Monthly Archives: June 2020

Kodagu has huge scope for fish cultivation: Kota Srinivas Poojary

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature
Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary conducts a review meeting in Madikeri on Wednesday.
Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary conducts a review meeting in Madikeri on Wednesday.

Madikeri :

Noting that Kodagu has ample opportunities for fish cultivation, Minister for Muzrai, Fisheries, Port and Inland Transport, Kota Srinivas Poojary felt the need to carry out serious efforts in this regard.

Chairing a meeting at Zilla Panchayat auditorium in Madikeri on Wednesday, he lauded the efforts of coffee growers who have been carrying out fish cultivation in their private ponds in the plantations.

The minister meanwhile directed the officials from the fisheries department to rear the best varieties of fish in Harangi fish rearing centre and provide fingerlings to interested farmers

“Innovative ideas with respect to fish breeding should be brought into effect,” he said.

Fisheries department assistant director K T Darshana said that a total of 1,886 hectares of area in Harangi reservoir is being utilized for fish rearing and has been handed over to Kaveri Meenugarara Sahakara Sangha.

Similarly, 105 hectares in Chiklihole has been handed over to the cooperative society, through tender-cum-auctioning. There are 200 fishermen, 95 fish vendors and 2,000 fish cultivators in the district, she said.

The official said that six lakes under fisheries department, 506 lakes under various Gram Panchayats, 3,000 private lakes, nine ponds and two riversides in the district have been handed over to Kodagu Vanyajeevi Samrakshana Sangha on a contract basis.

“Sale of 4,000 kg to 5,000 kg fish takes place in the district on a daily basis. Kodagu is among the first 10 districts which have the highest sale of fish. The total production capacity of fish in the district is 3,582 tonne, as per the statistics of 2018-19,” she added.

Harangi fish rearing centre official Sachin said that ponds are being created in Harangi region. Currently, there is a demand for 40 lakh fingerlings in the district and 21 lakh fingerlings are being provided by the centre.

Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary assured to provide Kissan cards to fish cultivators. Loan facility with zero percent interest up to Rs 3 lakh will be provided to fishermen.

‘Complete development works soon’

Conducting a review meeting of the Muzrai department, the minister directed the officials concerned to complete the development works in the temples soon.

He stressed on completing the work on the proposed ‘Yatri Nivasa’ guest house at Bhagamandala, on priority.

The minister assured to hold discussions with the health department towards giving permission for ‘pinda pradana’ ritual at Bhagamandala.

Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy said that Rs 1 crore has been provided by BBMP, towards the development of Bhagandeshwara-Talacauvery temple.

Kodagu Zilla Panchayat CEO K Lakshmi Priya, Additional DC Dr Sneha and Assistant Commissioner T Javaregowda were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / June 24th, 2020

Uthappa bares it all to raise awareness on mental health and suicide prevention

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports

Having overcome suicidal thoughts, Uthappa says it’s important to remove the stigma attached to mental illness and has been using his experiences to spread awareness over the last few years.

Robin Uthappa. (File photo | PTI)
Robin Uthappa. (File photo | PTI)

Kochi :

“Before I realised what I was going through, things got really bad and I started considering suicide as an option. For a whole year, the idea of suicide was a very real option for me. I had thoughts of jumping out of the balcony.” Chilling words, of Robin Uthappa.

The 34-year-old batsman is talking about what he went through between 2009-2012 when he experienced severe mental struggle. His disclosure takes added significance in the light of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s alleged suicide which caused nationwide shock.

The T20 World Cup winner cites his own example to explain that mental illness does not distinguish between the rich and poor or other divisions.

“At the point when I was depressed, I was earning the most amount of money in my career. I was the captain of Karnataka’s Ranji Trophy team and playing for RCB. But you can’t notice when this thing secretly climbs up on you,” he adds.

Uthappa chose to confide in a close relative who helped him get the necessary assistance. He also admitted that cricket was a good distraction, but added that there was no support system within the sport when he was grappling these thoughts.

“There wasn’t necessarily a support system within the cricketing set-up. I never spoke about this with my teammates. The sport can make you feel mentally tired because you are travelling and living out of a suitcase for 250-300 days a year. That can get to you mentally, but the trigger could be anything. It is important to recognise it and seek help,” he says.

Pacer Mohammed Shami had also recently opened up on having suicidal thoughts, while Australian cricketer Glen Maxwell took a break from cricket to address mental health issues.

Uthappa believes teams having sports psychologists and mental conditioning coaches will go a long way in helping avoid such dangerous thoughts.

“Having a mental health expert on board will be great for sportspersons because they will know there is somebody to talk to. If they can smoothly integrate that into the team chemistry, it would be wonderful,” he adds.

Sushant’s death has sparked a dialogue on mental health and Uthappa hopes his experience makes people wait before taking their lives.

“I decided to reveal my struggles to raise awareness. When I was considering jumping off the balcony or ending my life, something within me kept telling me to wait. The voice didn’t tell me to stop. The voice just said ‘wait’ and I listened.

“I want people to know that you can actually come back from such a state and live a happy life. That’s why I talk about it because everybody deserves a good and happy life. It is important to break the stigma attached to mental health and depression or going to a psychiatrist. There is no shame in seeking help,” says Uthappa.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport> Cricket / by Martin Joseph / Express News Service / June 21st, 2020

Clouds eclipse celestial phenomenon in Kodagu

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Records, All, Uncategorized
People watch solar eclipse using goggles in government high school in Soorlabbi near Madapura on Sunday. DH Photo
People watch solar eclipse using goggles in government high school in Soorlabbi near Madapura on Sunday. DH Photo

The first ‘ring of fire’ annular solar eclipse of the year 2020 could not be witnessed in Kodagu, as the sky remained overcast disappointing a majority of eclipse watchers.

In Madikeri, the eclipse was witnessed between 11 am and 12 noon, amidst clouds. People preferred to remain inside their houses. The astronomical incident had its impact on commercial activities too.

The previous solar eclipse to be seen in Kodagu was on December 26.

Talacauvery, Bhagamandala, Omkareshwara and Igguthappa temples remained closed after offering prayers in the morning. Entry of devotees to the temples were restricted during the solar eclipse. The temples were reopened after 5 pm for cleansing.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by DHNS, Madikeri / June 21s, 2020

Kodagu’s ecological fragility in focus again

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Records, All
A file photo of the Makkandoor Somwarpet road after a landslip near Madikeri in 2018. | Photo Credit: G_P_Sampath Kumar
A file photo of the Makkandoor Somwarpet road after a landslip near Madikeri in 2018. | Photo Credit: G_P_Sampath Kumar

IISc. study finds built-up area rose from 1.55% to 2.69% from 2016 to 2019

The latest landslip in Madikeri town last week, following which the Kodagu district administration decided to shift 13 families to safety, brings the focus back on the ecological sensitivity of the region which has been ignored.

This is the third consecutive year that the district is witnessing landslip and experts say this calls for urgent long-term environment mitigation policy initiatives, besides a halt on wanton destruction of the local environment.

A study by a team of experts from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bengaluru, has highlighted the dangers of increased landslip, if the current development trend is allowed to continue.

The findings are by T.V. Ramachandra, S. Vinay and S. Bharat of Energy and Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc.. It has been published in a paper titled ‘Urban Dynamics in Coorg District, Karnataka’ in the ENVIS Technical Report.

The study assessed the land use dynamics of the district and the results indicated that the built-up area has increased from 1.55% to 2.69% in three years from 2016 to 2019.

Besides, the native vegetation cover including forest, scrub jungles, sacred groves have declined from 45.44% of the land area to 44.46%.

The other findings of the study also has environmental implications and it points out that the interior forest cover of the district had declined from 24% to 22.23%.

The proposal of new layouts, resorts, highway expansions and linear projects will encourage higher land use changes, according to the study.

It stated that the urbanisation process has led to chaotic growth in the region and called for determining the rate and trend of land use conversion for devising a rational land use policy. Based on the land use pattern for 2016 and 2019, the authors of the study predicted the landscape dynamics for 2031, which indicated increase in the built-up areas in Madikeri, Kushalnagar, Virajpet, Gonikoppal, and Somwarpet.

Also, the influence of road networks and tourism will encourage urbanisation along highways and identified Kodilpet, Suntikoppa, Hebbale, Maadapura, Napoklu, Ammathi etc, as per the study.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by R Krishna Kumar / Mysuru – June 22nd, 2020

Immunity booster medicines distributed to coronavirus warriors

Records, All, Science & Technology
MLA Appachu Ranjan and Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy distribute immunity booster medicine to Corona warriors in Madikeri on Friday. DH Photo
MLA Appachu Ranjan and Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy distribute immunity booster medicine to Corona warriors in Madikeri on Friday. DH Photo

Corona warriors should build their immunity in order to take care of others’ health, said Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy.

She was speaking at a programme organised by the district administration, Zilla Panchayat and the district AYUSH Department, at her office in Madikeri on Friday.

Immunity boosting medicines provided by the AYUSH Department was distributed to Corona warriors on the occasion.

MLA Appachu Ranjan, District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr K Mohan and District Ayush officer Dr Ramachandra were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by DHNS, Madikeri / June 19th, 2020

Tennis player Rohan Bopanna to head development committee of KSLTA

Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Records, All, Sports

Though the body announced a long term goal of ‘Vision 2030’, officials will focus on development of the sport and players during their tenure of four years.

Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna (Photo | PTI)
Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna (Photo | PTI)

Bengaluru :

The executive committee of Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) formed in mid-February, finally met for the first time on Thursday with Tennis star Rohan Bopanna assuming his role as vice-president and head of development committee.

“Rohan brings in a lot of expertise and value, which is good for KSLTA. He also wants to catch the players young and work on them. The development committee will look into how players can emerge from the state. They will see what needs to be done. It could be camps, competition etc. The committee will create a blueprint,” said Sunil Yajaman, KSLTA joint-secretary.

Though the body announced a long term goal of ‘Vision 2030’, officials will focus on development of the sport and players during their tenure of four years and will reach out at the school level to try and encourage more children to play the sport and provide them enough space to do so.

The KSLTA also wants to have set up state and regional camps and are open to rendering financial support to promising players. In terms of infrastructure, they want to create a tennis complex in Bengaluru as well.

“We are going to talk to the education and sports departments and try to ensure that there are tennis courts in rural places, allowing tennis to grow in these areas. We want more public courts. Once kids start playing, we are going to have our eyes everywhere and hunt for talent. We are looking to establish this from the grassroots so that we have a solid set-up,” added Yajaman.

Besides, the state body also aims to have a high performance centre, where select players will be provided training. Their education will also be looked after. These players will also be sent for tournaments with coaches.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport> Tennis / by Express News Service / June 20th, 2020

Kodagu-origin doc part of team doing research on Covid vaccine

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

DrAfreenMPOs19jun2020

Dr Afreen Amir, a native of Kodagu, is now part of a research team in London that is already working towards finding a vaccine for Covid-19 pandemic.The research team has been researching on ‘Dexamethasone’, a steroid, which has given a new hope by possibly being a potent vaccine against the Covid-19.

After completing her MBBS in Mangaluru, Dr Afreen pursued her higher education in London and has been working as a doctor there. Her husband Mushir too, is a doctor in London. Afreen’s father S I Amiruddin is currently based in Dubai. He is the elder brother of Kodagu Zilla Janapada Parishat General Secretary Munir Ahmed.

“Afreen completed her SSLC from St Joseph School in Madikeri. She had emerged as the second topper in the district, in the Class 10 board exams. Currently, she is one of the seven experts who are working on the Covid-19 vaccine in London. She always had an inclination towards research in medicine”, Munir Ahmed said.

‘Dexamethasone’, the possible vaccine for the Covid-19, has been subjected to laboratory experiments. The researchers are of the opinion that with the use of the Dexamethasone, about one third of the death rate of the Covid-19 patients can been reduced. A report in this regard is expected to be out soon.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / June 19th, 2020

Took English classes & read books during lockdown, reveals SV Sunil

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports

New Delhi (IANS):

Despite not being able to train normally for two months, India hockey star SV Sunil has stated they were ”fortunate” to be stuck at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bengaluru. The lockdown measures put forward in the wake of coronavirus pandemic meant players couldn”t have gone ahead with their normal training sessions, however, Sunil gave an insight into how they took up special methods to keep themselves engaged.

“Being physically fit really helps anybody to stay mentally fit. It was the entire team”s goal to maintain our fitness and do whatever we can during these unprecedented times,” Sunil told IANS.

“Our Scientific Advisor Robin Arkell has devised some excellent training schedules over the last few months, which we have been able to carry out in our rooms along with following the social distancing guidelines.

“The fitness drills played a huge role in helping me cope with the lockdown,” he added.

Keeping themselves fit wasn”t the only aspect players focused upon as according to Sunil, they engaged in various other activities as well at trhe SAI facility.

“We have been very fortunate to be staying at the Sports Authority of India campus in Bengaluru. We have been able to use all the facilities and also go for individual runs around the campus,” he said.

“Apart from focussing on our fitness, we are doing many other activities as well. Our team”s Analytical Coach Chris Ciriello”s wife has taken English classes over video conference for us and she suggested a few books for us to read which kept us busy during the lockdown.

“The Hockey India Level ”Basic” Coaching Course online was amazing as well. Knowing about the history and the rules of hockey thoroughly will help us add context to our game on the pitch.”

Now the long road towards full fitness has begun but Sunil feels it”s tough to say currently when players can return to their optimum levels despite resumption of normal training earlier this month.

“It”s difficult to predict at the moment. Our coaches have a definite plan and they will train us accordingly,” Sunil said.

“We are fortunate that we were able to carry out exercises during the lockdown, that will definitely help us to attain peak form quickly,” he added.

Sunil also agreed with coach Graham Reid”s words, who had earlier told IANS that they have pushed the reset button as far as Olympics is concerned. Tokyo 2020 was postponed to 2021 in the wake of the coronavirus crisis and Sunil stated that he knows the areas which needs improvement and he now has enough time to work upon those things.

“We will definitely need to start from scratch as far as preparation is concerned. Our Chief Coach Graham Reid has told us that we have to push the reset button” Sunil said.

“However, we have watched a lot of footage of our previous matches during the lockdown. I have noted down some key aspects that I need to work on. Hopefully, we will have a lot of match practice before the Olympics.

“I think we can practice as much as we want, but performing well in match situations will boost our confidence tremendously. Therefore, matches against top teams will be a key factor in our preparations.”

–IANS /
pks/aak/bbh/

source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> The News Scroll / by IANS / June 15th, 2020

Prasad Bidapa’s new venture brings fashion shows online

Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg
Models sporting a collection by Aviva Swimwear | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Models sporting a collection by Aviva Swimwear | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Virtual Runway will have everything, right from sets/beautiful location to hair and makeup, stylists and models

The models are ready. The runway is set. So slip into those stilettos, dab on some lipstick and take your seat. It’s show time… in front of the computer. With everything going virtual, fashion shows too have followed suit. And fashion choreographer, consultant and stylist Prasad Bidapa is pleased with the development. It’s all about adapting and reinventing, he believes.

“With COVID-19 ensuring there are no shows, gathering or audience, it was imperative to move to an online platform,” says Prasad. Normally fashion shows have an audience of 250 to 300. But with an online show we can get 50,000 hits. So, it was a no-brainer, really,” he says. That is why, he is currently setting up The Virtual Runway, a project that aims to stream fashion shows “at a device near you.” It is set to launch later this month but the ground work is underway.

The show will have everything, right from a complete set/beautiful location to hair and makeup, stylists and models. The only aspect missing is the live audience. “At the end of each segment, you can directly connect to the online portal of whichever brand’s show you just watched,” explains Prasad. Virtual runways are a great way to start moving stock, he says.

To give viewers an idea of what to expect from The Virtual Runway, Prasad, along with daughter Aviva (designer and founder of Aviva Swimwear), has created a template that will go live on Thursday. “The whole video will be produced fresh. Right now, for the teaser we are using stock images from previous fashion shows. But when we start the shows, we will have fresh productions, shot from scratch”, says Aviva.

Each show can be customised depending on what the designer wants to do. For example, Aviva, who will be one of the first on the show, showcasing her line of swimwear, says, she likes to introduce her collections and talk the viewers through the process. “Since it’s a filmed process, a mistake can be re-shot,” adds Prasad, who has been part of the industry for four decades now.

A collection by Samanth Chauhan | Photo Credit: JPIC.IN
A collection by Samanth Chauhan | Photo Credit: JPIC.IN

A flagbearer for slow fashion, Prasad believes in the present scenario, it will come into its own. “It will be more appreciated and the culture of buying, using and throwing garments will go,” he says. The Virtual Runway will also highlight other aspects of fashion such as sustainability and upcycling. It is perfectly fine to repeat garments, Prasad reiterates, adding, “I have been proudly posting pictures of my repeated garments styled with maybe a different pair of shoes or kurta inside a jacket. You can wear a garment 10 times in a row and make it look different each time,” he says.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Fashion / by Priyadarshinin Partandy / June 16th, 2020

Rudresh Mahanthappa – ‘Hero Trio’ (2020)

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion

When Rudresh Mahanthappa recorded Bird Calls, the alto saxophonist wanted to pay tribute to one of his heroes who was probably the greatest alto saxophonist of all time, but he didn’t want to make a straight-up Charlie Parker covers record. Instead, he re-cast Parker tunes to the extent that they became Mahanthappa originals. Five years later, he crosses completely over into playing covers of Parker and other sources for his inspiration.

Hero Trio is that ‘all-covers’ record, which is about the only thing this boundary-pushing composer, bandleader and ace reedman hadn’t yet attempted in one of the most creative jazz careers since the turn of the 21st century. And far from being just an exercise in his interpretive skills (which are unique and stimulating), here is a large window into what makes Rudresh Mahanthappa tick, what lights his fire, what shaped him into the artist he is today. It reaches across generations and genres, but ‘Bird’ still looms large.

The Hero Trio band is a pared down version of the quintet that made Bird Calls. Drummer Rudy Royston and Mahanthappa’s longtime acoustic bassist François Moutin are all who’s needed for Mahanthappa to flesh out these songs in meaningful ways because the saxophonist is so good at fully sketching out the melody and harmony of a song without chordal support and his rhythm section is so good at taking these songs into fresh new places.

“Red Cross” is what I’d call the track that perfectly bridges us from Bird Calls to Hero Trio, mainly because it’s a Charlie Parker song. The trio puts its own stamp on the tune, never fully playing out the head before diving into improv and there’s even a new bridge. “Barbados/26-2” has a funky interlude tacked on front and only after that is done we hear Parker’s 12-bar blues. Moutin gets first dibs on soloing, and when Rudresh Mahanthappa does his thing next, he stretches bebop out to its logical limits. From there, the trio transitions into John Coltrane’s “26-2”, where Trane did what Mahanthappa did on Bird Calls and built a song around the chord changes of Parker’s “Confirmation,” but that, too, is puckish and livelier than the original.

There are other vintage jazz standards on Hero Trio and none of these are treated in ways they’ve been treated ever before. For instance, Mahanthappa chose “I’ll Remember April” because he was thinking about Sonny Rollins’ performance of it on Live at the Village Vanguard from 1957 as well as Lee Konitz’s 1961 rendition. But it’s hard not to notice the crazy, contemporary rhythm Moutin and Royston keeps slipping underneath it and at one point they spill over into the leader’s space. It sounds like irresistible fun, and they do it again for yet one more Parker classic, “Dewey Square.” For an anguished take on “I Can’t Get Started,” Moutin devises a bass line that matches Mahanthappa’s sentiment instead of Vernon Duke’s melody and Royston plays to the mood as well.

A couple of jazz songs from the post-bop era show up in creative renderings. For Keith Jarrett’s 70s tune “The Windup,” Moutin undertakes Jarrett’s role in the song while Mahanthappa is playing Jan Garbarek. Moutin later is fast, dexterous and lyrical for his aside. Moutin saws with sorrow just as David Izenzon did on Ornette Coleman’s “Sadness”, and Mahanthappa wavers his notes perfectly just as Coleman did but still within his own language.

The Hero Trio finds ways to liven up old and familiar songs outside the realm of jazz, too. Rudresh Mahanthappa covers all the harmonic touch points of Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” so that there’s no mistaken what song this is, but judiciously avoids adding unnecessary notes that would clutter it up. Mahanthappa exploits the phrasing irregularities in the Johnny Cash hit “Ring of Fire” as a springboard for freedom. Plus, it’s a great melody, a common trait of all of the songs chosen for this album.

Just because Rudresh Mahanthappa took a break from composing for this project doesn’t mean he took a break from creating. Hero Trio has just as many delightful surprises and audacious musicianship as any other Mahanthappa record.

Hero Trio will release on June 19, 2020 from Whirlwind Recordings.

source: http://www.somethingelsereview.com / Some Thing Else ‘ / by S Victor Aaron / June 11th, 2020