The inflow of water into Harangi reservoir has increased following copious rainfall in various parts of the district on Tuesday.
Madikeri, Napoklu, Sampaje, Bhagamandala, Virajpet, Srimangala, Shanthalli recorded more than 100 mm rainfall.
The house belonging to M C Changappa was partially damaged in Kunjila village. Another house in Bellur village was also damaged in the rainfall. Cauvery, Lakshmanatheertha, Hemavathi, Harangi, Barapole, Chiklihole rivers are in spate following incessant rainfall in the region.
With rain water flowing on road, the movement of vehicles on Napoklu-Moornadu road has been disrupted. Flood water has inundated road at Bhagamandala. If the region continues to receive rainfall, then road will be cut off from the rest of the world. A minor bridge in Balamuri is inundated in flood water. Water has entered paddy fields in Balamuri.
In the last 24 hours, the district received an average of 91.91 mm rainfall. This includes Madikeri—121 mm, Virajpet—90.15 mm and Somwarpet taluk—64.75 mm.
Rains received in hobli centres are as follows: Madikeri kasaba—100 mm, Napoklu—110.8 mm, Sampaje—132.2 mm, Bhagamandala—150 mm, Virajpet kasaba—127.4 mm, Hudikeri—38.1 mm, Kodlipete—40 mm, Kushalnagar—24.4 mm, and Suntikoppa—62.3 mm rainfall.
Chikmagalur
With heavy rains lashing Mudigere, rain water has entered into fields in Kesavalalu and Uggehalli. If the region continues to get rainfall, then houses will also be inundated.
Paddy saplings kept ready for transplantation in the fields have been inundated at Banakal, Baggasagodu, Horatti, Mugrahalli, Kithlegandi, Bettadamane and Gonibeedu.
Work in the coffee estates have been suspended following heavy rainfall. With rains lashing catchment areas, Bhadra and Somavathi rivers are in spate in Kalasa.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / Madikeri – DHNS / June 25th, 2013
A Soliga man told Survival, ‘In my village, Hosapodu, we are very happy that we can continue with our work’.
The confiscation of honey was in direct violation of the 2006 Indian Forest Rights Act, which recognizes the rights of India’s tribal peoples, such as the Soliga, to live in and from their forests, and protect and manage their land.
Tribal peoples like the Soliga have been living with and protecting the wildlife in their forests for countless generations. However many forestry officials still believe that forest and tiger conservation requires the removal of all people from the forests. These prejudices often make foresters unwilling to respect tribal rights – especially the right to make a livelihood from the forest. The recent court victory exposes this injustice and the necessity for the rights of India’s tribes to be respected.
The Soliga tribe of Karnataka made history in 2011 when their rights to their forests were recognized, even though they lie inside a tiger reserve. The community has been caring for the forest and harvesting its produce – including honey – for countless generations. After their rights were recognized one village established a collective to get a fair price for their honey.
More Soliga villages are awaiting the recognition of their forest rights and local organizations Keystone, Atree and the Soliga Abhivriddhi Sangha (Soliga Peoples’ Collective) are supporting them in the process.
Despite severe constraints from forestry officials, the Soliga remain determined to manage, harvest and protect their forests sustainably for current and future generations.
source: http://www.survivalinternational.org / Survival / Home / June 19th, 2013
Landslides reported from various parts of the district The rains have intensified in Kodagu district. All taluks including Madikeri received heavy rainfall on Monday.
The overflowing ponds, streams and rivers have brought smiles on the faces of farmers. Rise in the water level in Kootuhole check dam, Chikli and Harangi reservoirs have helped to solve water crisis in the district. Vehicle users were put to hardship on water logged roads.
Landslides have been reported from different parts of the district. There has been disruption in power supply following damage to electric wires. Kodagu district recorded an average of 39.65 mm rainfall till 8 am on Monday, whereas that received on the same day last year was 25.65 mm. The district has received 560.28 mm rain from January till date, against 291.47 mm rain recorded last year. Madikeri taluk has received 56.40 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours, Virajpet taluk — 36.38 mm and Somwarpet taluk — 26.18 mm rainfall.
The water level at Harangi reservoir on Monday was 2817.31 ft as against the maximum level of 2859 ft.
Telemetric rain gauges
Kodagu district has 48 telemetric rain gauges, of which 38 rain guages are functioning. The gauges are located at Sudarshan guest house, Avandur, Bhagamandala, Galibeedu, Karada, Mundrotu, Napoklu, Naladi, Sampaje, Talacauvery, Moornadu and Dabbadka in Madikeri taluk, Somwarpetm Koodige, Kushalnagar, Madapura, Shanivarsanthe, Suntikoppa, Harangi, Shanthalli, Soorlabi, Koodlipet in Somwarpet taluk, Virajpet, Ammathi, Kurchi, Karmadu, Kallalla, Maldare, Mathigodu, Moorkallu, Nagarahole, Ponnampet IB, Srimangala, Thithimathi, Siddhapura in Virajpet taluk.
The telemetric centres at Karike, jail in Madikeri, Anekadu, Dubare, Huduguru, Kargodu in Somwarpet taluk, Balekovu, Devamachi, Makutta, Vatekolli in Virajpet taluk have been damaged.The State has proposed to install telemetric rain gauges in 98 gram panchayats in the district, of which 23 rain gauges have been already installed, said District Statistician Prameela.
In the backdrop of heavy rains forecast by the meteorological department, Additional Deputy Commissioner (In-charge) G Prabhu, in a press release has said that head teachers have been entrusted with the responsibility of declaring holidays to schools.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DHNS – Madikeri, June 17th, 2013
Bees of the Apis cerana (eastern honeybee) species pollinate coffee flowers. Farmers can increase the services of pollinating insects with particular cultivation methods. (Photo: J. Ghazoul / ETH Zurich)
By Peter Ruegg
No food for the human race without bees? It is not quite as straightforward as that. A case study by ecologists from ETH Zurich in a coffee-growing area in India reveals that pollinating insects are just one production factor among many. Farmers have several possibilities to increase their harvest.
All over the world, bees are dying and insect diversity is dwindling. Only recently, both the media and scientists expressed fears that insect pollination is in decline, which jeopardises food security. The (lack of) pollination has thus become a sound argument for the protection of species and natural habitats, and organic farming.
ETH-Zurich researchers from the group headed by Jaboury Ghazoul, professor of ecosystem management, set about investigating this argument by studying the influence of pollinator insects on coffee harvests in an agroforestry system at coffee plantations in the province of Kodagu in southern India. They also included soil and forest management, environmental factors such as water and soil fertility, and tree cover for the cultures in their study.
The research group thus obtained a different picture of the role of pollinators to the popular perception of this cultivation system of “no bees, no harvest”. According to their findings, pollinator bees are merely one production factor among many and to some extent coffee farmers can increase the productivity of their plantations independently of the insects. The results of the study have just been published in the journal PNAS.
Important but not the only factor
“Pollinators are important for coffee farmers,” stresses Ghazoul; “as far as effective coffee growing and increasing harvests are concerned, however, they are much less important than irrigation or liming, for instance.” This encapsulates one of the central findings from coffee farming in the Kodagu province.
Coffee is grown in a traditional agroforestry system in the region. As coffee plants must not be grown in direct sunlight, they are planted in the forest’s undergrowth or the shade of large, isolated trees. The coffee plants all bloom at the same time after heavy rains between February and March and three species of bee pollinate the flowers: the giant honeybee Apis dorsata, Apis cerana and the solitary wild bee Tetragonula iridipennis. The giant honeybee is the largest and most important pollinator, forming large colonies and needing the thick branches of tall trees to bear the weight of their nest.
Greater yield through irrigation and limestone
In order to harvest more coffee, however, the farmers have got other options than merely banking on the work of bees, as Ghazoul discovered. They can increase the yield through liming, irrespective of bee density. And instead of relying on rainfall, it is worth the farmers’ while to induce flowering with artificial irrigation. “It is particularly in a farmer’s interests to irrigate his plantations at a different time to other farmers in the vicinity,” says Ghazoul. After all, this will turn his plantations into bee magnets. This concentrated pollination increases the yield from the plantation enormously, the ETH-Zurich researchers reveal in their publication. It is a different story if the rain makes all the coffee plants in the region flower at the same time, however: the bees spread out over a wide area, the pollination is less effective and the harvest is poorer.
Trend towards deforestation
In an agroforestry system, the farmer also has another trick up his sleeve: felling trees or the forest to shed more light onto his coffee plants, which also increases the harvest. In doing so, however, he destroys the habitat of the giant honeybee (Apis dorsata).
A farmer who combines both courses of action is especially successful, initially unaffected by the disappearance of the large bees on his own plantation. Only when all farmers opt for this course of action do things take a turn for the worse. “From a plantation perspective, it makes sense to remove trees and increase yields,” says the ETH Zurich professor. “But if every farmer goes for the same option, they will all suffer the consequences of poor pollination because the giant honeybee will disappear.”
Sure enough, the researchers observed gradual deforestation in the Kodagu experiment area. Ghazoul is convinced that the farmers will lose Apis dorsata in the long run and thus – unless they take countermeasures – their valuable contribution towards coffee pollination. “It remains unclear whether the other two species of bee could compensate for this loss.” However, the farmers’ predicament is not hopeless, he says. They could domesticate Apis cerana, a very close relative of the European honeybee, and place beehives on the plantations, which would guarantee the pollination service without becoming dependent on Apis dorsata. The drawback: this absolves the farmers from their responsibility for the forest and trees. “The farmers are thus free to decide whether they want to have trees on their land or not,” stresses the ecologist, which spells bad news for nature conservation. “But good news for farmers. They have got possibilities to increase their harvest and sustain or even improve their existence.”
Unexpected threat from exotic tree species
The traditional forest trees face another danger. Farmers often replace felled local trees with the exotic Australian silver oak (Grevillea robusta), which provides the coffee plants with the shade they need. Moreover, it grows quickly and has a straight trunk, which farmers can use to grow pepper as the spice can be harvested more easily on the trunks. The sale of pepper and wood from the silver oaks is a way for the farmers to supplement their income.
However, the farmers are increasingly beginning to realise that the exotic tree also has its drawbacks. For one, its leaves barely decompose, covering the ground and coffee plants and thus becoming a breeding ground for harmful fungi and bacteria. It might also influence the nutrient cycle, which one of Ghazoul’s doctoral students is currently looking into. The silver oak leaves probably slows the nutrient cycle, preventing the coffee plants from receiving enough nitrogen in the long run, which eventually affects the harvest.
The example case of coffee growing in the province of Kodagu is interesting from a research perspective as it brings home how bees, farmers, their farming methods and natural occurrences influence and depend on each other. In this respect, the insects are not the sole influential factor in this agricultural system.
Ten principles for the reconciliation of nature and humankind
Teaming up with other scientists, ETH-Zurich professor Jaboury Ghazoul has defined ten principles that should help reconcile the conflicting interests of agriculture, nature conservation and other stakeholders with regard to a sustainable agricultural land use. The principles, which were published in the journal PNAS, include training farmers in cultivation methods that can be adapted to changing conditions. Another principle advocates taking different levels into consideration for a landscape approach, namely the landscape level itself and the individual farm level. In the example case in India, another principle is significant: the clarification of rights and responsibilities. For instance, the cultivated land belongs to the local farmers but not the trees, which belong to the state. This can cause conflicts. The principles should help to use an approach geared towards the landscape.
Further reading
Boreux V, Kushalappa CG, Vaast P, Ghazoul J. Interactive effects among ecosystem services and management practices on crop production: Pollination in coffee agroforestry systems. PNAS. 2013 May 21;110(21):8387-92. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1210590110. Epub 2013 May 13.
Sayer J, Sunderland T, Ghazoul J et al. Ten principles for a landscape approach to reconciling agriculture, conservation, and other competing land uses. PNAS 2013 110 (21) 8349-8356; published ahead of print May 21, 2013, doi:10.1073/pnas.1210595110.
source: http://www.ethlife.ethz.ch / ETH Life / Home> News Archive> Science / by Peter Ruegg / June 04th, 2013
As we set out for a darshan of Sri Omkareshwara from our forest lodge at Madikeri, gray hornbills are flapping out of Guler trees at dawn.
The birds live in sacred groves called Devakadu , which have been protected for centuries by the local Kodavas. Their belief in the power of the spirit world forbids them from taking even a single twig or berry from these jungle sanctuaries of the gods.
This might explain the presence of so many wild creatures in our vicinity, which are otherwise conspicuously absent in unprotected areas. In the Kodava pantheon, such an endlessly bountiful aspect of Nature is incarnated in the Great Spirit called Igguthappa. Igguthappa literally means “Giver of Grains” .
He also embodies a deep ecological irony of the sacred forest grove – and that is, Nature thrives best only when humans exploit it the least. Biodiversity, therefore, remains inversely proportional to intensity and scale of use.
The Great Spirit that supposedly fulfils all the desires of the devotees also teaches them the value of forbearance and curbing of wanton use of scarce resources. From base to top, the towering Ironwood trees in the sacred grove are covered with gorgeous bunches of electric blue flowers . Over several centuries, these have never been plucked!
In stark contrast, scores of majestic trees lining the old roads of Kodava coffee lands are being slaughtered to make way for wider lanes. The spindly green saplings lining the new roads can never hope to attain their full stature without watchful care and compassion provided by humans lasting several generations.
source: http://www.articles.economictimes.timesofindia.com / The Economic Times / Home> Opinion> Spiritual Atheist / by Vithal C. Nadkarni, ET Bureau / May 29th, 2013
Bar-headed geese seen in a lake on the outskirts of the city —Clement Francis Bengaluru:
Bengaluru counted its birds on Sunday as part of International Bird Day and also to create a national data base on avi-fauna. Bird enthusiasts flocked to lakes, hills and grasslands to count the number and species of birds.
The concept of creating a national data base on avi-fauna was mooted by the Delhi Bird Watching Society (DBWS) which invited the bird watching community across the county to conduct a bird count in their areas on Sunday and submit the number of species they sighted till evening. The event was named Big Bird Day and about 200 teams and individual bird watchers took part in the counting.
“We had tremendous response from all over the country. The bird watching groups submitted their numbers till evening. We were flooded with 100 plus messages at 6 pm on Sunday from all over the country. We have team sightings of 100-120 birds on an average and we are still waiting for the counts from out-station. The report on the count will be ready in a week,” said writer and birdwatcher from New Delhi, Bikram Grewal.
In Karnataka, bird-watching enthusiasts took an early morning walk to count the birds in different parts of the state. A bird watching team in Kodagu, led by bird expert Dr Narasimhan, counted 120 species of birds in one single day.
Manjunath Prabhakar, a wildlife photographer who took part in the count, said the bird counting was a great opportunity to record research on bird diversity as many species that were not thought to exist in urban areas are being sighted. “We sighted close to 60 bird species atop Nadi Hill during the count and we managed to sight two birds from the Western Ghats,” Mr Prabhakar said.
Harish R Bhat, a bird expert and researcher from the Indian Institute of Science said that he was able to sight 110 bird species in Bijapur. “I happened to be in Bijapur for a lecture and I decided to count the birds here. Due to the presence of the Alamatti backwaters, the presence of birds is large around Bijapur city,” Mr Bhat said.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / by Amit S. Upadhye, DC / February 25th, 2013
he Karnataka Forest Department is awaiting a response from its Madhya Pradesh counterpart on transfer of 11 tamed elephants from three state camps for ‘forest-related activities’.
Recently, while hearing a PIL filed by Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) the High Court had refused to interfere in State government’s decision on transfer of pachyderms.
The CUPA in its petition had contended that the elephants might not to able to sustain the extreme weather in Madhya Pradesh.
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Ajay Mishra told Express that three elephants from Dubare, two from Mattigodu and six from Bandipur elephant camps, are listed for translocation to MP. He said they are basically second line elephants and doing similar jobs here. Karnataka has 95 tamed elephants in its many camps.
Allaying fears that elephants will be used for non-forest activities in MP, he said they would be used only for patrolling and not for display or safaris.
There have been instances when elephants from one state have been translocated to another and the pachyderms have had no problem in adjusting to the new environment.
“It may take some time for them to acclimatise but it will not create any problems. The beauty of elephants is that they develop a bond with their caretakers very soon,” he said.
The Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh has to look out for arranging mahouts and kavadis since Karnataka cannot spare their services. As per the Forest Department manual, there should be a mahout and a kavadi for each, and Karnataka has enough staff to take care of all the 95 jumbos. Elephants are known for co-existence and the question of feeling alien does not arise, argued Mishra.
There is a standard food chart for tamed elephants in camps and the forest department of every state has to follow it strictly.
“The tamed jumbos are just like our employees and separate registers are maintained to record its health, food habits, behaviour and service. Once they attain superannuation, they are given rest in camps,” he said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Shyam Sundar Vattam / ENS – Bangalore / March 16th, 2013
Coorg Wildlife Society President Colonel (retd) C P Mutthanna has challenged the BJP leaders to prove the allegations they have made against the Congress of using foreign funds received by fake environmentalists for election campaign.
Addressing media persons on Tuesday, he criticised the BJP leaders for making false allegations against the environmentalists who are trying their best to protect and preserve land, water and natural resources of the district. The environmentalists are simply portrayed as villains.
“Let Manu Mutthappa stop making baseless allegations. Why didn’t the BJP government which was in power take up an investigation into foreign funds that arrive to the State. Why was the issue not discussed so far, but raised only when the election has approached?” he asked.
Deforestation concern
Mutthanna questioned the mentality of not speaking against several issues in the district including hydel power projects, high-tension wires, illegal sand mining, expansion of Madikeri city etc.
If all these projects are implemented it would lead to massive deforestation. If the high-tension wire is laid from Kaiga to Thalasherry via Kodagu, it would lead to the chopping of 15000 trees.
The issue has been brought to the notice of the State Chief Secretary. If the government fails to take action, then the next option would be to approach the court, he said.
Illegal sand mining
Coorg Wildlife Society Vice President B A Poonacha expressed concern over the damage caused to rivers due to illegal sand mining on the banks of river Cauvery and Lakshman Theertha. If the illegal mining is not stopped now, there would be difficulty in supplying water to Bangalore and Mysore, he said.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District /DHNS, Madikeri – April 25th, 2013
“It is important to resolve water problems in the scenario of present climate change caused by huge carbon emissions. The important manifestations of climate change is global warming which causes global temperature to change,” said professor A Vittal Hegde from department of applied mechanics and Hydraulics, NITK.
He addressed the gathering after inaugurating the seminar of ‘water proofing and water harvesting’ organized by Kodagu Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Engineers Association (KDKUEA) at Hotel Ocean Pearl on Saturday April 6.
Addressing further, he said since the year 1700 after industrial revolution, climate change has been the cause of various issues. Due to regular changes in the level of carbon dioxide, there is a change in the atmosphere. The release of greenhouse gases leads to extreme events such as floods occur said the speaker giving an example of a recent flood that occured in Australia.
Considering the above problems, he said methodical support to local RWH should be provided to get a substantial amount of water. Briefing about rain water harvesting (RWH), he said it is accumulation and deposition of rain water for use before it reaches the aquifer.
In ancient India, people believed that forests were mother the of rivers; in fact a study from US indicated that 60% of fresh water comes from forest. The water bodies used to be maintained by the community around but after Independence, the government took full control over the water bodies and water supply.
Speaking about the benefits of RWH, Hegde said it improves water availability, improves quality of ground water, prevents soil erosion, flooding and more important is is that it saves water an dmoney for the future.
Concluding his talk, he said that every city/village should implement RWH for the benefit of the future generation. Unless it is been made mandatory, no one will implement it, thus government should support and take initiative, he added.
A Vishnu Bhat welcomed the gathering, Dr RG D’Souza compered while M Divakar Shetty delivered the vote of thanks.
HV Harish, president of KDKUEA, Hemanth K Jain, director, Kerakol India limited, DR S Srihari from the department of civil engineering in NITK Surathkal, Dr Lakshman Nandagiri, Dr Girish Kumar, U Nagendra Rao, Gajanana S Hegde among others were present.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daiji World / Home / Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (VM) / Photographs: Spoorthi Ullal / Mangalore, April 06th, 2013
This summer, abandon the confines of the urban metropolis for the natural beauty of the rugged outdoors. Avantika Bhuyan lists a few challenging trails to get your adrenalin pumping
STOK KANGRI
Stok Kangri is one of the few places in the world where you can actually walk up to 6,000 metres. Stok, the highest peak in the Ladakh range, has been classified by the Indian Mountaineering Federation as a ‘trekking peak’, which means that no technical mountaineering skills are needed for the climb. However, don’t let this lull you into thinking that you can hop, skip and jump your way to the summit. The route offers a worthy challenge to experienced trekkers with great views of the Spartan mountainous desert. On day one, drive past the Leh airstrip, the Spituk Gompa and the Indus river to reach Zingchen where the trek begins. After an overnight halt at Rumbak, one reaches the base of the Stok La to start the steep climb up to the pass at 4,890 metres. Spend the night in the bustling Stok Kangri base camp, swapping adventure stories. On Summit Day, begin the ascent to Stok Kangri in the dead of night, walking for hours across frozen glaciers to reach the peak at sunrise. Nothing can prepare you for the sights that await you on the top of the summit – a 360° view of the Karakoram, a glimpse of the K2 and the Gasherbrums. Legend has it that if you have good karma, then you just might get a peek of Mount Kailash as well.
Info: July is the best time to undertake this six-day long trek. For details, visit www.aquaterra.in or www.geck-co.com
THE GOECHA LA TRAIL
A popular trek is through Lachen, a town in north Sikkim, where you can witness the annual yak race held in the summer. However, one of the most favoured hikes is to Goecha La, located at a height of 4,940 metres. The trek starts at Yuksom, a pretty village in west Sikkim where you can refresh yourself with the tongba, a fresh millet beer served in small eateries there. Most adventure tourism companies organise permits, but if you are on your own, then you need to make an entry at the police station, submit copies of your photo ID and pay permit fees at the forest check post. From about 1,100 metres, this trek takes you up to 5,000 metres through moist jungles, open meadows, dense rhododendron forests and rocky mountains to snow-clad peaks. Stay at the forest guest house at Bakhim or a little further away at Tshoka where tiny restaurants offer you a taste of the local yak cheese. From this moment on, you are trekking in the shadow of Mount Kanchenjunga and can gaze at its southeast face. The trail to Dzongri, at 4,200 meters, offers you a panoramic view of the mighty Singalila range and Kanchenjunga. Time your trek from the Dzongri trekkers’ hut to the top so that you can watch the Kanchenjunga’s golden hue as the first rays of the sun hit the peak.Goecha La is further away along a spare alpine rockscape.
Info: This trek can be completed in eight to ten days, depending on your fitness levels. Visit www.banjaracamps.com or www.geck-co.com
BHABHA PASS TREK
This popular route takes you through the lush Kinnaur valley and the stark landscapes of Spiti region all the way up to the Bhabha Pass, which at 4,640 metres remains snowbound all through the year. Visit Comic, the highest village in Asia and also the famous monasteries of Tabo and Ki. Spend a day with a family in Spiti, which still follows the extended family system, with its roots in the ancient polyandric practices. This six-day long trek starts from the village of Kafnu through thick Pine and Deodar forests all the way up to the tiny hamlet of Mulling at 3,840 metres. The climb is steep in some parts and first-time trekkers are advised to take their time to catch their breath. After spending the night in the camp at Mulling, make your way to Kara, a meadow dotted with alpine flowers. A walk along the Wanger River leads to Phustring, the base of the Bhabha Pass. At 4,200 metres, crisp cold air and icy mountain streams greet you and you are offered a fantastic view of the 5,840-metre high Hansbeshan peak. The trek leads you to Pin valley and the edge of the Great Himalayan National Park which is home to the snow leopard and the Himalayan brown bear. From here, one can drive down to Manali via Kunzum and Rohtang.
Info: The 60 km trek is best undertaken in June and July. For more information, contact Banjara Camps & Retreats at www.banjaracamps.com
HARISHCHANDRAGAD FORT TREK
The scenic trails zigzagging across the lush forests of Western Ghats offer challenges to appeal to the adrenalin junkie within you. One of the most popular jungle trails in this region happens to be the Harishchandragad trek which takes you through waterfalls and rock-cut caves to the mighty fort. Located in the Ahmednagar district, this fort can easily be accessed by bus from Pune or Mumbai. Trekkers believe that there are seven routes to the fort, ranging from easy to challenging. The simplest route is from Pachnai village which allows you to walk through the clouds, soaking in the magnificent views. However, most people start the trek from Khireshwar village, which offers a glimpse of the Nageshwar temple and the Shivling in the Kedareshwar rock-cut cave. However, the hardest route is from the Konkan Kada, a sheer 3,000-ft tall wall. Some use these walls for rappelling while the more daring trekkers climb straight up. The top of the Kada offers magnificent views of the Konkan and the Taramati peak. It is said that on a windy day if you throw an object into the deep chasm below, it flies right back to you.
Info: This two-day long moderate trek is best enjoyed in summer or even in the monsoon when the clouds cling to the mountains. Visit www.geck-co.com
THE KOPATTY TRAIL
The Kopatty trail in Coorg takes you on a whirlwind tour of plantations, dense forests and undulating grasslands – all in one day. The trek starts at Charambane, located 25 km from Madikeri. Start the day with a visit to the Maha Vishnu temple and then stroll through the paddy fields to reach the coffee plantations. The trail, covered in a rich undergrowth of shrubs, gains height to offer a bird’s-eye view of the Talacauvery region. Open meadows give way to dark and dense forests lined with brooks and streams. Clumps of bamboo mark the edge of the forest, giving way to lush grasslands. A walk through the hills offers a wonderful view of the Kopatty summit, which can be reached from the base after a steep ten-minute climb. From the top, you can see the Mandalpatti plateau to the north and the blue hills of Coorg to the south.
Info: Charambane can be reached by bus from Madikeri in an hour. It is also well-connected with Mysore and Bangalore. For more details, visit www.indiahikes.in
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Beyond Business> Features> Features / by Avantika Bhuyan / New Delhi, April 13th, 2013
WELCOME. If you like what you see "SUBSCRIBE via EMAIL" to receive FREE regular UPDATES.
Read More »
Madikeri, Napoklu, Sampaje, Bhagamandala, Virajpet, Srimangala, Shanthalli recorded more than 100 mm rainfall. 
