand plans are in place to address the issue.
Improved conflict-mitigating projects including the deployment of static surveillance teams in heavy conflict areas are underway in the district. An annual budget between Rs 30-40 crore will likely focus on developing conflict mitigation methods to fight man-elephant conflicts.
This year, the department has received approval to install railway barricades for a 22 km stretch across Nagarahole, a 20 km stretch across Madikeri limits and a 2 km stretch across Madikeri Wildlife limits. In 2023-24, solar fences will play a crucial role in addressing the conflict and improved double tentacle solar fences will be installed across a 25 km stretch of the Nagarahole forest area and a 20 km stretch of the Madikeri forest division. In addition to this, the several dysfunctional solar fences (spread across 60 km in different areas) will witness relief and maintenance works.
Apart from these conflict mitigation projects, the department is releasing special packages to help farmers located in conflict areas.
“The farmers can install solar fences across their estates and 50% of the cost will be borne by the department. A one-kilometre solar fence will cost approximately Rs 2,30,000 and the department will release Rs 1,15,000 as a subsidy for the fence. Any farmer or grower is eligible to avail the subsidy,” confirmed BN Niranjan Murthy, Kodagu division CCF. As of this year, funds are ready to be distributed as subsidies for up to 50 to 60 km stretch of solar fence installation by the farmers themselves.
Meanwhile, to address the tiger menace across the estates of Kodagu, the department will provide a 50% subsidy for the construction of cattle sheds to eligible farmers in conflict areas.
“The construction of a cattle shed is estimated at Rs 2 lakh per unit and the department will bear 50% of this cost. The department is ready to extend subsidies to 50 farmers this year. The farmers who own less than four acres of farmland or estate and possess a BPL card are eligible for this subsidy,” confirmed Murthy.
Further, the compensation for death due to wildlife attacks has been increased from the previous Rs 7.5 lakh to the current Rs 15 lakh. Similarly, the crop compensation to all crops will be doubled shortly. Meanwhile, the department has arranged school van facilities for students located in conflict areas and currently, four vans are functioning in severe conflict areas.
“In case of additional requirements, more vans can be engaged by the department,” he confirmed.
The Indian Institution of Sciences is undertaking a scientific study on the steel rope fences to address the man-elephant conflict and the institution is involved in a few modifications to make this a foolproof initiative.
“Once the steel rope fences go through a few design changes, they can be installed instead of railway barricades as the rope fences are extensively cost-effective,” he said.
Deployment of surveillance cameras and solar street lights in conflict areas are also among the projects that have received a green signal to address the conflict in the district.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Pragna GR, Express News Service / December 01st, 2022
Climate change-induced weather events are impacting Karnataka’s coffee farms, testing the resilience of farmers.
Karnataka coffee farmers keep meticulous rainfall records that are helping individual and organisational attempts at studying climate change.
Farmers are trying to adapt to changes in rainfall patterns, first investing in sprinklers and now in coffee driers.
At his 38-acre coffee estate at 3,800 metres above sea level, overlooking the pristine Baba Budan giri (hill) in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka, I.S. Umeshchandra is working on creating a database of rainfall records in the region. Crowdsourced from fellow coffee farmers across the district, the exercise struck gold when a farmer shared a rainfall record from 1887.
“I was amazed to see it, though it is unverified. The verified ones date back to 1933,” he told Mongabay-India. His son Navneeth, a data analyst, is helping him crunch the numbers. Coffee farmers in Karnataka keep a record of rainfall in their estates, a practice dating back to colonial times.
A climate change report in 2014, Transitioning towards climate-resilient development in Karnataka, prepared by 26 experts, said that Karnataka would be hit harder by climate change than other states in the country. As rainfall patterns in the state change, the rainfall records of farmers are coming in handy for various individual and organisational attempts at understanding climate change, climate resilience and adaptation in Karnataka.
I.S. Umeshchandra with his rainfall records at his house. Photo by Abhishek N. Chinnappa.
In 2011, the College of Forestry in Kodagu district, India’s largest coffee-producing district, participated in an international project, Coffee Agroforestry Network (CAFNET) Project, to study the ecosystem services of agroforestry systems in the district. Rainfall patterns too were studied as a part of the project, where rainfall data of over 60 years from 116 coffee farms was sourced and analysed. The study pointed to a strong fluctuation in annual rainfall every 12 to 14 years and a reduction in the length of the rainy season by 14 days.
Umeshchandra (not associated with CAFNET) has observed some patterns from the initial analysis, though he has yet to find a strong one. “Fluctuations in annual rainfall are noticed every 10-12 years,” he shared. Records from 1887 show an average annual rainfall of 4826 mm (190 inches) in Chikmagalur, which suggests heavy rainfall is not new in this region, which receives an average annual rainfall of around 2500 mm (80-100 inches). “But heavy spells of rain for a few days as against it being spread out is making a difference,” he observed based on his experience.
Ramachandra K.S., a coffee farmer from Shanthalli in Somwarpet taluk of Kodagu, agrees. Flipping through the pages of his handwritten rainfall records dating back to the 1960s, he says there was over 5000 mm (200 inches) of average annual rainfall in 1960-1962, which fell to around 3800 mm (150 inches) in 1970. However, most farmers agree that the rainfall pattern has become unpredictable and daunting in the last five years because unpredictable rains make planning farming events difficult. They say they are constantly stressed.
J. Srinivasan, a professor at the Divecha Centre for Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), told Mongabay-India that these long-term rainfall records that the coffee farmers of the Malnad region of Karnataka (including Chikmagalur and Kodagu) keep are invaluable.
However, he said that the farmers need to compare their records with local IMD (India Meteorological Department) station records to verify them. “A single rain gauge cannot give accurate results,” he said, adding that the Malnad region, which is hilly, experiences microclimates and that one farmer’s rainfall records will be different from that of their neighbour’s.
Ramachandra’s rainfall records. Photo by Abhishek N. Chinnappa.
More rains lead to landslides, infections and pests in plants
Chikmagalur has a special place in the coffee history of the country. Legend has it that a 17th-century Sufi saint Baba Budan secretly transported seven coffee cherries from Mocha in Yemen and planted them in front of his hermitage, which later came to be called Baba Budan giri (hills) in Chikmagalur, marking the origin of coffee cultivation in India.
From Umeshchandra’s estate situated on a slope, Baba Budan giri provides a breathtaking view. But these days, it fills him with dread. While erratic rainfall hasn’t affected the productivity of his estate adversely, he fears physical damage by way of landslides. More wet days and increased daily rains saturate the soil and can damage hills, leading to landslides. Studies have shown a correlation between extreme rainfall and landslide events.
At Attigundi village, about 13 km from Umeshchandra’s estate in Hosapura is his friend Kiran M.R’s 45-acre estate of Arabica coffee. He is focused on phasing out silver oak trees (Grevillea robusta) in his estate and planting more native ones. Karnataka is known for shade-grown coffee, and its agroforestry system encourages an abundance of native trees alongside the cash crop.
Leaf rust infestation on coffee plants. Photo by Abhishek N. Chinnappa.
Plantation economics and public policies, however, drove the farmers to opt for exotic shade trees like silver oak, which grows fast and can be easily traded as timber. Many farmers are switching back to native trees for various reasons, one of them being the leaf litter of silver oak lacks nutrients and doesn’t decompose as fast as native ones, said C.G. Kushalappa, dean of the College of Forestry. There is also the realisation that a good canopy cover provided by native trees can prevent soil damage during extreme rainfall.
“This July, I got 101.6 mm (four inches) of rain every day for 20 days. Some places nearby recorded around 150-200 mm (6 to 8 inches). This was followed by 1000-1300 mm (40-50 inches) of rain in 10 days in June. “We used to get seven to 10 days of monsoon break in June-August which is crucial for coffee. But no such break in the last three to five years,” said Kiran.
More wet days and little sunshine — a perfect setting for pests and fungal infections — is bad news for coffee. Black rot fungus (coffee thread blight) or Koleroga and coffee white stem borer (Xylotrechus quadripes), a pest, are decimating Arabica plants that were once this coffee belt’s pride. Coffee leaf rust, another fungal disease, is also high among coffee, informs Kiran. “I faced 20-30 percent loss last year,” he said with dismay. He had to shell out Rs. 5000 an acre to remove the black rot infestation at his 60-acre farm in Magundi in Chikmagalur.
Robusta, as the name suggests, is more robust and pest resistant to an extent, said J.S. Nagaraj, joint director of Central Coffee Research Institute at Balehonnur in Chikmagalur. In the last 15 years, there has been a clear shift towards Robusta in Kodagu and Chikmagalur. “While it was 50-50 earlier, it is now 80 percent Robusta in Kodagu,” said Kushalappa. Labour shortage and the high cost of cultivation of Arabica have also tipped the scale in favour of Robusta.
Coffee farmer Kiran points to the infestation. Photo by Abhishek N. Chinnappa
Farmers devise ways to adapt
Coffee farmers here are constantly trying to adapt to a changing climate. “Coffee farming depends on two important rainfall events, blossom shower and backing shower,” explained farmer Jammada Ganesh Ayyanna of Kaikeri village in Gonikoppal in Kodagu. “Blossom showers in the summer months of February to March ensure the blossoming of coffee plants. This must be backed by the backing showers within two weeks for the cherries to set,” he said. In the last three decades, the changes in shower patterns began to affect largely rain-fed agriculture, prompting farmers to invest in irrigation by way of sprinklers. “More than 90 percent of farmers rely on sprinklers now,” Ayyanna told us.
While the northeast monsoon and cyclonic events had little effect on coffee farming in these parts earlier, isolated showers during coffee-picking months (December-February) are working against the industry. Showers during picking months make the cherries drop. The dropped cherries, called “cleanings”, are often picked and sold. While cleanings filled 100 bags (one bag is 50kg) at Ramachandra’s farm last year, Kiran had to let go of the cleanings due to rains. “The cleanings were damaged; damaged cherries don’t fetch a good price,” he said. Picked cherries need at least two months to dry, said Ramachandra.
“No rains and good sunshine are ideal.” Since that hasn’t been the case in the last few years, more farmers, mostly large landholders, have begun to invest in driers.
Coffee cherries at Kiran MR’s estate. Photo by Abhishek N. Chinnappa.
“I didn’t want to worry about unexpected rains,” said Gerrard Perreira from Coove Village in Mudigere taluk in Chikmagalur, who has 200 acres of Arabica and Robusta coffee. “For the coffee to dry properly, we need uninterrupted sunshine for a minimum of five days. But that’s hardly been the case in the last few years,” he said. He bought a drier eight years ago when signs of climate change had begun to show.
It has a 4000-litre capacity that can dry 35 bags of coffee at one time at an optimal temperature of 35-40 degrees Celsius for 18-22 hours. “The drying has to be uninterrupted. Since the power supply is unreliable, we use firewood. But a power generator for backup is a must,” he shared.
There are other advantages too. Using driers is more hygienic, quicker, and cuts labour costs, said farmers. Small and medium landholders, however, can’t afford the driers that cost about Rs 12-15 lakhs and are suggesting setting up community-owned driers. Kushalappa has his suspicions since cooperatives have not worked well in the region in the past. Coffee Board is now giving subsidies for driers, informed Nagaraj. “It is not affordable for everyone. But if climate change continues to affect coffee farming, driers are the future,” he said.
source: http://www.india.mongabay.com / Mongabay / Home> Mongabay Saves Climate / by Arathi Menon / December 01st, 2022
A unique eco-certification initiative in Kodagu’s famous coffee estates offers fresh hope for preserving native rainforests of the Western Ghats.
Growing coffee in the shade of evergreen trees in Kodagu. | Gopikrishna Warrier
There was a time in the not-too-distant past when coffee farmers in Kodagu district of Karnataka grew their plants only under the canopy of evergreen forests they had inherited. Now they prefer to grow it under the sun, which has serious implications for the Western Ghats and on the waters of the Kaveri River.
More and more farmers are now letting trees such as Dadup (Erythrina subumbrans), Arecanut (Areca catechu), Balanji (Acrocarpus fraxnifolius) and Jackfruit (Acrocarpus heterophyllus) die so that the canopy can be opened up and they can grow sun-loving coffee varieties that produce more berries and beans, resulting in higher returns.
Instead of the big trees, they are now planting exotic Silver Oaks (Grevillea robusta), whose pole-like trunk can be used as a support for the climbing pepper vines, which help boosting incomes. The proliferation of Silver Oaks has made it one of the more common trees in some parts of the area.
This transition has a larger ecosystem cost. Kodagu, earlier known as Coorg, is located on the western edge of the Mysore Plateau, at an average altitude of 800 metres, as it lifts up to the crest of the Western Ghats ridge (altitude above 1,500 m) and then falls sharply westwards into Kerala. The plateau mainly slopes eastwards, with the streams and rivers joining to form the Kaveri River, which is the lifeline for millions of people in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
With insufficient rains over the Western Ghats during this year’s southwest monsoon, there is a shortage of water in the reservoirs across the Kaveri in Karnataka. This has led to the flaring of the water-sharing dispute with the lower riparian state of Tamil Nadu in recent days.
While this acrimony continues, payment for ecosystem services measures are being worked out in Kodagu district so that coffee farmers protect the forests under which they grow their crop, thereby preserving the water flow into the Cauvery. These measures also help to maintain the climate resilience in the river’s catchment and command areas.
With the forest-like mixed-tree canopy in coffee plantations disappearing, the torrential rains of the southwest monsoon flows quickly down the streams, carrying valuable topsoil away and causing floods followed by long dry periods downstream.
Paying for ecosystem services
The Kodagu farmers are being encouraged through payment for ecosystem services, in the form of eco-certification, to continue with their traditional coffee cultivation under the shade of mixed species of trees. This will help strengthen the ecosystem services they receive from the unique landscape of Kodagu, and also strengthen similar services and climate resilience of all those relying on the waters of the Kaveri downstream.
The concept of eco-certified coffee, whose certification process ensures that coffee is grown under mixed-species trees, has gained popularity in the district in the past five years. Close to 900 coffee farmers have converted to eco-certified coffee. Even with a conservative estimate of 10 acre per farmer, this means nearly 10,000 acres of eco-certified coffee. In addition, with Tata Coffee getting all of its 13 estates eco-certified, Kodagu district has at least 20,000 acres under coffee cultivation that aims to minimise damage to the environment.
As an incentive for protecting the environment, the coffee farmers get a premium above the market price for their coffee beans. Coffee is the major agricultural produce from Kodagu, with 33% of the district landscape under its cultivation. About 38% of India’s coffee production comes from the district.
Ecologically, Kodagu district has been identified as a micro hotspot of biodiversity under the larger Western Ghats region. Rightly so, since the western crest of the mountainous district is in the direct path of the southwest monsoon. The dark clouds heavy with rain dump much water over the district. While the western edge of the district receives above 5,000 mm of rainfall on an average, it reduces to around 1,200 mm in the east. Most of the water feeds into the Kaveri.
According to a reportby the College of Forestry at Ponnampet in Kodagu, natural forested ecosystems cover an area of 46% of the total area of the district. These include evergreen, semi evergreen, moist deciduous, dry deciduous and scrub forest types, and even the high-altitude shola-grassland ecosystem.
Traditionally, coffee is grown in the shade of these forests. Coffee estates in Kogadu have on an average 350 trees per hectare, compared with 270 in degraded groves and 640 trees per hectare in the nearby Brahagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, making these estates amongst the densest agro-forestry systems in the world.
“Very few landscapes across the world grow coffee in the way in which Kodagu does,” said C.G. Kushalappa, university head for forestry and environment sciences at the College of Forestry, Ponnampet in Kodagu. “We grow both Arabica and Robusta coffee under the shade of the trees. Our shade-grown Robusta fetch a premium price. When grown under the shade, the berries mature slowly and fill out better. They have good cupping (taste) quality.”
Coffee plants are increasing being cultivated under exotic Silver Oak trees. (Photo by S. Gopikrishna Warrier)
However, he needed scientific data to convince the coffee farmers and the district administration that there was strong ecosystem benefit in maintaining the traditional shade-growing methods. The opportunity for doing this research emerged when the College of Forestry was chosen as the lead institute in India to carry out the Coffee Agro-Forestry Network, or CAFNET study to understand the environmental services from this unique landscape.
Financed by the European Commission, the study was jointly conducted by the College of Forestry, the Coffee Board, the French Institute at Puducherry, CIRAD (the French national agricultural research system) and Bangor University from the United Kingdom between 2007 and 2011.
Rich local knowledge
The study noted that the multi-storeyed coffee agro-forestry system developed and sustained by the farmers based on their local knowledge is one of the most diverse production systems in the world. The traditional coffee agro-forestry system sustains diverse animal, bird, plant and microorganisms, and provide biodiversity, carbon sequestration and water-related ecosystem services. Since multiple crops such as pepper, mandarin oranges, vanilla and timber is also grown in these systems, they help provide resilience to farmers when they are hit by coffee price volatility.
The CAFNET report recommended that coffee farmers growing Arabica and Robusta under shade trees should be paid for the ecosystem services that their farms provide, so that they can protect biodiversity and therefore water in the Cauvery. Two methodologies for payment for ecosystem services suggested was eco-certification and geographical indications protection for Kodagu coffee.
Eco-certification of coffee farms in Kodagu started as a follow-up to this recommendation. Coffee farmer BB Thammaiah says his interest was piqued when students from the College of Forestry came to his farm to carry out biodiversity studies. “After the studies I was told about the uniqueness of the method in which I grow coffee, and I went in for eco-certification,” he said.
The two eco-certifications that have been popularly accepted are from the Rainforest Alliance and Utz. Coffee grower KK Naren in Kunda village near Ponnampet said the main benefit of the eco-certification process is that farmers are trained in good practices that have good environmental benefits and improve the working and living conditions for the workers.
“The economic benefit is not much,” he said. “It is more of training for us, which will be beneficial in the long run. The eco-certification process educates the coffee farmers about the environment.”
Importance of native trees
The most important lesson from the training relating to the eco-certification, according to Narenm was the understanding on the importance of native trees. “It is not that we didn’t know about native trees but we were not that keen on maintaining them,” he said. “The native trees do not give good financial returns, so we gave importance to silver oak.”
According to Naren, the Rainforest Alliance eco-certification process looks at whether native shade trees are present. The certifiers and auditors also look at labour management, whether the minimum labour wage is paid and the cleanliness around the labour quarters. They are very strict about not using child labour. “They also look at the way chemicals are used,” he said. “They are not saying no to chemicals but there are restrictions to some chemicals and the way the rest are used. They are keen that we should not use pesticides of chemicals near the rivers or tanks. They give importance to maintain local environment.”
Individual planters like Thammaiah and Naren got an opportunity, through the eco-certificaion process, to access the international market through a Swiss procurement agency that buys higher quality coffee. Both of them sell their eco-certified coffee to Ecom Gill, who procures the eco-certified produce for supply to Nespresso.
BB Thammaiah in his coffee farm where the plants are grown under the shade of native evergreen trees. (Photo by S. Gopikrishna Warrier)
For Tata Global Beverages Ltd and its production subsidiary Tata Coffee Ltd, the move to eco-certification of all of its 13 estates in Kodagu was an important step in the process to make its supply chain sustainable. According to Anurag Priyadarshi, global sustainability manager for Tata Global Beverages, one of the guiding principles that the group has adopted is to source sustainability. For this, all their estates in Kodagu have been eco-certified by Rainforest Alliance and Utz.
“Through the eco-certification process we are trying to ensure good management practices for the ecosystem, energy, water, waste, soil and agro-chemicals. We ensure the safety of the produce and also occupational health of the workers. Ultimately we want to prevent the impacts of climate change,” he said.
MB Ganapathy, head of plantations for Tata Coffee, said the company is aware about the fact that they are growing coffee in Kodagu, which is a biodiversity hotspot in the Western Ghats. “We have recognised this fact and that is the reason that our vision is to enhance the ecological wealth we have inherited. The eco-certification helps us safeguard the environment.”
Challenges remain
However, the rapid spread of the eco-certification process has also raised some hiccups which need to be overcome, states TR Shankar Raman, scientist at the Nature Conservation Foundation, whose organisation was involved with helping Rainforest Alliance with the certification in the initial years. The three points of concern, according to him, is the very rapid pace at which certification is being done; the relative absence of biologists and social scientists in the auditing process; and the dilution of conservation standards (like the requisite number of native species and canopy cover) in subsequent versions of the certification guidelines.
“While the rapid certification has more and more farmers being eco-certified, we hope the rigour of the process continues to be maintained, so that the end result of conserving the native vegetation is not compromised,” Raman observed.
With more farmers opting for eco-certification, there is a movement towards the protection of the traditional methods of coffee cultivation under the shade of mixed-tree species. For the process to strengthen the farmers should continue to get good economic benefit for their eco-certified produce.
According to Naren, if there is at least 10% more returns from the eco-certified coffee remains constant then there will be an incentive for the opting for opting for the process. At present the price at which procurement agencies such as Ecom Gill buy is linked to the international market price, plus a premium of Rs 60 to Rs 80 for a 50 kg bag of sun-dried cherries. The international prices fluctuate in relation to the local market prices, and as with the current situation can go below the domestic price.
However, Kushalappa says that in addition to the premium, there are other incentives and bonuses for producing good quality coffee beans. The average increase in price above the local market price was around 15% last year, which is well worth the effort.
If additional income for coffee farmers from eco-certification can help conserve unique agro-forestry ecosystem of Kodagu, then it will be the water flow into the Cauvery that would be conserved. Millions of people downstream, including the residents of Bengaluru and other parts of peninsular India, will thank the coffee farmers upstream for their drinking water and climate resilience.
Codava National Council (CNC), which is aspiring for Codavaland Geo-Political Autonomy and ST tag for Kodava tribalism, celebrated its 26th AnnualCodava (Kodava) New Year Day Edmyar-1 as per Kodava tribal almanac by ritualistic ploughing of paddy fields.
CNC President N. U. Nachappa offered prayers to Guru-Karonas at Koopadira clan and reverential prayers to Mother Earth, Sun, Moon before two bullocks named Karianna – Kulla, ploughed a few rounds in the wetlands of Koopadira clan.
To herald the unbreakable bondage of Kodava tribal world with mother soil to entire universe, CNC is determined to showcase and display the age-old folkloric cultural traits and genus of Kodava tribal ancestry. In other words, all these ancient festivities enriched the civilisation of Kodava martial tribe.
CNC also prayed for the well-being of all the people of this world that is reeling under the pandemic COVID-19. Koopadira Sabu, Koopadira Mohan Muthanna, Lt. Col. Parvathi, Kompulira Myna Purandara and Koopadira Pranam participated in the celebrations.
Due to Corona pandemic, CNC’s Annual Edmyar-1 evening’s torchlight (pombolak) procession at Gonikoppal, is not being celebrated today. Speaking on the occasion, Nachappa said, “All Codava folkloric festivities and rituals mirror the agro-pastoral commitment, hunting skills and warrior hood of Codava tribal folk from time immemorial which depicts that we are above the tenets of caste and religion who are living in the rustic hills, mountainous terrain in the midst of rivers and rivulets.”
“We are happy that the Founding Father of the Constitution of India, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s birthday coincides with Codava New Year. We are ever grateful to Dr. Ambedkar for his yeomen contribution of accommodating space for expressing grievances of micro-minority tribes like Codava tribe,” he observed.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Covid-19> News / April 14th, 2020
Air Vice Marshal P.K. Ghosh, Senior Officer-in-Charge Administration, Training Command, Indian Air Force, Bangalore and Chairman, Local Board of Administration, Sainik School Kodagu, chaired the 24th meeting of the Local Board of Administration of Sainik School Kodagu recently.
The Chairman was escorted to War Memorial of the school by the Horse Cavalcade where he laid the wreath and paid homage to war heroes.
A special assembly was organised in honour of the Air Vice Marshal P.K. Ghosh which began with a vandana prayer dance by girl cadets. The event preceded by a skit on ‘Women Empowerment’ and ‘Kamsaale’, a folk dance form of Karnataka, followed by a group song embracing the folk culture of Karnataka and our sister State West Bengal under a unique initiative of Government of India, namely Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat Abhiyan, was presented during the programme.
The Chairman thanked the Government of Karnataka and Kodagu District Administration for their unflinching financial support for the growth of the school.
The Chairman interacted with the staff and cadets and inaugurated a weather station recently installed at the school. The weather station is equipped with many advanced weather instruments like Sunshine Recorder, Open Pan Evaporimeter, Cup Type Anemometer, Stevenson Screen, Wind Vane and Rain Gauge which would be instrumental in imparting quality education amongst the students in the coming years.
Gp. Capt. R.R. Lall, Command Education Officer, Bangalore, Dr. Nanjunde Gowda, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kodagu district, Lt. Col. Ajit Singh, School Administrative Officer, Dr. V. Prasad, Associate Professor, Representative from Regional Institute of Education, Mysuru, Vedamurthy, DDPI, Kodagu District, M.G. Mallikarjun, Executive Engineer, CPWD, Mysuru, M.S. Chandrashekhar, Assistant Engineer (Civil), CPWD, T. Nagendra, Assistant Engineer (Electrical), CPWD, Mysuru, Asha Ram, Junior Engineer, CPWD, Mysuru and Prakash Krishnabhatta Joshi, Parent Member were present in the Local Board of Administration Meeting.
Col. G. Kannan, Principal and Member Secretary, briefed all the training and administrative aspects of the school and the progress made in the past six months. The members deliberated and arrived at various policy decisions for future development of the school.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / October 21t, 2022
Thousands of devotees from Kodagu, across the State and Tamil Nadu congregated at Talacauvery in Kodagu last night to witness Cauvery Theerthodbhava amid chanting of mantras and other religious rituals.
The holy event took place exactly at the predetermined Muhurtha of 7.22 pm in Mesha Lagna at the foothills of Brahmagiri inside the Holy Brahmakundike, considered to be the source of River Cauvery.
It is believed that Goddess Cauvery comes in the form of a fountain-head where water gushes from the Brahmakundike. A team of priests, led by Prashanth Achar, Raviraj Achar and Gururaja Achar chanted Vedic hymns before sprinkling holy water on the devotees. Later, devotees collected the Theertha (holy water) to be distributed among community members and to be kept at homes as holy signs.
The rituals associated with the holy occurrence began at 5 pm and as the predetermined time neared, devotees chanted mantras and welcomed the Goddess. The Theerthodbhava took place after the Sankalpa Puja and Mahamangalarathi. As the water bubbles appeared in the Brahmakundike that was filled with flowers, Kumkum and vermillion, the cries of devotees reached a crescendo.
Devotees took a holy dip in the main pond (Kalyani) in front of the Brahmakundike and offered their prayers. They jostled to collect holy water in pots from the Kundike and the priests sprinkled the holy water on them.
The area around the pond was barricaded to enable crowd management and only small groups of devotees were let inside by the Police to prevent crowding and stampede. Despite barricades, devotees swarmed around the Brahmakundike and the Kalyani.
Devotees also thronged Triveni Sangama at Bhagamandala and many took a dip in the river and many offered the ritualistic Pinda Pradhana as a mark of respect to their elders.
The Kodagu Ekikarana Ranga distributed free breakfast and lunch to the devotees as part of its 27th year food distribution. Free food will be supplied till the end of Tula month on Nov. 17. Kodagu District Minister B.C. Nagesh, MLAs Appachu Ranjan and K.G. Bopaiah and others were present.
Devotees in traditional attire walk from Bhagamandala to Talacauvery
Unlike the last two years, thousands of devotees turned up to watch the spectacle and notably, many Kodava community members walked from Bhagamandala to Talacauvery along with musical bands and sang songs in praise of Goddess Cauvery. The holy place was teeming with devotees since early in the morning and the place was overcrowded by evening.
Various Kodava organisations like Akhila Kodava Samaja Youth Wing, Connecting Kodavas, Kodava Riders Club, Jabbhoomi Trust, Thingakoru Mottu Sanghatane, Ammathi Kodava Samaja, Ponnampet Kodava Samaja, Madikeri Kodava Samaja, Balele Kodava Samaja, Kodava Kootaaliyada Koota, Kodava Samajas of Napoklu, Virajpet, Hudikeri, Mysuru, Amma Kodava Samaja, Youth Council, Kodavaamera Kondata, United Kodava Organisation and Codava National Council walked along the route, singing paeans to the Goddess.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News> Top Stories / October 18th, 2022
Kodava Samaja, Mysuru, will celebrate ‘Cauvery Sankramana’ festival at its premises in Vijayanagar 1st Stage on Tuesday, Oct. 18 by performing ‘Kani Puja’ and ‘Theertha Puja’ at 10 am.
Arrangements are being made to distribute the holy water (Theertha) brought from Talacauvery to all those present on the occasion.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Briefs / October 17th, 2022
Formal inauguration done; tourists to be allowed only in January 2023
The third Elephant Camp in Kodagu at Harangi, which is the ninth elephant camp in Karnataka was inaugurated last Saturday. Along with the Harangi Elephant Camp, a Tree Park was also inaugurated.
The State Government had released Rs. 80 lakh for the project that will ease the burden of the existing elephant camps. Already, Kodagu has two elephant camps, one at Dubare and another at Mathigodu near Anechowkur Gate that borders Mysuru. There are eight elephant camps in Karnataka including the two in Kodagu and the Harangi Camp will be the ninth in the State.
Madikeri MLA M.P. Appachu Ranjan inaugurated the two new tourist attractions. From the Dubare Elephant Camp, six elephants have been shifted to Harangi Elephant Camp. They are Rama (68), Ekadanta (52), Maruti (21), Subramani (35), Vikrama (58) and Vijaya (48).
The eight jumbo camps house more than 100 tamed elephants that are used to rescue wild animals and for logging purposes at Government timber depots. These elephants have been shifted to Harangi in the first phase and more elephants will be moved gradually and this move will ease the pressure on Dubare Camp that has over 31 elephants (the highest in Karnataka).
As per an order by the Karnataka High Court, elephant camps cannot be congested and not more than 15 elephants can be housed in one camp. At present, six elephants have found a new home and more will be moved as and when the funds are released.
Hundreds of tourists who had come to Kodagu on account of Dasara holidays came to the newly-inaugurated Camp and were mesmerised by the beauty of the place located in the backwaters of Harangi Reservoir.
The Tree Park and the Elephant Camp have been set up in a 40-acre land and of that, 10 acres have been reserved for the elephant camp. Staff quarters have been constructed for Mahouts, Kavadis and their families along with a kitchen and a store room. Facilities of boating in the backwaters have been made and basic facilities like drinking water and toilets have been provided for the tourists.
As a precaution, the electrical wiring has been done underground to prevent any accidents either to the elephants or the lush green forests. Final touches are being given to the underground electrification project and works are on to provide drainage facilities. Though the formal inauguration of the Harangi Elephant Camp has been done, tourists will be allowed only from January 2023, said Forest Department officials.
The land on which the Elephant Camp and the Tree Park have been established is located at Athur Reserve Forest. The place, located near the Harangi Dam backwaters, is ideal to set up the elephant camp. The Athur Range Forest extends up to 2,000 acres and it is an ideal elephant habitat with plenty of water and green swathes.
The funds for the camp have been released from Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). Apart from setting up a new elephant camp, there are plans to initiate other related development programmes including developing the camp as a tourist centre and at the same time provide shelter to the elephants.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles /October 10th, 2022
Published by Penguin India, ‘From the Heart of Nature’ by Pamela Gale Malhotra will be released on 25 January on ThePrint’s ‘SoftCover’.
New Delhi:
A new book written by a woman of Native American descent tells the “deeply fascinating and inspiring personal” story behind the setting up of a private wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka.
Published by Penguin India, ‘From the Heart of Nature’ by Pamela Gale Malhotra will be released on 25 January on Softcover, ThePrint’s online venue to launch non-fiction books.
Introducing the book as a narrative of the “struggles” and “obstacles”, “sorrows and joys”, and “wonders and awe-inspiring experiences” that she and her late husband, Anil, faced in the establishment and operations of the Save Animals Initiative (SAI) sanctuary in Kodagu, Karnataka, Malhotra writes that the sanctuary is dedicated to Mother Nature.
She describes the sanctuary as the brainchild of Native American culture and Indian culture coming together to preserve an environment “ravaged” and “decimated” by “illegal logging and poaching”.
The couple first purchased 55 acres of barren land for the sanctuary in 1991. Today, it’s a “treasure trove” of “indigenous trees and plants” as well as a refuge for various animal species under threat of endangerment and extinction, thanks to the restoration and conservation efforts involved, Penguin said in a statement.
As part of the story, Malhotra also details the mindset behind her efforts to establish the sanctuary, maintaining “physical and spiritual” connections with animals and trees, and how the preservation of nature is essential to save humanity.
Born in New Jersey of Native American heritage, Pamela Gale Malhotra, a graduate of Colorado State University, developed her “love affair” with the natural world by spending the majority of her childhood in the forests around her family estate.
Prior to their move to Karnataka and fulfilling a “childhood dream”, the couple had set up and operated a wildlife sanctuary on Hawaii’s Big Island. For her work with the SAI sanctuary, Malhotra has been a recipient of numerous awards, such as the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2017.
source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> SoftCover / by ThePrint Team / January 21st, 2022
Satara, Jul 6 (PTI) Three nature conservationists from Satara in Maharashtra claimed to have “rediscovered” a “nearly extinct” damselfly species ‘Lestes patricia’ after almost 100 years.
A colony of this sub-species, christened ‘Lestes patricia taamrpatti’, was discovered by Dr Shriram Bhakare, Sunil Bhoite and Pratima Pawar-Bhoite from Umrodi Dam area, situated at the foothills of the northern Western Ghats in the district.
According to the researchers, a single male specimen of Lestes patricia, endemic to the Western Ghats, was first discovered in 1922 from Kodagu (Coorg) district in Karnataka and the only specimen currently available is at Natural History Museum, London.
“The discovered colony of new species closely match the specimen of the single known male of Lestes patricia fromthe London-based museum. However, there are stable differences between the newly found species and description of Lestes patricia,” said Bhoite.
“While comparing the body structure and features of the newly found species with an existing specimen of Lestes patricia from the London-based museum, stable differences were found. That is why the sub-species from the damselfly family has been named Lestes patricia taamrpatti,” he added.
Dr Bhakare, an ophthalmologist from Satara, said the reason behind adding the word ‘taamrpatti’ was because thepecies has a coppery red-brown uniform band bordered by black.
“The likelihood the newly discovered population is, in fact, a distinct species cannot be ruled out, but cannot be confirmed until further, fresh specimens of Lestes Patricia are made available from the locality in Kodagu.
“Since the stable features observed in the newly discovered population preclude it from being indisputably placed under Lestes patricia, yet given the lack of comparative material, it is not possible to place it as a new species with certainty,” he added.
So the newly discovered population from Maharashtra is tentatively placed as a subspecies of Lestes patricia, Bhakare informed.
He said a research paper on discovery of the nearly extinct species was published in Bionotes Journal recently.
The researchers said 10 specimens, comprising six males and four females, have been collected for examination. Of the 10, two male and two female specimens have been deposited with Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), while the rest will be kept at other depositories in the country for further research.
PTI COR SPKBNM BNM
source: http://www.theweek.in / The Week / Home> Wire Updates> National / by PTI / July 06th, 2020
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