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The Hindu
08-08-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Flower farmers in Kuppam hit by poor demand, supply crisis
The floriculture farmers of the tri-State Kuppam junction in Chittoor district are worried due to the worsening demand and supply situation over plummeting yield this year. The area known for its cool climate and mist-covered hillocks offers the most congenial climate for a variety of flowers including marigold, chrysanthemum, jasmine, firecracker (Kanakambaram), and tuberose. Farmers want to improve the yield as the demand for flowers is high during the festive season which has begun, with Varalakshmi Vratham celebrations on every Friday till the month-end, Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Bathukamma in Telangana (September last week), Dasara, Navaratri, Deepawali, and Ayyappa Mala Deeksha months (October-December). At the Kuppam flower market, the price of Kanakambaram stood at ₹3,000 a kg on Friday (August 8, 2025) but is double the price in the open markets across Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring States. However, due to no buyers of the variety, the farmers were forced to discard the produce. Marigold's wholesale price remained ₹120 a kg at the Kuppam market, but it is ₹400 in the open markets, while jasmine has touched ₹800-₹1,000 a kg and is double the price in the open markets. The prices of flowers meant for temple offerings soared 40%–60% in the first week of this month (August, 2025) due to a storm of high demand and negligible supply. Rajam Muthu, a trader from Kuppam, said that bulk orders from Tamil Nadu and Kerala are leading to further shortage locally. Explaining what affected the crop, Ramachandra, chrysanthemum farmer from Ramakuppam mandal, said that from March onwards, the yield started slipping drastically all over the Kuppam region. 'Deficit to nil rainfall and hot spells in April, May, and June had badly affected the crop. Even though various flowers like marigolds could withstand the heat. It is only from mid-July onward that the flower fields were looking bright,' he added. Despite the crisis, the reputation of the Kuppam region, including V. Kota (now in Palamaner division), Ramakuppam, Shantipuram, Gudupalle, and Kuppam mandals, did not lose its sway as trucks carrying loads of colourful flowers left for wholesale markets, as far as Bengaluru and Chennai, at dusk everyday. The absence of cold storage facilities in Kuppam forced many farmers to dispose of the harvested yield to buyers at low prices. 'We race against the time before the flowers start wilting,' said Kanjuramma, a woman farmer in Ramakuppam. The flower farmers and traders who are in a dilemma said, 'We expect some respite in the next fifteen days, and the harvest might be considerably good, though not sufficient from October onwards.'
Time of India
30-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Heavy rain, strong winds disrupt power supply in Kodagu dist
Madikeri: The continuous heavy rain and strong winds in Kodagu district for the past few days has severely affected the power supply system. As many as 635 electricity poles were damaged across the district, worsening the problem. Wires have snapped, poles broke, and uprooted trees had fallen. Madikeri and Somwarpet taluks were particularly badly affected. CESC suffered an estimated loss of Rs 80 lakh, said executive engineer Ramachandra. The work of repairing the damaged electricity poles is in full swing. About 300 people, including department staff and gangmen, are working on it. However, the rain and winds continue to hamper the repair work. If the rain and wind subside, the electricity connection is expected to be restored in the next two days. However, if the weather continues to be adverse, there is a possibility of further delay, Ramachandra said. So far, 250 out of 635 poles have been repaired. He said that the necessary materials and personnel are available and the work is being carried out quickly. Due to frequent heavy rain and strong winds, it is not possible to supply electricity continuously. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Key to a Healthier Heart (Most People Ignore) Undo Also, there is a necessity to cut off electricity frequently while carrying out the work. He said that there is fluctuation in the connection due to the winds, and this will be fixed when the wind subsides. He also appealed to the public for cooperation. Meanwhile, many citizens in Madikeri told TOI that electrical and electronic equipment and household appliances are getting damaged due to power supply disruptions. They said that adapters, TVs, and other electrical appliances are getting damaged due to unstable power supply in many places.
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Time of India
Fresh case booked over circulation of video
Mangaluru: A fresh case was registered in connection with the circulation of a video involving two minors, originally linked to a case filed at Puttur Town police station. According to police, on July 5, a case was registered at Puttur Town police station after the accused in the case circulated a video involving a minor boy and a minor girl on social media. The police stated that despite strict instructions that such videos involving minors must not be shared in the media, some unknown individuals and unidentified media outlets, as well as social media users, went ahead and circulated the video. Based on a complaint filed by the father of the minor boy involved in the case, and with permission from the court, a fresh case was registered on Monday at DK District Women's police station, invoking Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act. Further legal action is being initiated. It may be recalled that police picked up two persons for allegedly recording and sharing a video of a minor boy and a girl at Birumale Betta in Puttur on Saturday. The accused are Purushothama, 43, from Kudmaru, Kadaba, and Ramachandra, 38, from Aryapu, Puttur. The boy's father stated that the victim, a minor, was sitting with a girl acquaintance at Birumale Betta when two unknown individuals approached them. They were there on a motorcycle. The duo allegedly stopped the boy and the girl, abused them using vulgar language, and threatened to record a video and upload it on social media. They allegedly insulted the boy based on his religion, called other bystanders to the spot, publicly humiliated him, and recorded a video of the incident. The video was later shared on WhatsApp and Instagram, with the accused claiming that the boy belonged to a different religion, allegedly trying to disturb communal harmony and incite hatred between communities.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
After theft claims, govt takes over Gali Anjaneya Swamy temple
Bengaluru: The state govt has taken over administration of Gaali Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Bengaluru, citing serious mismanagement and financial irregularities by the temple trust. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A govt order (GO) issued Tuesday officially declared the temple a "notified institution" under the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Act, 1997. The temple in Byatarayanapura — popular among devotees — is also known to flood during heavy rain. The takeover follows a widely shared video on social media which allegedly showed temple staff stealing donation money, sparking widespread outrage among devotees and prompting swift action by the muzrai department. The GO says the primary reason for the takeover was mismanagement and misappropriation of cash by the temple trust. Officials said the video raised red flags within the muzrai department, which then sent a request to Bengaluru Urban district administration to initiate action under Sections 42 and 43 (govt takeover) of the Act. Following this, the additional deputy commissioner and the deputy commissioner of the muzrai department registered a case and conducted a detailed inquiry into the allegations. The inquiry uncovered severe financial mismanagement. For instance, the trust, despite generating lakhs in donations annually, had failed to maintain any savings and was spending indiscriminately without financial planning or oversight. "There was no coordination among office-bearers of the trust, and it was spending lakhs generated through donations without any savings," the enquiry report said. More alarmingly, no proper records had been maintained for the past 25 years. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now After receiving official notices, the trust members allegedly attempted to fabricate documents to cover up the misappropriation. "The stealing of money from offering boxes hurt feelings of devotees," the report said, highlighting a breach of trust. Based on these findings, the district administration submitted a report recommending govt takeover. While the video sparked outrage, the temple's head priest, Ramachandra, claimed the incident occurred more than a year ago and that the temple administration had taken swift action at the time by suspending two executive committee members, while two cooks found guilty were sacked.
New Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
87.6 per cent of 'garden city' is concrete, mercury rising
BENGALURU: Bengaluru's concrete cover is a solid 87.6 per cent, having increased by 10 per cent over the past decade. This has had a multiple effect on the city, leading to the creation of many heat archipelagos, a rise in temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions, besides affecting citizens' health. A cluster of urban heat islands within a city or region is called an 'urban heat archipelago' and represents the combined effect of multiple localised heat islands, forming a broader area of elevated temperatures. A micro-level study of Bengaluru's landscape 'Urban Heat Island Linkages with the Landscape Morphology', released on Tuesday, shows that lakes and trees cover a mere 12 per cent. The report, prepared by researchers from the Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc, pointed out that increase in concretisation is also a reason for many diseases, including heart attacks and lifestyle disorders. Prof TV Ramachandra from IISc, co-author of the study, said there is a direct relation between reduction of lung spaces, increasing concretisation and deterioration of health. 'During the study, we found that the basic criteria of ensuring 30 per cent setback (thermal comfort space as architects call it) remains only on paper while seeking plan sanction from civic authorities. These thermal comfort zones not just help regulate urban temperatures, but also ensure good health. Corruption and lack of checks on the ground is the reason for this violation. It also leads to urban flooding,' he said. The report showed that urban green islands like the GKVK, IISc and Jnanabharathi campuses are also being compromised. For the study, researchers used temporal remote sensing data (from 1973 to 2025) through supervised non-parametric classifier. The report stated that the built-up area increased from 7.97 per cent (1973) to 87.64 per cent (2025). Bengaluru saw a boom in spatial expansion from the year 2000 with the formation of BBMP, when adjacent rural areas were incorporated and agricultural lands were converted to paved surfaces. 'The city's landscape saw a 1078 per cent increase in built-up area, and a decline of 88 per cent vegetation cover and 79 per cent water bodies, leading to the transition from porous to paved surfaces, affecting the hydrology, ecology and socio-economic aspects,' Ramachandra said.
