₹500 crore set aside for laying railway barricades in remaining forest areas: Eshwar Khandre
'Before I became the Forest Minister in 2023, 312.918 km of railway barricades had been installed in the State. But, in the last two years, after I became the Minister, railway barricades have been laid in 115.085 km, and approval has been given for laying the barricades in an additional 193 km to address the human-elephant conflict,' the Minister said.
Speaking at the flagging off event of Gajapayana of the Dasara elephants at Veeranahosahalli in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve near here, the Minister said the State government has taken several measures including installation of solar-powered fencing, tentacle fencing, and maintenance of elephant trenches to address the conflicts involving elephants.
He informed about the issue of cattle being brought from other States and allowed to graze in the forest areas of Karnataka, resulting in a shortage of fodder for wild animals.
Therefore, steps have been taken to prohibit grazing by cattle from outside the State, the Minister said.
In memory of Arjuna
On the occasion, the Minister announced the award instituted in the name of famed Dasara elephant Arjuna, which died in a tussle with a wild elephant in Hassan two years ago, in memory of the pachyderm and to recognise the services of mahouts, kavadis, and the forest staff, showing excellence in the operations to capture wild elephants, training, and wildlife management.
The Minister presented the maiden Arjuna award to Gunda and Nanjundaswamy, the mahout and kavadi of Bheema, the Dasara elephant. The award carries a cash prize of ₹10,000 and a certificate.
Mr. Khandre announced that a committee will be constituted to identify suitable persons for the award every year, and it will be presented on the occasion of Gajapayana, which marks the symbolic march of the Dasara elephants, in remembrance of Arjuna, which majestically carried the golden howdah during Mysuru Dasara procession for many years.
A memorial for Arjuna was inaugurated recently at the Balle elephant camp in H.D. Kote taluk.
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The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
₹500 crore set aside for laying railway barricades in remaining forest areas: Eshwar Khandre
Minister for Forest, Ecology, and Environment Eshwar Khandre on Monday said that ₹500 crore will be spent on laying railway barricades in remaining forest areas in the next two years in the State. 'Before I became the Forest Minister in 2023, 312.918 km of railway barricades had been installed in the State. But, in the last two years, after I became the Minister, railway barricades have been laid in 115.085 km, and approval has been given for laying the barricades in an additional 193 km to address the human-elephant conflict,' the Minister said. Speaking at the flagging off event of Gajapayana of the Dasara elephants at Veeranahosahalli in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve near here, the Minister said the State government has taken several measures including installation of solar-powered fencing, tentacle fencing, and maintenance of elephant trenches to address the conflicts involving elephants. He informed about the issue of cattle being brought from other States and allowed to graze in the forest areas of Karnataka, resulting in a shortage of fodder for wild animals. Therefore, steps have been taken to prohibit grazing by cattle from outside the State, the Minister said. In memory of Arjuna On the occasion, the Minister announced the award instituted in the name of famed Dasara elephant Arjuna, which died in a tussle with a wild elephant in Hassan two years ago, in memory of the pachyderm and to recognise the services of mahouts, kavadis, and the forest staff, showing excellence in the operations to capture wild elephants, training, and wildlife management. The Minister presented the maiden Arjuna award to Gunda and Nanjundaswamy, the mahout and kavadi of Bheema, the Dasara elephant. The award carries a cash prize of ₹10,000 and a certificate. Mr. Khandre announced that a committee will be constituted to identify suitable persons for the award every year, and it will be presented on the occasion of Gajapayana, which marks the symbolic march of the Dasara elephants, in remembrance of Arjuna, which majestically carried the golden howdah during Mysuru Dasara procession for many years. A memorial for Arjuna was inaugurated recently at the Balle elephant camp in H.D. Kote taluk.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Gajapayana to herald the arrival of Dasara elephants to Mysuru tomorrow
With just weeks to go for the grand Mysuru Dasara festival to be held from September 22nd to October 2nd, the stage is set for the launch of Gajapayana, the traditional but symbolic march of the elephants from the forest to the city royale, on Monday, 4 August, 2025. The flagging off marking the symbolic march of the Dasara elephants, will take place at Veeranahosahalli, on the fringes of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve after 'Gaja Puje' or special worship of the elephants slated to be held from 12.34 p.m. to 12.59 p.m. This also signals the countdown to Mysuru Dasara and all activities will revolve around preparations for the annual event which is a fulcrum to highlight the culture of the State and also promote tourism. During the days of the maharajas, Gajapayana used to be a stately affair and elephants would walk the entire distance from the forest camps to Mysuru city. The tradition, however, went out of vogue decades ago and Gajapayana was reintroduced about 20 years ago. Though the elephants marched the entire distance in the first year after reintroduction, it was discontinued from the subsequent years and the march became symbolic. Hence, the elephants, after the prayers and flagging off, walk a short distance at Veeranahosahalli and are shifted to trucks which ferries them to Mysuru. District in charge Minister H.C. Mahadevappa, Forest Minister Eshwar B. Khandre, senior officials of the Forest Department, elected representatives from Mysuru, and others will take part in Gajapayana. There will also be cultural programmes performed by members of the tribal community and the Tibetans from the adjoining Gurupura Tibetan camp. The first batch of Dasara elephants will be led by tusker Abhimanyu who is also slated to carry the golden howdah on the day of the procession. Other elephants that have been shortlisted include Dhananjaya, Bheema, Kanjan, Ekalavya, Prashanth, Mahendra, Kaveri, and Balle Lakshmi. The second batch of five elephants from other camps will join them latter during the month. The elephants will initially be lodged at Aranya Bhavan for a couple of days before they march to the palace grounds which will be their temporary abode till the conclusion of Dasara. Meanwhile, the district administration has completed all the arrangements for the stay of the elephants, the mahouts and their family members at the palace grounds. Enclosures have been made for elephants while temporary staying facilities have been created for the mahouts. A team of veterinary officers will be in charge of elephants which will be on special diet and the bulk of the Forest Department staff will be deployed to look after them.
The Hindu
3 days ago
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Minister vows serious action on fertilizer shortage, dilapidated school buildings, and poor quality of food in Bidar
Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister and Bidar district in charge Minister Eshwar B. Khandre has assured that the issues of fertilizer shortage, dilapidated school buildings, and substandard food supplied to schoolchildren in Bidar would be taken up seriously and addressed on priority. Chairing the Karnataka Development Programmes (KDP) quarterly review meeting at the Zilla Panchayat hall in Bidar on Friday, the Minister directed Deputy Commissioner Shilpa Sharma, Zilla Panchayat CEO Girish Badole, Assistant Commissioners, and Executive Engineers to conduct inspections and certify the quality of all ongoing works. 'Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has inaugurated and laid the foundation for development projects worth ₹2,025 crore in the district. There should be close monitoring of the progress and quality of each of these projects,' the Minister said. Raising concern over poor SSLC and PU results in Bidar, Mr. Khandre ordered the formation of clusters to support students through focused coaching by expert teachers in English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. He asked officials to identify top-performing teachers across taluks and initiate revision classes for SSLC and PU students for two months. Responding to complaints about the condition of school infrastructure, Mr. Khandre sought a detailed report from the Education Department on all dilapidated school and college buildings. 'Submit a file within a fixed deadline indicating whether the buildings can be repaired or must be rebuilt. Include the year of construction, estimated cost, and reasons for the early deterioration of these buildings,' he directed. On law and order Expressing shock over a recent case of sexual assault against a minor girl, the minister instructed DSPs to expedite investigations in all cases involving crimes against women and children. He also questioned whether CCTV cameras had been installed at crime-prone public locations and directed officials to take urgent steps to install them wherever lacking. 'Only when perpetrators are arrested, tried, and punished will such crimes be prevented,' he said. Focus on skilling and employment Acknowledging unemployment as a pressing concern, Mr. Khandre suggested that youth be given loans and encouraged to take up self-employment through government schemes. He added that since Bidar lacks natural resources for a full-scale industrial revolution, skill training should be aligned with job opportunities in the service sector. He also asked the Deputy Commsisioner and Zilla Panchayat CEO to personally inspect at least five development works each for quality assurance. During the meeting, MLA Shailendra Beldale raised concerns over reports of adulterated cooking oil and poor-quality food being served to students. He urged officials to inspect hostels and restaurants to ensure food safety standards. The meeting was attended by Minister for Municipal Administration and Haj Rahim Khan; Siddalingappa Patil, Sharanu Salagar, MLAs; M.G. Muley, Bhimaraya Patil, Chandrashekhar Patil; MLCs; Fisheries Development Corporation chairperson Mala B. Narayan Rao; BUDA chairman Basavaraj Jabashetty; DCC Bank president Amar Khandre; District Guarantee Implementation Committee chairman Amruthrao Chimkode; and senior officials from various departments.
