Railway activists celebrate green-lighting of project after campaigning for five years
Bengaluru :
The excitement of the Chuku Buku brigade was palpable, as members tweeted their joy and shared their hopes on WhatsApp groups. Ever since news broke that the Suburban Rail project had been cleared, railway activists who played a crucial role in the campaign, have been celebrating.
Sanjeev Dyammanavar, urban transportation expert and founder of Praja.in, told TNIE, “It is a long-pending project. The dream of all Bengalureans has become a reality today. It was pursed by various departments and K-RIDE showed its keenness in executing it by beginning preliminary work in this connection.”
The ‘Chuku Buku Beku’ campaign, which began in Bengaluru in 2015, an initiative on social media and offline, fetched a great deal of publicity for the project nationwide. Srinivas Alavilli, who coordinated the campaign involving citizens and NGOs, said, “I am cautiously optimistic.
After it was announced in the Union Budget a year ago, it has taken so long for the cabinet nod. We are keen on seeing the actual running of trains and physical infrastructure like stations. Priority needs to be given to Whitefield and Outer Ring Road where traffic congestion is the maximum.”
Rajkumar Dugar, convener, Citizens for Citizens, said, “I am extremely delighted. But I wish an official announcement too had been made. On highest priority is the KSR-Devanahalli line as connectivity to the airport is very important.” Zibi Jamal of Whitefield Rising said, “It has been a long, hard campaign with so many people contributing, including Praja and Citizens for Bengaluru. Politicians across parties supported us.”
Proposed fare structure
Minimum: Rs 13 (for less than 3 km) to a maximum of Rs 100 at 2025 price levels. Price level to be escalated by 10% every two years.
Airport connectivity
Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna-Yesvantpur-Yelahanka-Devanahalli-Kempe Gowda International Airport: 41.4 km
Land required 15.96 acres.
Cost Rs 251.9 cr
Length: 5.5 km
Train operation plan Six-car trains 19 hours a day operation from 5 am till midnight with 30-second stop at each station
Average speed 33 kmph with a maximum speed of 90 kmph
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / October 08th, 2020
This will help with loading and unloading activities at the yard and also boost gypsum trade from Chennai Port to Bidadi, nearly 30 km from Bengaluru.
The goods shed surface improvement was planned for 600mx15 m area. In the first phase, 390m x 15 m areas has been made ready.
Bengaluru :
A total of 8,000 disposable railway sleepers have been put to efficient use by the Bengaluru Railway Division by building a goods shed at Bidadi from scratch within a month.
This will help with loading and unloading activities at the yard and also boost gypsum trade from Chennai Port to Bidadi, nearly 30 km from Bengaluru.
Thousands of railway sleepers are released by the Railways annually as new sleepers are laid when tracks are renewed.
This is the third such goods shed made in the Division with the previous ones made at Nelamangala and Penekonda.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Divisional Railway Manager A K Verma said, “The Pre-Stressed Concrete (PSC) sleepers have been utilised to develop a 360 metre unloading platform. This has been done on the request of the Chennai Division of Southern Railway.”
The three goods sheds have been developed from scratch by utilizing 30,000 released sleepers, he added.
Sleepers are sturdy and can withstand a great load which makes them excellent material to develop roads or any surface which is likely to carry much weight.
Saint Gobain has a huge manufacturing facility at Bidadi.
“Gypsum from Chennai Port can be transported here. There is a potential of loading 2,00,000 Metric Tonnes per year,” he said.
“We got rich dividends in the form of substantial increase in NMG loading and first ever Roll On–Roll Off service of South Western Railway,” Verma added.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager A N Krishna Reddy said, “Usage of sleepers is cost effective. Being M55 PSC, the surface can withstand movement of heavy machinery and loaded lorries. It has saved us much transportation cost.”
The goods shed surface improvement was planned for 600mx15 m area. In the first phase, 390m x 15 m areas has been made ready.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by S. Lalitha / Express News Service / September 30th, 2020
Lakshmikant Hibare on his farm at Hagarga village in Kalaburagi taluk.
The three-acre farm, which now has several varieties of plantations, was once without water
A matriculate progressive farmer Lakshmikant Hibare from Hagarga village, about 15 km from Kalaburagi, is a living example for the farming community as he has adopted agroforestry along with various techniques for conservation of natural resources, while earning a good income cultivating in his three acres of land.
The untiring efforts of the farmer have helped him convert his barren piece of land into a self-sustainable green farm.
It is indeed difficult to believe that the farm, which now has 850 sandalwood trees, 850 red sanders trees, 800 drumstick trees, 225 Java plum trees, 225 Lucknow 49 guava plants, 225 Thai orange trees, 225 red orange trees and 125 timber plants and 125 melia dubia trees, along with vegetable plantations, was once a barren land, without water. The farmer has also planted lemon trees and fever nut trees as border fencing. Though he has a borewell and a water harvesting pond on the farm, he has installed a drip irrigation system for water supply. Lakshmikant Hibare has adopted the organic way of farming and composting process for improving soil fertility.
Besides growing fruits and vegetables, Lakshmikant Hibare has established a poultry farm that breeds a special variety of chicken, BV-380. The farmer earns between ₹ 40,000 and ₹ 50,000 per month by selling eggs, vegetables and fruits from his farm.
Lakshmikant Hibare, who planted sandalwood and red sanders two years ago, also runs a nursery. Replying to a query, he explained that it takes at least 15 years to 18 years to procure usable sandalwood from the plantation.
Meanwhile, farmers from across the district and students from agriculture colleges visit his farm to take his advice and to learn more about his farming techniques.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Praveen B Para / Kalaburagi – September 15th, 2020
Large and Medium Scale Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar has said that the Kadechur-Badiyal Industrial Area in Yadgir district will shortly get a Bulk Drug Farm Park on 1,000 acres of land.
He was addressing reporters after visiting the industrial area on Tuesday.
He said that the proposed Bulk Drug Farm Park will come up on 1,000 acres of land as Raichur MP Raja Amareshwar Naik has shown special interest in bringing such a park to the region. He has also submitted a proposal to Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers D.V. Sadananda Gowda.
“We have reserved the required 1,000 acres of land out of the 3,300 acres that has been acquired in the industrial area. A delegation will be taken to Delhi to discuss the proposal with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Sadananda Gowda,” Mr. Shettar said and added that this industry will help develop the district.
Recalling Invest Karnataka-Hubballi that was held in Hubballi, the Minister said that nearly a 1,000 industrialist-delegates participated and 43 memorandums of understanding had been signed.
“As many as 15 companies have shown interest in establishing factories in the Kadechur-Badiyal Industrial Area. After the Invest meet, ₹ 31,000 crore was proposed to be invested to develop industries in the State,” he added.
Mr. Shettar said that remarkable changes had been brought in by the industrial policy, and an authority has been constituted to give a boost to tier 2 and tier 3 cities. A Special Investment Region Area has been adopted in the policy covering Dharwad, Kalaburagi and Shivamogga and these areas will see considerable growth, he added.
The Karnataka Industries (Facilitation) Act 2002 has been amended giving certain relaxations to industrialists and the required land will be allotted to them. According to the amendment, industries with less than ₹ 15 crore capital will get the necessary approvals from the district administrations and those with more than ₹ 15 crore capital will get approvals from a committee headed by the Chief Minister and himself. “Industrialists can start their industries immediately after applying for permission without any waiting period. This was the first such reforms in the country,” Mr. Shettar said.
‘Meaningless remarks’
Reacting sharply to Monday’s remarks by the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Mr. Shetter said that “his remarks are meaningless. Initially, he was saying that the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress had toppled the coalition government. Now, he is saying that it was the drug mafia. He will change his versions according to the circumstances he is in. He could have instead revealed the right reason why the coalition government collapsed.”
Mr. Raja Amareshwar Naik, Chairman of Nijasharana Ambigara Chowdayya Development Board Baburao Chinchansur, MLA Shivaraj Patil, MLC B.G. Patil, BJP district president Sharanabhupal Reddy and Chandrashekhargouda Maganur and others were present.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Staff Reporter / Yadgir – September 01st, 2020
Science Gallery Bengaluru will hold its first digital exhibition from August 21 to 30
Science Gallery Bengaluru (SGB) will hold its first digital exhibition, ‘PHYTOPIA’, which will explore the past, present and future of plants, from August 21 to 30.
Science Gallery Bengaluru Mediators, a group of selected and trained young adults, will hold 60-minute sessions every day to engage in conversations with visitors based on the theme of the exhibits.
On Fridays and weekends, there will be talks and events by prominent scholars and artists such as on ‘Who feeds Bengaluru’ and ‘On documenting indigenous food culture’.
In addition, there will be workshops, and an opportunity to submit articles that look at plants critically and creatively.
“The United Nations generally has research-led years. For example, last year was the International Year of the Periodic Table. This year, it’s the International Year of Plant Health. Last year, we did our first pop-up exhibition called ELEMENTS. This year, we thought of plant health. We haven’t done it narrowly on plant health, but took that as a starting point to think about what is it that excites us about plants,” said Dr. Jahnavi Phalkey, founding director, SGB,
Stating that while the exhibition is open to everyone, she says the programming, including workshops, and masterclasses, is specifically targeted at young adults between the ages of 15 and 28.
The exhibition has been developed in partnership with the John Innes Centre, an independent, international centre of excellence in plant science and microbiology based in the UK. The programme partner is Bengaluru Sustainability Forum and Bangalore International Centre is the outreach partner. Chemical ecologist Shannon Olsson, ecologist Harini Nagendra and independent scholar Sita Reddy are the academic advisors to the exhibition.
As for the challenges of holding an exhibition online for the first time, Dr. Phalkey said, “We are an institution that was meant to produce physical exhibitions. It meant we had to retool ourselves and reimagine what our programming would look like. We want to provide a high quality experience but not necessarily limited to the 10 people who have high-tech devices. It was about being able to produce an interesting exhibition while trying to catch people’s attention. Because those who can, are already consuming so much online right now, from shopping to education. So, how do you create something that will draw them in? That, for us, is a challenge and a debate.”
Twenty-eight-year-old Bharadwaj Karanth’s company,Suvidha Foods and Beverages, procures fruits and vegetables directly from farmers and processes them into chips and dry fruits.
Bengaluru :
A PhD in digital image processing is a long way from allied agricultural activities, but in a strange way, that is what this former lecturer ended up doing by setting up a company that can turn any fruit or vegetable into tasty chips.
Twenty-eight-year-old Bharadwaj Karanth’s company, Suvidha Foods and Beverages, procures fruits and vegetables directly from farmers and processes them into chips and dry fruits. Until two years ago, Karanth taught at a college in Sringeri, his hometown. “I realised that many of my students were moving out of here, leaving their parents behind because there are no employment opportunities for them. I have a PhD in a subject related to artificial intelligence, but to start a company in that field here… there is a shortage of skilled workers and power outages are common,” he said.
It hit him then that farmers found it extremely difficult to access markets, and that if there was some value addition to their farm produce, it would be a win-win situation for all. Two years ago, he founded Suvidha, which employs 18 people – mostly students who have an opportunity to remain in their hometown, and makes chips out of practically any fruit or vegetable.
“At present, we have banana, jackfruit, chikoo, beetroot, ladies finger, garlic, carrot, sweet potato, papaya chips and more,’’ he said. The first step is to remove the moisture content from the fruit or vegetable, followed by vacuum frying, which needs very little oil. Karanth says the whole process is natural, and that no colour additives are used.
“The nutritional value remains intact. It tastes just as fresh as the fruit (or vegetable), but it’s just crispy,” he said. For seasonal fruits such as jackfruit, the company has a cold storage facility so that production can continue throughout the year.
Karanth plans on expanding into manufacturing powdered spices, for which his home district Chikkamagaluru is famous.
Other plans on the anvil include the sale of products made from medicinal plants such as Amruthballi, which are abundant in the Western Ghats.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Ashwini M Sripad / Express News Service / June 28th, 2020
Sustained efforts are underway to mobilise trainees from villages in and around Bijapur, Davanagere and Chikkaballapur.
The plants are priced between Rs 100 and Rs 2,000 Meghana Sastry
Bengaluru :
The Association of People with Disability (APD) is displaying a showcase of plants, flowers and herbs nurtured by differently-abled professionals and trainees of the organisation at their 21st garden fair. The 10-day fair will conclude on November 24, with proceeds from sales going towards the livelihood training of people with disabilities.
The annual fair has been organised for over two decades now but the focus remains the same: To groom the abilities of the disabled folk in order to help them sustain a livelihood. Nataraja C, senior coordinator, APD, says, “We have displayed plants section-wise basis with fruits, herbs, flowers, indoor plants, outdoor plants, succulents and cacti. We also have an orchid stall this year.” The plants are priced between `100 and `2,000.
Sustained efforts are underway to mobilise trainees from villages in and around Bijapur, Davanagere and Chikkaballapur. The organisation identifies families with differently-abled members and motivates them to stand on their feet through a six-month course on horticulture. The differently-abled men are also provided hostel facilities during the course, which involves a variety of activities and treatment for individuals who require support with their disabilities. “Our involvement in arrangement of plants and dealing with customers during the plant fair sales gave us a practical understanding of horticulture sector. It was truly a knowledge enhancing program and the fair has uplifted our life standards through the horticulture intervention,” says Beeresha CD, trainee.
The fair also saw a string of workshops on kitchen gardening and herb and terrace gardening. It will close with a workshop ‘Oota from Thota’, which translates to food from your garden and focuses on the organic food essentials one can grow and procure from their garden.
The fair will be held till November 24 at the The Association of People with Disability, Jeevan Bhima Nagar.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / November 23rd, 2019
Sunlight filters through the forest. Cool and fresh air invigorates you. Staying far from the madding crowd and surrounded by nature, your happiness quotient could be high.
On his five-acre farmland in Kaniyanapura village, Karthik Davey has given a new meaning to the best usage of degraded lands and management of scarce resources.
Chamarajanagar :
Sunlight filters through the forest. Cool and fresh air invigorates you. Staying far from the madding crowd and surrounded by nature, your happiness quotient could be high. But living on the edge of a forest is not so easy. And when one lives close to a tiger reserve, one has to look for solutions which are sustainable in such a fragile surrounding. For Karthik Davey, the wilds of Bandipur became his home after a decade-long stay in Germany. On his five-acre farmland in Kaniyanapura village of Chamarajnagar district, he has given a new meaning to the best usage of degraded lands and management of scarce resources.
Everybody wants to come to forests, but where is the system to manage the waste or the sewage that is generated in these pristine surroundings, he asks. During weekends, people come in hordes while there is no system for sewage disposal, garbage segregation or collection of waste. Realizing the shortcomings, Davey has shown how to maintain, harvest and recycle available resources in the dry deciduous surroundings where there is scarcity of every resource.
Karthik Davey
Davey has converted degraded lands using organic solutions while at the same time he is recycling used water for nondrinking purposes. Be it conversion of sewage water, tapping wind and solar energy for lighting and other purposes, he says they are suitable for rural areas which have no access to water or power supply or have any system for sewage disposal. Further, the waste that is generated in the kitchen is bio-digested. During the monsoon months, rainwater is harvested by installing small check ponds. Says Rahul Agarwal, cofounder, Earthcare, “Davey has undertaken several steps to ensure that nature doesn’t only survive but also thrives by creating several redundant systems.
By creating various ponds and greywater recycling pits, he has made a much-needed water positive impact in an eco-sensitive zone. He has also created a mini forest with tall trees and other bushes and plants where just outside his property you can see the forest land is degraded and no one to care for it.” Davey is a self-made person. He lost his arm in a car accident 21 years ago. He was working for a travel company in Chennai but had to leave it and found succour in Frankfurt where he set up his own company in the hospitality sector. However, returning to India – he settled down in the wilds of Bandipur – taking up organic farming and setting up a homestay – very close to nature.
He is married to a German who partners him in his business activities. Relaxing in the cool backdrop of the Nilgiri Mountains, Davey describes his 12-year-long journey in converting his land into a sustainable and workable solution where people come and stay with him and get a feel of the wilderness and their proximity to nature. Even as his pets – the dholes roam around him affectionately for any tidbits — he says, “My idea was to work from any place but which was wild and had openness. After returning to India, I was looking for a place to settle down and kept coming back to Bandipur – attracted by dholes. Falling in love with its natural beauty, I purchased land here and it took me over two years of thought process to convert this piece of land into a place with least carbon footprint.”
The concept of decentralization has been used for power, water and sewage disposal for each of the rooms in his homestay. His ideas included solar panels about 20 metres, installation of septic tanks, separate lines for hot water, natural aeration with high ceilings, rainwater harvesting and of course, an old method for sewage treatment – the Reed Bed System which goes back in time. Reed beds are aquatic plant-based systems which allow bacteria, fungi and algae to digest the sewage and clean the water. He says, “We live in a world with finite resources and therefore, every resource is precious and has to be managed with great care especially groundwater which is available here only at 600 feet. My living here has been challenging. I take people along while villagers who work for me are part of this sustainable system and do their bit to take it forward.” “We ensure that we leave nothing behind on nature’s trail except a big eco-friendly carbon free footprint. We make sure the wilderness stays with us,” Davey says.
Dholes’ Den
Dholes’ Den, the unique homestay, set up with sustainable solutions, is an oasis that is dedicated to the Asiatic Wild Dog which Davey says is one of the most fascinating hunters in the Indian jungle with a complex and unique social hierarchy. And he says, “It is our endeavour to emphasize the importance and the beauty of this animal which wrongly stands in the shadow of bigger animals like the tiger, leopard or elephant and win support for the conservation of the jungle in Bandipur with the dhole as its mascot.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Meera Bharadwaj / Express News Service / August 04th, 2019
The Angadi family, owning 125 acres of ancestral farm land in Kiresur village of Hubballi taluk, has been doing joint family farming for several years.
Top and left: Women from Angadi family work at their field at Kiresur village near Hubballi. Bottom left: Basavaraj Angadi inspects organically grown chilli crop at his field | D Hemanth
Hubballi :
True role models they are. They live under one roof and work together on the field. All the 50 members of this joint family are at work in their fields at the first light. What’s more, they have converted nearly 70 acres of farmland into organic farming fields and are aiming to do more. They believe that this ‘green’ cultivation produces nutritious food without destroying the environment.
The Angadi family, owning 125 acres of ancestral farm land in Kiresur village of Hubballi taluk, has been doing joint family farming for several years. Elders of the family state that they have been cultivating since last seven decades and they switched over to organic farming five years ago due to drought in the region. And the results were surprising.
Kiresur village, located about 18km from Hubballi, is taking a leaf out of Angadi brothers’ method and trying to switch over to organic farming. The neighbouring farmers have realised that this type of farming requires less amount of water.Basavaraj Angadi, one of the family members, says that they have stopped using chemical fertilisers for four years now. “We grow chilli and chickpea (chana) on our land by using organice manure. We use the decomposed vegetables and other kitchen waste as manure. After we switched over to organic manure, the yield has increased by 20% every season. We are happy with both quality and quantity,” he says.
The village comes under the irrigation map of Malaprabha river basin. But as the area is facing drought for last few years, the farmers are not getting water in time. Several times the water released in the canals does not reach the village, or it is too late for the standing crops when the water arrives.“We are able to address the water scarcity issue by using organic manure. Usage of chemical fertilisers kills the soil strength. But the organic manure strengthens the soil and improves the yield as well. We are getting additional 5 quintals of harvest every season,” Basavaraj Angadi says.
Hanumanth Nagavi, another family member, says that after attending a seminar organised by the Agriculture department, the family decided to go in for organic farming. “We have no labour issues as all the women from the house help us in fields. They lend a helping hand whenever required. During harvest season, we do take labourers from outside. But as 50 members of the family do farming together, we have never felt a shortage of hands,” he adds.
This doesn’t mean that youngsters in the family are only occupied with farming. While they do help on the farm, they are also excelling in studies. Two of them are studying engineering in Bengaluru and daughter of Basavraj Angadi is pursuing MBBS in Davanagere college.“We used to spend a lot of money on chemical fertilisers. But after switching over to organic farming, we are saving money and also getting good yield. Already a dozen farmers in our village have adopted organic manure for their crops,” says Basavaraj Angadi.
Many in the village agree that this family is indeed an inspiration. Says Pradeep Badiger, a farmer from Kiresur village, that he was inspired by the success story of Angadi brothers and wanted to adopt organic farming in his field. “I am motivated by the Angadi family and have stopped using chemical fertilisers since one year. This year I am hoping for a better harvest,” he says.
GREEN CAUSE
The joint family in Kiresur village near Hubballi has been practising organic farming for the last five years The family has largest farmland in the village with 70 acres under cultivation out of 125 acres
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Kiran Balannanavar / Express News Service / February 10th, 2019
Raju Teggalli (extreme left), head of Kalaburagi’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra, along with scientists and students inside the shade-net where exotic vegetables are being grown .
Scientists are experimenting to see if foreign crops can thrive in this environment
If agricultural scientists in Kalaburagi succeed in an experiment they are carrying out, farmers of this dry northern district could soon be growing exotic vegetables such as iceberg lettuce and broccoli in their farms.
To help farmers of the backward district get better income, scientists of Kalaburagi’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) are experimenting if high-income yielding foreign crop varities can thrive in this environment. In the first phase, they have imported five exotic vegetable seeds — iceberg lettuce, straight lettuce, cherokee lettuce, broccoli and red cabbage — from the Netherlands and planted them on the campus.
“These vegetable seeds can be produced only in cold environments, in areas with less than 20 degrees Celsius temperature. But, they can be grown in Indian conditions during winter. We have planted half of these seeds inside the shade-net and remaining outside. We are giving organic fertilizer and water to both. If there is not much difference between those grown inside and outside, we will recommend the farmers to grow them outside the net so that the shade-net costs too can be saved,” Vasudev Naik, a horticulture scientist, told The Hindu.
The scientists have formed a couple of teams for a survey to assess the marketing potential of the new vegetables.
“Domestically grown cabbages and cauliflowers are sold at around ₹25 a kg or less as compared to ₹80 a kg that red cabbage and broccoli are sold at. Iceberg lettuce is sold at over ₹200 a kg. These are supplied from faraway places to Kalaburagi market in limited quantity,” Akshata Biradar, a student who participated in the market survey, said.
Scientists feel that the experiment could pave way for better utilisation of shade-net and polyhouse farming in the region. “The government is offering subsidies for shade-net, polyhouse and drip-irrigation equipment. But farmers are failing to use them,” Raju Teggalli, a senior scientist and the head of Kalaburagi KVK, said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Kumar Buradikattikalaburagi / December 31st, 2018
