Over 150 families of tribes living within the Maldare Panchayat limits stated that they are unable to make ends meet as they are deprived of government facilities.

Over 500 tribes have not been supplied with nutritious food from ITDP for the past three months. (Photo | Express)

Madikeri :

The tribes settled across various settlements in South Kodagu have expressed anguish over the non-supply of nutritious food from the ITDP department for the past three months. They have demanded that the concerned officials take immediate action and resume the supply of the food items.

Over 150 families of tribes living within the Maldare Panchayat limits stated that they are unable to make ends meet as they are deprived of government facilities.

“The government used to provide nutritious food to the tribal settlements. The food items were helpful as most of the time we are unemployed and suffering from poverty. But no items have been received for the last three months,” shared Indira, a resident of the tribal settlement.

She explained that the tender for supplying food to the tribal settlements has allegedly been given to a contractor from outside the district and opined, “If the government gives the tender for supplying food to the district contractors, this will ensure timely supply of food items.”

She further stated that the tribal community living in the forest is deprived of all basic facilities. “We at least made sure that we did not stay hungry. But for the past three months, we are finding it tough to satiate our hunger,” she added.

Meanwhile, the tribes complained that their livelihood has been severely affected due to the increasing number of migrant workers from North Eastern states allegedly taking over their jobs as estate labourers.

“Migrant workers mostly live in the coffee plantations and work for low wages. In this context, several tribes have been rendered jobless. Alongside unemployment, the lack of facilities, including the absence of nutritious food supply, is affecting us,” she said.

When questioned, ITDP department district director Honnegowda said, “The supply of nutritious food was delayed due to technical issues. We had sent the sample of oil (supplied under the nutritious food scheme) for FSSAI testing in Mysuru over quality issues. The quality check report was delayed. Nevertheless, we have resumed the supply of food items for the past two days.” He added that the department has ordered the contractor to supply food before the 20th of every month.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Express News Service / September 05th, 2025

In the Kalyana Karnataka region, the rain was so heavy that a portion of the wall of the historic Bahamani Fort in Bidar collapsed.

A portion of the wall of the historic Bahamani fort collapsed due to heavy rain in Bidar on Thursday.Credit: DH Photos/Lokesh V Biradar

The intensifying monsoon covered many parts of the state on Thursday, including the Kalyana Karnataka region and the Malnad districts of Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru. 

In the Kalyana Karnataka region, the rain was so heavy that a portion of the wall of the historic Bahamani Fort in Bidar collapsed. 

There were rains through Wednesday night and Thursday, causing many bridges to flood and disrupting traffic, in the districts of Bidar and Kalaburagi. 

The showers disrupted normal life in Chittapur, Wadi and Chincholi of Kalaburagi district. Around 20 bridges in Bidar district are flooded due to discharge of water due to heavy rain in Maharashtra and Telangana.

The Chimmegaon-Chirki Thanda bridge in Kamalnagar taluk has been completely washed away. Four bridges in Aurad taluk are damaged.

A car got stuck in the water while crossing the bridge near Dabaka in Aurad taluk.

Locals managed to pull out the car to safety, using a rope. In Kohinoor limits of Basavakalyan taluk, canal water entered agriculture fields. A holiday was declared for anganwadi centres, schools and colleges in the district on Thursday.

The South Central Railway has cancelled the daily DEMU train services between Bidar and Kalaburagi on Friday, as a precautionary measure.

Water entered offices and settlements, including the tahsildar office in  Jewargi. The taluk received 149.5 mm of rainfall till Thursday morning. 

The bridge connecting to Jewargi-Gounalli village has been submerged as a nearby canal overflowed. A total of 21 houses collapsed in the taluk and 21 sheep drowned in rainwater in Andola village.

Rainwater entered Kollur village in Chittapur taluk, creating chaos. The gram panchayat office was flooded with rainwater, damaging computers, photocopying machines and documents.

Electric bulbs worth Rs 4 lakh, which were kept in the storeroom, have been damaged due to the rainwater. 

Houses and roads were flooded in rainwater in Yargol village of Yadgir district, throwing life out of gear for humans and cattle alike. There were reports of livestock being washed away. Crop loss was reported in many parts of KK region. 

In Chikkamagaluru district, Mudigere, Aldur, Kottigehara, Koppa, Kalasa, Narasimharajapura and Tarikere areas received heavy rains. Chikkamagaluru city too witnessed heavy rains.

Even though the rains took a break after lashing heavily in the morning, they returned in full force by the evening.

Kodagu district has been receiving showers since Wednesday night. Rains lashed Madikeri, Suntikoppa and Virajpet. The Sampaje ghat too saw heavy rains.

Mudslide

A mudslide was reported near Shaktinagar, which connects Madikeri and Virajpet.

The public, especially students, faced trouble owing to the incessant rains.

The Met department has sounded orange alert in the district till Friday morning.

Chimmegaon and Chirki Thanda villages in Kamalnagar taluk of Bidar district were cut off from each other as the bridge connecting them was completely washed away in flood water. 

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> India> Karnataka / by DHNS / August 29th, 2025

High temperature in the coastal belt is a challenge for cultivating coffee, says M.J. Dinesh, chairman, Indian Coffee Board.

Capt. Brijesh Chowta, MP for Dakshina Kannada, speaking at the inauguration of ‘KaapiCo’ initiative in Sullia on Monday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Capt. Brijesh Chowta, MP for Dakshina Kannada, on Monday suggested that the Indian Coffee Board explore the possibility of developing a variety suitable for cultivation in the district or in the coastal belt.

Speaking at the inauguration of ‘KaapiCo’ initiative in Sullia to promote coffee cultivation with arecanut as a supplementary crop, Capt. Chowta said that the Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI), Balehonnur, can develop a variety suitable for cultivation in the coastal belt.

The MP said that the coffee grown in the coastal belt can be marketed in a separate regional brand name.

Seeking institutional support from the Coffee Board for growing coffee in Dakshina Kannada, Capt. Chowta said recognition from the board to the coffee grown in the district will help farmers a lot in marketing.

“Farmers of the district are not looking for any financial support from the board. The local cooperative societies will help the farmers financially,” Capt. Chowta said.

The MP appealed to the Board to extend institutional support by providing training to farmers in the scientific cultivation and by arranging coffee plants. “The board should recognise Belthangady, Kadaba, Sullia and Puttur taluks as ideal for cultivating coffee,” he said.

Asking farmers not to go for coffee cultivation in a hurry, Capt. Chowta said that farmers should get themselves convinced of the scientific method of cultivation.

The chairman of the board, M.J. Dinesh, said that the board will promote a cropping model of combined cultivation of coffee with other crops. “Model blocks of combined cultivation of coffee with some other crops will be ready at the CCRI in about two months,” Mr. Dinesh said.

Mr. Dinesh suggested that coffee can be grown with fruit crops or with a combination of coffee, black pepper and arecanut. “A farmer in Wayanad has cultivated mangosteen with coffee. He has made a huge profit by harvesting mangosteen alone,” he said.

The chairman said that the CCRI is celebrating its centenary year, and a new coffee variety will be released during the three-day centenary year celebrations of the institute later this year.

He said that high temperature in the coastal belt is a challenge for cultivating coffee.

Mr. Dinesh said that the board has set a target to take the coffee production to seven lakh tonnes by 2047 and scale up India’s position in the coffee export from the fifth largest exporter to the third largest exporter by then. “Coffee is the second-highest traded commodity in the world,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangaluru / by The Hindu Bureau / August 25th, 2025

HIGHLIGHTS

Bengaluru:

Harapalli Ravindra’s childhood in a tiny village Shanthalli in Somwarpet taluk, Kodagu, was marked by a quiet regret the absence of an…

Bengaluru:

Harapalli Ravindra’s childhood in a tiny village Shanthalli in Somwarpet taluk, Kodagu, was marked by a quiet regret the absence of an English-medium school. While children in urban areas had access to modern education, Ravindra was deprived of the same privilege. Yet his determination never faltered. He taught himself English, completed his PUC and degree in the English medium through a private college, and went on to build a successful career as a professional and later as an entrepreneur in Bengaluru.

Amidst his success, one dream lingered: to ensure that no child from his native region would suffer the disadvantages he once faced. “If I struggled due to the lack of English education, I didn’t want future generations to face the same fate,” Ravindra says. This thought became his mission.

In 2016, with the active support of his villagers, Ravindra founded Harapalli’s first-ever English-medium school. What began modestly with just eight children in Class 1 has now grown into a vibrant institution with more than 200 students and 15 committed teachers. To overcome the absence of public transport, Ravindra has arranged five school vehicles to ferry children from remote hamlets.

Ravindra has personally invested lakhs of rupees into this initiative, though he avoids dwelling on the details. “I don’t want publicity; I only want results,” he insists. His generosity, however, goes beyond infrastructure. Every year, he spends ₹8–10 lakh to provide free uniforms, textbooks, and waive tuition fees for children from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families across Somwarpet taluk.

His efforts are not confined to Shantalli alone. In Bengaluru , Ravindra has established a hostel for underprivileged children from Kodagu, providing accommodation and guidance for over 100 students annually. In his role as Director of the Rajya Vokkaliga Sangha representing Kodagu, he has secured more than 100 hostel seats for rural students, enabling them to pursue higher studies in the city.

He has also recommended the construction of a free ladies’ hostel at Somwarpet through the Sangha, further expanding educational opportunities for young women. Additionally, Ravindra has facilitated engineering and professional course admissions for deserving students, helping them build solid career paths.

For Kodagu’s children, Harapalli Ravindra is more than a benefactor he is a visionary who transformed his childhood hardship into a movement of hope and empowerment, ensuring generations to come will have the education and opportunities he once longed for.

source: http://www.thehansindia.com / Hans India / Home> News> State> Karnataka / by Hans News Service / August 27th, 2025

MLA for Virajpet A.S. Ponnanna being welcomed during the ‘Kodavameera Aara Bera’, a Kodava cultural festival, at Kodava Samaj in Mysuru on Saturday. | Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM

The Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy, in association with Mysuru Kodava Samaja, organised the ‘Kodavameera Aara Bera’ programme on Saturday at Mysuru Kodava Samaja.

The event was presided over by Ajjinikanda C. Mahesh Nachayya, president of the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy.

Chief Minister’s Legal Advisor and MLA for Virajpet A. S. Ponnanna inaugurated the cultural fest by lighting the lamp in the presence of several dignitaries.

In his address, Mr. Ponnanna said the festival was intended to portray the richness of the Kodava language, culture, and traditions, and stressed the need to conserve and promote it for future generations.

The programme featured cultural performances, traditional dances, and a play highlighting the vibrant heritage of the Kodavas. An exhibition and sale of books published by the Kodava Sahitya Academy was also organised on the occasion.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / August 23rd, 2025

The Madikeri Forest Division RFO confirmed the growers have encroached on the sacred grove, a notified forest area, leading to the eviction of his crops.

Uprooted cardamom plants in Somwarpet.(Photo | Express)

Madikeri :

Over 800 coffee plants and several cardamom plants grown across government land were evicted by the forest department in the Somwarpet region. The incident has evoked anger among the grower community in Somwarpet, who threaten to intensify their struggle against the forest department.

“Over 35 years ago, my father, Kaalachanda Naniyappa had cleared the paisari land of about three acres at Mukkodlu limits and had cultivated the land with coffee and cardamom. Recently, as several coffee plants had worn out, he took up re-plantation work and had sown new coffee plants,” explained Kaushi, daughter of 70-year-old Naniyappa.

She added that the estate was readied on paisari land, and the survey number does not fall under the forest department. “Despite the land being paisari and not forest area, over 10 people who claimed to be from the forest department trespassed into our estate and destroyed all the crops,” she alleged.

According to her, over 800 coffee plants, alongside yielding cardamom crops, have been destroyed. “My father’s hard work of over three decades has been razed within an hour by the department officials. No notices were served and we did not apply for any lease as the land is ‘paisari’ and not forest land,” she explained.

The elderly grower, who lives with his ailing wife, is now in a dilemma as he has suffered huge financial losses in the process. From labour charges to cultivation costs, he has lost his livelihood, which has evoked the anger of other growers in the region.

However, the concerned RFO of Madikeri Forest Division confirmed that the elderly grower had encroached on the sacred grove, which is a notified forest area. “The grower has cut several trees in the sacred grove area and we have to file a case against him. We had warned him not to cut trees. Despite that, he has cleared the sacred grove. Since he is an elderly person, we carried out only the eviction process and have not booked him for the same,” the officer confirmed. He added that the cleared area falls under Bellacchu Sacred Grove forest area.

As per the survey details given by owner Naniyappa, however, the RTC shows that survey number 33/2 in Mukkodlu region is paisari government land that has been granted to him.

Meanwhile, members of the Raitha Horata Samithi of Somwarpet taluk gathered at the evicted area and declared they would intensify their fight against the forest department, claiming that the department is snatching away the livelihood of small growers.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Prajna G R / August 21st, 2025

Deputy Commissioner Venkat Raja during his visit to an exhibition organised as part of an awareness programme on the PMFME scheme in Madikeri on Thursday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Venkat Raja has urged the people to make use of the support being extended by the Central and State governments for establishing small-scale food processing industries, after inaugurating an awareness programme on the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme in Madikeri on Thursday.

Elaborating on the opportunities available under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the Deputy Commissioner said that a 50% subsidy would help individuals start ventures even at their homes, and stressed the importance of branding and market linkages to ensure a wider reach for food products. Special emphasis was laid on encouraging women entrepreneurs, which he said, would boost the district’s economic growth and generate employment opportunities.

The Deputy Commissioner appreciated the exhibition of food-processing products like bakery items, coffee, mushrooms, spices, millet-based products, and chapatis at the event.

Shivaprakash, Managing Director of the Karnataka State Agricultural Produce Processing and Export Corporation (KAPPEC), said Kodagu district has immense potential in food processing industries such as coffee, pepper, cardamom, cocoa, arecanut, honey, and paddy.

Mr. Shivaprakash urged entrepreneurs to file more applications under the scheme, pointing out that the district could even secure GI tags for its unique products. Up to ₹15 lakh subsidy (50% of the project cost) is available for setting up new units or expanding existing ones, he said, adding that flour mills, oil mills, bakeries, banana-based products, turmeric and coconut processing, snacks, pickles, chapati making, coffee powder, masalas, chocolates, honey, fruits, and vegetable processing are among the units that can be established.

B.S. Chandrashekar, Joint Director of Agriculture, said that 160 applications had been filed from the district, of which only seven were rejected. Loans worth ₹15.2 crore have been sanctioned against a target of ₹18.13 crore, benefitting 89 entrepreneurs since the launch of the scheme in 2020-21.

In the 2025-26 State budget, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the establishment of 5,000 small food processing units with an allocation of ₹206 crore. Kodagu has been given a target of 75 units.

Lead Bank manager Gangadhara Nayak, CFTRI Senior Technical Officer Raghavendra, NABARD representatives, and other resource persons spoke on the opportunities in value addition and market expansion at the event. On the occasion, the PM-FME scheme brochure was released by the Deputy Commissioner, and cheques were handed over to beneficiaries.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / April 22nd, 2025