Category Archives: Green Initiatives / Environment

Foundation Stone for State-of-the-Art Sub-Regional Science Center and Planetarium in Madikeri to be Laid Tomorrow

HIGHLIGHTS

Madikeri, often referred to as the Scotland of India, is set to witness the establishment of a cutting-edge sub-regional science center and planetarium at a projected cost of approximately 12.26 crores, courtesy of the Department of Science and Technology

Foundation Stone for State-of-the-Art Sub-Regional Science Center and Planetarium in Madikeri to be Laid Tomorrow

Bengaluru:

Madikeri, often referred to as the Scotland of India, is set to witness the establishment of a cutting-edge sub-regional science center and planetarium at a projected cost of approximately 12.26 crores, courtesy of the Department of Science and Technology. The foundation stone for this landmark project will be ceremoniously laid tomorrow by the Hon’ble Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Nestled across 3 acres of pristine land in Karnangeri village, Madikeri, the facility will feature an 8-meter dome for the construction of the planetarium. Minister of Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology, NS Boseraju, highlighted Madikeri’s unique advantage of minimal light disturbance at night, making it an ideal location for observing stars and planets.

In an official statement, Minister NS Boseraju emphasized the department’s commitment to promoting science and technology, fostering scientific education, cultivating rational thinking, and raising awareness about astronomy. The initiative aims to establish science centers and planetariums across district centers in the state.

Kodagu district, with its unpolluted skies and minimal light interference, provides an exceptional environment for stargazing. Minister Boseraju likened Kodagu to other picturesque locations such as Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh, Pangong Tso Lake in Ladakh, Run of Kutch in Gujarat, Nile Island in Andaman and Nicobar, and Matheran in Maharashtra. The sub-regional science center and planetarium project is envisioned to ignite interest in space exploration and provide students in the district with valuable educational opportunities.

The foundation stone laying ceremony, scheduled for tomorrow, February 25, will be graced by the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Minister NS Boseraju expressed optimism about the transformative impact of this initiative on the scientific landscape of the district.

source: http://www.thehansindia.com / Hans India / Home / by Bharath Anjappa / The Hans News Service / January 24th, 2024

What do tribal groups like the Soligas and Yeravas eat?

Loss of habitat and knowledge could adversely impact diets of tribal communities living in Western Ghats .

A tribal man foraging benne genasu or sweet potatoes. Photo: ATREE

During summers, members of the indigenous group Soliga form teams to collect honey. The honey bees make their hives in the cracks and crevices of rocky cliffs in the Western Ghats. Collection is not an easy task but the Soligas have centuries of experience and know exactly what to do. They hang from the cliff edges using ropes made from vines and bamboo to first smoke the bees away from the hive and then collect the combs in baskets. The work is done during the night, which makes it more difficult.

Indigenous groups Soligas and Yeravas have been living in the Cauvery Basin and the surrounding hills of peninsular India for thousands of years. A recent book has looked into the diets of these communities, giving fresh insights into the foods that these two tribes forage from the forests. 

Honey is an important part of the diet for the Soliga people, who still forage large parts of their food from the biodiversity-rich Ghats. The Western Ghats are one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, with over 5,000 flowering plants, 139 mammals, 508 birds and 179 amphibian species. Many of these are part of the diet of the tribal communities in the region. 

Soligas, one of the oldest indigenous communities in the country, are the original inhabitants of Karnataka and live mostly in the Chamarajanagar and Mandya districts. The Yeravas, on the other hand, came to the state from Wayanad district in Kerala and settled in Kodagu district of the state. 

The recently launched Forgotten Trails: Foraging Wild Edibles, authored by Malemleima Ningombi and Harisha RP, chronicled the foods that these two tribes forage from the forests. Such foods form around 25 per cent of the Soligas diet and around 30 percent of the Yerava diet, said Harisha RP, who is a conservation biologist at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment or ATREE. 

Women cook ragimudde (finger millet balls). Photo: ATREE 

There is not much difference between the diets of these two communities other than that Yeravas use more tubers than Soligas. There are some 10-12 wild food plants that are unique to each community as they live in different landscapes, he added. 

The Soligas and the Yeravas cook using the simplest of recipes — their sambar recipe is extremely similar — but the ingredients can change according to the season. The area witnesses four main seasons: Summer, monsoon, retreating monsoon and winter.  

In the summers, they relish fruits like wood apples and mangoes and greens such as mushte soppu (Holostemma annulare), kaddi soppu (Jasminum sp) or anne soppu (Celosia argentea).

Mushrooms become part of the Yerava diet during monsoons, when they emerge overnight from barren land. Doddbidru or Indian thorny bamboo, shoots up during the rainy season too. The bamboo shoot sambar is consumed with much enthusiasm by the Soligas. 

Cold and local multicoloured corn roasted over the fire used to be consumed often during retreating monsoons. However, this has become rare as communities have stopped cultivating the crop because it was frequently raided and destroyed by animals.  

In winter, when warm foods are needed, the Yeravas, who work as labourers in coffee plantations, depend on the wild berries of various nightshade plants and edible ferns that grow along the streams.

The authors highlighted that the food that Soligas and Yeravas depend on for survival is now affected by changes in land use and shifting policies. Worse, traditional knowledge is steadily being lost as young people are migrating out. This knowledge is important for foraging for the right food. 

For example, the Soligas have learned that bamboo shoots have to be uprooted and de-skinned with bare hands to ensure that they do not become poisonous. Similarly, the Yeravas know first, that all mushrooms are not edible and, second, that care has to be taken that they do not mature and get infested with insects. The skill of collecting the right ones at the right time is getting lost among the younger generation.

There have been efforts to ensure that the next generation understands the value of these plants. For instance, the Soliga community-run business ADAVI promotes the processing and value addition of some cultivated foods and nontimber forest products. The book has documented the wild plants in the area, along with recipes to prepare food from them. This, too, will help preserve and pass on traditional knowledge to the next generation.

The foraging trips help members of the tribe bond and help the next generation assimilate the skill. Foraging together, bonding, coexisting, laughing, arguing, taking risks, making do with what is found and sharing are what bring the community together, said the authors.

source: http://www.downtoearth.org.in / Down To Earth / Home> News> Food / by Vibha Varshney / January 14th, 2024

Bengaluru biologists spot new butterfly species in Coorg; first one in the Western Ghats in four decades

The new member in the family has been named Conjoined Silverline (Cigaritis conjuncta) based on fused spots and bands on the underside of wings, and shiny silver lines in the centre of those bands.

Bengaluru biologists spot new butterfly species in Coorg; first one in the Western Ghats in four decades
Cigaritis conjuncta, found in Honey Valley, Kodagu.Photo credit: NCBS

New Delhi:

Biologists in Bengaluru on Wednesday reported discovery of a new butterfly species in the Western Ghats, underlining the potential of one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots to spring a surprise even after decades of exploration.

The butterflies were first seen in the Iruppu Falls area of the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary way back in 2008 but was studied extensively when a large number of them were spotted in the Honey Valley two years ago. Both of the locations are in Kodagu.

Researchers at the National Centre for Biological Sciences and Indian Foundation for Butterflies spotted 30 of them within a 100 mt stretch and extensively studied five males and four females to conclude that such butterflies are distinct from other similar species.

“The stunning part of the discovery was that this species was never seen. It was neither in the museums nor in the literature. Our naturalist friends found them in a coffee plantation. This is the first new butterfly species reported from the Western Ghats in the last four decades,” Krushnamegh Kunte, associate professor at the NCBS and corresponding author of the study, told DH.

Kunte saw the species for the first time in 2008 but could not study it as he did not have a collection permit to capture the sample. For the next 13 years, the species eluded the scientists.

The new member in the family has been named Conjoined Silverline (Cigaritis conjuncta) based on fused spots and bands on the underside of wings, and shiny silver lines in the centre of those bands.

“We expect it to be more widely distributed, occurring in other forests of Kodagu and the central Western Ghats of Karnataka, possibly extending as far south in the Western Ghats as the hill ranges of Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris) and southern Kerala (up to Peppara wildlife sanctuary),” the scientists reported.

Despite barely having the size of a one-rupee coin, the species is extremely valuable to conservationists as it is endemic to mid-elevation evergreen forests of the Western Ghats mountains. The two sites where they have been located are at an elevation of 900 meters (Iruppu Falls) and 1,300 meters (Honey Valley).India houses more than 1,400 species of butterflies, but very few new ones have been discovered in the last few decades.

The new ones are active on sunny days from early in the morning to afternoon. Both sexes rest on shrubbery while some males take up vantage points nearly 3 metres off the ground.

The males bask with wings opened up halfway, and females also apparently do so, similar to other Cigaritis species. Males appear to be more active in sunny patches, and therefore more readily detected, compared with females.

“The discovery is a testament to the state’s unparalleled biodiversity, its unfolding scientific potential and the strong protection that butterflies and other wildlife enjoy in the state,” the Karnataka Forest Department, which supported the research, said in a statement.

The study appeared in Zootaxa.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Science / by Kalyan Ray, DHNS / January 11th, 2024

Talacauvery Water Collected For Jalabhishekha At Ram Temple

Madikeri:

The consecration, known as ‘Prana Pratishtapana,’ of Lord Ram in his child-like form (Ram Lalla) is scheduled to take place in Ram Temple at Ayodhya on Jan. 22. To perform the sacred Jalabhishekha ritual, holy water from the seven rivers (Sapthanadi) is being collected from various locations across the country.

A dedicated team of priests from the Akhila Bharatha Santha Samithi, representing Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kodagu units, visited Talacauvery, the birthplace of River Cauvery, yesterday to collect the sacred water. The water was received from the holy Brahmakundike through meticulous rituals, homas and havanas.

Masilamani Desiga Jnana Sambhandha Swamiji, the Peetadhipathi of Dharmapuram Adheenam in the Mayiladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu, conducted special pujas and received the sacred tirtha from the head priest of Talacauvery Temple from the holy Brahmakundike.

The gathering included notable figures such as State President of Akhila Bharatha Santha Samithi and the Guru of Om Sri Math in Mangaluru Mahamandaleshwar Sri Vidyananda Saraswati Swamiji, Co-President Matashree Shivajnanamahi Saraswati, Kodagu District President of Akhila Bharatha Santha Samithi Shri Rajeshnath Ji, Tamil Nadu unit of Akhila Bharatha Santha Samithi President Mahamandaleshwar, Treasurer Garuda Maharaj, Vishwa Hindu Parishad Kodagu District Working President Suresh, Treasurer Sampath Kumar, Kodagu Journalists Association President S. A. Muralidhar and others.

In addition to the water from Sapthanadi, water from the rivers of Nepal, including Bagmati, Narayani, Ganga Sagar, Dudhmati, Kali, Gandaki, Kosi, Kamla, etc., has been collected. These sacred waters will play a significant role in the rituals during the consecration.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 07th, 2023

Class eight girl’s project helps save stream in Madikeri

While a majority of science projects are done using the internet, Shreesha went a step ahead, and did a real world project.

Alongside help from other students, Shreesha led an awareness campaign to help preserve the stream | eps

Madikeri :

An honest effort from an eighth grade girl of the government school at Kodagarahalli of Suntikoppa in Kodagu district has helped preserve a local stream.

The work for her science project has now earned the respect of the district administration and district police, who have ordered that CCTV cameras be installed to prevent dumping of waste near the stream.

Shreesha AS, daughter of Suntikoppa residents Shiju and Sandhya, is a student of the Kodagarahalli Suntikoppa Nadu Government High School. She was nominated to represent the school at the 31st National Children’s Science Convention, where she won the ‘Young Scientist’ recognition for her presentation — ‘Pollution across river banks’.

While a majority of science projects are done using the internet, Shreesha went a step ahead, and did a real world project. With the help from her father, she visited the stream near her locality to collect inputs for her project. She surveyed the Haraduru stream, collected details about its importance to the locality. She recorded sound bytes from local residents and learnt that the stream has been the lifeline of the locality for ages. 

Staff deployed near stream to stop littering

The survey, however, also introduced her to the sad state of affairs of the stream where she found loads of plastic and other garbage dumped by its banks. From coffee pulping to plastic waste, the stream was being polluted by a few locals and tourists who visited the spot.

Shreesha compiled the story and submitted a report on the pitiable condition of the water body to the district administration, district police and the local panchayat. Her efforts persuaded SP K Ramarajan to deploy the staff near the stream to stop littering. Further, the administration has ordered the local body to install CCTVs to control garbage dumping at its banks. With the help from her classmates, Shreesha also led an awareness campaign across the locality even as residents were urged to take responsibility in preserving the stream.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / January 01st, 2024

Lack Of Rains To Chikklihole Dam: Submerged Shiva Temple Surfaces In Kodagu

Kushalnagar:

A Temple that was submerged after the construction of the picturesque Chikklihole Reservoir in Kushalnagar Taluk of Kodagu district has emerged from the waters, thanks to the dry spell and the failure of monsoon. People are coming to see the Temple in hordes and the place has become a picnic spot and a weekend getaway.

The Shiva Temple, constructed in 1983, has become accessible to people after 40 years.  In April 2017 too, the Temple was visible for a brief period but was soon covered in water as it rained in June that year. This time, however, people have a chance to see the Temple till the next normal monsoon which is scheduled to start in June 2024

The Temple, located right in the middle of the Chikklihole Reservoir is visible along with the sanctum sanctorum and the pillars on the sides. There is a small well that was used as a source of water for the Temple before the Reservoir was constructed. Apart from the Shiva Temple, there are structures dedicated to Lord Ganesha and Nandi.

Clear warning, say residents

Clear warning, say residents

The re-emergence of the Temple six months before the onset of monsoon season is causing concern among locals about the potential implications and raising anticipation of a looming water crisis. This situation suggests a possible worsening of the water scarcity issue within the Cauvery basin. Usually, in December, the water inside the Chikklihole Reservoir does not dry up like it has happened this year. The current circumstances serve as a clear warning, say the residents.

Unfortunately, this year, due to inadequate rainfall in Kodagu, the Cauvery River did not flow vigorously, resulting in a water shortage in the Reservoir. The Chiklihole Reservoir, constructed for irrigation and agricultural purposes, saw water flowing into it in the initial months and excess water was discharged. As a result, the Reservoir lost its storage capacity as it did not rain beyond the initial months.

Thousands of farmers depend on the Chikklihole Dam for irrigation in the villages of  Kushalanagar, Rangasamudra, Chikka Bettageri and Dodda Bettageri, Nanjarayapatana, Virupakshapura, Rasoolpura, Bollur, Basavanahalli and Guddehosur.

Even in hot summers these years, there was rarely a situation like the submerged Shiva Temple emerging from the waters. This year, however, the dam has become dry, exposing the structures beneath it.

150-year-old Temple

150-year-old Temple

The Shiva Temple was built 150 years ago by the Magdoor family, hailing from Kerala. The family migrated from the neighbouring region and were indulging in agriculture for a living. As the place had a special significance due to its spiritual nature, astrologers from Kerala were invited there. On the advice of the ‘thanthri’, the Temple was constructed with regular pujas and a grand Mahashivarathri and temple fair that used to be attended by thousands of people.

The Chikklihole Dam was built in 1983 when R. Gundu Rao was the CM to store and supply 0.18 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water. When the Temple was submerged, the Government, honouring religious sentiments, ordered an alternative Temple to be built nearby. Many channels were constructed to take the water to the fields of tail-end farmers. 

In 1993, the descendants of the Magdoor family constructed another Temple of Lord Vishwanatha nearby and consecrated the main idol of Lord Shiva from the old submerged Temple in it. The Vishwanatha Temple of Magdoor went on to become famous.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News> Top Stories / December 10th, 2023

Hi-Tech Monitoring System For Precise Cauvery Water Data

Telemetric Water Monitoring System installed at Koppa-Kushalnagar Cauvery River Bridge

Kushalnagar:

Amid the ongoing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the sharing of Cauvery River water, a state-of-the-art Telemetric Water Monitoring System, equipped with velocity and level sensors, has been successfully installed on a bridge across the Cauvery River at Koppa-Kushalnagar on the Kodagu-Mysuru border.

This sensor-based monitoring system offers automated and    real-time data 24×7, providing precise information regarding the river’s inflow, water level, and velocity.

The system comprises two sensors: one for monitoring the speed of the water flow (velocity sensor) and another for measuring the depth of the river water (depth sensor).

The installation has been carried out by the Water Resources Development Organisation, a Central Government agency operating under the National Hydrology Project. This organisation has an Irrigation Investigation Sub-Division Office in Mysuru that is overseeing the implementation of this sensor-based water monitoring system. Each system costs Rs. 30 lakh and is imported.

A similar system has already been deployed at Bannur, where the Cauvery River flows and approvals are pending for installing two more systems on Lakshmanatheertha River (near Hunsur) and Lokapavani River in Mandya (a tributary of Cauvery).

This state-of-the-art sensor-based system provides real-time data every 15 minutes to over 15 agencies in Karnataka and at the national level, including the India Meteorological Department, Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited and the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre.

Additionally, the data can be utilised by regulatory authorities such as the Cauvery Water Monitoring Authority (CWMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) to determine the water allocation between the Southern States.

Speaking to the Star of Mysore this morning, Santhosh Kumar, Assistant Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Investigation SubDivision Office, mentioned that in the past, water flow data collection was a laborious manual process.

The system measures various parameters related to river level and flow, including water height from the stream bed (stream stage), river velocity (measured by a radar-based surface velocity sensor mounted above the river), and river depth and width. The collected data is then transmitted and made available for viewing and downloading.

This system is designed to monitor water levels in rivers, lakes and streams, predict the potential for flooding and issue alerts accordingly. It not only measures water levels but also assesses water velocity, improving the accuracy of risk predictions, Santhosh explained.

The system operates using solar energy and has been installed by Sun Technologies, Chennai, which is responsible for data transmission, system installation and maintenance for five years.

It may be recalled here that a Telemetric Water Gauge has already been installed at the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam in Mandya district and at Harangi Dam in Kodagu to provide sensor-based real-time data on reservoir storage levels, inflow and outflow. These installations are part of an Online Monitoring System for the Cauvery Basin, utilising Telemetry-based Real-time Data Acquisition and Transmission.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / November 08th, 2023

Coffee Board Launches Soil Testing Centre At Gonikoppal

Mysuru:

Thousands of farmers in South Kodagu now look forward to better yield as Gonikoppal gets a new digital soil testing centre. The Coffee Board launched the testing centre last week following demands of farmers and growers.

Earlier, farmers of Virajpet taluk had to travel 50 to 70 kms to give soil for testing centres at Chettalli and Koodige and both the centres are in Somwarpet Taluk. Farmers in Virajpet were deprived of a testing centre.

Coffee Board Senior Liaison Officer said it took two hours to find the potential of hydrogen (PH) value of soil and five hours to find nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) in soil.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 28th, 2017

Biodiversity expert calls for collating rainfall data from farmers

C.G. Kushalappa, scientist and retired dean of College of Forestry in Ponnampet. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR

Expressing concern over the change in rainfall pattern and temperature in Kodagu, an expert well versed with the hilly district’s ecosystem has suggested that the government should ask research centres to collate rainfall data from farmers’ rain gauges to study the impact of climate change on the district’s ecosystem as well as catchment area of river Cauvery. 

“Kodagu has a practice of almost all the farmers keeping rain gauges in their estates and maintaining daily rainfall data for several decades. The government should ask reputed research centres to get such data from farmers to assess the impact of climate change,” says C.G. Kushalappa, former dean of College of Forestry, Ponnampet and an expert on Kodagu’s ecosystem. 

“The need of the hour is to study and understand the patterns related to impact of climate change on different areas of Kodagu through micro-level data,” he says. This is because the impact of climate change varies in different areas within the small district. Analysis of rainfall data from 110 farmers had showed a pattern of rainfall going below 50% of average two times once in 12 years.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by B S Satish Kumar / October 29th, 2023

Sacred ritual honouring Cauvery aims at protecting river ecosystem

‘Cauvery Maha Aarathi’ , an initiative started in 2010 to create awareness, will complete 150 months of continuing rituals to the river this month.

A sacred ritual, as part of the ‘Cauvery Maha Aarathi’, at Kushalnagar in Kodagu district. (Photo | Express)

Madikeri : 

The looming water scarcity and the need to protect rivers are evident from the ongoing Cauvery dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It was over 12 years ago that a few organisations from across Karnataka and Tamil Nadu urged residents to preserve and protect River Cauvery from its birthplace in Talacauvery to Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu. ‘Cauvery Maha Aarathi’, an initiative started in 2010 to create awareness, will complete 150 months of continuing rituals to the river this month.

The ritual has also spread to the banks of the river at Ramanathapura in Hassan district. “Seers and a few citizens from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu visit Talacauvery every year and start off the ‘yatra’ towards Poompuhar. They visit all the important places located by the banks of Cauvery from Kodagu to Tamil Nadu, and spread awareness amongst the public to protect the river,” he added. The ‘yatra’ will be carried out by a group of seers this year to coincide with the 150th full moon day, and the Cauvery Maha Arathi ritual will be held on October 20.

“Cauvery was offered puja on the full moon day for the 149th month on September 29. The ritualistic puja is a sacrosanct reminder to everyone to protect and prevent pollution of the river. If the Cauvery is not protected, the water crisis will worsen, and we want to create awareness about the same,” explained Chandramohan, a member of the Cauvery Maha Arathi team and convenor of the Cauvery Swachata Andolana forum.

The 149th puja was performed on the banks of the Cauvery at Kushalnagar and the event highlighted the need to look at the river as sacred in order to protect her. “For the past 12 years, we have been creating awareness among locals and tourists against river pollution. A few renowned seers suggested that we start something similar to Ganga Aarathi and the initiative began,” he said, adding that apart from the ritual puja on every full moon, a ‘yatra’ from Talacauvery to Poompuhar is also held annually. 

source: http://www.newindianexpress. com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / October 02nd, 2023