After a long delay amidst losing hope and living in despair, 2018 flood victims of Kodagu district have finally got houses of their own, built by the State Government. The victims have either completely lost their houses due to floods and landslides or the destruction of houses was to such an extent of beyond repairs.
In 2018 and 2019, unprecedented rains triggered by cloudbursts, floods and landslides brought untold misery to the people of Kodagu and over 30 percent of land in Madikeri and Somwarpet taluks was destroyed in previously unheard of havoc that was unleashed by nature, rendering hundreds of people homeless.
On Friday (Apr. 23), Kodagu District Minister V. Somanna symbolically handed over houses to 162 families. He handed over the keys to the beneficiaries at a simple ceremony. As many as 22 houses were provided in Biligere village and 140 houses in Galibeedu village.
Each house has been built by the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation with pre-cast concrete. Rs. 9.80 lakh has been spent on each house and the areas that have been identified to build houses are certified by Geological Survey of India (GSI) as flood-and-landslide-proof. Each concrete mould house has been designed according to ‘M-20 Grade Design’ and the built area is 425 square feet.
Modern techniques have been used to build the houses and each house has 2 bedrooms, a hall and a kitchen. The houses are fire and earthquake-resistant and have modern facilities, said Rajiv Gandhi Rural Housing Corporation Project Director Srinivas.
Somanna said 660 houses had been handed over to the flood victims so far in three phases. As many as 35 houses in Karnangeri, 80 houses in Madenadu, 383 houses in Jambur and 162 houses in Biligiri have been handed over to the beneficiaries so far. This adds upto 660 houses. Over 76 houses are under construction at K. Nidugane and they too will be handed over in the next two months, the Minister added. Infosys Foundation is building 200 houses in Jambur and the work is in progress.
“A total of 836 families had lost homes during the natural calamity. Houses have been handed over to 660 beneficiaries so far. Houses that are being built at K. Nidugane village will be handed over in a month,” he said.
Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah and Madikeri MLA Appachu Ranjan were present.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / April 25th, 2021
According to sources, more number of patients are reportedly coming to the hospital from neighbouring district including places like Sulia.
Oxygen supply unit at COVID-19 hospital in Madikeri. (Photo | Express)
Madikeri :
The Government Covid-19 Hospital in Kodagu, which is the only hospital treating coronavirus patients in the district, is efficiently handling the pandemic despite a spike in cases and shortage of staff.
Nearly 2,000 swab samples are being collected daily at the lone Covid-19 testing lab of the district.
According to sources, more number of patients are reportedly coming to the hospital from neighbouring district including places like Sulia.
A video alleging mismanagement at the Covid Hospital went viral recently, causing fear among many residents. The person recording the video alleged that the Covid hospital in Madikeri did not have enough beds and four persons were made to share a single bed at the centre.
Nevertheless, this allegation is far from the truth as one of the doctors working at the Hospital clarified, “once a patient tests positive, they will have to undergo many other tests including CT Scan. While the Hospital is equipped with a CT Scan facility, the center is not appointed with a radiologist. Hence, there is a minor delay in availing the CT Scan report as they are availed from a private hospital in Mysuru. Hence, patients are required to wait for nearly two hours at the hospital wards equipped with beds during the waiting period.”
However, this issue was wrongly publicised by a patient who alleged that three to four patients share a bed, while they were just waiting inside a ward for their CT Scan report.
“The Covid Hospital is equipped with 150 beds attached with the oxygen supply facility. An additional 100 beds equipped with oxygen supply will be operational from Monday. A total of 13,000 liters of oxygen is available at the hospital and the same will be refilled once in 12 to 15 days,” confirmed Dr Kariappa, dean of Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences. He, however, said that there is a shortage of staff at the hospital.
The existing staff and doctors are working overtime to ensure efficient treatment and consultation to the patients.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Prajna G R, Express News Service / April 25th, 2021
Who on earth would like to miss a morning cup of hot steaming coffee?
Climate change could make about 50-88% of coffee-producing areas unsuitable and lead to an increase in pests and diseases, affecting its production and quality. There is an urgent need for research to save the bean from extinction.
Who on earth would like to miss a morning cup of hot steaming coffee? Coffee is becoming more popular, especially among the young around the world. Around 2.5 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day. The demand for coffee is projected to by 2050. But the question is: Can coffee supply be sustained?
Coffee is produced in around 70 countries but the dominant among them are Brazil, Vietnam, Columbia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Honduras and India. Coffee is also the second-most traded commodity after petroleum oil, employing over 125 million people around the world. Most of the coffee grown is made up of two types: Coffea arabica and Coffea robusta, with the former making up 70% of all coffee grown globally.
In India, robusta dominates in terms of production. Karnataka is the dominant state producing coffee in India, accounting for nearly 70% of the total production, followed by Kerala. Together, they account for about 90% of the production. In India, the area under coffee cultivation is 4,16,741 hectares (ha). There are 3,79,697 coffee holdings, out of which most are smallholdings of less than 10 ha in size.
Weather and long-term climate patterns are very critical for growing coffee. Temperature and rainfall conditions are the main drivers determining the yield, production and quality. Altitude is another key factor. Robusta is slightly hardier, as it evolved in lowland equatorial Africa, but grows well in areas with abundant rainfall, which should be well distributed. The optimum temperature range for robusta is 24 to 30°C, but it is less tolerant to very high or very low temperatures. Currently, the annual and seasonal temperature and rainfall variability lead to fluctuations in yield in almost all coffee-growing countries, affecting supply and price.
Climate change is projected to impact all crops, including plantation crops. Changing climate and associated pest and diseases could adversely impact coffee-growing areas. Higher temperatures will not only favour the proliferation of certain pests and diseases but also kill large swaths of insects that pollinate coffee plants. As temperature rises, coffee ripens more quickly, leading to a fall in quality. Rising temperature is expected to make some areas less suitable or completely unsuitable for coffee cultivation.
A recent review of studies in 2020 concluded that all studies based on modelling predict that areas suitable for coffee cultivation could decline by about 50% under moderate climate change projection scenarios by 2050 for both arabica and robusta. Another study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concludes that the area unsuitable for coffee cultivation could be as high as 88% in Latin America, the dominant producer, by 2050. About half of the land around the world currently used to produce high-quality coffee could be unproductive by 2050, according to a recent study in the journal Climatic Change.
Thus, multiple studies show that climate change will have an extremely negative effect on future coffee production worldwide in terms of suitable cultivation areas, pest and diseases. Howard Schultz, who was the chairman of Starbucks — the largest global coffee chain — till 2017, is quoted to have said, “Climate change is going to play a bigger role in affecting the quality and integrity of the coffee.”
Coffee is a globally traded product and any impact on it in one part of the world will impact the rest, including India. International prices will determine the investment, income and survival of Indian coffee growers. If there is surplus production in Brazil and Columbia, prices in the international market will collapse. This will lead to a decline in market prices for Indian coffee, due to which farmers will experience heavy losses.
Research in India
There is limited research on the impact of climate change on coffee production in India. There are two ways the impact can be assessed: first, by long-term monitoring of changing climate and response of coffee production, which may take decades.
Modelling is another option to project the impact of climate change. There is limited modelling efforts globally and in India, in particular. With the current knowledge, one can conclude that climate change will have serious implications for coffee production and quality. We may have to brace for the disrupted supply of coffee and loss of aroma. According to climate change models, an increase of 20% to 25% in monsoon rainfall is projected for the Western Ghats districts of Karnataka and Kerala, along with the increased occurrence of high-intensity rainfall events. Further, increased warming of around 2 degrees Celsius is projected by the mid-2030s for these districts.
India has a Central Coffee Research Institute under the Coffee Board. Research on developing climate-resilient coffee varieties and cultivation practices would require several years or decades. Further, there is a need for extension service to train farmers in new practices, especially since a majority are smallholdings. In the meantime, coffee growers may need increased protection, price and insurance support from the Government of India and Karnataka.
In response to the risk of climate change on coffee, a global alliance of companies has been formed (‘Coffee and Climate’) with an objective to develop and implement coping strategies and to support smallholders to adapt to climate change, and ultimately to increase the resilience of entire coffee landscapes. Even Starbucks is conducting dedicated research and training of coffee growers in adaptation to climate change. Hope the Coffee Board also takes serious note of the threat of climate change and implement strategies to develop resilient varieties and practices, not only to help coffee growers sustain production, but also to ensure that hundreds of millions of coffee lovers continue to enjoy their morning cup.
(The writer is a retired professor, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru)
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Opinion> Perspective / by N H Ravindranath / April 22nd, 2021
Mahesh Babu’s ‘Mind Block’ song from his previous venture Sarileru Neekevvaru has reached a new high. The song premiered on February 29, 2020 has created a record with its views on YouTube. Crooned by Blaaze and Ranina Reddy, the song has hit 100 million views on the video streaming platform. Featuring the Superstar and National Crush Rashmika Mandanna, ‘Mind Block’ is a quirky dance number composed by renowned music director Devi Sri Prasad.
Upon its release last year, the song received huge attention of thenetizens, thanks to the charming chemistry of the stars, endearing short dialogues, mind-blowing dance moves of the lead actors, brilliant choreography, vibrant colour palette used in cinematography, crooning style of the singers, catchy lyrics, groove-worthy music and last but not the least the background dancers who made the song a visual treat with their immense synchronization.
Notably, the song has garnered 575K likes so far on YouTube. Well, as the song creates a massive record on the video streaming platform, fans and followers are now trending hashtag #SarileruNeekevvaru on social media.
On a related note, Sarileru Neekevvaru written and directed by Anil Ravipudi also features Vijayashanti, Prakash Raj, Rajendra Prasad, Rao Ramesh, Murali Sharma, Posani Krishna Murali, Satyadev Kancharana and Brahmaji in key roles. The action-comedy drama revolves around an army major who is assigned a mission in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool, where he witnesses a major scam. His journey of unfolding the truth and bringing the offenders before the law forms the crux of the film. The film which released on January 11, turned out to be a hit at the box office despite tough competition with Allu Arjun’s Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, which hit the cinemas on January 12.
Backed by Dil Raju, Mahesh Babu and Anil Sunkara under Sri Venkateswara Creations, GMB Entertainment and AK Entertainments respectively, Sarileru Neekevvaru has camera cranked by R Rathnavelu and editing carried out by Bikkina Thammiraju.
source: http://www.filmibeat.com / FilmiBeat / Home> Telugu> News / by Sruthi Hemachandran / April 24th, 2021
The artwork by B S Yashaswini, which has won an award.
An artwork created by B S Yashaswini, a student from Virajpet in Kodagu district has won first place in the Mysuru city level art competition organised by Vyjayanti Chitrakala Mahavidyalaya, Mysuru.
Yashaswini is a first-year student of Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at Charmarajendra Academy Of Visual Arts (CAVA), Mysuru.
She is well versed in watercolour, oil paint, acrylic and mixed medium.
Yashaswini has taken part in a number of art exhibitions and art demonstration camps.
She was awarded the state-level Pratibha Puraskara in 2008, organised by Bal Bhavan.
She is also a recipient of National Bal Bhavan scholarship.
Yashaswini is the daughter of artist B R Satish and K N Damayanti.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya KA, DHNS, Madikeri /March 11th,2019
It’s raining in Kodagu and so are ‘Rain Lilies’ (Zephyranthes candida) in some coffee estates.
This photo is from an estate on Siddapura-Mysuru Road where Lilies with their inconspicuous grassy leaves have bloomed silently amidst the plantations forming a sight to behold.
These rain lilies bloom repeatedly following rains, while some bloom primarily in spring, others flower in summer.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home > Photo News / April 23rd, 2021
Gulshan Devaiah completes a decade in Bollywood today i.e April 22.
To mark the occasion, the actor took to his Twitter handle to share a heartfelt note. He said that he has just started and is far from done.
The note read, “I’m better now, than ten years from today. So much better in every way. I came with dreams in my eyes, & fire in my belly. Some came true, not too much too soon, And the fire, it’s still going steady. Been a bit lucky…yeah it’s true. It’s been a good journey, not a great one,
But hey! I’m just getting started , I am far from done. I do feel pride, for I’ve done this on my own, but like it is said, I ‘ve also had a bit of fortune. Thanks for your love, and support, On an endless river, I row my boat. Yours sincerely, Gulshan Devaiah.”
He captioned the note as, “My first decade in Bollywood! Class of 2011 #22ndApril #10yearsinBollywood Thank you all !! of the horns I’m grateful for all the love & support. See you at the cinemas!! Cinema Zindabad!!”
On the work front, Gulshan will next be seen in Ajay Bahl’s next co-starring Taapsee Pannu. Reportedly, the film is expected to go on floors in mid June in Nainital.
source: http://www.bollywoodhungama.com / Bollywood Hungama / Home / by Bollywood Hungama News Network / April 22nd, 2021
She was the first woman referee from India to officiate in 88 international hockey matches
The first Indian woman umpire who started her international career in 2004 and the first woman referee from India to officiate in 88 international hockey matches Mundanda (Puchimanda) Anupama, wife of Mundanda Mithun Mandanna of Nelaji village in Kodagu, passed away in Bengaluru this morning. She was 41.
She was selected by the Federation of International Hockey as one of the youngest umpires among ten men and women in the world. She had a passion for sports when she was nine and since then she never looked back. She was the first woman referee from India to officiate in 88 international hockey matches, junior world cup and three Commonwealth Games.
Born to Puchimanda Shivappa and Shanthi Shivappa (Achhandira) at Bittangala, Anupama was awarded the Best Umpire (Women) India by Sardar Gyan Singh Memorial Hockey Society in 2007. Anupama represented India in the umpires seminar held at Singapore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Chandigarh and New Delhi and represented Karnataka as a player in the sub-junior and senior women’s National Hockey Championships. She officiated as the umpire in the four-nation tournament held at Singapore in 2007 and refereed the finals between Australia Vs Malaysia.
She was the umpire in the three-nation tournament held at Italy and also umpired the Central American and Caribbean games, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in 2006. In 2008, Anupama officiated as the umpire for two four-nation tournament at Rotterdam in Holland and also at Bremen in Germany. Anupama umpired the Junior Asia Cup held at Malaysia in and was the umpire in the youth Olympic Games held at Australia in 2009.
She started her sports career at the age of nine as an amateur athlete at Sports School Kudige in Kodagu. At 13, she joined the Sports Authority of India, Madikeri, where she got into hockey. She represented the State in sub-junior and senior national championships several times. She has also officiated in events in Asia, Africa, and America and European continents.
She had a passion for umpiring and she cleared the umpiring exam in 2001 and first officiated as an umpire at Cheppudira Family Hockey Tournament in Kodagu and went onto make international name and fame. Anupama’s goal was to be an Olympics umpire. “I am happy I chose this profession. This motivates me to focus more on the job and I will be happy if one day I get to officiate in the Olympics,” she had stated in one of her interviews.
Recently Anupama was selected as Executive Council Member by Karnataka State Hockey Association.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / April 18th, 2021
Rev. Fr. John Francis Texeira (72), Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Churchat Naganahalli, passed away yesterday at a private hospital in city following brief illness.
Funeral was held today afternoon at the Catholic Cemetery in Belawadi Parish, Mysuru and the Requiem Holy Mass was held at 3 pm today at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in city, according to the communication from the Bishop’s House.
Rev. Fr. John Texiera was born in Virajpet, Kodagu district on June 4, 1949 to Paul Texiera and Hilda Vaz couple. He was the eldest among three sons. After completing his primary education at Virajpet, Rev. Fr. John joined St. Marys Minor Seminary in Mysuru. He completed his High School education at St. Philomena’s High School, PUC at St. Philomena’s College and later completed his Philosophy and Theology studies at St. Peter’s Pontifical Seminary, Bengaluru.
Fr. John completed Master Degree in Catechetics at Vishwadeep, Bengaluru. He also served as the Director of Catholic Centre in Mysuru for six years and was also the Dean of Hunsur Deanery. He was ordained a Priest on June 24, 1975 at Siddapura, Kodagu district by the then Bishop of Mysuru Most Rev. Dr. Mathias Fernandes.
After serving for a few years as an assistant Parish Priest at St. Joseph‘s Cathedral in Mysuru, Fr. John was appointed as the Parish Priest of the Sacred Heart Church in Yadavagiri. He later served as the Parish Priest at Pandavapura, Kamagere, Siddapura, Shantipura, Nanjangud and was serving as the Parish Priest of the Sacred Heart Church, Naganahalli since last June.
Bishop of Mysuru Most Rev. Dr. K. A. William, Bishop Emeritus Most Rev. Dr. Thomas A. Vazhapilly and Priests of the Diocese have condoled the demise of Rev. Fr. John F. Texiera.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / April 19th, 2021
K.B. Harshavardhan (45), Vice-President of Virajpet Town Panchayat and a prominent BJP leader of Kodagu district, passed away following a heart attack on Monday morning.
Harshavardhan, who suffered a heart attack, was immediately rushed to a hospital in Virajpet, where he breathed his last.
Harshavardhan was elected from Meenpet Ward in the Town Panchayat. He leaves behind his mother, wife Divya, two children and a host of relatives and friends.
Harshavardhan had also served as the President of Kodagu District Hindu Malayali Association.
Virajpet TP Office, shops and other business establishments in the town were shut for two hours in the afternoon as a mark of respect for the departed leader.
Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah and a host of other BJP leaders were among those who paid their last respects. Last rites were performed yesterday evening, according to sources.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / April 20th, 2021
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