** Unkal lake renamed

Members of Some Veerashaiva Lingayat organisations renamed Unkal Lake as Sri Channabasava Sagar after Sri Channabasavanna, 12th century saint, in Hubballi on Sunday.

They celebrated the Sri Channabasavanna Jayanti and performed puja to Sri Basaveshwara and Sri Channabasavanna. Some women carried Vachana books on their heads and chanted Vachanas.

** Manipal’s Bharatiya Vikas Trust bags Ashden Award under energy access skills category

The Trust has been working on harnessing solar energy since 2001

Bharatiya Vikas Trust (BVT), Manipal, established by late T.A. Pai, has bagged the Ashden Award 2021 in the ‘Energy Access Skills’ category.

Trust’s Master Trainer Sudhir Kulkarni and Consultant Sudeeptha Ghosh received the award from Costa Rica President Charlos Alvarado Quesada during the Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, United Kingdom, on November 4.

** JNCASR-Bengaluru scientists devise way to convert carbon dioxide to methane without toxicity

 Bengaluru scientists have devised a toxic-free method that converts the most common greenhouse gas (GHG) carbon dioxide (CO2) to methane (CH4) – known to be the cleanest fossil fuel – a process that can effectively help in reducing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels which is a major climate change concern.

Church Street pedestrianisation project bags MoHUA awards

The “Clean Air Street – Church Street First” was been conferred with the “Commendation Award in Urban Transport” under the category “Running trophy for the state/UT, which has Implemented Best Urban Transport Projects during the previous year”.

** Udupi: From mountain to ocean – Adventurous journey of five young girls from Karnataka

Five young girls of Karnataka, who are participating in the historical journey of ‘Mountain to Ocean’ as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebration of India’s independence, reached Karwar after scaling Antamhoi mountain peak (5245 meters) and cycling for 3000 km all the way from Ladakh.

Now the girls are kayaking 300 km in the sea from Karwar in the coastal area of the state. They reached Malpe sea beach on Friday, October 29.

Aishwarya V and Dhanalaxmi, residents of Shivamogga, Asha, resident of Bengaluru, Pushpa, resident of Madikeri and Bindu from Mysuru are in the team of girls in this adventurous journey.

** Himalayan Heights: This 23-year-old Udupi woman is mountaineering to challenge herself

This tale of a young woman from Udupi, who is scaling new heights literally as a mountaineer despite a background of modest means, is as interesting as it is inspiring.  Sumalatha Bajagoli has always taken life head-on. A daughter of a daily-wage labourer and homemaker, the young woman from Maala, Bajagoli of Karkala taluk in Udupi district has learnt the art of climbing out of financial perils since childhood. Unaffected by the struggles, the 23-year-old chose a rewarding path in life, albeit challenging, precarious, and fraught with mortal danger.  

** Meet the cheesemaking monks in Bengaluru

The Vallombrosa Benedictine Congregation in Bengaluru weathered lockdown by selling 10 varieties of cheeses — from Parmesan to mascarpone — to apartments, and starting a goat farm. Now, they ship across India!

After 15 years of making cheese, the monks of Vallombrosa Bendictine Congregation were determined to keep going, despite through the challenges of the pandemic.

Sold under the brand name Vallombrosa Cheese, named after the order’s monastery in Tuscany, Italy, the venture produces 10 kinds of artisanal cheese. Although many restaurants and hotels, their main customers, downed shutters, word-of-mouth publicity for their brand ensured that there were buyers right at home in Bengaluru.

** Hunger for adventure: All-woman team climbs mountain, cycles 3,000+ km, 300 km of kayaking

Women expedition team gets warm welcome in Udupi

An all-woman “Shikharadinda Sagara” expedition team that climbed a mountain in the Himalayan ranges, cycled over 3,000 km and participated in kayaking [300 km], was given a warm reception at Malpe in Udupi district on Thursday afternoon.

Udupi Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Y. Naveen Bhat welcomed the team comprising V. Aishwarya, Dhanalakshmi, Asha, Pushpa and Bindu. He appreciated the efforts put in by the team to instil confidence among the general public in general and women in particular.

** Lake rejuvenation: BBMP wins award

The Earth Day Network India, an environmental organization, gave the ‘Earth Day Network Star Municipal Leadership’ award to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for rejuvenating 18 lakes in the city and taking up development of seven more.

The civic body was nominated for the award by the Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust. Usha Rajagopal from PNLIT said that the trust’s partnership with the BBMP began in 2009. “Our partnership has been fruitful and we were happy to nominate BBMP for the award,” she said.

** JNCASR-Bengaluru scientists devise way to convert carbon dioxide to methane without toxicity

Bengaluru scientists have devised a toxic-free method that converts the most common greenhouse gas (GHG) carbon dioxide (CO2) to methane (CH4) – known to be the cleanest fossil fuel – a process that can effectively help in reducing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels which is a major climate change concern.

The scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, achieved this using non-metal catalysts, unlike procedures that are in use, which are found to release toxic gases in the process.

In doing so, the scientists, led by Professor Tapas Kumar Maji from the Chemistry and Physics of Materials Unit of JNCASR, have designed a cost-effective metal-free catalyst to achieve the conversion by absorption of visible light.