Philanthropist Sultan Haji Kodaje passes away

Mangaluru, May 31:  Even as the worst locust attack on India in recent years raised concerns over its impact on crops, swarms of locusts have triggered panic in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada too. 

Farmers in the coastal district were taken aback when they found the swarms of locusts, which they feared as the arrival of desert locusts in the region.

According to reports, Renjalady village under the limits of Nuji Baltila Gramp Panchayats in Kadaba taluk and Shirlalu village in Belthangady taluk witnessed locust attacks in last couple of days. 

“Locust swarms were seen in many areas. We have also alerted agriculture department. Already insects have destroyed crops of many farmers,” said a farmer in Shirlalu village.  

Joint director of Dakshina Kannada district agriculture department MC Seetha confirmed that officials have received information from villagers about the locust scare and entemologists have already visited the place to collect more information.

Not Desert Locusts?

“We contacted entemologists and forwarded the pictures that farmers sent to us. Looking at the picture, entemologists have opined that it may be calotropis locust or colour grasshopper. Desert locusts usually arrive in lakhs,” said Ms Seetha. Desert locusts that are destroying crops in other parts of India may not come to Dakshina Kannada, she added.

Udupi, Feb 23: Tanushree Pithrody, a 10-year-old girl from Udyavar and class 6 student of St Cecily’s School, here and a Guinness World Record holder, erased the old record by covering the 100 metres 'Chakrasana race' in one minute 14 seconds to write her name in the Golden Book of World Records.

This was announced by Manish Bishnoi, Head, Golden Book of World Records, who handed over the Certificate to Ms Tanushree, who was accompanied by her father Uday Kumar and mother Sandhya here on Saturday.

The previous record-holder in this category was Samiksha Dogra [11 years and 1 month] from Rampur Bhushar, Himachal Pradesh, who had set a time of 6 minutes and 2 seconds on June14,2018.

Later speaking to scribes here, Ms Tanushree said that she was delighted that she was able to break the record. “When I was practicing, I used to finish it in around 2 minutes. This is my fifth record. I dedicate my success to my parents and my Yoga guru,”she added.

Ms Tanushree has also created a record for the ‘most forward rolls with Dhanurasana Yoga pose in 1 minute’ by performing 62 rolls and she also created the ‘fastest 100 forward rolls with Dhanurasana Yoga pose’ in 1 minute and 40 seconds on February 23, 2019 and entered the Golden Book of World Records.

In 2018, she set the Guinness World Record for ‘most full-body revolutions maintaining a chest stand position’ with 42 full-body revolutions in one minute, and on 21 March, 2019 she broke that record with 44.

Bengaluru, Jul 2: Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday accused BS Yediyurappa-led state government of "failure" to protect the citizens from coronavirus, stating that Karnataka was suffering due to lack of co-ordination in the cabinet.

In a series of tweets, the JD(S) leader slammed the state government for wasting their time in giving out contradictory statements regarding COVID-19 figures instead of learning lessons from the Kerala government.

"It is shocking to see COVID-19 patients being turned down by the hospitals due to lack of beds. The government has failed in its duty to protect the citizens. The CM and his cabinet colleagues wasted precious time in mere talking for the last three months. As the escalated Covid numbers stare them in the face, they are now helpless," Kumaraswamy wrote.

"Even when you have a proven model in Kerala government's success in Covid management, the ministers waste time in issuing contradictory statements and doing nothing. Karnataka suffers due to lack of co-ordination in the cabinet," he said.

Urging the government to act together, he said that if the government does not get its act together, the day is not far when Covid patients would be "condemned to die on the streets."

We are already seeing heart-wrenching stories of patients denied treatment," he added.

Kumaraswamy also appealed to the Karnataka government to consider the suggestions he had made earlier and not to indulge in party politics in these testing times.

"I appeal to the government to consider the suggestions I made earlier and act accordingly. This is not the time for party politics."