The State government on Thursday informed the High Court that it would hold negotiations with Andhra Pradesh government with regard to providing drinking water to Pavagada taluk in Tumkur district from the pipeline, part of which passes through Pavagada, laid by the neighbouring State to supply water from Tungabhadra dam in Karnataka.

The government counsel made this submission during the hearing on a PIL plea filed by the Karnataka Rashtriya Kissan Sangha and other organisations from Pavagada taluk seeking supply of drinking water through this line to their taluk which is facing water shortage.

Drought and disease have devastated life of coconut growers in the district. Rubbing salt into their wounds is the slump in price of copra and coconut.

Various diseases, including pest attack and stem bleeding, have ravaged crops on thousands of acres. Coconut trees in the rain-fed regions of Madhugiri, Pavagad, Sira and Koratagere have withered, leaving the distraught farmers in debt trap. The diseases have destroyed crop in and around 15 acres of plantation at Baragur in Chikkanayakanahalli taluk and scores of acres in Hosakere, Nittur, CS Pur hoblis in Gubbi taluk

It will be a while before Karnataka can expect any grant from the Centre for drought relief.

The Central drought assessment team headed by Parvesh Sharma on Wednesday directed the State government to furnish detailed statistics within a week’s time. The officials, at a meeting presided over by Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, expressed dissatisfaction over the information provided by the Gowda-led all-party delegation in its memorandum.

There is a direct link between unabated mining and the floods which devastated the North Karnataka region in 2009, said environmentalist and High Court Lok Adalat member Y N Yellappa Reddy.

Speaking with mediapersons here on Friday, he said mining activities in the Western Ghats region - the main source of rivers and lakes - has led to the deterioration of environment. Constant mining activities had led to the destruction of grassland.

The illegal mining scam has not deterred mining companies from making a beeline for Karnataka. Over 19,000 applications seeking permission to excavate ore in the State are pending with the government.

Data compiled by the Union Ministry of Mines shows that of the 42,535 pending applications seeking permission for mining in various mineral-rich states in the country, (as on April 19), more than 45 per cent (19,351) of them are pending in Karnataka alone — the highest in the country.

SC nod can lead to production of 6-7 mt from 49 category A, B mines

The shortage of iron ore in Karnataka is likely to ease by July, as regular mining is expected to resume in a couple of months from now. The Supreme Court-appointed authorities are preparing reclamation and rehabilitation (R&R) plans, stoking hopes of an end to the stalemate. Once the apex court approves the plans, mining can resume in 49 leases of 50-hectares and above falling under the A and B category mines in the districts of Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur.

New Delhi: While former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa may have come under the scanner of Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in two specific cases of making financial gain from miners, the entire case of illegal mining in the state and the wealth stolen could end with a fine of less than Rs 450 crore and most of the miners could continue their operations, though under supervision and new regulations.

Bangalore Mining in Karnataka is back on its feet. The Supreme Court has allowed mining to resume in iron ore mines of more than 50 hectares after rehabilitation and reclamation plans (R&R) for these leases are approved by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).

The court accepted the recommendatations of the CEC which refer to restarting mining in two groupings of mines referred to as A and B groups, a classification that the panel had made based on a survey of the extent of irregularities. The two groups together constitute some 100 mines.

Sets stiff terms allows auction of iron ore already lying in stockyards

The Supreme Court on Friday partially lifted the ban on mining in three districts of Karnataka. It was lifted for a certain category of mines, with strict conditions. The court also allowed the auction of iron ore already lying in stockyards, under the supervision of a monitoring committee.
The court directed the Union ministry of environment and forests to “revisit” clearances given in the light of the reclamation and resettlement (R&R) programme.

Karnataka will implement modified National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) in 20 taluks in five districts.

NRLM is a poverty-alleviating scheme formulated by the Union Government. The state government has renamed it as ‘Sanjeevini'.

“Karnataka has tweaked the mission to include social, financial and economic inclusion while rolling out the scheme in the districts,” said Ms Amita Prasad, Principal Secretary, Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj department.