Nature / Environment – Page 4

** 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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** Bipin Rawat Freedom Park inaugurated

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai inaugurated a park at Padmanabhanagar in memory of the former Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Sunday.

Bipin Rawat Freedom Park, spread over an acre and developed at a cost of ₹2 crore, has a plaque memorialising Gen. Rawat

** 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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** 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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** 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.

** Early-yielding jackfruit variety ready for release

Called Mangala Early, it is said to be a farmers variety

Saplings of an early-yielding jackfruit variety from whose trees fruits can be harvested from late November is all set to be released in the city in June.

A joint private initiative of B. Sarvesha Rao, a nursery owner, Gururaja Balthillaya, a well-known grafter of the coastal belt, and Gabriel Stany Veigas, a retired District Forest Officer (DFO), who is a pioneer in raising a jackfruit orchard spread over 10 acres in the coastal belt, the variety has been named Mangala Early. It is a farmers variety.

The plantation of Mr. Veigas at Neerakere in Tenka Mijar village near Moodbidri has about 900 trees/plants of different jackfruit varieties with many of them bearing fruit now. It is probably the largest jackfruit orchard in the coastal belt now. He began planting them in 2013-14.

** Cricketer Anil Kumble’s son releases book on wildlife photography in Bengaluru

This passion has passed on to his son, Mayas Kumble. A wildlife enthusiast, Mayas released his coffee table book on photography titled, ‘Safari Saga: Wild Encounters Of A Young Photographer’, at an event here on Tuesday.

** Water challenge offers ₹2.5 crore in prize money

The programme for start-ups and innovators working on solutions to provide clean drinking water to the underprivileged and rural households will run for 18 months

The/Nudge Foundation and Ashirvad Pipes, in partnership with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Central Government, announced a prize for start-ups and innovators working on solutions to provide clean drinking water to the underprivileged and rural households.

The initiative is aimed to support solutions that address population-scale water challenges. With a total prize of ₹2.5 crore, the programme would run for 18 months and would support entrepreneurs in developing, testing, and scaling solutions through a network of investors, mentors, technology and knowledge partners, and policy circle advisors, stated a release.