Category Archives: Green Initiatives / Environment

Kodagu: Battling nature’s fury for two years in a row

About Kodagu / Coorg, Business & Economy, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All
In action: For the people of flood-hit region, the presence of rescue personnel has infused a strong sense of security. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In action: For the people of flood-hit region, the presence of rescue personnel has infused a strong sense of security. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Rescue prersonnel tread treacherous terrain in flood-affected Kodagu

Wading through slush, climbing slippery slopes, and battling inclement weather from dawn to night without respite is a matter of routine for the rescue teams stationed in the flood-affected Kodagu.

Rain may have abated but the search for missing persons continued at Thora village late on Wednesday as well, when the rescue teams recovered a body of a person buried in the mud.

The teams include three units of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), a column of the Indian Army, and Garuda — the State Commando team under the Centre for Counter Terrorism, apart from personnel of the Fire and Emergency Services, Civil Defence Quick Response Team, KSRP, and the local police, and hundreds of volunteers. For them it is the second consecutive year of battling a natural calamity in the district.

Thora, the toughest

A senior member of the Garuda team who was part of the mission said Thora was the worst affected this year and was comparable to Jodupala in 2018 in terms of the treacherous nature of the terrain. “There were other places too in Kodagu where people were affected by the overflowing river. But in terms of landslips and mud, Thora reminded one of Jodupala,” said the official. He said it was an impossible situation with a river of mud flowing down the hills and one was not sure if the ground beneath the feet was stable.

The team camped at a place nearly a kilometre away from the main road on sighting a few shreds of clothes and other signs of human habitation, which was otherwise obliterated. “Based on the assessment of the ground situation, we zeroed in on a specific point to dig out the mud and found the buried body,” said the Garuda force member.

The trek back was equally dangerous as they had to carry the body on a stretcher for nearly a kilometre in a terrain where their legs would sink knee deep in mud. They made it back to the base camp late in the night. This was just one of the many missions undertaken during the week when Kodagu was inundated.

For the people of the region, the presence of rescue personnel in their orange outfit — as in the case of the NDRF — has infused a strong sense of security. The Kodagu district administration had ensured the deployment of rescue teams and conducted a few rescue drills before the advent of the southwest monsoon in June. As the first signs of the unfolding crisis emerged, with water rising owing to heavy rain, the rescue teams swung into action to evacuate people to safety.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by R. Krishna Kumar / Mysuru – August 15th, 2019

How a group of eight locals rescued people stuck in flooded homes in Kodagu

Amazing Feats, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nature

Around 50 residents of Kodagu’s Goodugadde village were stranded in their flooded homes on Friday morning.

FloodKF14aug2019

Around 50 residents of Kodagu’s Goodugadde village were stranded in their flooded homes on Friday morning, hoping that help would come before the river Cauvery would take away their lives.

Luckily for Goodugadde’s residents, help came in the form of eight Good Samaritans, who ferried them to safe places through small iron-made coracles.

Mustafa, a 32-year-old activist from Kodagu, suspected that people were stranded in Goodugadde and other villages along the banks of the Cauvery river. Mustafa had heard from the local grapevine that many people had not left their homes despite a flood warning.

At around 6 am on Friday, Mustafa and his friends Ranjith Kumar, Afzal, Iliyas, Shafiq and four others from Siddapura, were anxious as the Dubbare Rafting Team was busy with rescue elsewhere.

Mustafa and his friends rushed to the Siddapura Police Station and requested the police to lend them the iron-made coracle lookalikes that the police had kept in the evidence room, which they had seized when they busted an illegal sand mining ring.

“We call it thappe in Kannada. They are circular, iron made vessels sand miners use to transport sand. It’s smaller than a coracle but bigger than the round vessels used to carry sand in construction sites. We wanted those so we could row it and look for stranded people,” Mustafa explains.

When the group reached Goodugadde, they found several senior citizens, children and middle aged people stranded in their flooded homes. Many were sitting on their rooftops, while some of them clung to trees, waiting for help.

“There were about 50 people. We began rescue at 7am and it went on till 11 am. We lost count of the number of trips we made to bring all of them to safety. They were sent to relief camps in Siddapura. By 12 pm, the Dubbare Rafting Team came to help us and we continued rescue operations in Baradi and Kakkattagadu villages,” Ranjith Kumar says.

Mustafa, Ranjith and the team of local rescuers claim that they are experienced swimmers and that they had volunteered during rescue operations in the floods that hit Kodagu in 2018.

“We have lived along the banks of river Cauvery all our lives. We have a very close relationship with the river and swimming is the first thing we learnt as children. We are expert swimmers and if our skill could be put to use to help people in need, then it’s our duty to help them. What is the point of being an expert at something and not helping those who could benefit from it?” Mustafa says.

Mustafa and his motley crew continue their rescue operations even now. “We will help as much as we can. Our people have seen too much damage due to rains and floods. Currently, we are going back and forth Goodugadde and recovering their belongings,” Mustafa adds.

source: http://www.thenewsminute.com / The News Minute / Home> Karnataka Floods / by Theja Ram / August 10th, 2019

Kodagu’s pride: These women officers led from the front

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders

District deputy commissioner, 33- year- old Annies Kanmani Joy, superintendent of police, 34 -year -old.

SP Suman D. Pennekar
SP Suman D. Pennekar

Mysuru:

As Kodagu hobbles back to normalcy with the flood receding and the rains abating, the people have three young women government officers to thank for helping to contain the loss of life and damage to property by their preparedness for the deluge in light of last year’s disaster.

District deputy commissioner, 33- year- old Annies Kanmani Joy, superintendent of police, 34 -year -old , Dr Suman D Pennekar and 29- year -old zilla panchayat CEO, K Lakshmi Priya, led the rescue and relief operation by the officers of the district administration and the various forces, keeping it coordinated and systematic.

Kodagu ,which received as much as 964.99 mm of rain in a week, saw its plantations and hilly terrain flooded and heavy landslides bring down houses and even entire hillsides, claiming lives and leaving many homeless. At the end of the eight days of mayhem 7,873 people have found shelter at 45 relief centres.

Annies Kanmani Joy
Annies Kanmani Joy

Reflecting on the last week, Ms Annies Kanmani Joy said, “Last year North Kodagu was affected and this year, it was South Kodagu. The last time the rain was intense but less widespread. But this time, the rain was not as heavy, but covered a bigger area and more people were affected.. We had started taking precautionary measures well in advance and so every official was alert. This helped us manage the situation systematically, and contain the damage. Now the challenge ahead is rehabilitation.”

Said Dr Suman Pennekar, “In light of last year’s disaster, we started preparing meticulously six months in advance. We had 60 dedicated police trained in evacuation and rescue and a team of 20 police led by an inspector in the control rooms, which received at least a 100 calls a day and traced the victims. They contacted the concerned teams at ground level, which were formed well in advance by the district administration, who rushed to the spot and rescued and shifted victims to relief centres. While landslides were our focus, as floods was rare situation in Kodagu, we saw more floods. We also faced landslides at two unexpected places, which killed eight people. Operations are on to trace seven others who are missing.” While the Geographical Survey of India (GIS) had already identified 105 sensitive/vulnerable places, the deputy commissioner formed special task forces of the police, fire and emergency services, CHESCOM, PWD, panchayatraj engineering department, NHAI, Pradhan Manthri Gram Sadak Yojana, minor and major irrigation, health, veterinary and forest departments, besides village committees Mock rescue operations too were held.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / by Shilpa P / Deccan Chronicle / August 14th, 2019

Exploring the Waterfalls of Coorg: 6 sites you cannot miss

About Kodagu / Coorg, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

CoorgWaterfallskf10aug2019

I often observe that most people tend to cover the popular and must-see sites or engage in a particular activity when vacationing. Take Coorg for example. Most travelers, including me, have visited this beautiful hill town to discover its rich, aromatic, coffee plantations, stay at a quaint retreat, and do what travel blogs advise us to do. Until I discovered a different characteristic of Coorg in its waterfalls. You heard that right. These sparkling water bodies are the real treasures, hidden from the common sight, waiting to be explored more, but only by those who want to see beyond the obviousness of Coorg. Inspired by my own experience of this unique facet of this scenic hamlet, I made a list of the seven best waterfalls you cannot miss while touring Coorg.

When to travel
While most of these waterfalls are perennial and you can visit them any time of the year, their beauty is enhanced during the monsoon months of June through October. From rocky slopes to thick plantations, or dense mountain bluffs, you will find these waterfalls in various natural settings, each making for a magical sight.

How to explore
The best way to tour Coorg, especially if you want to do a waterfall-hopping trip, is to drive down from the nearest metro city of Bangalore. The taxi fare from Bangalore to Coorg is cheap, and you can easily keep the car with you throughout your tour. Also, when traveling in monsoon, the hilly terrain could be tricky, so I prefer to have an experienced driver take me around instead of me driving.

The Cascades of Coorg

Abbey Falls
About 6 KM from Madikeri town, this is the most popular waterfall of the district and a tourist hotspot. You simply cannot miss this, even if you want to. From the parking area, you have to take a 5-minute walk downhill to reach the falls. During the rainy season, the upper streams of Cauvery River rise in volume and cascade through thick plantations of coffee and spices. For the best view, stop by the hanging bridge, right opposite the falls and enjoy the panorama of cloud-capped mountains.is

Best time to visit: August to November
Timings: 9 AM – 5 PM
Entry Fee: Rs 15 per person.

Iruppu Falls
After Abbey, this is the next best waterfalls in Coorg. About 75 KM south of Madikeri town, Iruppu Falls sits in the Brahmagiri Hills. Note that you cannot drive up to the falls area. Once you park the car at the end of the road, you have to hike for 500 meters, down a steep path. The falls result from the overflowing Lakshmana Tirtha River dropping from a high altitude. The plush surroundings of monsoon greenery and the frothy waters of the falls is definitely a sight to savor.

Chelavara Falls
About 44 KM from Madikeri town, sitting on the edges of the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, you will find the rapid torrents of Chelavara. Tucked amidst dense deciduous forests, this waterfall hides in plain sight, away from the prying eyes of commercial tourism. But those who have managed to discover this like me, have found this to be the most picturesque waterfall of all. With its massive size and water volume, especially during the monsoon, the scenic vistas of Chelavara Falls attracts offbeat travelers and trekkers. It is also called the Emepaare or the ‘tortoise’, owing to the shape of the rock at the pool below.

Mallalli falls
To reach this spectacular waterfall of Coorg, you have to drive to Somwarpet. From there, it is another 26 KM, from where you have to trek through forested trails to reach the catchment area of the falls. Nestled within the Pushpagiri hills, this is a sight to savor.

Best time to visit: July to November

Napandapole Falls
This waterfall is truly a treasure to unravel. If you are a true explorer and an adventurous soul, you will love the torrential flow of the Napandapole Falls, dropping from 120 feet, lying at the foothills of the Kote Betta peak. Surrounded by three smaller waterfalls, and set in rocky terrain, this cascade is a great site for rappelling and invites adventurers from all over. There are plenty of unexplored corners around the falls, which also make for a great hiking destination.

Best time to visit: August to December

Burude Falls
This five-step waterfall is a marvelous and stunning site to explore. Trek through the narrow creeks flanked by forests. If you are traveling Coorg during the peak season and looking for a respite from the bustling crowd in town, the Burude Falls and its surroundings can be the perfect spot for a day trip. Drive for about 29 KM from Madikeri town, and then hike for 1 KM to reach the falls.

My travel tips:

If you are traveling directly from the airport, get an affordable and dependable Bangalore airport taxi for your Coorg tour.

When trekking around waterfalls in the monsoon, always wear well-gripping shoes.

Some waterfalls are remotely located, so be prepared for long walks, and stay hydrated.

source: http://www.headlinesoftoday.com / Headlines of Today / Home> Sponsored Content / by Team HOT / August 10th, 2019

70 Groups Come Together To Preserve Green Cover In Kodagu

About Kodagu / Coorg, Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nature

Over 400 volunteers to plant 50,000 seed balls, 10,000 saplings near Anechowkur on July 27

GreenCoverKF31jul2019

Mysuru:

Year-by-year weakening of regular rainfall in Kodagu and depleting green cover along the Cauvery River basin and the resultant shortage of water has made environmentally conscious groups to come together to organise a massive tree-plantation drive in Kodagu, the principal catchment of Cauvery.

An initiative taken up by Kodavaame, Team Roots of Kodagu, Kodagu Jawa Yezdi Motorcycle Club and Forest Department of Karnataka, TATA Coffee, Madikeri Akashavani, Kodava Samaja Bengaluru and over 72 organisations and voluntary groups from Kodagu, Mysuru, Bengaluru and Chennai are coming together for the tree-plantation drive on July 27 from 9 am onwards near Anechowkur Gate, Thithimathi Forest Range in Kodagu under the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve.

This plantation drive is kick-started by individual volunteers to help rejuvenate and rebuild green cover in Kodagu. Volunteers have sourced more than 50,000 seed balls to be planted during the drive and the Forest Department will provide 10,000 saplings of various wild species that are native to Kodagu and the Nagarahole forests.

Kodavaame initiated this annual tree-planting drive three years back and last year, saplings were planted at Aanekaadu forest near Kushalnagar.

Speaking to Star of Mysore yesterday, Shammi Belliappa of Team Roots of Kodagu said that the Forest Department will identify the places where saplings are to be planted and all the necessary permissions and approvals have been taken.

“Different groups and individuals are coming together in Kodagu to work towards the common goal of protecting the flora and fauna. This event can be an ideal start to a great new direction in Kodagu and further can spread to other districts,” he said and added that as it is an annual event, the next plantation initiative is likely to be taken up at Chennangi in Kodagu.

All volunteers have been directed to wear water-proof jackets, rain coats and gum boots or rain shoes. While many volunteers will be grouped to plant saplings and seed balls, the rest will look into the supply of logistics and will ensure smooth traffic flow.

Organisers are expecting over 400 volunteers and as it is a Tiger Reserve, the volunteers will strictly follow the instructions from the Forest Department, he said.

While Lions Club-Gonikoppal and Rotary Club Kushalnagar will provide food and beverages for the volunteers, Kodava Samaja, Bengaluru, will sponsor the free bus ride to and fro for volunteers who are travelling for this greening event.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star Of Mysore / Home> News / July 24th, 2019

Telemetric Water Gauge At KRS, Harangi

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology

HarangiDam01KF29jul2019

Provides sensor-based online real-time data on storage level to officials in New Delhi

Madikeri/Mysuru:

Telemetric Water Gauge has been installed at Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam in Mandya district and also at Harangi Dam in Kodagu for sensor-based real-time data on the storage level, inflow and outflow of the reservoirs.

The installation comes weeks after an Internal Committee of Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) visited the two Dams in the first week of June this year. The team, after studying the water levels and reporting mechanisms, had decided to set up Online Monitoring System for all the reservoirs in Cauvery Basin through Telemetry-based Real-time Data Acquisition and Transmission.

The facility transmits data to CWMA Office in New Delhi and the authorities who decide on the water release as mandated by Supreme Court need not wait for the data from the Dams. They can easily access the data through the Telemetry Transmission system.

No room for errors: All these years, the authority sitting in New Delhi had to obtain data from each reservoir every day to determine the storage levels, inflow and outflow. This system was prone to errors as the people manning the Dams take physical measurements. Now with the new system, errors are eliminated and accurate real-time data can be accessed, making the decision-making process easy and accurate.

The Union Government has constituted the CWMA and and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) as directed by the Supreme Court and an Internal Committee comprising Irrigation experts from the Cauvery Basin States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry has been formed.

HarangiDam02KF29jul2019

Real-time data acquisition

During their visit, the CWMA team discussed real-time data acquisition and transmission, installation of water-level sensors, flow rate sensors at all canals / outlets taking off from all the eight Reservoirs coming under Cauvery Basin and technical issues such as capacity enhancement of Dams, safety of Dams, prevention of leakages, modernisation of canals for prevention of seepage, etc.

The new advanced telemetry system has been installed based on the directions from CWRC. Sources said that such a system has been installed at Reservoirs including Hemavathy, Harangi, Kabini and KRS in Karnataka and in Banasura Dam at Kerala and Lower Bhavani, Amaravathi and Mettur dams in Tamil Nadu.

On mobiles

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, Vasudev, Assistant Executive Engineer of Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited (CNNL) that manages KRS and Harangi, said that the Telemetric Water Gauge gives live data to CWMA and CWRC authorities and they can access the data at any given point of time on their mobile phones.

The system transmits live data from the Dams and an exclusive cell has been set up at CWMA Office in New Delhi to receive the data and send them real-time through mobile phones. “With this system, now no one can bluff the CWMA by constantly claiming more water, hiding the real storage level data at the Dams. Even the CNNL authorities can access the data,” he said.

The data will measure minute details about number of canals and their location, water levels inside the canals, their turbulence, number of sluice gates, size of gates and the amount of water discharged from the crest gates. It also records spill- over water.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / July 26th, 2019

‘Roots of Kodagu’ campaign from today

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All

Under the campaign, ‘Roots of Kodagu’, local youth have pledged to plant 60,000 saplings on Mysuru-Kodagu National Highway with the objective of protecting River Cauvery, the lifeline of Southern Karnataka.

The campaign will be flagged off from Anechowkooru border within the limits of social forest on July 27.

The saplings will be planted and seed balls will be sown particularly in the forest area which was engulfed by fire.

The programme will be carried out under the guidance of the Forest Department. Around 70 organisations had pledged support to the campaign. As many as 400 volunteers were expected to take part in the event.

Say Tree organisation of Bengaluru had provided 50,000 seed balls and the Forest Department had given 10,000 saplings for the campaign.

The organisers said that fruit-bearing plants and the plants in tune with the climate of Kodagu will be planted in large numbers. These plants will act as sources of food for wild animals. This will not only minimise human-animal conflicts but also will improve the groundwater table.

Besides conducting the campaign, volunteers will also create awareness about afforestation. They will urge the public to plant saplings during family functions in order to commemorate the event.

The main objective of ‘Roots of Kodagu’ is to recreate the green forest cover in Kodagu, which will protect River Cauvery, said the volunteers.

The programme encourages collective responsibility in the preservation of River Cauvery.

“One should understand that if River Cauvery is protected, everyone stands protected,” stressed ‘Roots of Kodagu’ volunteer Chendanda Shami Madaiah.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DH News Service, Ponnampet / July 26th, 2019

Appointed As Hon. Wildlife Warden Of Kodagu District

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

The President of Coorg Wildlife Society (CWS) K.C. Biddappa has been appointed as the Honorary Wildlife Warden of Kodagu District by the State Government in recognition of his service in protecting the wildlife and environment, according to a press release.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Briefs / July 24th, 2019

Alexander Takes Charge As Mysuru Division DCF

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Records, All

AlexanderKF23jul2019

Mysuru:

Alexander has taken charge as the Mysuru Division Deputy Conservation of Forests (DCF) – Wildlife.

The post was lying vacant following the transfer of DCF Sidramappa Chalkapure about four months ago.

Alexander took charge as the new DCF (Wildlife) from DCF Dr. K.C. Prashanth Kumar, who was holding the additional post.

A native of Ammathi, Virajpet taluk in Kodagu district, Alexander joined the Forest Department as the Range Forest Officer (RFO) in 1985 and has served in Mysuru, Nagarahole, Kodagu, Bengaluru, Hassan, Mangaluru and other places. He was promoted as DCF in 2014 and was serving in Karnataka State Forest Industries Corporation.

The State Government has now transferred Alexander as the DCF (Wildlife) for Mysuru Division.

Complete in-charge of Dasara elephants and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary come under his limit.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / July 22nd, 2019

This eco-friendly school in Coorg will also teach students to preserve the environment – all for free

Education, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Morning Glory, a school located in Coorg, Karnataka, will soon teach underprivileged students about waste segregation, conservation of natural resources using natural educational aids.

Education is an important tool for survival in today’s world. So is knowing how to preserve the environment and ensuring that future generations don’t bear the brunt of our poor living choices. And combining education and eco-friendly initiatives is Morning Glory, a school in Coorg, Karnataka.

The school, which has been set up exclusively for the children of plantation workers, tribal communities, and the underprivileged in the Siddapura district, will not charge any fees either.

Morning Glory, a school in Coorg, Karnataka.
Morning Glory, a school in Coorg, Karnataka.

Managed by Bangalore-based educational foundation Building Blocks and funded by the Orange County Resorts & Hotels Ltd (now also known as Evolve Back), Morning Glory teaches its students about various eco-friendly moves. Speaking to Edex Live about the school, Evolve Back Executive Director Jose Ramapuram said,

“Morning Glory is an initiative to create a clean, healthy, and environment-friendly atmosphere for young underprivileged children to learn. We want children to grow with an understanding of environmental sustainability and the need to preserve mother nature. This all-inclusive free school is our way of giving back to the community that has been a backbone to our growth and success.”

Here, the children will be trained according to their age on various environmental practices and the importance of conserving the environment. For instance, children would be taught the 3Rs (Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse) through stories, songs, visual arts, and activities.

Further, to make students capable of taking care of plants, the school has a garden where the kids will be taught how to care for and respect vegetation.

Children will also be taught about waste segregation practices, and the conservation of natural resources, and will learn with natural educational aids like leaves, pebbles, rocks, sticks, and pressed flowers.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Institution Manager Anish Kanti said,’

“Usage of plastic has been reduced to the maximum extent possible. Along with the school structure, the equipment within the school such as the chairs and tables too are designed to reflect the vintage concept. This is done to create a homely atmosphere for the children.”

An English-medium school, Morning Glory will also provide books, bags and other things necessary for the children, including two free meals per day. As many as 40 children have already enrolled in the school for this academic year.

(Edited by Evelyn Ratnakumar)

source: http://www.yourstory.com / Your Story / Home> Social Story / by Think Change India , edited by Evelyn Ratnakumar / July 16th, 2019