Coorg Institute of Technology (CIT), Ponnampet, won the State-level Inter-Collegiate Hockey Tournament, organised by MYCAS College in city recently. A total of 9 colleges from across the State participated in the tournament.
CIT, Ponnampet and Anugraha College, Kushalnagar, reached the finals and fought fiercely for the trophy. After scoring 2 goals each in a closely fought final match, the match went to a penalty shoot-out.
CIT won the battle and lifted the trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 10,000 while Anugraha College took the second place and received a cash prize of Rs. 7,000 and a trophy. Individual medals were presented to the players. While Best Player award was won by Gokul from Anugraha College, Bevan Ganapathy from CIT bagged Best Goal-keeper award.
Earlier, the tournament was inaugurated by Muruvanda Spoorthi Seethamma, an ultra-marathoner. Chethan, Brown and Abhishek were the referees.
G. Ramacharan, Director (Operations), MYCAS College, C. Archana, Principal, MYCAS PU College and Dr. T.J. Ramya, Lead Student and faculty development were present.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / April 21st, 2025
RAdm IB Uthaiah, took over as the Director General, Warship Design Bureau, New Delhi, from RAdm Bimal Kumar.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy in Nov 1987, RAdm IB Uthaiah is an alumnus of the Naval College of Engineering, INS Shivaji, Lonavala, and holds an M. Tech and M. Phil degree in addition. In a career spanning over 35 years, he has served the Indian Navy in various capacities; with appointments at the Warship Design Bureau, Training Academies, Naval Dockyard (Vzg), all Naval Commands and the Naval Headquarters.
On being elevated to Flag Rank, the officer has tenanted appointments as Additional Director General (Technical), Project Seabird; Admiral Superintendent, Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam, and Chief Staff Officer (Technical), at the Headquarters, Eastern Naval Command, prior taking over his current assignment.
source: http://www.aviation-defence-universe.com / Aviation & Defence Universe / Home> Navy / February 01st, 2023
A delegation of Akhila Kodava Samaja has submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, demanding a Ministerial berth for Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna, who is also the Legal Advisor to the CM.
The delegation led by Akhila Kodava Samaja President Paradanda Subramani Kaveriappa, met Siddaramaiah at his T.K. Layout residence in the city yesterday.
The Kodava delegates brought to the CM’s notice that, Ponnanna belongs to the linguistic minority Kodava community. He should be accommodated into the Cabinet, in view of finding solutions to the long lasting issues of the district, for development and political representation.
Following the memorandum, the CM assured to take a look into their demand.
The delegation included Vice-President of Akhila Kodava Samaja Ajjikuttira Madaiah, Hon. Secretary Tithiyanda Vijay Kumar, Treasurer Mandepanda Muthanna, Joint Secretary Nandetira Madappa, Moovera Rekha Prakash, President of Kodava Samaja Mysuru P.A. Ganapathy, Vice-President M.P. Nanaiah, Secretary K.A. Belliappa, Joint Secretary A. Diana Poovaiah and Treasurer I.G Kashiappa.
The memorandum
In the memorandum, it is stated that, during your (CM Siddaramaiah) tenure in office, ‘Kodavas’ who were wrongly mentioned as ‘Kodagaru’ in the classified categories identified by the Government was corrected, thus realising several years demand of the community. We are grateful for taking the step to solve the long pending issue in coordination and cooperation of active MLA A.S. Ponnanna.
“We are also thankful on behalf of Kodava community for facilitating the direct purchase of 7 acres of Government land, that was in the possession of Bangalore Kodava Samaja, at Hosahalli village in Yalahanka taluk, at a discounted rate, at the bidding of Ponnanna. With your swift and positive response, the Cabinet approved the decision, helping Kodava Samaja to retain the land,” states the memorandum.
Ponnanna, with his development works backed by progressive thinking, has emerged as a popular MLA among Kodavas. Till the year 1956, Kodagu (earlier Coorg) was a C- State, but its growth was stunted after merging the erstwhile State with Mysore State (that later became Karnataka). The number of Assembly Constituencies was reduced to two from three and the Kodavas continue to be deprived of higher positions both politically and in bureaucracy, with our men being pushed to the corner for whatsoever reasons. It has been two decades since neither of the Kodava community leaders have been inducted into the Ministry, the Kodava Samaja leaders said.
In fact, it is true that, the people of Kodagu region are still reeling under the threat of flood, landslide and natural calamity during rainy season. Most of the villages are still out of bounds for the lack of roads and some of the roads are worn out, making them unfit for vehicle movement at ease.
The district from where originates River Cauvery, the lifeline of people of the region, supplying the drinking water to Bengaluru, Mysuru and neighbouring Tamil Nadu, is also an eco-sensitive region. It is only if MLA like A.S. Ponnanna, a native of Kodagu is given due representation in the Cabinet, he has the capacity to safeguard the identity of the district. Nothing would be a bigger gift than the Ministry for Ponnanna, who is aware of people’s pulse, representing myriad culture and the sensitive issues plaguing the district.
Taking all these points into cognisance, yourself (Siddaramaiah) hailed as a beacon of hope for minorities and backward classes, should consider the demand of Akhila Kodava Samaja, the umbrella organisation of Kodava community, represented by leaders from various places, to accommodate A.S. Ponnanna into the Cabinet, urges Kodava Samaja in its demand to CM.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / April 26th, 2025
The state-level ‘Literary and Cultural Fest’ programme, along with book releases, a survey presentation, and a poetry meet, will be held jointly by Samartha Kannadigaru (NOM) Kodagu district and the late Chandrashekar Rao Memorial Trust, Mumbai, on Saturday, May 3, at the Red Bricks Satkaar building in Madikeri.
The event will be presided over by Shridevi Chandrashekhar Rao, founder of the late Chandrashekar Rao Memorial Trust. Former president of Kodagu District Kannada Sahitya Parishat, T P Ramesh, will inaugurate the ‘Literary and Cultural Fest’ and launch the event.
K Pratap, vice-president of Chandrashekar Rao Trust, will be present. Senior announcer of Akashvani Madikeri, Subraya Sampaje, will unveil two books: ‘Nuditeru’, a literary and artistic work authored by Mumbai-based writer and theatre artist Gopal Trasi, and ‘Harategalu’, a compilation of writings by the late Chandrashekar Rao, edited by writer and theatre artiste S Daya.
Dr G P Kusuma, a writer from Mumbai, will introduce the book Harategalu, and writer Shwetha M U from Mandya will introduce Nudisiri. Following this, Pushpa Krishnananda Shet and Muneer Ahmed will be felicitated.
A poetry gathering titled ‘Kavi-Kavyakalarava’ will be held under the presidency of Gopal Trasi and inaugurated by Smitha Amritraj Sampaje. Poets Girish Kiggalu, Milan Bharath, Hemanth Parera, Kripa Devaraj, Ramya Murnadu, Ranjith Kavalapara, Dr G P Kusuma, Vinod Moodagadde, Saroja Amati, Santosh Kudekkal, Leela Dayananda, Harish Kiggalu, Sunita Kushalnagar, Kumuda Shetty, Sangeeta Raviraj, Janet I J, Harish Leela, and others will participate.
As part of the cultural celebration, group dances will be performed by the Shivam Dance Team from Murnadu and Janani and team from Madikeri. Members of the Janapada Parishat Madikeri taluk unit will present folk singing performances.
The founders and organizers of Samartha Kannadigaru, including Lingaesh Hunasuru (Founder), Jayalakshi K (Chief Coordinator), and the team of coordinators, along with office bearers of the Chandrashekar Rao Trust, have invited art and literature enthusiasts to participate in the event.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> Daijiworld Media Network – Madikeri / April 26th,2025
Planters from the Karnataka Spice Association and Chikkamagaluru Planters Association said that reduced harvests in countries like Vietnam and Brazil have triggered a global supply crunch, adding upward pressure on prices.
Bengaluru :
PEPPER, which has already seen a 40% price surge over the past two years, is now expected to touch Rs 900–1,100 per kg owing to a steady decline in production across major growing regions. Pepper prices that hovered around Rs 400-450 per kg two years ago have now climbed up to Rs 700. Cultivators attribute this to erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged dry spells, and a rise in pest and disease pressure that have all disrupted the fragile growing environment the crop depends on.
Planters from the Karnataka Spice Association and Chikkamagaluru Planters Association said that reduced harvests in countries like Vietnam and Brazil have triggered a global supply crunch, adding upward pressure on prices.
Chandrasekhar Reddy from Karnataka Spice Association said, “We have seen a production decline of up to 40% this season as last year, early summer droughts delayed flowering, and the sudden burst of rain in July affected berry setting which disrupted the crop cycle and affected overall volume.”
Pepper grows as a climber on support trees and requires a specific microclimate — moist air, moderate shade, and soil that drains well. While the Western Ghats usually offer such conditions, recent weather fluctuations in places like Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru — which contributes to major pepper production from Karnataka — have made it harder to maintain stable growing environments, cultivators group said, adding that since last year, there has been an increase in fungal diseases like Phytophthora foot rot and anthracnose, which have worsened due to changing moisture levels in the soil.
“Once a vine is infected, especially with root rot, it’s often a total loss. Replanting takes years before it becomes productive. Combined with weather instability, this has caused a steep fall in yields,” Reddy added.
Jagdeesha MK from Chikkamagaluru Planters Association said that no fresh arrivals are expected for at least next two months and that they are re-evaluating crop allocations as they struggle with lower productivity. This supply crunch will drive the market in the coming months, he said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Rishita Khanna / April 21st, 2025
As part of the National Cattle Disease Control Programme, the 7th round of the foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccination drive will be conducted in Kodagu district from April 21 for 45 days.
At a recent meeting in Madikeri, Deputy Commissioner Venkataraja instructed officials to make all necessary arrangements to ensure the success of the drive. Stressing the importance of livestock health, he said that FMD poses a serious threat to the farming community by causing significant financial losses. He called on all stakeholders to work together to eliminate the disease through timely vaccination.
Lingaraja Doddamani, Deputy Director of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, noted that FMD is a highly contagious disease affecting livestock such as cattle and pigs. He emphasised that regular vaccination, twice a year, is crucial in preventing the spread of the disease.
Vaccination will be administered to calves older than three months, with a booster dose scheduled three to five weeks after the initial shot. Even pregnant cows and buffaloes can safely receive the vaccine, he added.
Kodagu district is home to 76,920 livestock, and a dedicated team of 75 veterinary staff has been mobilised for the drive. The vaccine is being provided free of cost, and officials have urged farmers and livestock owners to extend full cooperation to the field staff during the campaign.
The vaccination drive is a vital step toward safeguarding animal health and ensuring economic stability for farmers across the district, the officials said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / April 19th, 2025
This summer was bitter for many homes in Kodagu. Their wells almost dried up before the monsoon broke. But 47-year-old Suraj Ajjikuttira in south Kodagu didn’t have to worry.
His recharge well, probably the first one in hilly Kodagu, ensured that his open well had ample water during the dry season.
Buoyed by his success, Ajjikuttira made it his mission to spread his knowledge of harvesting rain through videos, workshops and meetings. People can even phone and ask him. As a result, awareness is spreading and the recharge well is increasing in popularity. Kodagu now has at least 40 to 50 recharge wells.
Ajjikuttira’s interest in rainwater harvesting began two decades ago, when his 50-foot well, dug in 1979, started going dry. By 2002 he thought he had no option but to dig a bore well for drinking water. Then, fortuitously, he participated in a seminar on rainwater harvesting in Mysore. He picked up the nuances of groundwater recharge very quickly.
Ajjikuttira went home determined to apply his newly acquired knowledge by recharging his bore well. He dug a 10-foot-deep mini well around it. After filling up the mini well with aggregate matter, he diverted run-off from the nearby area into his bore well. The next year itself, the water level in his bore well rose considerably.
“That convinced me about the efficacy of groundwater recharge,” reminisces Ajjikuttira. He doubled his efforts and started a serious attempt to catch all the rainwater he could on his estate. He turned his attention to rainwater falling on his roof, on the vast frontage of his home and the adjoining coffee-drying yard or ‘kana’.
Earlier, all this water used to disappear into a drain. Ajjikuttira now ensured that all run-off got collected at one spot and then flowed out. A leaf separator was attached at the exit point to prevent leaves from clogging this stream of water.
The usual custom is to make a rain pit for such run-off to percolate. But, in this case, the water that was flowing was excessive. After racking his brains, Ajjikuttira dug a recharge well, five feet in diameter, to catch this water. He placed concrete rings along the inner walls of the well 12 feet deep, to prevent its walls from collapsing. The diameter was then reduced. Another six to eight feet were dug and filled with stones to firm up the second stage of the recharge well.
Suraj Ajjikuttira near a large tank which now collects rainwater
Consequently, rainwater collected from about 1,500 square feet of space goes straight into Ajjikuttira’s recharge well and is fully absorbed there. “At the most we get one inch of rain per day. I have designed the recharge well in such a way that even this one inch of water is captured,” he explains. The water that is percolating is estimated to be around two lakh litres.
Ajjikuttira’s well was 42 feet deep when his father got it dug in 1979. In 1994, when the well dried up, it was deepened by another eight feet and eight rings were fixed on its walls. After that the well never dried up. Even during the 2016 drought, Ajjikuttira’s well had eight feet of water. Last year, when wells dried up in Kodagu, Ajjikuttira’s well had 11 feet of water.
The recharge well is a new concept invented in Chennai in the 1990s. Later, the idea was embraced by residents of Bengaluru. The city now probably has around 50,000 recharge wells. The sole purpose of the recharge well is to recharge groundwater. The well can be very small in diameter, as low as three feet.
COFFEE AND RAIN
Kodagu district’s main crop is coffee. Coffee plants are rain-fed. The first showers or ‘blossom showers’, received in February and March, are very important for coffee farmers. If it doesn’t rain at this time, farmers have to pump up water from tanks and sprinkle or irrigate the plants.
After the blossom showers are over, coffee plants require a second spell of irrigation within 15 to 20 days. These showers are called ‘back-up’ showers. If the rains fail to arrive then farmers who still have water do a second round of sprinkling.
The water in Ajjikuttira’s tank was hardly sufficient for even one round of irrigation. About 200 metres away from his tank is a huge seven-acre tank called Katibetta Kere. This water body belongs to the revenue department. It has a catchment of around 500 acres. But the tank’s bund had breached in one area and it wasn’t retaining water. Ajjikuttira built a check dam with sand bags in the catchment area so that the tank would retain water and help his own tank absorb some water.
Katibetta Kere is at a higher elevation than Ajjikuttira’s irrigation tank. Subsequently, the department built a concrete check dam for Katibetta Kere. Recalls a happy Ajjikuttira, “Since then, this tank has enhanced water availability in my own tank. Now, even if we do three rounds of irrigation, the tank still has water.”
Rainfall figures differ across Kodagu district. Ajjikuttira’s place receives 54 inches — coffee planters still measure rain in inches — whereas not-so-distant Virajapet gets 70 inches. Wetlands here are dwindling and so is forest cover. Due to various reasons, water availability is worsening in the district. Unfortunately, awareness about rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge is abysmally low.
Once Ajjikuttira succeeded in augmenting water availability in his estate, he started spreading the idea of water harvesting. In the last 15 years, he has conducted more than 300 awareness sessions on rainwater harvesting in schools, government departments, workshops for citizens and so on.
“In most Kodagu estates, the house is located at a higher level. In the past, the yard for drying coffee beans and paddy used to be built near the paddy fields in a lower area. But due to security reasons the yard is now constructed close to the house. So the typical house would have a large area in front with a drying yard close to it. This entire stretch is either built with concrete or lined with interlocking tiles. So a huge amount of clean water flows on this surface,” says Ajjikuttira.
“We need a structure that can hold this run-off and make it percolate fast. I experimented with the recharge well. Although it is expensive, it does the job efficiently.”
Ajjikuttira is approached by people on the phone or in person for guidance in harvesting rainwater. “If we make arrangements to catch all the run-off from the front area and the drying yard, summer rains alone will ensure the well doesn’t dry up,” he says confidently. A recharge well costs approximately Rs 60,000-70,000.
Ajjikuttira carries out a simple test to check whether the bore well can be artificially recharged. A few barrels of water are kept nearby and poured into the bore well one after another. If the bore well overflows, it indicates that it won’t absorb water and recharge. The idea is then abandoned.
SPREADING AWARENESS
Ajjikuttira has put together a three-part video to spread knowledge on rainwater harvesting in Kodagu. Uploaded on YouTube, it tells people how to use rainwater directly, how to recharge defunct and working bore wells and how to use a recharge well for groundwater recharge.
After taking advice from Ajjikuttira, Tej Thammaiah Ajjikuttira constructed a recharge well 10 feet in diameter and 22 feet deep last year. The well is a big one because Thammaiah’s bungalow, front yard and ‘kana’ spread to about a hectare. The well has cost him Rs 130,000.
Thammaiah’s open well, 60 feet deep, didn’t dry up completely. But by the end of summer it would have only four to five feet of water. Last summer it had 30 feet of water because he followed in Ajjikuttira’s footsteps.
Rakshith of Sulagodu is another estate owner who sought Ajjikuttira’s advice. He has an open well which is 100 feet deep. It used to dry up in summer and he found it difficult even to provide water to his labourers. He built a recharge well which cost him Rs 70,000. Two years later his water woes are over.
“Now I have water up to 25 feet,” he says. “By the end of summer, water levels recede by seven to eight feet. I don’t have to worry about drinking water for many decades to come.”
Soil in Kodagu collapses very easily. Ajjikuttira has noticed that many people dig a recharge pit quite close to the well. “This is highly risky. Many wells have collapsed because pits were dug very close to them. It’s always better to locate the pits about 15 or 20 feet away,” he warns.
He points out that each estate is endowed with expansive areas from where water can be easily harvested. “The shifting of the drying yard from lower areas near paddy fields to the area adjoining the house in an elevated area has also caused water scarcity in open wells. This is because we cement all these areas and never permit water to percolate.” Planters who have realised this are taking corrective measures to allow for percolation.
Coffee estates require huge quantities of water for irrigation to induce flower blossoming. “There are several earthen tanks or keres in Kodagu. You can see these tanks on Google earth. But, unlike the old days, tanks are dug unscientifically. The selection of the site should be such that we can divert streams of water into it. Many new tanks don’t have this.”
Another important groundwater recharge structure in these estates is a legacy of British planters called ‘thottilu gundi’ or cradle pits, so called because of the shape. Thottilu gundis were systematically and periodically dug and cleaned amidst rows of coffee. They would convert surface run-off from the hills into sub-soil seepage that would reach the tank after many months. “Due to the high cost of labour and poor labour availability, many of us have bid goodbye to digging of this very useful system,” laments Ajjikuttira.
Contact Suraj Ajjikuttira at 9901012970
source: http://www.civilsocietyonline.com / Civil Society / Home> Environment / by Shree Padre, Kodagu / August 29th, 2019 (updated December 03rd, 2020)
The Sidapur Museum of coffee where you can brew your own cup
SNUGGLED in the midst of 300 acres of verdant coffee and spice plantations in a picturesque pastoral setting, Evolve Back Resort in Kodagu has catapulted Kodagu onto the national tourism map. The luxury brand has ventured into the holiday hospitality business in this region. Owned by the Ramapuram Group, which has been in the plantation business since 1921, the resort is renowned for its beauty, facilities and hospitality.
In keeping with its avowed philosophy of offering exquisite, true-to-the-land experiences, the resort allows guests to sample plantation life at its graceful best. This is made possible by the traditional-style accommodation, and the host of facilities that the resort offers. The wide choice of accommodation includes Kodava-style Ayenmanes with private pools and plantation cottages. An Ayurveda spa, a gym, a conference hall, an infinity pool and three restaurants —Peppercorn, Plantation Leaf and Granary — are also on offer.
Boating in a four-acre private lake, guided plantation tours, coracle rides, birdwatching, cycling, and visiting the resort’s own school are some of the activities arranged for guests. We returned with memories of straight-from-the-heart service, pampering, privacy, tranquility and a multitude of enjoyable experiences firmly rooted in the natural environs and culture of the land.
At the Sidapur Museum of Coffee and Culture we experienced the thrill of making our own brew right from pulping, grading, roasting, grinding and cupping in. With the invigorating aroma of coffee in the air, we strolled around the museum and got a taste of how life was lived in the old days in Coorg. We found Coffeeology, a daily live session on the art and science of gourmet coffee, most interesting.
The museum offers different sections that showcase the story of the Ramapuram family, the history of coffee in Coorg, how coffee is cultivated globally and the art of brewing the perfect cup. It recreates a space evoking the rustic feel of a coffee plantation, with materials and objects used in the past and the present, reminiscent of eras gone by and ways of life that have been replaced with the onset of modernity.
Large, dented copper and brass vessels of unique shapes and sizes line the walls, each harbouring their unique stories. A few of the objects are from the Ramapuram family collection — a hand-operated coffee roaster and a typewriter that were very much in use on the Chikkana Halli Estate. The coffee grinder in the museum has had quite a journey. It belonged to a Kodava gentleman who ran a coffee house in Lahore before the Partition, after which it was transported to Bangalore and housed in Chinny’s Café on Brigade Road for many years.
restaurant which overlooks an infinity pool
Steeped in local lore and legend, the resort prides itself on locally inspired activities and initiatives which include school adoption, cultural shows by local artistes, providing them with a supplementary means of income, and schoolteachers’ training which demonstrate that responsible tourism is not a one-way street. Right from the native and eco-friendly architecture to the locally inspired activities and interaction with ethnic communities, the entire experience is life-enriching.
In keeping with its eco-friendly ethos, concerted efforts are made to conserve water. The cornerstone of the resort’s water conservation programme is the hotel’s own sewage treatment plant (STP). The treated water is used for irrigation in the gardens at the resort’s premises. The STP not only preserves the quality of fresh water resources, but reduces the amount of water used by the hotel. An extensive drip irrigation system allows the resort to use less water. A reverse osmosis plant installed in each cottage provides 100 percent safe drinking water while reducing the negative impact of over 50,000 plastic bottles every year. Other commendable water conservation programmes of the resort include rainwater harvesting and the ozonisation plant for the main swimming pool.
The resort’s solid waste management efforts are noteworthy too. Apart from the segregation of degradable and biodegradable waste, plastic, glass, metal and paper are sent for recycling. STP sludge is used as fertilizer. The use of CFL lamps, electronic key tags, and installation of governors on diesel generator sets have helped in conservation of energy. A company-owned wind power generator offsets power consumption and supplies surplus power to the government.
No tree has been cut down during the construction and the enormous ficus tree next to the pool has been there since before its inception. The landscape is beautifully laid out with indigenous flowering shrubs and plants. It is difficult to find exotic flora in the resort. All the trees and plants are named and this makes for an enjoyable and informative walk. Steps have also been taken to minimize formal landscaping.
With green consciousness catching on, travellers are heading to resorts with excellent responsible tourism bona fides.
Currently, local employment at the resort has been stepped up. The resort shows its concern for the community by organizing structured community development programmes. Cultural shows are carried out by the locals, providing them supplementary income.
The indigenous guides and staff are the faces of the resort’s claim to fame. These signature holidays which preserve the purity of nature and culture of the land have received due global recognition and prestigious awards. At the end of the stay, even a casual visitor will be converted into a sustainable tourism practitioner.
Fact File
Getting there: Distance from Bengaluru — 230 km / Distance from Mysuru — 100 km / Email: coorg@evolveback.com
source: http://www.civilsocietyonline.com / Civil Society / Home> Travel / by Susheela Nair / November 23rd, 2023 (updated February 29th, 2024)
A ₹12-crore project for the scientific disposal of legacy waste in Madikeri, Kushalnagar, and Virajpet in Kodagu district was launched on Friday.
An official statement here noted that MLA for Madikeri Mantar Gowda and MP for Mysuru Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar launched the project taken up under the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan scheme at Subramanyanagar on the outskirts of Madikeri.
Mr. Gowda said that approximately 1.52 lakh tonnes of legacy waste, including around 76,636 tonnes from Madikeri, have been taken up for bioremediation under the project at Madikeri, Kushalnagar, and Virajpet.
Meanwhile, Mr. Yaduveer said the Central funding for the disposal of solid waste under the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan scheme amounts to 50% of the project cost.
Madikeri Urban Development Authority chairman Rajesh Yellappa, city municipal council member Appanna, former president of Madikeri city municipal corporation Anitha Poovaiah, commissioner of the city municipal corporation H.R. Ramesh, and others were present.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / April 12th, 2025
For many of us, coffee is the fuel behind our mornings, meetings, or late-night study sessions. But behind every cup is a harsh reality: coffee farming is often unsustainable. It’s estimated that, for every cup we sip, about one square inch of rainforest is destroyed .
So, what’s a coffee lover to do?
The good news is there are coffee brands out there that are pioneering sustainability — Canadian brands like Forest Bean .
Forest Bean offers true forest-grown coffee, cultivated at high elevations and nurtured by biodiversity. Crafted purposefully, it’s perfect for coffee fans, roasters, and cafes seeking naturally grown, premium-quality beans. Ethically sourced from micro-lot farms in India, locally roasted Forest Bean inspires a deeper connection to nature and craft.
We spoke to Dr. Pete Poovanna , founder and executive director of Forest Bean Coffee, to find out what makes their beans stand out from the crowd.
Rooted in India, Roasted in Canada
Forest Bean
Forest Bean’s farms are located on the hilly forested heartland of the Indian Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The company was founded by Dr. Poovanna after he moved to Vancouver in 2013 for PhD in sustainable energy engineering, and was struck by Canada’s coffee culture and how our love for it was affecting the environment.
Born and raised in Coorg located in the heart of the Western Ghats himself, he was influenced by his parents’ land management as sixth-generation coffee farmers, and his community’s spiritually-rooted practices called “sacred grove farming.”
source: youtube.com
Determined to make a difference, he launched Forest Bean Inc. to bring sustainably grown Indian coffee to coffee connoisseurs around the world.
The farm
Forest Bean
At Forest Bean’s farms, coffee beans are grown naturally under two-tiered shade on micro-lots with the utmost emphasis on sustainability.
“Sacred grove farming utilizes traditional agroforestry methods, meaning our coffee plants thrive under natural forest shade alongside native flora and fauna,” Dr. Poovanna explains.
We believe protecting the farm by not felling trees or harming wildlife, the reigning deity will protect us in return, and the farmers will prosper. This approach enriches soil naturally, conserves water, and protects the rainforest ecosystem.”
Forest Bean
The farms produce some of the highest quality coffee while providing a natural habitat for a multitude of animals — birds, bugs, wild cats, apes, elephants, and more thrive alongside coffee plants.
Amid widespread greenwashing, Dr. Poovanna emphasizes that true sustainability in coffee production needs to address the entire lifecycle, farming practices included. He explains that only focusing on clean packaging or green transportation ignores the industry’s larger environmental impacts like deforestation and carbon loss during cultivation — something he says actually undermines genuine sustainability efforts.
Time-honoured traditions
Forest Bean
The Forest Bean coffee farmers, who belong to the ancient Kodava and Adivasi communities, employ traditional farming practices. Each bean is handpicked.
“Indian farming traditions are rooted in generations of Indigenous knowledge that prioritize sustainable coexistence with nature. By supporting and collaborating with Indigenous farmers, Forest Bean preserves these time-tested agricultural practices, ensuring cultural sustainability and economic empowerment.”
Forest Bean
The presence of Totem Figurines on our farms shows the deep cultural significance of the coffee forest and surrounding wilderness. Totem Figurines have been scattered throughout the farm for centuries.
Roasted locally in Vancouver
Forest Bean
Forest Bean coffee beans are roasted right here in Vancouver. Due to its unique growing methods, it offers distinct, vibrant flavours. Expect balanced acidity, smooth sweetness, nuanced notes of chocolate, nuts, berries, spices, and a uniquely rich, aromatic complexity.
“Our Bababudangiri single-origin Arabica, washed-process micro-lot, is very popular for its exceptional smoothness and balanced acidity; it’s called Medium Roast NARI , which means Tiger. Our Coorg micro-lot, Italian Espresso roast is also a favourite, known for its bright notes and rich complexity. It’s called MATANGA , meaning Elephant.”
Forest Bean
With every sip, you’re not just enjoying world-class coffee — you’re supporting a movement that values forests, farmers, and the future.
Head over to theforestbean.com to purchase it for yourself or make wholesale enquiries.
