Israel has decided to open three ‘Centres of Excellence’ in the field of agriculture in Karnataka. The country also plans to open its second consulate in India, in Bangalore by October to attract tourists, especially from South India.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, the Consul General for Israel in India, Orna Sagiv said the country was now targeting three major sectors in Karnataka – IT, agriculture and food processing.

If all goes as per DULT (Directorate of Urban Land Transport) plan, Bangaloreans will soon have rail facility to different destinations in districts like Mandya, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Tumkur and Bangalore Rural.

A draft report on implementation of commuter rail system (CRS) in Bangalore, submitted by RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Services) limited to DULT recently, proposes to run trains to these destinations with a speed of 70 km to 100 km per hour, apart from providing connectivity to commuters within the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike limits.

Fragmented land holdings delay B’lore-Mysore line doubling work

Farmers of Indavalu village in Mandya district, who have put up maximum resistance to parting with their land for the ongoing Bangalore-Mysore rail line doubling project, are in a quandary. Indavalu, like the majority of rural India is gripped by the adverse implications of sub-division and fragmentation of its land holdings.

Lays down six criteria in Arkavathy Layout case

Curtailing the ‘discretionary’ powers of successive State governments that have indiscriminately doled out denotification orders, the Supreme Court has now laid down a set of criteria that must be implemented by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) while denotifying lands in its possession. The Supreme Court on May 5, 2010, upheld the High Court observations on denotification while hearing a case on Arkavathy Layout, and laid down six criteria to be implemented by the BDA in the future.

As many as 80 residents of Sambra village in Belgaum taluk were taken ill after they drank contaminated water on Saturday.

It is said that the water in the borewell and overhead tank in the village, the main sources of drinking water, were contaminated resulting in people falling ill. Of the 80 people, 22 including women and children, who suffered vomiting and diarrhoea, have been admitted to district hospital in Belgaum. A few are recuperating in their houses after receiving treatment at the hospital while others are being treated in private hospitals.

The Light Rail Transit (LRT) system, said to be the best feeder rail network for Bangalore city when compared to monorail, has passed another test.

Sources in the Infrastructure Development Department (IDD) told Deccan Herald that recently completed soil testing study, conducted as part of detailed project report (DPR) for LRT, has found no fault with the corridor wherein the feeder rail is proposed to be implemented. “Soil testing was done at 40 different points along the length of two corridors proposed under LRT and the results are positive,” said a senior official with IDD. Soil testing, which began in JP Nagar in the month of April got completed a few days ago, he added.

Reserves comments on demand for a CBI investigation

Making a volte-face on a petition to the Central Empowered Committee seeking a CBI probe against three former chief ministers for their alleged role in illegal mining, the State government has informed the panel that the Lokayukta had found lapses during their (three CMs) tenure and put the total loss between 1999 and 2007 at Rs 714 crore.

Better compensation demanded for land taken for steel plant

The KIADB is alleged to have violated the order of the High Court of Karnataka, asking it to call a meeting of farmers who have demanded that the compensation amount for the land acquired for the steel plant proposed to be set up by the Mittals at Kudathini in the taluk be raised. The High Court had stayed the acquisition of land, following a plea by a group of 30 farmers from Kudathini on May 4.

The move will have impact on Bhadra Reserve Forest

The project of pumping water from Hebbe reservoir to Madagakere and 36 other lakes is fuelling the possibility of water crisis arising in Bhadra Reserve Forest area. Various environmental organisations, talking about this possibility have said that the Government has given its nod to the said project of Rs 140 crore wherein 1.45 TMC water will be utilised. Out of the said quantity 0.75 TMC water will be pumped to Madagakere while the remaining 0.70 TMC will be supplied to 36 lakes in the taluk.

Lack of vigil by authorities has helped it prosper

In spite of ban, there is a rampant illegal sand mining in the taluk on the Chitravathi river bed. The taluk has no major water sources, hence, groundwater is precious here. With the increased dependency on groundwater, the water level has depleted and water is not available even at depths of 1,000 ft. As a result, water sources have dried up in the taluk.Besides, rampant sand mining has also affected the groundwater level.