Category: Nature, Environment

KARNATAKA: AGRICULTURE: Free Medicine for Leaf Spot Disease in Areca announced by Karnataka State Government

Taking note of the outbreak of leaf spot disease of areca in Malnad region, the State government has announced distribution of free medicine for tackling the disease.

Addressing a joint press conference on Friday, Horticulture Minister Munirathna, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, and Fisheries Minister S. Angara, after they held consultation in this regard with officials concerned, said a decision had been taken to conduct a survey to know the extent of loss suffered by areca farmers due to leaf spot disease.

The meeting also discussed the possibility of providing financial assistance to farmers who have suffered crop devastation due to the disease, the Minister said. Mr. Munirathna said he would direct the officials to provide all assistance and consultation to areca farmers.

The meeting took stock of the situation with respect to the disease that has caused concern among areca farmers of Malnad region where areca farming forms the main backbone of agrarian economy.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

GUINNESS WORLD RECORD: Bengaluru’s ‘Clay Seed Ganesha Campaign’ sets a new Guinness Record for ‘Most Number of People Sculpting with Modelling Clay simultaneously’

People from various age groups join hands to sculpt 3,308 idols

The clay seed Ganesha campaign, organised by Bengaluru Ganesh Utsava and Shree Vidyaranya Yuvaka Sangha, in association with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and Rotary Bangalore Parisara, claimed to have set a new Guinness World Record for ‘the most number of people sculpting with modelling clay simultaneously’ on Sunday at National College Grounds in Basavanagudi. Although the initial goal was set to create 10,000 Ganesha idols, only 3,308 idols could be created, making it to the records book.

“We are elated because we have broken our own record that we had created three years ago. We would like to do this more and more. We couldn’t reach our desired number, but I’m glad that we could set a new benchmark,” said Nandish Mariyappa, managing trustee of Bengaluru Ganesh Utsava.

The campaign saw over 3,000 people from various age groups and professions joining hands to sculpt their personal Ganesha idols. Idol-making materials such as clay, sculpting popsicle sticks, plant seeds, and water were provided at the venue. Many professional artist volunteers were also assisting participants. The live screening of the sculpting procedure by an artist was also organised. Seeds of plants such as tulsi, ashwagandha, sunflower and other flowering plants were provided for embedding within the idols. QR codes were also allocated to individual idols.

“We are so happy about the Guinness record. It’s a milestone for the KSPCB because we had planned to execute this systematically and create awareness about environmental pollution. We have all created our green Ganapa and seed Ganapa. This has been a success not only because of the record but also because of it being environment friendly,” said Shanth A. Thimmaiah, KSPCB Chairman. 

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: AGRICULTURE, INNOVATION, LIVING MUSEUM, RECORDS: Farmer Anil Balanja Grows 700 Different Types of Exotic Fruits from 40 different Nations on His Farm

Anil Balanja, a farmer in Karnataka, has been growing exotic fruits from 40 different nations on his land for the past 20 years.

Anil Balanja, a native of Karnataka, grew up seeing his father grow several jackfruit and mango varieties. He always knew he wanted to be a farmer, and at the age of 19, he began by sowing areca, coconut, and rubber.

The youngster made the decision to emulate his father five years ago. On his farm, he grew a variety of exotic fruits that are uncommonly grown in the nation. This includes foods like avocados, Malaysian santol, Indonesian kepel, and many others.

Currently, Anil’s farm in the Dakshina-Kannada district is flourishing with over 700 exotic fruit types gathered from 40 different nations. Each fruit’s seeds are obtained from nurseries and his international pals.

Additionally, he maintains a thorough record of every fruit, including its scientific name, therapeutic properties, ideal growing temperature, and kind of soil. To continue growing the fruits he collected, he now owns and operates his own nursery.

source/content: krishijagran.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: BIRD CONSERVATION: Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is Karnataka’s First Ramsar Site

Ranganathittu sanctuary also finds a place in the Important Bird Areas (IBA) list of 42 sites in Karnataka that are identified by the Bombay Natural History Society.

After a wait of over ten years, Karnataka got its first Ramsar site on Wednesday.

The ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC) declared Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Mandya as a Ramsar site. With this, the forest department, local administration and tourism department will not just be able to ensure better conservation but also scale up its eco-tourism potential to international standards. Located in the mid-stream of the Cauvery river, Ranganathittu is an integral part of the wetland system and spreads across 517.70 hectares.

It also finds a place in the Important Bird Areas (IBA) list of 42 sites in Karnataka that are identified by the Bombay Natural History Society. Ranganthittu houses 188 species of plants, 225 species of birds, 69 species of fish, 13 species of frogs, 98 species of medicinal plants and 30 species of butterflies.

It is an important breeding site for around 20 species of water birds, 17 of which breed on trees growing on islands on the spot. It houses healthy populations of mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris), smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and the endangered hump-backed mahseer fish (Tor remadevii).

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ARTS & CULTURE: New Book ‘Vasane’ by Indu Antony takes the Reader on an Olfactory Journey of Bengaluru Through the Nose.

City-based artist and author Indu Antony’s book Vasané, takes readers on an olfactory journey of Bengaluru.

You  must have heard that scents are more closely linked to our memories than pictures or sounds. The smell of the filter coffee you shared with your friends after an exhausting lecture, remembering the perfume your first love interest wore, or remembering home every time you smell your mother’s signature dish being cooked, all trigger memories. It’s not only our fondest memories that are drenched by smells, but so is our city.

In her book Vasané (smell in Kannada), artist and author Indu Antony captures the many smells that make up the city of Bengaluru.

“Every city has its distinct smell. Mumbai, Goa, all these cities have smells that characterise them, but with Bengaluru, there are so many smells that make up this city,” says Antony about her 70-page book. “Because of Covid, our sense of smell was lost. Not just by those who had it, but wearing masks also restricted our ability to smell things around us,” says the author.

According to Antony, this project published by Mazhi Books, connects with the city beyond the visual, about associating smells with the city. She collaborated with Avinandan, a perfumer whose family business, Sathyanarayana Traders, is a wholesale retailer of sandal, oud, and musk perfumes. Together, the duo created 12 unique smells in 1 ml bottles each, which readers get with the book, so that they can apply them to the pages and experience the city through the olfactory sense.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA FIRST: PARKS & GARDENS: State’s First Exclusive Park for Specially-Abled Children Inaugurated by Governor Gehlot at Bengaluru’s Jawaharlal Bal Bhavan (JBB), Cubbon Park

On Saturday, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot inaugurated the State’s first disabled-friendly park in Jawaharlal Bal Bhavan (JBB), Cubbon Park, built for children with disabilities by Mindtree and Bal Bhavan Society.

Built at a cost of ₹3 crore under the guidance of health and child development experts, the park provides a safe, inclusive, and physiotherapeutic place where children with multiple forms of special abilities can play uninhibited by their mobility aids or the risk of accidents, officials said.

Designed in the shape of a turtle, the park consists of different zones for a wide range of physical, mental, therapeutic, and touch and feel activities. The park has a specially designed sand table for children on wheelchairs and a special swing. Tactile pathways make it easier for visually-challenged children to navigate their way around the park. To mitigate injuries from falls, all playing surfaces are made of a synthetic, non-toxic, and skid-proof rubber called EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer).

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: NATURE & CONSERVATION: Karnataka’s First Wild Orchidarium to come up at Forest Department’s Kali Tiger Reserve in Uttara Kannada

In an effort to conserve the wild orchid varieties of Karnataka, the forest department is all set to establish an orchidarium in Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR) of Uttara Kannada district.

The orchidarium is being constructed at Nujji vilage of Joida (Supa) taluk of the district and soon, it will be open for nature enthusiasts and visitors.

The building work has been completed and about 40 varieties of wild orchids that are found in KTR are being grown in the orchidarium.

In the coming days, most of the orchid varieties found in the Western Ghats will be added, said Sachin Anil Punekar, Conservation Biologist and Founder of Biospheres-Ecosphere who has been helping the KRT set up the orchidarium project.

The Western Ghats is home for a rich orchid population and a majority of them are found in the Kali Tiger Reserve, especially in the Anshi region of Uttara Kannada district. “Out of 170 orchid species that are found in Karnataka, 80 species are from the Anashi region alone. Nearly 20 wild orchids are endemic to this region only. The orchidarium will act as a rescue and rehab site for wild orchids,” Punekar said.

source/contents: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: AGRICULTURE: Bidar Farmer Apparao D Bhosle Achieves what is Considered Impossible. Grows Apples in a 3-acre Orchard

A farmer hailing from Ghatboral village of Humnabad taluk in Bidar district has achieved that which is considered impossible for many of his peers. Apparao D. Bhosle has successfully created his own apple orchard on three acres of land.

Bhosle knew that Humnabad taluk is no Kashmir Valley but he was determined to prove that anything can be grown if there is fertile soil.

While the apple trees of this variety usually bear fruit in about four-five years in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, the saplings planted on his land started flowering and bearing fruit within two years. The trees bore 20 to 25 fruits and the yield is expected to be better in the second harvest. Though the fruits are small, they are tasty. The trees have grown 10 ft to 12 ft in height, Bhosle said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENT: Dr.Nagnath V Yadgir, Doctor and Environmentalist has been Healing Kalaburagi’s Green Cover by Planting over 18,000 Saplings

Nagnath V. Yadgir, an Ayurveda doctor by profession and environmentalist by passion, has created a green cover in Kalaburagi city by planting 18,000 saplings in the last seven years.

Mr. Yadgir said that the first tree he planted in 2015 was in his compound. He brought some 30 saplings from the Forest Department and planted them in different places near his locality.

His team has planted 7,000 saplings at Sharan Sirasagi village on the outskirts of the city and 3,000 plantations on a single patch of barren land at Belur Cross. The team focuses on school compounds, community parks, and even graveyards, Mr. Yadgir added.

The ones most commonly planted are pongame oil (Millettia pinnata), neem, custard apple, bassora tragacanth, gulmohar, samanea saman, melia dubia, mango, banyan, sheesham, drumstick, guava, tamarind, and ashwatha trees. During the lockdown, even the school students joined him. He taught them the process ofmaking a nursery and educated them on the importance of trees.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: GREEN ENERGY / TRANSPORT : ElectricPe Aggregates 2,500 EV Charging Points in Bengaluru, Partners with Electric One

To expand its charging infrastructure in Bengaluru and in other parts of India, the company has entered into a partnership with Electric One that has 82 EV super stores across the country.

ElectricPe, an EV charging aggregator platform, claims to have 2,500 public charging points in Bengaluru.

ElectricPe has a B2C EV charging and demand generation app that offers EV users a one-stop platform where users could identify, access, and pay for EV charging points to make e-mobility easier.

ElectricPe has a mandate to facilitate 1,00,000 public charging points across India on its platform by the end of 2022.

source/content: thehindu.com (edited)