No fervour for mango mela, farmers report huge losses
Mango mela is organised by the Horticulture Department and the Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation (KSMDMC) every year to provide customers a chance to buy directly from mango farmers. This year, the mela was inaugurated on May 30 and is coming to an end on June 23. While the duration of the mela is three weeks in total, farmers, who have set up around 80 stalls say that very few consumers have turned up this year.
'Mango Board organised mango mela this year and gave it zero publicity. Now farmers are facing huge losses. We are throwing away fruits which could have otherwise brought us money. They have put on a show for the sake of it, but failed to inform anyone about it,' said Bhaskara, a mango farmer from Kolar district.
The farmers threatened to protest against the Horticulture Department if steps are not taken to publicise the event and bring in more business. 'Unlike all the previous years, this year we see no publicity nor footfall. We take care of our mangoes like children from the flowering stage till they ripen and now, because of the neglect of the government, we are facing such losses. We already lost tonnes of fruits to weather vagaries this year and now this,' said Jagadish Reddy, another mango farmer.
Officials of the Horticulture Department acknowledged that the footfall was less than the previous years but denied any claims of not publicising the event.
'We have given announcements in the media and radio about the mango mela. The problem this time was the quality of fruits and the availability of mangoes everywhere in the city. In places like Jayamahal Road, there are so many seller stalls that it almost feels like a mela in itself. The farmers, understandably considering their logistical costs, fix their own prices which are slightly higher than the prices in other mango stalls. That combined with rain resulted in slightly less footfall,' explained Ramesh. D.S., director, Horticulture Department.
Mango farmers have been protesting for a few days now especially after the prices of totapuri variety fell to as little as ₹4 per kg. They have been demanding support price from the government.
'Mango farmers are suffering so much this year and the Horticulture Minister is nowhere to be seen. The government has managed to break the back of the farmers who are called the backbone of the nation. First there was no support price and now this is the state of mango mela. We will have to take up huge protests if our demands are not met,' said Neelaturu Chinnappa Reddy, president, president, Kolar District Mango Growers' Association.
Mr. Ramesh said that a proposal regarding the support price for totapuri has been sent to the government which will make the final decision.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
BBMP bans PoP Ganesha idols, Plans over 40 immersion sites
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has stepped up to promote environmentally friendly celebrations of Gauri Ganesha festival by banning the use of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols within city limits. At a preparatory meeting held in Malleswaram, BBMP Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao instructed officials to take strict action against the manufacture and sale of PoP idols. The BBMP will facilitate immersion at over 40 lakes and several designated immersion tanks across the city. Mr. Rao directed the officials to ensure safety arrangements at all sites, including barricading, lighting, trained swimmers, cranes, sanitation workers, and transport vehicles for waste management. In addition, temporary mobile immersion tanks will be set up at key locations and major junctions in each ward. A single-window clearance system will be implemented across 75 BBMP sub-divisions as an effort to streamline the permission process. This system will involve coordination between BBMP, police, Bescom, and fire and emergency services to expedite approvals.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
BBMP pins hopes on climate clubs despite slow start
The Bengaluru Climate Action Clubs (BCAC) initiative, launched by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), began with a flyer campaign that saw the registration of over 700 educational institutions. However, the programme has struggled to sustain the interest of these institutions. Launched on June 6 by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to mark World Environment Day, the initiative is aimed at establishing climate action clubs in schools and colleges across the city, engaging students in sustainability efforts. Its primary focus is to instill environmental responsibility among children through activities and challenges related to climate issues. As of Tuesday, 754 clubs have been formed across educational institutions, but only 117 are actively functioning, according to BCAC data. This is an improvement from the first week of July, when only 70 clubs were active. Of those, representatives from 50 clubs participated in a meeting held on July 2. Suraj S.K., a local climate action and civic engagement fellow working on the project, remains optimistic that participation will grow as the initiative expands to more institutions. Several activities are planned to strengthen the clubs and support their effective implementation. Seven sectors The BCAC operates under seven broad sectors outlined in the Bengaluru Climate Action Plan (BCAP), with each sector focusing on a different aspect of the climate crisis. These include waste management, energy, green planning, transportation, air quality, water, and disaster management. Within these categories, clubs are expected to identify specific problems and devise action plans to tackle them. For example, under the energy category, a club might set a goal to reduce electricity bills by identifying areas of excessive power use and creating a plan to curb wasteful energy consumption. Implementing such plans would directly address climate-related challenges. According to Mr. Suraj, similarly, each category offers various opportunities to identify issues and formulate solutions, which is the core idea behind BCAC. 'When we look at it individually, the reduction in a school's power consumption may seem marginal. But if thousands of schools implement the same measures, the overall energy savings could be significant,' Mr. Suraj explained. For now, the clubs have been asked to focus on just four sectors: energy, water, greening, and waste management. 'Greening' involves using unused land within school campuses to plant saplings and increase green cover. BBMP officials believe the programme will gain momentum once active clubs begin implementing their action plans and contributing to change. While participation is entirely voluntary, the BCAC plans to encourage involvement by recognising and awarding clubs that successfully implement their initiatives. Institutions such as MES Prof. B.R. Subba Rao College, Cambridge School, and BGS PU College currently have active climate action clubs.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
Smoother roads ahead? Stone matrix asphalt to be used for revamp works across Bengaluru's busy corridors
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has been using stone matrix asphalt (SMA) to fix 87 km out of 145 km of identified high-density corridors in the city, according to civic body officials. Lokesh M., Chief Engineer (Road Infrastructure), BBMP, stated that makeover works are currently under way on Magadi Road, Mysuru Road, Old Madras Road, HAL Airport Road, and Kanakapura Road. 'We have taken up addressing undulation and pothole issues along these stretches as part of the revamp works. In places where there is necessity for milling and level matching, we are taking up that too,' Mr. Lokesh said, adding that SMA is being used for all these works. Some high-density corridor stretches have been white-topped, and work is yet to commence on others. Milling refers to the removal of portions of existing asphalt for reworking, while level matching involves the even re-laying of asphalt. Mr. Lokesh explained that BBMP has traditionally used micro-asphalting to repair road damage and maintain road quality, but this method has proven ineffective, especially on high-density corridors. Hence, the civic body has now turned to SMA, which, while more expensive, is considered far more effective in addressing pothole issues. 'SMA mix contains more proteins and fibres, such as cellulose and mineral fibres, which increase the strength of the mixture. There is a much lower chance of the asphalt developing cracks,' said Mr. Lokesh. He further explained that two major reasons for Bengaluru's pothole-ridden roads are flooding and frequent road digging for development work. High-density corridors also face the added disadvantage of heavy vehicular movement. SMA essentially prevents water from seeping into the asphalt due to its lower tendency to crack and its fibrous composition, according to Mr. Lokesh. This characteristic contributes to the durability of the surface by enhancing its structural integrity. However, it costs higher than regular asphalt. 'Usually, the design period (estimated lifespan) of SMA is five to six years, but there are examples of it lasting much longer. For instance, K.G. Road in central Bengaluru was asphalted nine years ago and has remained undamaged since,' he told The Hindu. M.N. Sreehari, a traffic and infrastructure expert, also reiterated the effectiveness of the SMA. 'Earlier, BBMP used to use a substandard mix for asphalting whose bonding quality would be poor, leading to frequent damage to the roads. In contrast, SMA will have a longer life span, though costly, due to its sustaining power against water and, to some extent, heat as well,' he told The Hindu, adding that BBMP should ensure quality controls. While BBMP first used SMA in 2016 on KG Road, only a few roads were subsequently asphalted using this technique. Mr. Lokesh, who initially piloted SMA in Bengaluru, at the helm as Chief Engineer of Road Infrastructure, he plans to implement the technique more extensively. He intends to extend its application to radial roads.
