After almost 42 years, this tribal colony in Karnataka is finally getting electricity

Infrastructure

Being surrounded by forest, drawing power lines here was prohibited and so the Malekudiya tribal colony near Mangaluru had an unreliable supply of electricity.

Arza Safiya

For Laxman, a member of Malekudiya tribe in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district, either kerosene lamps or a small hydropower contraption met his family and community’s electricity requirements. “But during the summer, the electricity generated is almost nil due to the depleting water levels here,” Laxman says. Located deep in the forest area of Belthangady taluk, the Banjara Malekudiya Colony, where the tribe resides, comes under the protection of Karnataka Forest Department (KFD). No transmission lines could reach this area as it involved felling trees, which, in turn, would violate the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963 (KFA).  A few residents of the Banjara Malekudiya tribal colony As a result, the Malekudiyas generated electricity through renewable sources, such as solar power and hydropower. But even these have not been reliable since the waterfalls in the area did not maintain a constant and forceful flow of water. Although a Pico hydropower plant was installed in the colony by Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP), this, too, has been unreliable due to breakdowns and constant repair work. Hydel pump that some residents made to temporarily meet their electricity requirements Now, after 42 years of unreliable sources of power, the tribal colony is getting a conventional means of electric power generation - overhead power lines.  How transmission lines reached here The Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (MESCOM) conducted a survey and identified the routes through which the electrical lines to the tribal community can be drawn. However, the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963 (KFA) brought this project to a halt. “Given the strict guidelines regarding the encroachment of forest land under KFA, it was not possible to use forest land to install powerlines,” Shivashankar, assistant executive engineer (electrical) of MESCOM, Belthangady Division, said. Subsequently, the Dakshina Kannada District Administration and MESCOM had to explore an alternative route to distribute power to the tribal community. A team of joint planners identified two private estates belonging to Yenepoya Group and Jordania, which is a vast tract of land separating the mainland from the colony.  The authorities then reached out to the landowners to allow them to lay Low-tension (LT) and High-tension (HT) lines through their properties. Given their experience, the MESCOM said that private property owners mostly refuse to lay HT lines within their property. The estate owners of Yenepoya and Jordania, however, considered the plight of the tribal groups and submitted No Objection Certificates (NOC) to MESCOM, Shivashankar said. Elated with the positive response, MESCOM authorities swiftly began its work in March and drew powerlines measuring 12 km in distance, through the thick tropical forest. Of the 12 km-long powerlines, 5 km-long HT and LT lines were drawn through the private estates. Pegged at the cost of Rs 1.2 crore, the task of providing electricity to 46 tribal houses was undertaken by Central government’s Saubhagya Scheme. The project included installing three transformers and 450 electricity poles. “Under the Saubhagya Scheme, all the houses have been provided with electricity for free. These houses will be billed under the LT2 Tariff. But this scheme is only for the domestic households, therefore the community hall-Anganwadi centre has not been provided with electricity. For the latter, the colony residents will have to submit a separate application,” Shivashankar said. He further added that there are some technical issues with regard to some houses in the interior parts of the colony, but that too will soon be resolved. Moreover, the monsoon season is hindering the linemen from reaching all the houses in the colonies, since they are located in the forests. Additionally, a road is being laid on the Yenepoya Estate for a 24-megawatt power generation, which has also helped the colony dwellers gain access to their land easily. Even though the electric power lines are being installed, the residents have been asked to not give up renewable sources of energy as there could be power outages during the monsoon. Initially, Laxman could not believe that the entire colony will be receiving a conventional source of power. “Living has been a struggle for us for decades. We hope the electrification will help us and our children live a better life,” he said. Story by Story Infinity  (Subs and Scribes Media Ventures LLP)

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BJP criticises K’taka CM Kumaraswamy for ‘overspending’ on his village stay campaign

Politics

BJP also released a 28-page booklet detailing how HD Kumaraswamy’s earlier ‘Grama Vastavya’ or village stay drives failed to create an impact.

TNM Staff

The BJP on Monday criticised Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and the JD(S)-Congress coalition government for allegedly overspending on the CM’s hyped village stay or  ‘Grama Vastavya’ programme. “He has resumed the village stay programme just to distract the public from the massive failure in governance in the 13 months of his tenure,” state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa told reporters, as he released a booklet titled  “Grama Vastavya, Shunya Sadhana”, which roughly translates to ‘Zero Accomplishments in Village Stay’. “He is spending crores of rupees on his village stays. During his stay in Chandargi village this year, Rs 1.22 crore was spent on arranging food and other things. The person who has said that travelling in a helicopter around the state will burden the people, has spent Rs 1. 22 crore on this village stay. If the CM is raising his voice in support of farmers, he should answer their concerns; instead, he is crying crocodile tears. Actually, he is running his government from a five-star hotel,” he claimed. The 28-page booklet details the impact of Kumaraswamy’s stay in 42 villages during his first stint as the CM, back in 2006, when he came to power in coalition with the BJP. The BJP said that N Ravikumar, the party’s state General Secretary and also a Member of Legislative Council (MLC), personally visited several villages and collected information from the district functionaries of the BJP to compile this report. Among the 42 assessments, the BJP also highlighted Kumaraswamy’s 2008 stay in Ramanagara, which was the CM’s constituency then. Currently, Ramanagara is held by his wife Anitha Kumaraswamy. The assessment read, “CM Kumaraswamy stayed at the residence of one Lakappa in Jattidoodi village in Ramanagara. There were two toilets in the entire village of 26 houses, and provisions under ST quota have not reached the village. Owner of the house was not allowed to stay inside the house because of the CM’s visit, yet he had food prepared by Lakappa's wife. Residents of the village got 10-15 minutes to meet the CM. He promised to build houses and toilets. He also promised jobs for students, drainage and Anganwadis in the village. But they have not received anything. It was only two years ago that the village got a concrete road.” The CM’s office could not be reached for comment. Incidentally, a report by The New Indian Express on Sunday said that the government spending on the CM’s stay at Chandarki village in Yadgir district cost more than Rs 1 crore, despite the CM taking a state-run bus to reach there and sleeping only on a mat. Quoting anonymous officials, the report said that Rs 50 lakh was spent on providing food to the visitors and another Rs 50 lakh on setting up makeshift offices and making other arrangements. The booklet also poses 10 questions to the CM, all centred around the condition of farmers. Other questions pertained to the alleged kickbacks received by the current regime for proposing the controversial absolute sale deal with Jindal in Ballari. What is CM's village stay drive? The initiative was started by HD Kumaraswamy in his first tenure as the CM as a means of reaching out directly to the people and listening to their grievances at their doorstep. However, over the years, this move has been criticised by the Opposition as nothing but a “political gimmick”. Ahead of his visit on Friday, addressing the reporters, the CM has said, “Twelve years ago, when I was the CM, I wanted to realise Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of swaraj (self-governance). He had said that the country will achieve freedom only when each and every village in the country has the basic necessities to improve the livelihood of its people. Grama Vastavya is what I believe would be a way to realise Gandhiji’s dreams. By every evening during my village stay, I will review all the problems – short-term and long-term. Those issues that can be sorted out the same evening will be done so.” He added, “I have taken it as a challenge. I will change gears and make Karnataka the number one state in the country in terms of development. I will win back people’s confidence so much so that they would repent for not voting for us in the Lok Sabha elections.’    

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Faced with anti-rabies vaccine shortage, Karnataka govt hospitals turn to open market

Health

In the meantime, some stock of the vaccine has been obtained from Kerala and is being distributed.

Dr Nimeshika Jayachandran

Image for representation

Various government hospitals throughout Karnataka have been reporting a shortage of anti-rabies vaccine (ARV), compelling the state government to directed hospitals to turn to private sources or the ‘open market’ to procure ARV for time being. A circular regarding the matter has been sent to government healthcare centres and health officials throughout the state. “For the time being, we have received a stock of the vaccines from Kerala which is being distributed to the hospitals which require it,” Dr Sajjan Shetty, Joint Director of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program, told TNM. “We have also issued a circular which has directed all government healthcare centers (hospitals and PHCs) to procure the drugs from an open market source using funds from the Arogya Raksha Samiti (ARS) and National Free Drug Supply (NFDS) as needed.” All hospitals and healthcare centres which fall under the government sector are entitled to use these funds to ensure that there is a stock of necessary drugs. The NFDS was instituted to provide high quality drugs and other pharmaceutical products and equipment to health institutions which fall under the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services. Government hospitals and healthcare centres obtain the drugs they need to maintain a stock from the Karnataka State Drugs Logistics and Warehousing Society. Tenders for the supply of drugs were issued in December 2018 and January 2019, but did not receive a good response. Officials looking into the situation have stated that another tender has been drawn up and that the problem will be sorted out soon. In Bengaluru, while government hospitals do not have enough stock of the vaccine, hospitals run by the BBMP have an adequate stock of both - the ARV as well as the Human Rabies immunoglobulin which is also administered to those who require it, a BBMP source told TNM.   Anti-rabies vaccine is administered to people who present with dog bites or any other exposure to a rabies infected animal. It is given over a period of a few weeks in four doses.

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Would love to see half the Lok Sabha comprised of women: Sumalatha

Politics

Talking about raising the issues prevalent in the parliamentary constituency she represents, Sumalatha said revival of the lakes is on her priority.

IANS

 Actor-turned-politician Sumalatha Ambareesh, who made history by becoming the first independent woman candidate to enter the Lok Sabha from Karnataka, envisions a House that comprises 50 per cent female members. "We have debated a lot about providing 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha. But why not 50 per cent? I would love to see half of the members in the House to be women," the MP from Mandya seat of Karnataka said. Equating her first day in the lower house to that of first day at school or college, she mused that she was learning to get acquainted with the formalities of the House. "My first time at Parliament was like the first day at school or college. It was a mix of nervousness and excitement. The learning curve however is exciting," she said. Even though she says that there were various challenges being an independent candidate, the MP asserted that it freed her from the burden of towing the line of a particular party and could raise the issues of her constituency independently. Talking about raising the issues prevalent in the parliamentary constituency she represents, she said revival of the lakes is on her priority. "During my campaign, I saw that many lakes have dried up. Women have to walk several miles to fill water to meet their daily requirement. I have already met the Jal Shakti Minister and have submitted a memorandum in this regard. "Mandya is a sugarcane growing belt. The farmers are not getting proper price for their produce; I want to raise this issue on priority. Connectivity and road infrastructure is another area of concern, which I would like to bring the government's attention to," she said. The 55-year-old, who lost her husband, Kannada actor-politician Ambareesh, last year reminisces that her plunge into politics was "purely accidental". "It was my husband who had nurtured this constituency. His supporters turned up in large numbers at his funeral, which touched me and I decided to contest. I did not care if I won or lost, I had to respect my husband's memory." Since her husband was a Congress leader, Sumalatha had sought the party ticket. However, the Congress decided to field Nikhil Kumaraswamy, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's son due to the coalition with the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S). "It was a long battle to victory, as I was contesting against the Chief Minister's son. The eight legislators in the parliamentary constituency were also from the ruling party of the state. A vitriolic campaign was launched against me and I was called an outsider, entering the political fray just months before the elections," she said. The MP however, said that she received support from unexpected quarters as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not field a candidate against her. "I received immense support from my people and I am grateful for that. I defeated my rival by 1.2 lakh votes in my debut election. I was disillusioned after my husband's death, but this win has given me immense hope to carry my husband's legacy forward." Though an independent candidate, Sumalatha expects support from the BJP government in the Centre in resolving the issues of her constituency. She said that she would give her support to the parties based on the issues. "I will support the decisions that benefit the people of my constituency as well as Karnataka."] An actor by profession, she has worked in over 200 films in all four South Indian languages as well as Hindi. "Going back to the film industry would depend upon the kind of projects I receive. But serving my people comes first and I want to concentrate on that right now," Sumalatha concluded.

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Monsoon showers brings respite to drought-hit north Karnataka

Rains

Rainfall was reported in Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Dharwad, Belagavi, Uttara Kannada and Gadag districts.

TNM Staff

PTI | Image for Representation

A spell of moderate to heavy showers left areas in northern Karnataka inundated as the southwest monsoon continued to advance in the state. Rainfall was reported in Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Dharwad, Belagavi, Uttara Kannada and Gadag districts.  In Hubballi, the rains began at 2 pm on Sunday leaving several areas including Neeligin Road and Kamaripet inundated with water. Low-lying areas in the city were waterlogged by the rain.  Similarly, heavy showers and waterlogging were also reported in Belagavi, Gadag, Bagalkot and Uttara Kannada districts. In Arbhavi in Belagavi district, more than 100 mm rainfall was recorded.  "There was heavy rainfall reported in areas of northern Karnataka and we expect the rainfall to continue today (on Monday) but with reduced intensity. This was due to a monsoon circulation over Belagavi and rainfall should reduce tomorrow onwards," explained Srinivas Reddy, of the Director of the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).    According to officials in Vijayapura district, a resident of Tenalli village in Indi taluk of the district died after he was struck by lightning. Farmers in Indi growing grapes experienced crop loss after rain along with hail affected the area. It also killed several sheep in Indi.  The rains have brought respite to regions in northern Karnataka affected by drought. The Karnataka government had earlier notified that 156 out of 175 taluks in the state were drought-hit. This included most taluks in the state's northern regions. Despite Sunday night's burst of rain, there has been a deficiency in rainfall in the state by 30 % since the onset of the monsoon. The deficit is particularly acute in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada where rainfall is lesser at this time of the year by 53%, 46% and 37%. respectively.  The monsoon was delayed by several days and belatedly hit the coastal districts in the state on June 14. It has since advanced in the state and brought rains to Bengaluru and other parts. 

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Kodagu coffee growers struggle after deluge, seek better reservoir management

Coffee Plantations

Coffee planters in Kodagu are still suffering from the effects of incessant rainfall and landslides of August 2018 that resulted in loss of topsoil, crops and yield.

Amoolya Rajappa

Images by Amoolya Rajappa

Subbaiah Shanteyenda (58) was busy restoring the site of a landslip, right next to his house perched on the slopes where he grows coffee, pepper and cardamom. In August 2018, his family survived the worst deluge of their lifetime. Heavy downpour that started in mid-August last year wreaked havoc in Mukkodulu village of Madikeri taluk, where Shanteyenda’s family owns around 40 acres of coffee plantation. A landslide destroyed close to 10 acres of productive agricultural land in his estate. The Kodagu or Coorg region, known for its coffee, bore the brunt of an extreme weather event, where most of the coffee plantations were affected. Eight months later, coffee growers like Shanteyenda are struggling to cope with the drastic drop in coffee yield, besides loss of land and crucial shade-giving trees. Deluge and aftermath In three days, from 15 to 17 August, Kodagu received a rainfall of 768mm, which was 45% of the entire month’s rainfall. “That was the highest recorded rainfall since British era,” K. K. Vishwanath, core committee member of Codagu Planters’ Association (CPA) and organising secretary of Karnataka Growers’ Federation (KGF), told VillageSquare.in. “It just did not stop pouring and the locals realised that it was not normal,” said 71-year-old N. Bose Mandanna, former vice-chairman of the Coffee Board of India. On 17th August, a stream of gushing water from the upper inclines of Shanteyenda’s house destroyed a high wall and washed off his nursery of coffee seedlings. Shanteyenda’s wife Reshma recollected walking for miles to reach safety, after the wall gave way. As a result of the extreme downpour, many coffee growers in Kodagu witnessed wet foot conditions in their plantations, with water stagnating around the plants. This resulted in berries dropping down and incidences of black rot and stalk rot. “Continuous waterlogging led to oxygen starvation to the coffee roots,” said Mandanna. According to Shanteyenda, the water retaining capacity of the soil was completely lost. “I could see some of the coffee roots at the ground level,” he told VillageSquare.in. “And the yellowish tinge on some coffee plants means they are not healthy.” Loss in production Karnataka accounts for over 70% of the coffee produced in the country; of which, more than 53% is produced in Kodagu, nicknamed the ‘coffee cup’ of India. However, following the torrential rains that severely affected the district in August 2018, Karnataka recorded a significant reduction in coffee production. Among the major losses in the state, about 25,020 metric tons (Arabica 4,750 MT and Robusta 20,270 MT) was reported from Kodagu, followed by Chikkamagaluru and Hassan districts, as per statistics released by the Coffee Board of India. “Due to the rains, the leaves and berries started dropping. The severe winds made it worse,” Mandanna, whose coffee estate was at the fringe of a landslide spot, told VillageSquare.in. “There were springs everywhere and I could save only 50 to 60% of my crop.” 52-year-old Petu Kariappa, also a committee member of the CPA, lost six acres of his coffee estate near Madapur to landslides. After the rains, the yields were only 25% of Robusta and 45% of Arabica compared to last year. “I produced over 850 bags (of 50 kg each) of Robusta coffee last year. But this year, I may not even cross 200,” he said. Loss of trees In Kodagu, coffee is mostly cultivated under a canopy of assorted shade-giving trees such as rose wood, wild fig, jackfruit, etc. The landslides have uprooted these trees in many coffee plantations. “It feels like we have gone back 15 years,” Reshma Shanteyenda told VillageSquare.in. Many shade trees, including both hard and soft wood, fell to the ground when landslides ravaged Kariappa’s coffee estate. “In fact many farmers approached the Principal Conservator of Forests seeking permission to sell the fallen trees at distressed prices. But the forest department rejected our appeal,” he said. Uneven compensation The August 2018 floods and landslides destroyed more than 30% crops in Somwarpet and Madikeri taluks. Though compensations were announced, its reach has been uneven according to many coffee growers. “It may be less;, but monetary compensation of Rs.18,000 per hectare for crop loss and Rs. 37,500 per hectare for land loss was offered through the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF),” said Kariappa. “Though the money has been released, it’s taking abnormally long for it to reach the affected people,” he said. Officials in charge of dispensing the compensation cited the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) that was in place for the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections as a reason for the delay. Shanteyenda alleges that there has been misuse of funds granted by both the state and central governments. “It’s just 2% of Kodagu which was severely impacted, but those who were not affected also claim compensation,” he said. “There is little coordination between the state and central governments in delivering disaster relief,” A. Nanda Belliappa, secretary of the CPA, told VillageSquare.in. Difficult recovery “In a recent meeting involving the Coffee Board officials and members of the CPA, it was decided that almost nothing can be done this year as the topsoil has been completely washed off, even up to 50 feet in some places,” said Mandanna. Petu Kariappa has just started levelling the land. Shanteyenda is unsure how to proceed with the restoration work. “The land lost is almost a vertical drop, with no natural incline left whatsoever. I am not sure how I can fix it,” he said. He considers planting shade trees and legumes for the long run. In addition to their existing worries, many coffee growers are facing water shortage for irrigation. “When the rains lasted till September 2018, we thought there would be abundant water for this year. But right now, we are witnessing one of the worst periods of water scarcity,” said Mandanna. “By November, young coffee and pepper plants started wilting and dying impacting this year’s yield also.” Way forward A few estate owners like Mandanna and Nanda Belliappa believe that proper management of the Harangi reservoir in Somwarpet taluk (the gates of which were opened on 17th August, 2018 amplifying the flood situation) could have resulted in lesser losses. They believe heavy discharge of water into downstream channels, some of which were running parallel to the roads led to massive landslides, scooping the area in the adjoining hills of Madikeri taluk. CPA, in association with KGF, has appealed to the state and central governments several times, to implement several measures to alleviate the problems facing the coffee sector. Some of the immediate, short-term actions include providing loan waivers to coffee farmers in all the 43 affected villages of Kodagu, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru, desilting of water bodies in the catchment areas situated on the backwaters of Harangi reservoir, and better dam maintenance and management. In some places, the landslides have also erased boundaries demarcating different coffee estates. A government report that assessed the damages identified close to 300 landslide locations and estimated the land loss in affected villages to be ranging from 1 to 250 hectares. However, a physical verification of individual properties to assess and arrive at losses including land cost, infrastructure, tree valuation and horticulture activity, is yet to be initiated. “We have requested the government to depute surveyors to take up this work on a priority basis,” Vishwanath told VillageSquare.in. Many coffee growers said that it would take at least ten years for Kodagu to return to normalcy, since the perennial crop of coffee involves a maturity period (from planting to producing berries) of about 10 years. Amoolya Rajappa is a Bengaluru-based journalist. Views are personal. The original article was published on VillageSquare.in and can be found here. 

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Bengaluru police arrest Pakistani woman for overstaying visa, forging documents

Crime

She had managed to get an Aadhaar card, PAN card, voter ID, ration card in her name.

TNM Staff

Police in Bengaluru have arrested a 50-year-old woman holding Pakistani citizenship for overstaying her visa. According to reports, she was previously an Indian citizen but had taken Pakistani citizenship after marrying a Pakistani man. Police said the woman has been identified as Shabana Nasira who was residing in Siddapura. Shabana had married Noor Mohammed in 1987 and had started living in Pakistan. However, she and her husband parted ways in 2010 and post the divorce, she visited India on a tourist visa. While she had applied for an extension of visa and an Indian citizenship, it is still pending approval. But during her stay, she managed to get an Aadhaar card, PAN card, voter ID, ration card, gas connection, and even a pension certificate for the elderly in her name.  Police uncovered these developments based on a tip-off and have booked Shabana under Foreigners Act and other relevant sections of the law. Earlier in May this year, a Pakistani couple was deported after they were arrested in 2017 for illegally entering India and holding fake documents while living in Bengaluru. The couple— Kashif Shamsuddin and his wife Kirhon Ghulam Ali, were handed over to Pakistani authorities at the Wagah-Attari border. The couple hailed from Chakragot in Karachi and were arrested in May 2017 in Bengaluru along with Sameera, another Pakistani national, who had entered India with them. Sameera continues to remain in jail in Bengaluru. She is married to Mohammad Shihab, a native of Kerala who was working in Qatar. The couple got married against the family’s wishes some time in 2015 and have a child. Police officials stated that the trio were residing in India with fake documents, including fudged Aadhaar cards.

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