Theft in Kateel temple: Three held
Mangaluru, August 27: Bajpe police have arrested three persons on charges of stealing a pumpset at Kateel Durga Parameshwari temple at Kondemula village in the taluk, on Monday.
The arrested are identified as Balachandra Kumbara (22) of Doddakoppa, Nithin Gowda (21) of Bajattur and Ashwin Y Gowda (20) of Kutrupadi in Puttur taluk. The police also recovered the stolen material and the vehicle used for stealing the pump set.
About the incident
The pump set was removed from the bore-well and kept on the office roof before the onset of the rainy season. Between August 17 and 21, the lock of the room was broke open and stolen all the materials and a complaint was lodged at the Bajpe police station on August 22.
The accused were produced before the court which remanded them to judicial custody. Under the direction of Mangaluru police commissioner TR Suresh, guidance of DCP Hanumantharaya, DCP Uma Prashanth, and ACP Panambur Rajendra DS, Bajpe police inspector S Parashivamurthy, PSIs Shankar Nayari and HC Chandramohan and staff participated in the operation.
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Banana farmers in Karnataka struggle with crop damage due to extreme cold
Bengaluru: Banana farmers in Karnataka are grappling with crop damage as extreme cold weather this winter threatens their harvests.
Horticulture officials stated that over 25 percent of the banana crop, particularly those at the early growing stages, would be affected as temperature dipped below 12°C, as reported by Deccan Herald on Monday.
Farmers are concerned that the ongoing cold snap could lead to long-term consequences, including a reduction in exports. Wholesale merchants have noted that the severe cold has caused banana fruits to discolour, resulting in lower market quality and a slump in export demand.
Karnataka, the third-largest banana producer in India after Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, yielded 29.73 lakh metric tonnes in 2023-24, DH mentioned. The state's banana-growing areas include Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Mysuru, and Hassan, as well as Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Bidar, and other parts of North Karnataka, where irrigation facilities support production.
“I have grown Cavendish bananas on three acres by investing Rs 4.5 lakh. I have lost a part of the crops due to heavy rainfall in August last year. Now, I am finding it difficult to get returns on my investment due to foggy and cold conditions,” Gulappa Mahadevaswamy from Dodda Katuru village in Mysuru taluk, was quoted as saying by DH.
Banana exporter Alisab Choudhari explained that cold temperatures are causing significant market rejection of the fruit, as the bananas are turning reddish and losing its quality. A farmer Shankar Myakeri from Afzalpur taluk said that around 40 percent of the crop on his 10-acre farmland would likely be damaged due to extreme cold.
Santosh Inamdar, Deputy Director of the Kalaburagi Horticulture Department, stated that approximately 4,000 hectares of banana crops in the district were more susceptible to severe cold, especially where the soil lacks zinc and boron. He advised farmers to use these micronutrients to help mitigate the damage and encourage better growth.
In light of the growing concerns, farmers have called on the government to purchase bananas at a support price to ease the financial burden. They have also demanded that a separate board be established to protect the interests of banana growers.
Meanwhile, K.B. Dundi, Additional Director of the Horticulture Department (Fruits), reassured that while damage to banana crops during winter is common, the situation is usually temporary. “It is a matter of two weeks for them to recover once summer starts,” he added.
