Primary schools and anganwadi centres in Sringeri, Koppa, and Balehonnur hobli in N.R. Pura taluk of Chikkamagaluru district in Karnataka will remain closed on August 1 following heavy rain across the region.

The respective taluk tahsildars issued the order declaring a holiday. The order applies to government, aided, and unaided primary institutions. School administrators have been directed to arrange compensatory full-day classes on a subsequent holiday or Saturday.

Several areas across Chikkamagaluru district have been witnessing sustained moderate to heavy rainfall over the past few days.

Environmentalist and president of Bidar Parisara Vani, Shailendra Kavadi, has called for large-scale tree plantation in Kalaburagi district in Karnataka to mitigate rising temperatures and safeguard biodiversity, warning that climate change is already leaving a visible imprint on the region.

Addressing an environmental awareness and Van Mahotsava (forest festival) valedictory programme at the Karnataka Public School, Aurad (B), in Kalaburagi district on July 12, Mr. Kavadi said recurring heatwaves and other climate-induced events underscored the urgency of ecological conservation.

He noted that rising global temperatures were threatening biodiversity and disrupting ecosystems. Even the disappearance of a single pollinator species, such as a butterfly, could have far-reaching consequences for honey production and crops dependent on pollination, including coffee, he said.

Referring to this year’s summer, Mr Kavadi said that Aurad (B) village recorded temperatures of around 44°C to 45°C during April and May, while Ainapur in Chincholi taluk registered 45.5°C, one of the highest temperatures reported in northern Karnataka. He urged residents and local institutions to undertake extensive afforestation drives in heat-prone villages to help moderate local temperatures, and improve environmental resilience.

Calling upon students to become active participants in conservation efforts, he appealed to each of them to plant and nurture a sapling under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, and spread the message ‘Grow forests, save the land’.

The headmaster of the school, Gopal Chavan, said discipline formed the foundation of a meaningful life. He stressed that human activities were largely responsible for environmental degradation. He encouraged students to plant at least one tree each, and contribute towards making Aurad (B) a green village.