Green Products – Page 3 – Karnataka First

This doctor has been healing Kalaburagi’s green cover

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.

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** Indian environmental scientist elected to U.S. National Academy of Sciences

Conservation biologist Kamal Bawa has been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Kamal Bawa is president of the Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE) as well as an elected fellow of the Royal Society (London) and the American Philosophical Society.

“The election is a reaffirmation of our important work on the ecology, conservation, and management of tropical forests that are declining all over the world but are critical to humanity’s well-being,” said Dr. Bawa.

A few years ago, Dr. Bawa brought together scientists from India’s leading institutions to develop the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Wellbeing under the banner of the Biodiversity Collaborative. The effort was supported by the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, and is currently funded by the Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies.

** Honouring a hero: Martyred IFS officer’s jeep now a memorial

His jeep was lying abandoned at the Karnataka range forest office in Palar, bordering Tamil Nadu.

In a unique and rare tribute, Karnataka forest department officials have restored the jeep that was driven by martyred Indian Forest Service officer P Srinivas back into running condition and have turned it into a souvenir.

This Srinivas’ official vehicle has been kept at the Kollegal forest department office, where a museum has also been created with photographs, letters, documents and write-ups of Srinivas.

“This is the first such tribute to a martyred forest officer anywhere in India. We thought this was the best way to honour Srinivas, who was a Keerthi Chakra recipient in 1992. His jeep was lying abandoned at the Karnataka range forest office in Palar, bordering Tamil Nadu. We spent Rs 1.1 lakh to repair it and to restore it into running condition. We then put it up as the souvenir,” said MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary Director V Yedukondalu.

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** Zero-waste hero

Meet the only urban farmer from Bengaluru who made it to the list of environmental changemakers by National Geographic India.

In 2007, Vani Murthy started composting at her Malleswaram home on a whim and posted details of her zero-waste lifestyle on Facebook. Today, the ‘worm rani’ as she is known, has a following of 23,80,000 on Instagram and has made it to the list of the ‘One for Change’ campaign by National Geographic India.

Bengaluru to make it to this list, Murthy says that there’s never been a day when she feels like she’s actually working. “I love all things trash — from composting to making things sustainable. That’s the only thing I never complain about, so I absolutely love what I do and I’m thrilled to be recognised for my passion.”

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** Meet Edwin Joseph – Bengaluru’s ‘Sparrow Man’

Meet Bengaluru’s ‘Sparrow Man’, 72-year-old Edwin Joseph, whose life revolves around the winged visitors.

In an inconspicuous corner of Bagalur Layout in Bengaluru, lives the city’s ‘Sparrow Man’. Edwin Joseph, 72, is visited by a host of sparrows, squirrels, a few pigeons and even bulbuls, and he is popular both as the sparrow whisperer and a Good Samaritan.

For almost 15 years now, Edwin has woken up to the chirping of sparrows at his window. He feeds them millets and sometimes khara mixture, rice, roti, and anything that is cooked for the household

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** Rare Forest Produce At Your Doorstep

The COVID pandemic has played havoc in the lives of forest dwellers and they have lost access to the local markets where they could sell rare and exquisite forest produce.

However, an initiative by the Federation of Large Area Multipurpose Societies (LAMPS) has come to the aid of tribals residing in forest regions.

The initiative has enabled them to sell agriculture and forest produce to cities like Mysuru in a mobile vehicle. LAMPS procures products from the tribals and sells in cities thereby giving a fair share of income for their produce. A mobile vehicle has been refurbished for this purpose and the vehicle will market the products at doorsteps.

The initiative, launched yesterday in Mysuru, ensures that tribals get a fair value and earn their livelihood. The core objective of LAMPS is to encourage the tribal communities to enhance their financial status by carrying out livelihood activities.

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** Karnataka emerges as top seller of renewable energy under Green Term Ahead Market

Karnataka ranks first in renewable rich States with 15 GW of installed capacity base and another 9 GW of green capacity being under implementation

Karnataka distribution companies (discoms) have become the top seller of renewable energy under the Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM) at the Indian Energy Exchange Limited (IEX).

Power Company of Karnataka Limited (PCKL) has a market share of 74% on the sell side in IEX GTAM market since its inception, selling 2.67 billion units (BU) out of 3.6 BU on the exchange till January, 2022, IEX officials said, adding that Karnataka is now also leveraging the recently commenced Green Day Ahead Market (GDAM) for sale of its surplus renewable power.

** New genus of parasitoid wasp dedicated to ATREE

Parasitoids are the most important natural enemies of other insects, and humans exploit this behaviour for biological control of crop pests

A new genus of Braconid wasp has been named ‘Atree’, after the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), a leading research institution and environmental think tank based in Bengaluru. This is said to be the first time in India that an institute has an eponymous insect genus.

The development comes with the discovery of a new species of wasp, Atree rajathae and two other already known species. The newly described species is a parasitoid wasp. An ATREE statement explained that parasitoids are the most important natural enemies of other insects, and humans exploit this behaviour for the biological control of crop pests.

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** Farmer-bred paddy variety gets official recognition

Shankar Guru of T.Narispur bred NMS-2 variety of rice

In a significant development, a variety of rice bred by a T.Narsipur-based farmer has been recognised for its salient features and qualities by the Plant Varieties Registry, Government of India, which has issued its stamp of approval.

The certificate issued under the provisions of Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001, also gives Shankar Guru exclusive rights to produce, sell, market, distribute, import or export the variety for an initial period of 6 years and renewable subsequently subject to certain conditions.

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** Digital campaign ‘Namma Jalamarga’ to mark World Water Day in Bengaluru

Campaign to raise awareness on the importance of storm water drains

In a bid to spread awareness among people about the importance of caring for storm water drains, The Anonymous India Charitable Trust (TAICT) is launching a digital campaign ‘Namma Jalamarga’ on Tuesday, marking World Water Day.

“Our waterways are irreplaceable. Today, Bengaluru is in a crisis to protect and maintain this beautiful network of lakes and waterways as the fast growth in the last three decades has put the entire system in jeopardy. What we see around us most of the time is that our waterways are clogged up with filth, polluted with sewage or encroached upon instead of using this beautiful system as it is supposed to be. Other cities around the world use their canal systems to bring them joy,” TAICT said in a release.