
Dasara: Elephants and staff insured for ₹2 crore
The Forest Department officials and the staff, who are associated with the management and training of elephants, are also covered under the insurance, in addition to all 14 elephants that are going to be part of the Dasara festivities, which will commence in September.
In total, 43 have been given the insurance cover.
Confirming this to The Hindu, Deputy Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Prabhu Gowda said, 'A premium of ₹67,000 has been paid towards the insurance cover, which has been given by The New India Assurance Company Limited. The insurance policy provides coverage for damages to public as well as private properties.'
Mr. Gowda said all nine elephants led by Abhimanyu arrived in the city on Monday around 6 p.m., and are camping at the Aranya Bhavan here.
Earlier in the day, the Gajapayana of the elephants was held at Veeranahosahalli, and the jumbos were transported in trucks to Mysuru after a grand event.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Compensation for cut: Tree plantation in Bastar for losing 100s of trees for chariot
Raipur: In a bid to balance tradition with sustainability, authorities in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region have begun planting saplings annually to compensate for the "hundreds of trees felled" each year to build the towering wooden chariot for the 75-day Bastar Dussehra, one of India's longest and most traditionally significant festivals. State wildlife board members and forest department on the local level have initiated the plantation, taking a cue from Jagannath Puri in Odisha, where thousands of saplings are planted annually to compensate for the timber used in 'Rath Yatra'. Speaking to TOI, Hemant Kashyap, a member of the state wildlife board and an environmentalist said, "For about three chariots, nearly 200 trees are felled in Odisha and the rath committee plants four times the number of saplings, and the wood is sourced only after an 80-year cycle of a tree planted. In Bastar, a single chariot is built - the four-wheeled 'Phool Rath' initially which later turns into eight-wheeled called 'Vijay Rath' — requiring felling of nearly 150 mature sal trees, many over a hundred years old. The Forest Department supplies this wood to the Bastar Dussehra Committee." "We have been demanding compensatory plantations for years. It shouldn't just continue in the name of tradition by planting few samplings. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like TV providers are furious: this gadget gives you access to all channels Techno Mag Learn More Undo Sal trees take a several years to mature, he added. Jagdalpur chief conservator of forest R C Dugga told TOI that the number of trees to be felled depends on the size of logs required and usually they are less in numbers as claimed. By and large 80 huge logs are required for the chariot in Bastar Dussehra, he said. "Since the concern of annual felling of sal trees was considerable, our forest department team with local villagers and Dussehra committee jointly decided to plant saplings every year. There's a village called Nakti Semra near Jagdalpur, where the panchayat has provided an empty land and with own arrangements, we availed 250-300 saplings for plantation along with basic resources," CCF said. He added that the Bastar Dussehra committee representatives including 'manjhi, chalki' rank people who come from different villages, participate in plantation drive. We provide fencing and protection, he said, adding that to ensure proper care and maintenance, a formal initiative can be taken ahead. However, Kashyap urged for sal-specific replantation, stating that a mix of tree species is being planted instead. Moreover, while the best time for plantation is the monsoon, saplings are usually planted post-festival by tribal priests and traditional functionaries, often at the same spots where trees were felled, such as Markel, about 20 kms from Jagdalpur and Semra villages. Environmentalists emphasized that the chariot is crafted entirely through traditional methods — cut, carved, and shaped by hand without any machinery. This results in significant wood waste, which is later sold off or auctioned. Officials said that adequate funds can be allocated for structured ecological compensation for plantation.

The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
Infra works carried out at govt. school in Karnataka's Harohalli village using CSIR fund
Six newly constructed classrooms and a midday meal hall were inaugurated at the Government Higher Primary School in Harohalli village, Mysuru taluk, on Wednesday. The facilities have been built under a CSR initiative to improve educational infrastructure in the area. Supported by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries through its CSR fund, along with contributions from the Taluk Panchayat development fee and the Viveka School scheme, the new buildings aim to provide better learning conditions for students. MLA for Chamundeshwari G.T. Deve Gowda inaugurated the new infrastructure, which includes classrooms for both the higher primary and high school sections. The previous buildings were in a dilapidated condition and required urgent replacement, Mr. Gowda stated. The new facilities, he said, were made possible through the sustained efforts of local villagers and parents over the past five years. The new hall and kitchen for serving midday meals were also formally launched on the occasion, much to the satisfaction of the village community. On the occasion, the MLA announced an incentive for achievers in the school, under which three students scoring the highest marks in the 7th and 10th standard exams would be awarded a cash prize of ₹3,000 each from his personal funds from next year. The MLA urged the teachers and the community to ensure that the Harohalli school emerge as a model school in the region and produce achievers. Schools in rural areas must be developed for bringing recognition to their villages, he said.

The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
Coaches of Talaguppa-Mysuru Intercity Express uncouple, no passengers hurt
The passengers of Talaguppa–Mysuru Intercity Express, which left Shivamogga Town station at 4.50 p.m., were in shock after two coaches were uncoupled while the train was crossing the bridge across the Tunga River in the city. The incident happened around 5 p.m., within a few minutes after the train had left Shivamogga Town station. There were 320 passengers, including 70 in the reserved coaches. Two coaches — D3 and D4 — were uncoupled. The railway staff rushed to the spot and recoupled the coaches to ensure smooth travel. The repair work took about 35 minutes to conclude. Girish D. Kalagonda, Divisional Commercial Manager and PRO of the Mysuru division of South Western Railway, told The Hindu that the uncoupling occurred due to technical reasons. 'Such issues are quite common. Our staff immediately recoupled the coaches and ensured that the train restarted. None of the passengers were hurt. Neither was there any damage to any property,' he said.