Category Archives: Green Initiatives / Environment

Rampant land conversion in Kodagu leads to reduced flow of water in Cauvery

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

Kodagu district is the major watershed and catchment for the Cauvery and has witnessed rampant conversion of not just forest land but also wetlands and coffee plantations.

Water flowing from a dam across the Cauvery river. (File | EPS)
Water flowing from a dam across the Cauvery river. (File | EPS)

Bengaluru :

With 2,800 acres of land converted for commercial purposes in the last decade in Kodagu district, environmentalists decry the continuing change in land use and say it has decreased the annual flow of water in the Cauvery.

Kodagu district is the major watershed and catchment for the Cauvery and has witnessed rampant conversion of not just forest land but also wetlands and coffee plantations.

The statistics revealed by the district authorities are shocking as between 2005 and 2015, more than 2,800 acres of paddy field, coffee plantations and highlands were converted to residential layouts, sites, commercial complexes and resorts.

Col C P Muthanna, president, Coorg Wildlife Society said, “We have received this data from the district authorities as a reply to our RTI application. This is a matter of grave concern as the tiny district is the lifeline of not only south Karnataka but also Tamil Nadu. The river’s catchment areas have made way for buildings … the district has also been losing its tree cover to infrastructure projects, high tension power lines and railway lines.”

The Coorg Wildlife Society has met the district authorities in this regard and submitted a memorandum highlighting how large scale conversion of wetlands/highlands without even getting a NoC from the gram panchayats have taken off and legalised later by paying bribes. They have requested the authorities concerned to carry out a site inspection in the three taluks and a proper assessment on conversions. Col Muthanna adds, “The DC has tentatively agreed to our request. Further, we have requested for a study on carrying capacity of tourism in Kodagu that may finally result in policy measures for sustainable tourism.”

Environmental activist Sundar Muthanna, who has started an online petition ‘Stop the two railway tracks to Kodagu and Save Cauvery River’ and addressed it to PM and 14 others says, “Implementing the two railway lines will involve cutting of lakhs of trees in the catchment region. Kodagu has already lost 54,000 trees for a high tension power line to Kerala and now hundreds of fresh applications for conversions are pending with the department. Land conversion seems to be the government term for ‘ecological suicide’.”

Railways and highways are being planned to promote tourism and business. “When tree-holding agricultural land is converted for commercial purposes, the trees are cut for construction activities. In river catchment area, less trees is … simply put … less river. The Cauvery went completely dry in Kodagu in March this year … we don’t seem capable of understanding the many warnings that nature is giving us,” Muthanna says.

Environmentalists say a study done by researchers of Indian Institute of Science has already revealed the decreasing water flows to the Cauvery from the catchment areas of the district. Prof T V Ramachandra, head of Wetland and Energy Research Group, IISc headed this study — Modelling Hydrologic Regime of Lakshmanthirtha Watershed, River Cauvery. The study outlines how change in land use in Kodagu has decreased the flows into Cauvery. The assessment showed that out of five watersheds, four had high deficiency of water for over three months.

Kodagu DC was not available for her comments.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / June 13th, 2018

Codavas On A Mission To Nourish Cauvery Back To Health

About Kodagu / Coorg, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Leaders, Nature, Records, All

Snapshot

Codavas are seeking living entity status for Cauvery – the lifeline of South Karnataka-Tamil Nadu.
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As politicians try to gain political mileage out of the controversy over the sharing of Cauvery river water between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Codavas – the original inhabitants of Kodagu – have embarked on a novel journey. This could one day give Cauvery river, the lifeline of South Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the ‘living entity status’ like Ganga, Yamuna and Narmada. It will be also on the lines of the special status that Whanganhi River of New Zealand, which is very dear to the original inhabitants Maori tribe, enjoys.

Called “Codavas separatists”, these inhabitants have been demanding a separate state since 1957. In fact, Kodagu enjoyed ‘C’ Grade statehood before Independence. Consecutive state governments in Karnataka have not protected the antiquity of Codavas and did nothing to give them special status despite being a miniscule minority in terms of population, allege the Codava National Council (CNC) activists.

Several times they had objected to the way river Cauvery is being abused and overexploited for socio-political and economic reasons. “We have been pointing out to the government that Cauvery river is not in her full health and we need to take corrective measures, but none of the governments did anything. Which is why we have organised a vehicular jatha, a convoy of vehicles with Codavas and Codavathis (women Codavas) from Talacauvery (birthplace) of Cauvery river to the last point of the river in Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu. This is an awareness campaign to let people know how the Cauvery is shrinking and how to nourish her back to her pristine beauty and girth,” said CNC president N U Nachappa.

River Cauvery is one among seven sacred (sapta nadi) rivers of the Vedic period and they are Ganga, Yamuna, Sindhu, Saraswati, Narmada, Godavari and Cauvery. Thankfully, other rivers are now under rejuvenation process with Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledging his full support to the rejuvenation and cleansing of Ganga. This has motivated the states like Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Maharashtra to take up rejuvenation of their rivers seriously.

However, Karnataka has not done anything to protect Cauvery river despite the river losing girth and inflow steadily. At many places, it is being polluted. “This apathy has hurt us, and after many failed appeals we have decided to kickstart a people’s movement to save Cauvery. She takes birth in our district and nourishes several lakhs of hectares of land and quenches the thirst of the crores of people. It becomes our responsibility to let the people know her condition. She nourishes our crops and has two southern rice bowls for India, one in Mandya in Karnataka another in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. She is the lifeline of the south,” says Nachappa.

There are already instances where the governments in Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and even New Zealand are giving rivers a new lease of life by according “living entity” status. River Saraswati disappeared centuries ago and such a thing should not happen to Cauvery, say Codavas, who took part in the expedition.

The CNC has urged the governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the United Nations Organisation and the International Water Dispute Tribunal to accord special status to the Cauvery river. The five-day jatha to Poompuhar from Talacauvery also witnessed visits to temples of Tamil Nadu that are built along the course of the Cauvery river. “It was not just evoking the divine grace for the river’s welfare but we also talked and engaged with the local people on the importance at Salem, Rasipuram, Tiruchirapalli, Thanjavur and Myiladuthurai.”

As per the legends, great Sage Agastya had his seat of learning in Kodagu on the banks of Cauvery. Until 1956, Kodagu was politically a powerful C grade state of the Indian Union. Codavas consider the reorganisation of states under the State Re-organisation Act, 1956 a great geo-political catastrophe of the 20th century for them. Cauvery and Kodagu were synonymous with each other.

R Sridhar, a scholar on Cauvery in Bengaluru, analysed why Cauvery is losing girth. “In the name of development, we have reduced the value of our rivers, which is a general situation. In the Cauvery basin, we have killed many tributaries like Arkavathi and Kanva rivers. While Arkavathi was killed at its source in Bengaluru by drying the river and creating housing projects, Kanva river has been reduced to a rivulet, and most part of the year except in monsoons, it is dry. I remember the Tamil Nadu government making a case with the Supreme Court stating that the Cauvery river was contaminated with sewage and industrial effluents and chemicals. But I still think the Cauvery river gets an inflow of 740 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) water during a typical monsoon season. But the utilisation of river water has trebled in the last 20 years, which is why Cauvery has slendered down in girth. Check dams have been constructed in many districts along the Cauvery’s course in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to store water, another reason for it to become slender. But it is never too late for taking up a drive like the CNC has taken up, which is laudable.”

However, things are presently fluid as the governments have demanded constitution of a Cauvery river water management board of which shape of things to come is not certain, Sridhar said.

President of the Delta Farmers Forum at Tiruchirapalli, Pandit Ramdas, hailed the expedition. “This is the first effort that has kindled hopes of better future for the river Cauvery and also to the users of her waters. I am sure the governments will take notice of it. Codavas are not only martial heroes but also die-hard conservationists of their heritage land, their efforts to conserve the river Cauvery was a heroic event just like their innumerable wars with invaders which they won”.

*Route Map of the Mission on Cauvery was Talacauvery in Kodagu – Mysore, Hogenakkal, Dharmapuri, Mettur Dam, Salem, Rasipuram, Namakkal, Paramathiveleur, Mohnaur, Tottiyam, Musiri, Mukkombu, Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Thanjavur, Ayyampettai, Papanasam, Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai, Sempanarkoil, Mudikandanallur, Melayur and Poomphar (Cauvery Pattinam) the final destination.

*Cauvery jatha as they called it was fascinated by the site where world’s first dam built over sand by the legendary Tamil emperor Karikala Cholan during 1st century AD. This grand Anekat, dam is built across river Cauvery Vennar at Kallanai and still stands.

*With this expedition the Codavas have begun a new people to people friendship with Tamil Nadu, while the politicos on both states choose to take the political route to the Cauvery water sharing and in the bargain foment and fuel inter-state unrest.

*What is living entity?

The concept of river being given the same rights and duties as a human being is new to India, the first to do was Equador in South America its constitution provided this right to many rivers within in its geographical area, recently New Zealand gave such rights to Whanganui River. The river will have all the rights and duties that a citizen has. The rivers endowed with such status will not be treated as property of the state or a nation but will have right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles. The river will have its own identity and will get the same protection that the human beings get.

Raghuram hails from coastal Karnataka and writes on communal politics.

source: http://www.swarajyamag.com / Swarajya / Home> Ideas / by M Raghuram / June 03rd, 2018

Signature campaign against smoking zones begins

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All

The Consortium for Tobacco Free Karnataka (CFTFK) launched the ‘One million signature campaign’ as part of the World No Tobacco Day on Thursday.

Bengaluru :

The Consortium for Tobacco-Free Karnataka (CFTFK) launched the ‘One million signature campaign’ as part of the World No Tobacco Day on Thursday. The campaign will demand strict regulation policy on the sale of tobacco products and removal of ‘smoking zones’ in restaurants and bars across the state to safeguard non-smoker’s health.

A memorandum with 10 lakh signatories will also be submitted to the state government demanding appropriate measures to protect children from easy access to tobacco products and exposure to tobacco advertisement and to protect the health of non-smokers.

International athlete and Arjuna awardee Arjun Devaiah launched the campaign which is likely to continue for next eight months.To spread more awareness about the risks associated with tobacco use, CFTFK also launched information kiosks at crowded public places.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / May 31st, 2018

Mini hydel project in Kodagu gets green signal

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All

A mini hydel project across River Kumaradhara which was constructed and commissioned in 2014 in pristine forest lands of Kodagu district has now got the green signal.

Bengaluru :

A mini hydel project across River Kumaradhara which was constructed and commissioned in 2014 in pristine forest lands of Kodagu district has now got the green signal. The Regional Empowered Committee (REC), south zone, Ministry of Environment and Forests, has cleared the project but questioned the state government’s decision to allot forest land for non-forestry purposes and further directed them to furnish a report.

The Kodagu Hydel Projects Pvt Ltd was sanctioned in pristine semi-evergreen and evergreen forest land in the Pushpagiri hill ranges of Kumaralli village, Madikeri division for implementing the 3 MW capacity Beedalli Mini Hydel Project. After the project took off in 2014, the DCF, Madikeri division issued notices to the company to submit the proposal for diversion of forest land under Forest (Conservation) Act, (FCA),1980 and to stop work till the necessary approval is obtained. Further, the CCF, Kodagu division reported that though the company was granted two acres, it was occupying more than 2.35 acres excluding the road, building and transmission lines.

Meanwhile, the company filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court and the court noted that the then DC, Kodagu district in 2007, had granted two acres of land in Survey No. 1/9 of Kumaralli village in Somwarpet taluk for establishing this hydel project. So, on the directions of the HC, the company submitted a proposal under FCA, 1980. Further, the state government was directed to process the application and send it to the central government as the company had already spent `13 crore on the project.

Joint Inspection Report

The report submitted by the joint inspection team clearly says the state government had violated all rules while allotting the land. Further, as per the DSS analysis done, the proposed area is inviolate as it violates hydrological rules. The area proposed for diversion comes under 250 metre buffer area of river Kumaradhara, a major water body in Kodagu.

Added to this, the findings of DCF (Central) states that the proposed forest area falls under Eco-Class 1 (dense forest). The area where the power house is built and official buildings are constructed had thick riverine vegetation and now some remnants are left in the field. Many known and rare species are found here.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Meera Bhardwaj, Express News Service / May 12th, 2018

In the land of tigers and elephants, voters matter little

About Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All
Neglected: A tribal hamlet at Kollangere in the Nagarahole National Park where no candidate has campaigned for votes. | Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM
Neglected: A tribal hamlet at Kollangere in the Nagarahole National Park where no candidate has campaigned for votes. | Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM

Few candidates want to invest their time and resources to reach interiors of Nagarahole forests to seek votes from Jenu Kurubas.

The dense jungles of the Nagarahole National Park, 60 km from here, are an unlikely setting for the heat and dust of an election campaign.

The national park where nearly 90 tigers and 800 elephants roam free in their natural habitat is a no-go area for the general public, except for the guided safari. But there are about 1,250 Jenu Kurubas — an indigenous tribal community — still living in the national park and approaching them is inevitable during election times when every vote matters. But few candidates want to invest their time and resources to reach the forest interior, given the lack of easy access to the hamlets and the distance to be commuted.

Kolangere — a tribal hamlet of about 25 families — is a case in point. It is located about 20 km from the Veeranahosahalli checkpost gate at the entry of Nagarahole from the Hunsur side and around 35 km from Nanchi gate from the Kutta side.

The meandering potholed road is open only from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. during which there is limited access to vehicles. There are 29 votes in this hamlet which falls under the Virajpet Assembly segment in Kodagu district. The nearest polling booth is at Moorkal, about 6 km by walk through the jungles, but there is a motorable road leading to it.

“No MLA has visited any of the tribal hamlet so far, but their representatives approach us for votes once in five years,” said Muthanna, a Jenu Kuruba.

The adivasis subsist on roots and minor forest produce. Though their needs are few, they work in coffee plantations in Kodagu to earn a living.

“All we seek is a settlement on the forest boundary along the elephant-proof trenches but our requests are rejected,” said Mr. Muthanna whose community has refused to relocate away from the forests.

Political awareness

It is the same scenario at Nagarahole, Nanachigadde Haadi, Gonigadde, Kolle Haadi, Tattekere or Kumbarkatte. But not withstanding the indifference of politicians, political awareness among the tribal people has increased over the years.

“Jenu Kurubas have traditionally supported the Congress. But the new generation has different views,” said Sanappa, head of the tribal community who relocated from the forests to Nagapura at Veeranahosahalli. Drinking water scarcity, lack of basic health care and educational facilities, and unemployment plague them even after relocation. The tribal people who volunteered to be relocated in 1998 were promised 5 acres of land as compensation, but 20 years on, it is yet to be fully implemented. “Yet there is no talk of boycott as we are hopeful that the government will act,” said Kalappa, a resident of Nagapura.

Survey under way

But a section of the adivasis of Nagapura whose patience is running out, launched an agitation on January 26, 2018, which lasted 75 days, forcing the authorities to take up a survey to demarcate the land. “We have now adopted a wait-and-watch policy on whether to boycott the polls or not in view of the ongoing survey,” said M.B. Prabhu, a tribal leader spearheading the agitation.

Tribals in Hunsur threaten poll boycott

Jenu Kuruba tribals from six hamlets in Hunsur have threatened to boycott the elections if their long-pending demands for proper rehabilitation and land allotment are not fulfilled.

The hamlets come under Hunsur Assembly constituency and banners announcing poll boycott have come up in some of them. There are about 300 families in these six hamlets and they account for at least 1,000 votes. The boycott threat indicates their frustration, according to Sreekant of Development Through Education, an NGO working for uplifting tribals. “Their language betrays their feelings and it is the successive governments that are to blame for the sad state of affairs as [the tribals] are left begging and pleading for basic amenities,” he said.

The hamlets that have called for election boycott include Hebbala, Neralakupe B. Haadi, Billanahosahalli and Chikkejejjur. Though the local authorities have been directed to prevail upon the tribals not to boycott the polls, DEED has sought the intervention of the Assistant Commissioner to end the impasse.

“He should visit the hamlets affected, understand the condition of these communities and list out the pending works for their comprehensive rehabilitation. Though most of the demands are outside his immediate purview, the Assistant Commission can make recommendations to improve their living conditions,” Mr. Sreekant said.

The demands include land allotment as part of the rehabilitation package that was promised to the tribals when they were shifted from Nagarahole and clearing land encroachment reported in 10 hamlets.

Tribal communities threatening to boycott elections is not something new, and they always end up exercising their franchise, according to DEED. But the larger message being sent out is the failure of the authorities to fulfil the promises made decades ago.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Elections> Karnataka 2018 / by R. Krishna Kumar / Mysuru – April 30th, 2018

Karnataka: Solar fencing of Thithimathi forest begins

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Records, All

The tentacle solar fencing project, aimed at reducing man-elephant conflict in Kodagu district, kick started in Kushalnagar-Thithimathi forest range.

Madikeri :

The tentacle solar fencing project, aimed at reducing man-elephant conflict in Kodagu district, kick started in Kushalnagar-Thithimathi forest range. The 67.91 lakh project will have improved fencing hanging from 20 ft above and promises to keep the check the conflict.

Green tall posts were planted beside the roads bordering Maldare and Chikka Reshme forest area and steel wires were hung from these posts as opposed to the earlier fences that ran across the polls vertically. Solar power generation systems too were connected and had a tagline ‘save wildlife, save forest’ imprinted on them.

Forest officials confirmed that the fencing would be carried out across 24 km of the stretch. One km fencing with two posts will cost `2.80 lakh and the tender for this project was grabbed by Mysuru bidder Ambarish Gowda.

While the old solar fences in the range were blamed for their under-maintenance, the new project promises to overcome this issue as the bidder has signed the contract agreeing upon to maintain the installed solar fences for a span of three years.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / April 20th, 2018

Youngsters clean River Cauvery at Srirangapatna

Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nature
Around fifty youths mostly professionals at various sectors volunteered themselves to clean up the Cavuery River at Srirangapatna taluk on Sunday
Around fifty youths mostly professionals at various sectors volunteered themselves to clean up the Cavuery River at Srirangapatna taluk on Sunday

Mysuru:

Around 50 youngsters, mostly professionals in various sectors, volunteered to clean the Cauvery at Srirangapatna on Sunday.

Uniting under the banner, ‘Yuva Brigade’, the youngsters assembled bear the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, and cleared the river of plastic and cloth dumped in the waterbody.

Members from the Mysuru-based NGO Swachanda also participated in the programme.

“We arrived at the banks of the river around 6am, and started to fish plastic and cloths from the Cauvery. This went on till 11am. We cleared around two truckloads of garments dumped by devotees in the river. The waste removed from the river was transported to the designated dumpyard,” Swachanda member BK Purushotham told TOI.

Members of the ‘Yuva Brigade’ led by social activist Chakravarthi Sulibele, have initiated a campaign to clean the Cauvery starting from Talacauvery to Srirangapatna. The campaign started on April 12.

The campaign is called ‘Jeeva Nadige Jeeva Thmbi (Infuse life into the river that is our lifeline)’. On Thursday, cleaning started at Siddapura, while the river was cleaned at Kushalnagar on Friday, Ramanathapura on Saturday, before the activists proceeded to Srirangapatna on Sunday.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City News> Mysore News / Times News Network / April 16th, 2018

A symbiotic bond with tribal communities

About Kodagu / Coorg, Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nature

For 38-year-old S Thanaraj, a visit to study the impact on the lifestyle of Paliyar tribal community due to globalisation in 2006 was a life changing moment. He was impressed by how tribal communities embrace nature and live in forests complementing each other.

A native of Radhapuram in Tirunelveli, he shifted to Madurai to pursue law. Being a dalit, Thanaraj has witnessed caste discrimination at a very young age. He always stood against it and had the tendency of helping others since childhood. This came true after his formal education, when he turned an activist. The law graduate has worked in various areas like youth empowerment, environment and total prohibition by joining hands with various organisations including CESCI, Ekta Parishad and People’s Education for Action and Liberation.

Thanaraj became an Adivasi activist after he extensively worked with the Paliyars, educating them about the Forest Act which ensures their right over forest land. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act passed in 2006 promises tribal rights over agriculture land which traditional belonged to them, accessing forest produces and right to protect and manage the forest, which had been denied for long.

“I went to educate them, but ended up learning so many things from them. Their life is an exemplary one in conserving forest, which needs to be learnt by all. I have taken these lessons to over 1.5 lakh school and college students so far,” Thanaraj said.

For instance, Adivasis do not kill pregnant animals for meat. When they collect roots, they plant more and they never cut living trees, they only use dead trees. They treat woman equally and encourage widow remarriage. There is no dowry system either, said Thanaraj.
While he worked for Paliyars till 2008, he expanded his horizon and started working for various communities like Kadar in Valparai and Anaimalai, Malasar in Amaravathi, Udumalaipettai and Anaimalai, Muduvan in the interior forests of Theni and Valparai forests and Mahamalasar from Anaimalai and Topslip.

Thanaraj’s has a strategy in empowering the Adivasi community. To create leaders among them, unite them to retrieve their rights over forest and defend themselves from exploitation, he along with the organisations he works for help Adivasis in various areas in the state by getting them housing facility and agricultural land. Only recently, Kadar tribe from 24 villages in and around Valparai in Coimbatore received 10 acres of land after several stages of protest.
Thanaraj has taken part in various national-wide protests carried out to ensure the rights of Adivasis. He has also organised many state-level protests demanding total prohibition. He has also extensively worked in the Tsunami rescue and rehabilitation throughout the TN coast. He also played active role in the protests against Sterlite and Koodankulam nuclear plant.

Thanaraj was lucky to get married to a like-minded person like K M Leelavathi, a daughter of a tribal leader from Coorg, in 2010. An MSW graduate, she too joined him in the work towards helping deprived communities. Recently, he joined the Centre for Justice and People and continues his work towards Adivasi empowerment.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City News> Madurai News / TNN / April 11th, 2018

Homemade Coffee Scrub For Glowing Skin And Healthy Hair

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

Coffee is an ultimate go-to beverage for all the caffeine lovers. It’s caffeine content is enough to give your lazy mornings an energetic start. Apart from giving a morning jolt, its antioxidant properties can help in keeping the skin nourished and healthy, provided it is consumed in moderation. Coffee also increases the blood flow in the body, which in turn enhances the collagen production. Your favourite kitchen ingredient can do wonders for your skin and hair as well. There are several scrubs available in the market that claim of making the skin brighter and healthier, however most of them are quite expensive and full of chemical substances. It’s always better to use organic components on your skin which can give you better results than the chemical-based ones. Here in this article, we shall explain how these bite-sized coffee beans can provide with skin and hair benefits. All you need is coffee grounds, brown sugar,honey and olive oil.Coffee Scrub For Skin

1. Mix half cup of coffee beans, 1 cup brown sugar and two third cup of olive oil in a bowl. You may add 1 teaspoon of virgin honey as well. Stir well.
2. Take the coffee scrub and apply it all over your face and neck.

3. While applying the coffee scrub, make sure that skin is moist as coffee is corrosive in nature. It’s always better to apply it on moist skin to prevent skin irritation.

4. Once it is done, wet your hands a little bit and start rubbing gently in a circular motion for about 7-8 minutes. Rinse it off with the help of lukewarm water.

CoffeeBeansScrub02KF04apr2018

Note: If you don’t have olive oil, you can even make this scrub with the help of coconut oil, almond oil, nut oil or any other essential oil as per your preference.

This scrub will help in shedding the dead skin. Since coffee is a great antioxidant, it will protect the skin from acne breakouts too. Apart from skin, you can even use this coffee scrub for your hair. The acids present in the coffee beans can enhance the texture of the hair to a significant extent.

Coffee Hair Mask For Hair

To make a coffee hair mask, you will require coffee beans and water. Mix both the ingredients well until a thick paste is formed. With the help of your fingers, apply it all over your head and wash it off with water once it is done.

So, what are you waiting for? Bring this secret kitchen ingredient to your rescue right away!

Disclaimer:

The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

source: http://www.food.ndtv.com / NDTV Food / by Natasha Chopra / February 19th, 2018

AoL launches ambitious Cauvery rejuvenation project

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature
File image of river Cauvery.
File image of river Cauvery.

Bengaluru :

After a string of implementations of rejuvenation projects for over 35 rivers and tributaries in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, The Art of Living (AoL), in association with the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RDPR), has launched the Cauvery Rejuvenation Project in Kodagu. Phase one of this project is expected to benefit 1.5 lakh people in 10 gram panchayats.

The first phase will see the construction of 751 water recharge structures across the district. The AoL works with a team of hydrogeologists and experts in Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), geotechnical groups and information technology groups who have prepared a comprehensive watershed management program.

They provide infrastructure and mobilise people of the area through capacity building measures such as meditation programs, skill development and leadership trainings to work for the implementation of the project. With a majority of the districts in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu depending on Cauvery water for irrigation, and Bengaluru getting most of its water supply from this river, project directors are hopeful that this solution would help make more water available in both the states.

AoL founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar advised the locals to safeguard the catchment area of the river by planting locally suitable trees, cleaning even the smallest of streams and avoiding construction of big structures in the area. He was joined by the MP of Mysore and Coorg, Pratap Simha and KG Bopiah, MLA of Virajpet.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / March 28th, 2018