Category Archives: Green Initiatives / Environment

People Part of Effort in Madikeri

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment

Bengaluru :

Plastic was banned in the town way back in 2010-11 during P D Ponappa’s tenure as president of the City Municipal Council.

The town is also called Nirmala Nagara.

Ponappa said he was happy that the concept was well received by the people of Madikeri.

People carrying cloth bags for shopping is a common sight in Madikeri. Even on shandy days, they bring bags from home.

Harish, proprietor of Hotel Omkar, said they have started giving parcels in plastic boxes that are permitted and and carrybags made of cloth. City Municipal Council Commissioner Pusphavathy said, “We have taken up awareness programmes like door-to-door campaigning. We have been penalising people who violate the rules, and we destroy plastic bags that are banned.” She appreciated the cooperation from shopkeepers as well as the public.

“But tourists who visit Madikeri during weekends and holidays pollute the town by using plastic bottles and bags,” she rued.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by B C Dinesh / March 12th, 2016

Govt plans to buy plantations to restore elephant corridors

About Kodagu / Coorg, Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Bengaluru:

In the wake of increasing human-elephant conflict in Hassan, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru districts, the state forest department has decided to acquire coffee and tea plantations to curb such conflicts and ensure a safe passage for jumbos.

The department mooted this proposal after some coffee and tea planters volunteered to give up their land as they’re unable to cope with many problems including acute labour shortage, weak prices and rising maintenance cost of their estates.

But planters are not ready to give up their plantations cheaply. “The offers have started to come, with one from Sakleshpura for about 2,300 acres that would cost approximately Rs 300 crore,” principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) Vinay Luthra said.

With a recent amendment to the Forest Development Tax (FDT), funds needed to buy these estates would not be an issue, said Luthra. The department can rake in up to Rs 600 crore per annum through FDI and utilise it for purchase of properties.

Wildife experts welcomed the idea but expressed caution, citing that the purchase of properties should be done scientifically.

“While it is a good start, the purchase of properties must be taken up after a peer review and an expert panel on elephant habitats giving its approval that such parcels of land are a good investment,” said wildlife expert Pradeep Bhargava.

Bhargava said forest minister Ramanath Rai and the department had held a consultative meeting in Mysuru in December 2015. He said the starting point should be the linking of Bandipur, Nagarahole, Brahmagiri, Satyamanagala, BRT Hills and Mudumalai.

Forest authorities have been holding talks with corporates to seek their assistance through their Corporate Social Responsibility funds to restoreg elephant corridors and other wildlife conservation projects.

Luthra, however, said the department doesn’t plan to buy all 2,300 acres in Sakleshpur. The purchase will be based on a study done by wildlife scientist Raman Sukumar. The study has identified 88 traditional elephant corridors in India.

“We’ll restore only those areas where there is a possibility of restoring the traditional corridors. Our biggest concerns are in and around the Bhadra Reserve, Hassan and Kodagu and the department will buy properties in these region on top priority,” he added.

Luthra said the primary reason for people selling their properties is the difficulty in maintaining coffee estates and tea gardens. “Most people in Kodagu, Chikkamagalur, Hassan and other parts of the coffee- and tea-growing belts are old-timers. With their children living abroad and labour becoming increasingly difficult to procure, they have come forward with offers to the forest department for selling their land. It’s a good way for us to resolve this man-animal conflict,” said the PCCF.

The forest department also took measures recently to ensure that new constructions don’t come up in the elephant corridors or affect elephant movement in the forest area. The department has also interlocked forest ranges across the Western Ghats to ensure the smooth passage of elephants.

Expertspeak

* The purchase of land must be strategic and it needs to be taken up on a project mode. Dedicated forest persons should be involved in the process and land should be procured after taking into account the valuation of the location and not any other factor.
Pradeep Bhargava | wildlife expert

* This is a start. The proposal may not solve the problems immediately, but it will help in the long term to end the human-animal conflict in the state.
Vinay Luthra | PCCF

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bangalore / Sandeep Moudgal, TNN / February 23rd, 2016

Annual Flower Show at Balyatri Estate near Madikeri, Today, Tomorrow

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Nature
F. M. Khan is taking a walk in his home garden. Picture right shows Dahlia in full bloom.
F. M. Khan is taking a walk in his home garden. Picture right shows Dahlia in full bloom.

Madikeri :

Former Rajya Sabha member F. M. Khan is holding the annual flower show at his home garden for the public in Boikeri, near Madikeri, on Jan. 30 and 31.

The garden at Khan’s Balyatrie Estate, with more than 100 varieties of flowers — most of them rare — is spread over more than half-an-acre in front of his house.

Multi-hued roses, dahlia, chrysanthemum, jasmine are in full bloom to welcome the visitors.

Addressing media persons here yesterday, he said floriculture helps in the economic progress of the country and urged the government to support floriculture.

Stating that there is a huge demand for flowers at the international market, he said floriculturists should grow flowers in a natural atmosphere.

With the vagaries of nature, one needs to give special emphasis on protection of plants, he added.

Flowers like Jasmine, anthurium, marigold, salvia, Gerbera, Zenia, Dahlia, Cosmos, croton, colin, Plectranthus, Impatiens, Daisy, Gardenia, sun flower, Hollyhocks, Clarkia, Cockscomb, Lupine, Verbena, Fuchsia, pinks, spider flower, oster flower, calendula flowers, cupia, Gazania, Sweet pea, Cineraria, stock flower, love in a mist flower, devil in the bush and others are on display.

The flower show will be open to visitors from 10 am to 5 pm today and tomorrow.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / January 28th, 2016

Flavour of Kodagu coffee at international contest

Agriculture, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Green Initiatives / Environment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, World Opinion

‘The Romance of Indian Coffee’ is the Indian entry to the Gourmand International (Book) Award this time

The jacket of the book ‘The Romance of Indian Coffee’ written by journalist P.T. Bopanna.
The jacket of the book ‘The Romance of Indian Coffee’ written by journalist P.T. Bopanna.

The Indian entry to the Gourmand International (Book) Award this time is on what until recently was a south Indian addiction: coffee.

With the coffee culture proliferating across India, thanks to chains like Starbucks, Barista and Café Coffee Day, the routine act of consuming the black decoction stirred in milk, as most people do, and with or without sugar – which again is a personal choice – has acquired an uber-cool image among the Gen Y.

Bengaluru-based journalist P.T. Bopanna has brought alive this unique trait in his book The Romance of Indian Coffee , now shortlisted for the Gourmand International Award, where it will vie for the top honours among coffee books from Brazil, France, China, Thailand, and the U.S., to name a few.

Hailing from Kodagu, which is the home of coffee in India, it was natural for Mr. Bopanna to feel inspired to write on the brew which has a universal appeal.

“My earlier works were Kodagu-centric, but I found a wider canvas in coffee which is also related to Kodagu,” said Mr. Bopanna.

“The book traces the history of coffee in India with interesting titbits about the brew and how its cultivation in the shade lends it a unique flavour, unlike coffee grown in the open in most other countries,” explained Mr. Bopanna, who believes that making coffee is an art. Notwithstanding the proliferation of coffee bars, the best filter coffee, he said, was still prepared in the bylanes of Chennai and elsewhere in Tamil Nadu.

The contribution of Ivor Bull, a British planter, who introduced intercropping and is a legend among the locals, has been highlighted in the book as also recipes for making coffee liqueur.

But ironically, he notes that Kodavas, who market home-grown coffee to the rest of the world and have spanned a coffee culture in India, have taken after the British and prefer tea!

There are entries from as many as 64 countries for the Gourmand awards, started in 1995 as a celebration of global cookbook and wine book publishing. The final results will be announced on May 28 at Yantai, China.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by R. Krishna Kumar / Mysuru – January 31st, 2016

Karnataka to establish Cauvery River Gallery

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

KaveryKF07jan2016

Bengaluru :

After flip-flopping for many months, there is a concrete sign of Karnataka getting its first river museum. On Wednesday, the state government took first baby steps to expedite on its dream project, Cauvery river gallery.

The gallery, expected to be thrown open to the public in six months from now will showcase cultural and socio economic aspects of the river. It will feature exhibits, detailed satellite images, multimedia displays, digital video-shows and real-time experience of cruising along the river which is around 765 km in length.

Originating in the Brahmagiri Hill in Kodagu, the river flows from the western ghats and descends into the eastern ghats in a south-easterly direction covering 320 km in Karnataka and drains itself into the Bay of Bengal. “The proposed gallery would be set up with the support of the National Academy of Sciences of India (NASI).

The government has already earmarked Rs 3.5 crore for the project. NASI would run it for first three years, train local personnel and then hand it over to the state government,” tourism minister R V Deshpande after signing an MOU with NASI on Wednesday said. By capturing the etymological, ecological, cultural, heritage, and social characteristics of the river, the gallery which would be set up in about 2500 sq ft area will also serve as a learning centre on the major south Indian river. The modalities are being worked out by the NASI, he added

Though the proposal was mooted by the Karnataka Knowledge Commission headed by K Kasturirangan, the government failed to find an appropriate place.

Initially, the commission had suggested establishing the gallery on the banks of the river Cauvery at Mysuru on the lines of Ganga Gallery at Allahabad and Brahmaputra Gallery at Guwahati. Later it was planned to establish the gallery in the premises of University of Mysore and also at a century old mansion on Kantharaj Urs Road in Mysuru.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Good Governanace> Karnataka / Manu Aiyappa / TNN / January 07th, 2016

From Here & There-Green wishes from Kodagu

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Dr S V Narasimhan, a medical practitioner in Virajpet in Kodagu district, is perhaps better known as a bird enthusiast. An avid bird watcher, he has been carrying out an awareness campaign with focus on conservation for the past three decades.

As part of the initiative, every year he sends hand-painted cards to over 1,000 people across the world. The card consists of meticulous painting of a bird or an animal with information about it, and conservation messages.

Here are some sample messages — “ We co-exist, can’t you?” by a tiger and a spotted deer; “It was we who filled the world with melodious music,” by common iora bird.

Narasimhan feels that all creatures are equally important for the survival of life on earth. He chose this signature campaign to motivate people to think about environment and our roles in conserving it. These wildlife message cards are individually handpainted and sent to people across the world, free of cost, during the wildlife week every year. In the last 32 years, he has painted 62,420 cards.

BirdKF08dec2015

This year alone, he painted 1,930 cards. In the process, he has painted more than 480 species of animals, birds and butterflies. One of his messages said, “Let us join hands to make our earth a greener place to live. This is the only place where all the elements of life can live in health, happiness and harmony.” He has also authored a bilingual book (Kannada and English) on birds called Feathered Jewels of Coorg.

To know more about the campaign, visit www.drsvnarasimhan.blogspot.in.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / AP – December 08th, 2015

Springs of life

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

TalacauveryKF29nov2015

Springheads, the point where springs emerge, are to be treated carefully so that people using the waters do not cause pollution or damage.
by S. Vishwanath

This part of the beautiful Sahyadri or the Western Ghats is lush green, thanks to a long spell of rain. Talacauvery is an hour’s drive from Madikeri in Kodagu district. Here the beautiful river Cauvery rises. On the day celebrated as Sankranti, the waters appear here in a small pool. It then disappears to reappear at Bhagamandala as a stream, meeting the Kannika and the unseen Sujyoti.

What appears in Talacauvery is a spring. On the upper reaches of the hills of the Brahmagiri, rainwater infiltrates and percolates into the ground. Filling up the aquifers, it forms the groundwater in the space.

Groundwater which emerges naturally onto the surface is called a spring. As Himanshu Kulkarni, a leading hydro-geologist, would say, springs are best treated and understood as groundwater.

In India springs have long suffered neglect in terms of research. Though they have been the lifeline for many communities, especially in the hilly regions of the Himalayas, the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, not much effort has been put in to understand and model them better. Dr. Kulkarni points out many typologies for springs. In one particular case he shows how the recharge zone, where the water enters the aquifer, is on the other side of the hill from where the spring emerges.

The traditional watershed approach would fail to recharge the aquifer of this typology of springs because it would be addressing water flows and recharge in the same side of the hill without understanding the nature of the geology at the place. Instead of a ridge to valley approach to manage water, a valley to valley approach would have to be envisaged for such spring management.’ In simple language there is a recharge zone for a spring and the spring itself is in the discharge zone. Understanding, mapping and managing recharge zones is crucial to the health of the springs. For long Indians have trekked to the source of rivers and paid homage to the life-giver. They have in actuality been worshipping springs. It is time that we understood this source of water better and managed them better. That would be water wisdom.

zenrainman@gmail.com

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by S. Vishwanath / November 28th, 2015

M.C. Nanaiah seeks Rs. 100 Cr. for development of Kodagu

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Nature, Sports

Former Law Minister M.C. Nanaiah enjoying a ‘JUMBO’ ride sitting on the tusk of an elephant at the Aane Utsava held at Dubare Elephant Camp in Kodagu yesterday.

NanaiahBF16nov2015

Kushalnagar :

Former Minister M.C. Nanaiah has urged the Government to release Rs. 100 crore for overall development of Kodagu district.

Speaking after inaugurating the 61st wildlife month and elephant day celebrations at Dubare Elephant Camp, near Kushalnagar yesterday, Nanaiah asked the State Government to take Cauvery River cleaning on the lines of Ganga River cleaning taken up by the Prime Minister.

Urging the Government to announce a special package for Kodagu, Nanaiah stressed on the need for initiating appropriate measures for ending man-animal conflict across Malnad region, which has seen an alarming rise over the past few years.

Calling for installation of solar fencing and construction of trenches in order to prevent elephant intrusions into farm lands and human habitats, he urged the Government to move the Supreme Court for taming wild elephants, which are causing havoc across Malnad region.

The former Minister then urged the government work towards conservation of Western Ghats, preservation of forest wealth and water bodies. He also urged the Govt. to regularise the services of Dubare Elephant Camp Mahouts who have been serving for years.

Karnataka Forest Industries Development Corporation Chairman T. Eshwar, in his address, said that the Corporation has sent a proposal to the Government on setting up a mega Bamboo Industry at Kushalnagar at a cost of Rs. 100 crore. Madikeri Division DFO Yedukondalu called upon the involvement of everyone in putting an end to man- elephant conflict.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Monday – November 16th, 2015

Forest dept may acquire land in Kodagu to reduce man-elephant conflict

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

ForestKF13oct2015

To reduce man-elephant conflict, especially in Kodagu, the Forest Department is keen to acquire land from people and has joined hands with Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) in this regard.

The department wants to acquire about two kilometre of land belonging to the Huvinkadu and Faith coffee estates, which is part of the Kutta-Tiranahalli corridor, which in turn is part of the Nagarahole-Brahmagiri elephant corridor link. “Elephants use this stretch and we want to acquire it to reduce man-animal conflict,” Manoj Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forests, Kodagu, told reporters here on Friday on the sidelines of a workshop on ‘Dealing with leopards and elephants in human-use landscape’ here organised by Wildlife Conservation Society-India Programme (WCSIP).

“Landowners are demanding Rs 20 lakh for an acre. Hence, we have approached the WTI to map the area, ascertain land width and find out if that is necessary because there is another route through Wayanad which is also frequented by elephants,” he said.

To further reduce man-elephant conflict, the Forest Department will soon hold meetings with officials in forest departments of Kerala and Tamil Nadu on how to strengthen the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The 6,000-sq km biosphere reserve presently houses 6,000-odd elephants. The last meeting in this regard was held in December 2014.

“We will hold meetings with the deputy and assistant conservators of forests of the two states to assess ground reality and undertake research. There is a need to know how many elephants can the biosphere hold and for how long. It’s crucial since this is the only habitat left for elephants. That will also help strengthen corridors,” Kumar added.

Prithviraj Fernando, Trustee and Scientist at the Centre for Conservation and Research, Sri Lanka, stressed the importance of ensuring safe habitats for elephants. “Case studies in India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka have shown that elephant relocation has not been very successful. Relocation is temporary and shifts the problem from one area to another,” he said while speaking on human-elephant interaction.

Fernando, who has been working on elephant conservation in Sri Lanka for many years now, said there was a huge population of jumbos in the island nation, and 70 people and 250 elephants died in conflict every year.

Vidya Athreya, Senior Research Fellow at WCSIP, spoke on human-leopard interaction and Ranjeet Jadhav, a journalist at Mid-Day, Mumbai, spoke on ‘Reporting human-leopard interactions in Maharashtra: A case study’.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City / DHNS, Bengaluru – October 10th, 2015

B’luru MP announces Rs.10 lakh for Conservation of Kodagu Mandhs

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Nature
Mandya MP C.S. Puttaraju is seen addressing the gathering at the valedictory of ‘Jabhoomi Baalo-2015’ padayatra at Kodava Samaja in Bengaluru yesterday.
Mandya MP C.S. Puttaraju is seen addressing the gathering at the valedictory of ‘Jabhoomi Baalo-2015’ padayatra at Kodava Samaja in Bengaluru yesterday.

Bengaluru :

Rajya Sabha member from Bengaluru, Kupendra Reddy, has promised Rs. 10 lakh for conservation of Kodagu mandhs and revival of paddy cultivation across Kodagu district, said Mandya MP C.S. Puttaraju at the valedictory of ‘Jabhoomi Baalo-2015’ padayatra at Kodava Samaja in Vasanthnagar here yesterday.

Puttaraju said that he was authorised to announce this by MP Kupendra Reddy, who is currently in USA, on his behalf.

Stating that Reddy has announced Rs. 10 lakh for UKO’s cause as the first instalment, Puttaraju said Reddy has promised more funds for UKO’s various plans.

Stating that the people of Mandya were always indebted to river Cauvery, which originates in Kodagu, Puttaraju assured of extending all support for the protection of Kodava land, culture and its environment.

UKO Convenor Kokkalemada Manju Chinnappa, in his address, said that the funds provided by Kupendra Reddy will be utilised for conservation of Kodagu mandhs and other programmes. He also said that Puttaraju has handed over Rs. 10 lakh grant to UKO as the first instalment as promised by Reddy.

Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Chairperson Shantheyanda Veena Achaiah, former MLC Cheppudira Arun Machaiah, Kodagu District Congress President Biddatanda T. Pradeep, former Kodagu District BJP President Machimada M. Ravindra, Federation of Kodava Samajas President Mallengada Dada Belliappa, Bengaluru Kodava Samaja President Mandeda Ravi Uthappa, Vice-President Mukkatira Vani Nanaiah, Secretary Chennapanda Subbaiah, actress Prajwal Poovaiah, Madikeri Kodava Samaja President Moovera Shambu Pemmaiah, Ponnampet Kodava Samaja Secretary Chottekmada Rajiv Bopaiah, Kodava Sahitya Academy President Biddatanda S. Thammaiah, UKO office-bearers and others were present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Generla News / Monday – October 05th, 2015