PM lauds Karnataka environmentalist's efforts at building water tank
Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appreciated the works of Kalmane Kamegowda, Rajyotsava Award winning environmentalist, in the Mann ki Baat programme on Sunday.
The 83-year-old Kamegowda, a shepherd from Dasanadoddi village of Malavalli taluk in Mandya district, has constructed as many as 16 water tanks to ensure animals in the forest do not face shortage of water. The lack of water on Kundoor Betta – where he has been taking his herd of sheep for 13 years – led Kamegowda to build the water tanks. He has also been working at conservation of water.
With a desire to ensure a green cover on the Kundoor Betta, Kamegowda also planted more than 2,000 saplings on the hillock. With the plants having grown into trees, there is a lush jungle on the hillock that is a treat to the eyes.
People had called him crazy for working day and night to build the tanks, but the efforts of the illiterate shepherd have been an inspiration to people hoping to undertake such work to increase the green cover.
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41 lakh illicit liquor seized, 1.84 lakh arrested in major drive: K'taka Minister tells Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.
As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.
The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.
"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.
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He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.
According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.
The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.
Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.
Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.
At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.
The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.
