Project On To Remove Silt From Cauvery River In Kushalnagar

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

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Kushalnagar:

Ground-breaking ceremony for a mega Rs. 89-lakh project to remove silt from River Cauvery in the Kushalnagar belt to prevent flooding of the town was performed this morning. Madikeri MLA M.P. Appachu Ranjan performed the ceremony in the presence of Kodlipet’s Kirkodli Mutt Seer Sadashiva Swamiji.

The Kodagu District Administration had agreed for the project based on the request by Kushalnagar Cauvery Pravaha Santhrasthara Vedike (Forum for flood affected) and funds were released accordingly by the State Government.

Previous two years, there was unprecedented flooding in Kushalnagar and most of the areas inside the town were under water for weeks together. Kodagu received the highest-ever rainfall for August 2018 surpassing an 87-year-old record. Last year too, the district received high rainfall and as a result, rivers were in full spate.

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Last year, for the first time, the 400-year-old bridge near Kushalnagar-Koppa border (next to the newly-constructed bridge) submerged on Aug. 10. This rain, coupled with huge water release from Harangi Dam, brought untold miseries to the people of Kushalnagar.

This year, the silt is being removed to prevent flooding like in the previous years. An area of 300-metre length and 100-metre width has been identified in the surroundings of Rasool Layout, Muthappa Swamy Temple and Ayyappa Swamy Temple.

The mud-and-sand combined silt is being removed by earth movers and the excavated earth will be dumped on the river side. Also, channels will be built so that rainwater that floods Kushalnagar town can smoothly enter the river. PR Constructions has been given the contract of silt removal.

Silt removal from Harangi Dam

MLA Appachu Ranjan told ‘Star of Mysore’ today that a proposal to lift over one tmcft (one thousand million cubic feet) of silt that has accumulated at Harangi Dam is pending with the State Government.

Harangi is the main Cauvery water supply reservoir from the catchment areas to Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam in Mandya, the lifeline of South Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Due to heavy silt deposit, enough water cannot be stored, leading to annual water shortage. Therefore, it has been recommended to the Government to take measures to remove silt so that more water can be stored, he said.

The Karnataka Engineers Research Station (KERS) at KRS Dam in Mandya and Geo Marine Solutions Pvt. Ltd. had studied the silt deposits and accepting its recommendations, the State Government had released Rs. 75 crore to remove silt. “We have requested the Government to release Rs. 130 crore and the proposal is yet to be accepted as the Government is busy in COVID-19 battle,” the MLA said.

River course correction

Due to major landslides, many rivers and tributaries have changed its course. Last year, the inflow from River Cauvery was more than Harangi River. Every year, Harangi River reports highest inflow to the Harangi Dam and last year’s phenomenon was unique. While Harangi River originates in the Pushpagiri Hills, Cauvery takes birth in Talacauvery and flows through Bhagamandala, Kushalnagar and Koodige. Both the rivers meet at Koodumangaluru and flow into KRS Dam.

“Last year, Harangi River reported an inflow of 30,000 to 35,000 cusecs while Cauvery River reported an inflow of 80,000 to 85,000 cusecs. This is because the rivers have changed course and have accumulated huge silt due to landslides of 2018. We need money for river course correction and silt removal and that’s why we have asked for Rs. 130 crore,” Appachu Ranjan said.

Dy.SP Shylendra, Kushalnagar Panchayat CEO Sujay Kumar, Kushalnagar Cauvery Pravaha Santhrasthara Vedike President Chandra Mohan, members Uday Kumar, M.M. Charan, Varadha and Kodagana Harsha were present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 11th, 2020

COVID-19: Karnataka coffee growers demand special package

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Nature, Pepper, Records, All
Members of Kodagu district Growers' Federation submit a memorandum to MLA Appachu Ranjan. DH Photo
Members of Kodagu district Growers’ Federation submit a memorandum to MLA Appachu Ranjan. DH Photo

Coffee growers in the district have demanded special package from state government, as planters are facing hardships in the wake of Covid-19 lockdown.

Members of the planters’ association have submitted a memorandum to the MLAs of the district in this regard and have urged chief minister to come to their rescue.

Kodagu district is affected by floods for past two years and the lockdown has worsened the situation, they said and pointed out that harvesting of coffee and pepper in most of the plantations had come to a standstill, resulting in the loss of crops.

It is feared that next year’s yield too will be lost as the growers are finding it difficult to maintain of their plantations.

The growers urged the government to provide special package for the coffee growers.

Vegetable and plantain cultivators too sought assistance from the government, stating that most of the cultivators in the district have been dependent on Kerala market. But, due to the lockdown, the fruits are getting rotten and has led to a huge loss.

The government should announce support price and should procure ‘Nendra’ banana and other fruits from the farmers, the growers said and also requested the government to waive the interest on the loans availed by them.

“A committee of elected representatives should be formed towards formulating plans to encourage farmers to take up cultivation in barren lands,” the memorandum stated.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / May 08th, 2020

Brainchild of hockey festival no more

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion
Pandanda Kuttappa was conferred with the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2015
Pandanda Kuttappa was conferred with the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2015

Pandanda Kuttappa, the brainchild of the popular Kodava Hockey Festival, passed away at his residence here on Thursday. He was 85 and is survived by two daughters and a son.

Kuttappa, a former first-division hockey referee, conducted the inaugural tournament in 1997 with the help of his brother Pandanda Kashi Ponnappa. Through the tournament, Kuttappa aimed to bring all the Kodavas together under one roof and preserve the rich hockey culture of the district.

Held annually during April-May, the festival has grown to become the most popular event of the Kodavas. Since the first edition, which saw 60 teams competing, the meet has got only bigger. In 2017, with 323 teams participating, the festival entered entered the Limca Book of Records.

After its initial editions, the meet became a platform to unearth young talent as well. To groom the gifted players recognised in the Festival, Kuttappa, a retired State Bank of India manager, established the Kodava Hockey Academy.

“It’s sad day for hockey lovers,” said AB Subbaiah, the former India hockey goalkeeper, on Kuttappa’s demise “He has done a lot to the Festival. When he started this, he didn’t think it would become as famous as it is today. Full credit to his hard work,” said the former Olympian and coach, who is now the secretary general of Hockey Karnataka.

Subbaiah said with Kuttappa’s passing, the tournament will not be the same. “Kuttappa had only hockey in mind. Now with others to deal with, organising the event will not be free of challenges,” he said.

The Festival was a starting point of careers of India internationals Pradhan Somanna, Nikkin Thimmaiah and SK Uthappa. “We in Kodagu are fascinated by hockey. When I represented the country I thanked him (Kuttappa) for helping me achieve my dream,” said Nikkin.

“In all my interactions with him, he always told me that he wanted young players from Kodagu to go on and play for India. I owe my career to the Festival,” he added.

Last year, the tournament was cancelled due to the floods that ravaged Kodagu. The coronavirus outbreak forced the organisers to call off the meet this year. The Kulletira Cup was the last meet held under Kuttappa’s supervision in 2018.

Fondly known as ‘Kuttani’, he was conferred with the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2015.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Sports> Other Sports / by Vivek MV / DHNS, Bengaluru / May 07th, 2020

This Kuttappa was the Baahubali of Coorg hockey

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Pandanda Kuttappa, legendary co-founder of Kodava Hockey Festival, is mourned by hockey lovers everywhere.

Pandanda Kuttappa
Pandanda Kuttappa

Coorg:

The world of hockey on Friday mourned an amazing man who promoted the game in Coorg by tapping into ethnic pride and kept it alive in the face of inroads made by packaged cricket.

Pandanda Kuttappa, a legendary figure in Coorg and co-founder of the famous Kodava Hockey Festival, died of old age-related problems on Thursday. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son, and remembered by countless thousands who love hockey. He was 85.

Along with his brother Pandanda Kashi Ponnappa, Kuttappa designed the Kodava Hockey Festival as a family hockey tournament exclusively for Kodava families. When it started in 1997—with finances arranged by the brothers themselves–few thought it would be anything more than a vanity event for a few years before everybody packed up and went home. They were wrong. The tournament tapped into the Kodava identity and gave it an intensity money-funded tournaments cannot match – be it the derby frenzies of football in England or the Oxford v Cambridge boat race. The Kodava Hockey Festival not only struck a chord in the coffee plantations of Coorg, it made the region a nursery for the game, producing an entire sequence of star players who graced the Indian national team.

Paying rich tributes to Kuttappa, Hockey India on Friday recalled his contribution to the sport and his crucial role in popularising the game in the south and making Coorg the breeding ground for hockey in the country.

“We are truly saddened by the demise of Pandananda Kuttappa. We share his family’s grief and pray for his soul. Kuttappa’s contribution to hockey especially in the Kodava region will be remembered for generations,” HI president Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad said in a statement.

The Family Hockey Tournament not only sees intense competition but also draws thousands to the hockey pitch. Interestingly, it has no gender bar for the participating teams. Women could play in the same team as men.

On an average, 250 families send teams to the tournament which is usually played during April-May every year.

Despite there being no age or gender bar for participating in the matches, the tournament is highly competitive, involving high-caliber hockey. Some strict rules apply: such as that all members of a team must belong to the same clan and participate in full hockey attire. It is for a woman to decide whether she wants to represent her father’s family or husband’s.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Sports, In Other News / by D C Web Desk / May 08th, 2020

Appointed As High Court Registrar

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All

Mysore/Mysuru:

Judge K.S. Bharath Kumar, who was serving as the Third Additional District Judge at Mysuru, has been appointed as the Statistical Registrar of Karnataka High Court in Bengaluru.

Bharath Kumar, who was selected as a District Judge in 2015, had been serving in Mysuru for the past one year.

A native of Virajpet in Kodagu district, he is the son of former Kodagu ZP member K.B. Shanthappa and Rathnamma couple. Shanthappa is also the Working President of Karnataka State Kurubara Sangha.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 06th, 2020

Catch Of The Day! 38-Kg Fish Caught From Harangi Backwaters

Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All

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Kushalnagar:

A group of youths who were fishing at Harangi backwaters in Kodagu District this morning were in for a pleasant surprise as they caught a giant fish that weighed 38 kgs. The fish was caught with the traditional method of fishing rod and angler.

The fish, Catla variety, was caught at Nakoor village along the Harangi backwaters by Preveesh, who then uploaded the same on his Facebook page. He said that though he was hoping for a good catch he did not expect this big a catch. Earlier too he had caught giant Catlas but this particular fish was his biggest catch. Today’s fish was sold at the local market.

Due to lockdown and lack of activities, there is a lot of fishing going on in the Harangi backwaters where youths come in many groups to fish. Typically, the fishing activity starts early in the morning and ends at around 11 pm. Local villagers from Nakoor, Shirangala, Suntikoppa, Hosathota, Kusboor and Madapura come to the backwaters to fish on the 5.6 km Harangi River stretch from the Harangi Dam to Koodige Bridge.

Traditional fishing is being held from many years in the backwaters of Harangi, which spreads over 1,886 hectares in area. Lakhs of fingerlings are released into the reservoir every year.

Some innovative villagers have even dug up irrigation ponds in the backwaters to supply water in summer to their fields. When the water storage is high at the Harangi Reservoir, these irrigation ponds get filled and submerge and when the water at the dam recedes, these ponds are full of water and fish.

Varieties of fish, including Mahseer, Catla and Rohu are released to Harangi every year and along with these, fingerlings procured from Kabini and Bhadra reservoirs are being provided to farmers at subsidised costs. Many families in this belt depend on fishing for their livelihood.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News . April 29th, 2020

New Discovery By Kodagu-Born Dr. Jagadeesh Moodera And Team At MIT

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

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Quantum Physics deals with the behaviour of subatomic particles and is arguably the most complex branch of Theoretical Physics. I do not profess to understand this highly abstract subject but know that classical laws of Physics fail at quantum levels.

It boggles the mind when told that a subatomic particle exists simultaneously at two different spots. One location could be on your table and the other on the surface of Jupiter!

English Physicist Paul Dirac theoretically proved way back in 1930s that fundamental particles known as fermions should have a counterpart somewhere in the universe with an opposite charge – known as anti-particle.

Complicated. Difficult to fathom. I fail to comprehend. Based on this theory it is theoretically possible to have ‘teleportation’ that are portrayed in science fiction movies and books.

Coorg-born Physicist Dr. Jagadeesh S. Moodera has been a scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) since 1981. He has several path-breaking research papers to his credit. My wife and I had the good fortune of a guided tour of his laboratory at MIT during our visit to Boston to attend the Kodava Convention-2019, in September last year.
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Dr. Jagadeesh explained the intricacies of the experiments that he and his team were involved in. It was fascinating to see a huge setup with myriad tubes, probes, cables and instruments in order to create a 100% vacuum in a space of about 2 cubic centimetres.

Part of the experiment was conducted in this small space which was absolutely contamination free. There was another setup equally complicated where a space was created for the experiment which was free of any kind of vibration – not even that created by the traffic in the streets distance away, or footsteps of students in the nearby corridors. In addition, this space is cooled to -273 degree centigrade (that’s as close as one could get to -273.15 degree centigrade which is absolute zero). The experiments were conducted under these ideal conditions and usually between 10 pm and 6 am when chances of vibration were the least.

The experiment Dr. Jagadeesh and his colleagues have been working on since 2012 was to discover what Italian Theoretical Physicist Eltore Majorana, extending on Paul Dirac’s theory, had postulated in 1937 that there should be some subatomic particles that are indistinguishable from their anti-particle.

Scientists have been looking for these particles named Majorana fermions. Many theories have emerged over the years. Theoretical Physicists at MIT and elsewhere predicted that Majorana fermions may exist on solids such as gold under certain conditions. Dr. Jagadeesh and his team were on a mission to discover the existence of the elusive Majorana fermion.

The experiment, extremely complicated, needed many long hours in the laboratory. Dr. Jagadeesh explained how the delicate research was carried out at nano-particle level and observed through Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM). STM is capable of ‘feeling’ the presence of atoms and molecules. 3mm x 3mm was the size of the surface on which the experiment was carried out, consisting of nano-wires of gold, grown on superconducting material: Vanadium.

MIT News dated 10th April 2020 has announced the successful sighting of the mysterious Majorana fermion by Dr. Jagadeesh Moodera and team. This is a major breakthrough. In Dr. Jagadeesh’s words ‘We have shown they are there, and stable, and easily scalable.’ Please visit webpage: http://news.mit.edu/2020/first-majorana-fermion-metal-quantum-computing-0410

The finding that Majorana fermions are scalable and could be made into qubits (individual computational units) is spectacular. These qubits could be used to build the most powerful and error free quantum computers. This will be a step closer to the phenomenon known as Singularity, which predicts that by the year 2042 AD there will be computers that will have computing power of all the human brains put together!

Once Singularity is achieved, humans need not invent anything further. Solutions to the most complex problems will be arrived at within seconds. If we had these computers today, a remedy for the current Covid-19 would have been found in a jiffy!

Dr. Jagadeesh’s wife Dr. Geetha Berera is a senior lecturer in MIT and we had an opportunity to visit her laboratory as well. The couple are totally dedicated to academics and research. Every year they visit Coorg and conduct a Quiz programme for school students. They are in the process of starting a school in Coorg under their organisation – CREATE Gurukula Trust – focusing on encouraging young minds in research activities. Meritorious students at Coorg Institute of Technology (CIT) are recipients of annual scholarships and awards instituted by Dr. Jagadeesh and Dr. Geetha. Dr. Jagadeesh and Dr. Geetha are eminent role models for young Kodavas to emulate.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by C.P. Belliappa / May 04th, 2020

Majaa Talkies Team Graces Shwetha Changappa’s Baby Shower! ‘These Pictures Say It All’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Majaa Talkies is Kannada television’s favorite comedy show. The actors and everybody else on the crew have become fans’ favorite over the years.

Shweta Changappa, who essays one of the famous roles, Rani, is pregnant and expecting her child. Recently, the actress shared the news with her fans through an Instagaram post. She also mentioned in the caption that she is due soon.

Yesterday, the Majaa Talkies members visited Shwetha Changappa at her residence for the baby shower ceremony.

She shared the pictures of the same on her social media handles.

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Shwetha shared a series of pictures with Majaa Talkies family and wrote, “Just thinking 🤔 Does this POST require any QUOTES??????… Nahhhhhhhhh. U know what, These pictures says it allllllllll🤗 These are my FRIENDS who took,time off from Thier busy schedule and Came to our home☺️ All I can say is thank u guys😘 #motherhood #pregnancy #momtobe #Babybump #god’sgift #happysoul #lovemylife #loveuzindagi😍” – (sic)

Shwetha originally hails from Coorg, Karanataka. Unlike the other conventional baby showers, their tradition takes puts the mother-to-be on an eating spree.

Explaining this she said, There is a ritual that every coorgie family does to a kodavathi GIRL who is pregnant… that’s called “KOOPADI KOOLU”. Starts from her Mother and father. And continues with close family members…..Cooking special Dishes in odd numbers and serving the Mom to be🤗 we don’t Have a SEEMANTHA function..But our ritual
happens almost every weekend by our close family members.. ♥️”

“For me it stated almost 2months ago and it is still continuing … Have captured few pics and would like to share it with u alll♥️ these are the pics with our Family who made the rituals special for me by cooking variety of dishes made it for me and the little one in my tummy😍 with the special ingredient called LOVE.😘 can’t thank them enough. All I can say is I am truly blessed 🙏 LOVE YOU ALL 😍,” she added.

source: http://www.filmibeat.com / Filmi Beat / Home> Kannada> News / by Chaitra Krishnamurthy / August 03rd, 2019

Rudresh Mahanthappa releases ‘Ring of Fire’ with his Hero Trio – Single Premiere

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

Hugely acclaimed US saxophonist signs to Whirlwind Recordings for his new album, Hero Trio, released on 19 June.

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Across his 25-year career Rudresh Mahanthappa has become known for his garrulous mix of fiery post bop and complex Carnatic music, which has seen him explore everything from re-cast classic bop to post M-BASE fusion.

On Hero Trio, his 16th release as a leader/co-leader, he pays tribute to his greatest influences with an album of interpretations. All of the material is presented in Mahanthappa’s wry, spontaneous and imaginative way, alongside long-time heavyweight associates François Moutin on bass and Rudy Royston on drums.

The first single: June Carter Cash wrote ‘Ring of Fire’ for her husband Johnny, and the tune connects Mahanthappa with his Colorado childhood – which you can hear on the video below.

Commenting on the song, the saxophonist says; ‘Like Dolly Parton, when you take a closer look at what they did compositionally you realise that it has a conversational flow, with odd length phrases and extra bars here and there, and I wanted to capture that freedom.”

For more info visit rudreshmahanthappa1.bandcamp.com/album/hero-trio

source: http://www.jazzwise.com / Jazzwise / Home> News / May 01st, 2020

Zoom session and making butter, Rohan Bopanna story

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports

Apart from giving players a much-needed workout, the slot has given all of them something to look forward to on a daily basis.

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

Chennai :

Every day at around 4.55 pm, Rohan Bopanna goes inside his room and logs on to Zoom. For the next hour, he will lose himself in core training sessions along with 20-25 others, mostly Indian players, to ensure he remains fit during the lockdown.

It’s not even remotely close to the hours logged on the court, but elite athletes have had to find creative ways to ensure they keep doing the bear minimum, fitness-wise. “That kind of has been my routine now,” Bopanna says.

Apart from giving players a much-needed workout, the slot has given all of them something to look forward to on a daily basis. “At some level, it has given us a routine, something that we know we will be doing between 5-6 pm everyday, so this thing helps us.”

At 40, he is one of the elder statesmen of the fraternity in India but he is not leading the sessions. “Ramkumar (Ramanthan) was the one who drove all of us to start doing this. It was completely his initiative. Most of the session is focussed on the core because we are sitting at home (laughs) most of the time without doing anything.”

To inspire some of the lesser-known players on the call, Bopanna once invited his regular doubles partner (singles World No 16) Denis Shapavalov to the session.

“I invited him once so that he could inspire the group and talk to the group.” Apart from training this way, his only connect with tennis has been hitting a few balls against the wall. “I do have a hit against the wall in my house every day.”

Apart from that, the doubles exponent has tried his hands at making butter the traditional way. Firstly, though, he calls this ‘break’ from the game a blessing in disguise.

“This is the first time I have stayed at home in Coorg for such a long time since I started playing at the age of 15 or 16. So around 24-25 years. In that aspect, it is special. I don’t think I have ever stayed here for more than a week to 10 days. It’s been more than a month that I have stayed here. Spending time with my 11-month old daughter, my wife and parents… it’s been good.”

He has also tried his hands at churning butter using traditional equipment. “Our house has had these tools even before I was born. A few weeks ago, I suggested to my mother let’s make some butter in the traditional manner so that’s how that idea came about.”

As the topic shifts to one of te­nnis’ current debates — a possible merger between the WTA and the ATP — the World No 37 wants to see how the situation develops.

“It’s been an idea that has been in the works for a long time. It will be interesting to see how it develops considering the two tours don’t have many overlapping tournaments. It’s in the discussion stage I think. Let’s give it some more time.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport> Tennis / by Swaroop Swaminathan / Express News Service / April 30th, 2020