Karuna Trust , instituted in 1986 , is a public charitable
trust , affiliated to the Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra,
located in BR Hills. The Trust began as a response to the
prevalence of leprosy (21.4 per 1000 population) in yelandur Taluk
, Chamarajnagar district.prevalence of leprosy dropped from
21.4/1000 population in 1987 to 0.28/1000 in 2005. From Leprosy
control , Karuna Trust diversified into epilepsy , mental health ,
tuberculosis and eventually , management of the PHC at gumballi
.Over the years , the scope of the trust's work has grown to
include various other health aspects as well to integrated rural
development.
About the place
The Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple wildlife sanctuary (BRT),
is a little gem of astonishing bio-diversity. It spreads over an
area of 540 Sq. km and is located between 110 43I and 120 08I N
latitudes and 770 01I and 770 15I East longitude. Located at the
eastern most edge of the Western ghats, BRT is considered as
biogeographic bridge between the Western and the Eastern ghats. The
hills are in the Yelandur taluk of Chamarajanagar district
of Karnataka. The sanctuary derives its name “Biligiri” either from
the white rock face that constitutes the major hill crowned with
the temple of Lord Rangaswamy, or from the white mist and the
silver clouds that cover these lofty hills for a greater of the
year. BRT has an amazing diversity of vegetation types such as
scrub, dry and moist deciduous, evergreen, sholas and high-altitude
grasslands. This diversity of forest types supports a rich variety
of fauna, avi-fauna, insects and butterflies. BRT is also known for
its many endemic species of plants including valuable medicinal
ones. BR Hills constitute a live link between the Eastern Ghats and
Western Ghats facilitating an active exchange of gene pools between
them. Thus this sanctuary serves as an important biological bridge
for the biota of the entire Deccan plateau.
http://www.wildindia.org/wiki/BR_Hills
