One day before landslides, there were cracks in plantations!
“Protect hills to save Kodagu”
►Elders and leaders of organisations warn
# Washed out Kodagu: A series of special reports
Madikeri, August 26: Kodagu is a district covered with hills and valleys. Conservation of these hills is a must to save Kodagu district. It is impossible to imagine Kodagu without hills and valleys. Instead of natural disaster, manmade disasters are the main reason for the present situation of Kodagu district.
There is a big difference between Kodagu two decades ago and the present scenario. Concrete buildings come up in Kodagu which was covered with thick forest, high rise trees and greenery. Tar and concrete roads were laid amidst the forest area. Rubber plantations are being grown by cutting the natural forest. Increased ginger cultivation has depleted the fertility of the soil. Since it is tourist hotspot, the number of hotels and homestays is increasing considerably nowadays. Because of the greed of human beings, the nature is being exploited. This unimagined exploitation of nature has caused such a widespread destruction, according to experts.
Those who come to see the natural disaster at Makkandur in Madikeri taluk expressed their opinions with ‘Varthabharati’.
Kodagu district is a nature’s bounty with beautiful waterfalls and hill ranges. Most parts of the district covered with thick forest and greenery. It’s land of natural resources. More importantly, it is the birthplace of Karnataka’s lifeline Cauvery River. More than this, it is one of the bio-diversity hotspots with rare species of flora and fauna. But they are at the verge of extinct. The worst ever natural disasters are happening now. What’s the use if the people worried now, asks retired army officer KP Jagadeesh.
Deforestation was in large scale to grow rubber and coffee. The hill range was damaged to plant rubber saplings. As the hills are digging like steps to plant rubber plants, the surface of the hills was completely damaged due to which the rainwater is easily percolating instead of flowing down. As a result, the soil is loosening, and big hills are collapsing causing widespread devastation. Thousands of people are on the streets now. We should blame ourselves for this disaster instead of pointing towards the nature, said Kodagu Unification Committee president Suguna Muttanna.
In order to construct concrete buildings atop the hills, roads are being laid around the hills by digging the foot of the hills due to which, the hills are losing their base and balance. The place where the rainwater is flowing is being flattened for constructing buildings and roads. The natural flow of rivers and streams are being diverted. When its raining heavily, the rainwater flows over the roads and gushes into the houses in the absence of natural ways to flow. This would cause landslides and this is man-made disaster, he said.
One cannot deny the negligence of the district administration and the government for this situation. Both the authorities have failed to protect and conserve the rainforests, natural resources and Kodagu. Though there are some policies are in place to protect the environment, they are not being followed strictly. So, Kodagu will require a separate policy. First the authorities should check digging of hill bases, deforestation and timber mafia. Otherwise, Kodagu people have to face more disasters than this one, said Lions former president JS Madappa.
Permission should not be given to dig hills. If it is necessary, then the district administration should see to it that the norms are followed strictly. While laying roads around hills, proper drainage facility should be made to let rain water and construct retention walls. In place of streams and valleys, alternative arrangements should be made to lay roads. For any reasons, the natural flow of streams should not be diverted. Ginger is being grown in large scale. As the soil fertility is decreasing due to ginger crops and this is also causing damages. The district administration should take steps about this, Madappa said.
A couple of days before the landslides that happened in many places across the district, the cracks were developed in some places. Many people have observed these cracks in their plantations. They have observed the cracks on roads where the hills were sunk and informed the district administration through local bodies. But the district administration has failed to act on it, alleged a villager.
Landslides might have happened in hill ranges and non-inhabited places. This might have happened due to shifting of land’s base. The rainwater percolated in those cracks causing landslides. If the district administration took steps to shift the people and precautionary measures as soon as it was informed, more disaster could have been avoided, Kodagu District Growers Federation president Harish Appaiah said.
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Smriti Mandhana named BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year for 2025
New Delhi (PTI): Star batter Smriti Mandhana, who played a pivotal role in India's historic 2025 Women's World Cup triumph, was named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year for 2025 at a glittering function here on Monday.
Chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh won the Emerging Player of the Year award, for her historic FIDE Women's World Cup triumph at just 20.
Preethi Pal was named the Para-Sportswoman of the Year, for winning two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in track and field, while Anjali Bhagwat was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising her pioneering career as India's first woman shooter to reach an Olympic final and her trailblazing success on the world stage.
Mandhana, who is currently touring Australia with the Indian team for multi-format bilateral assignments, said in a video message: "Thank you BBC for giving me the awardfor Best Sportswoman of the Year. 2025 was a special year for women's cricket, especiallytowards the end we had a World Cup and I'm happy I could contribute and help India win matches.".
At 29, the left-handed batter is already among the game's greats, with the second-highest number of centuries in women's One Day Internationals and ranking third in total runsscored among current players worldwide.
Hailing from Sangli city in Maharashtra, the affable Mandhana was inspired by her father and brother, both of whom played cricket at the district level.
In September last year, she made a 50-ball hundred against Australia – the fastest 50 over international ton (men and women) by an Indian in the format, breaking Virat Kohli's record.
The award winners were decided by a distinguished grand jury comprising Leander Paes, Deepa Malik, and Anju Bobby George.
Praising the athletes' achievements CEO of BBC News, Jonathan Munro said: "Congratulations to this year's winners who showcase the very best in sporting excellence. The BBC World Service is committed to bringing such stories of human endeavour and outstanding success to audiences across India and around the world.".
Additionally, the ceremony also celebrated a wide spectrum of talent and impact, recognizing star performers and changemakers for redefining the landscape of Indian sport.
BBC Star Performers of the Year 202.
• Indian Women's Cricket Team: for their historic World Cup victory.
• Ekta Bhyan, Deepthi Jeevanji and Preethi Pal: for their trailblazing performances at the World Para Athletics Championship.
• Indian Women's Cricket Team for the Blind: for their inspiring World Cup victory.
• Indian Women's Kabaddi Team: for their smashing victory in World Cup.
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BBC Changemakers of the Year 202.
• Indian Women's Ice Hockey Team: for breaking barriers in a non-traditional sport.
• Rajbir Kaur: Indian field hockey player and former captain of the women’s national team.
• Savita Punia: Indian field hockey player and current member of the national team.
• Paani Devi: recognised for her impactful contribution to grassroots sport.
