Monthly Archives: November 2012

630 entrepreneurs evince interest in setting up poultry units

Business & Economy, Nature, Science & Technologies

Perambalur district allocated Rs.2.85 crore subsidy for poultry development

So far 630 entrepreneurs have evinced interest in setting up poultry units in Perambalur district in tune with Chief Minister’s thrust to accord fillip to the sector. (On August 3, the government came out with a slew of proposals for poultry development, including setting up of two poultry clusters in Villupuram and Sankarankoil zones covering seven districts, most of them non-poultry regions. It also announced financial assistance of Rs.20.31 crore for setting up farms with a capacity of 1,000-5,000 birds. The plan is to set up 230 poultry farms in each of these districts. Besides, Rs.2.4 crore had been granted for setting up poultry units in 16 districts).

Perambalur district is one among the seven districts and it has been allocated Rs.2.85 crore subsidy for poultry development.

Inaugurating the preliminary works for setting up a poultry unit at Keezhapuliyur on Saturday, Collector Darez Ahamed said that for a 5,000-bird unit the bank loan would be Rs.8.25 lakhs. Once the unit starts functioning, the entrepreneur would get Rs.2,06,250 (the State government’s subsidy of 25 per cent of the project cost).

Besides, once 75 per cent of the loan is settled by the entrepreneur, the remaining 25 per cent would be remitted to the bank by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development through its poultry capital fund.

Selected beneficiaries would be given training by Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University training centres on setting up poultry units, distributing fodder, and identifying and preventing diseases.

Mr.Ahamed pointed out that 630 applications had been received for setting up poultry units in the district and steps had been initiated to establish units for 87 applicants who had space and bank loan. Apart from Keezhapuliyur, construction for eight more poultry units began on Saturday at Ezhumur, K.Pudur, and Murukkangundi villages, the Collector added.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / by G. Sathyamoorthi / Perambalur, November 25th, 2012

GIS in green polyhouses to aid Kodai farmers

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies

Madurai:

A horticulture farm in Gundupatti in Kodaikanal block of Dindigul district has gone high-tech with the installation of the GIS (geographic information system), as part of a pilot project. The GIS provides global access to promote site-specific farming for the first time in Tamil Nadu.

According to S Raja Mohamed, deputy director horticulture (Central schemes) Kodaikanal, the programme has been launched with the objective of locating polygreen houses using GIS. It is being built with the help of subsidy assistances from the National Horticulture Mission  (NHM) for the year 2012-13, in the spatial imagery and to add the attribute data (obtained during the field work) to those polyhouse features.

The GIS-initiative project was taken up by the department of horticulture, Kodaikanal division in co-ordination with the agriculture engineering department, Dindigul division and Remote Sensing and GIS Lab, ECE department, Thiagarajar College of Engineering (TCE). The processes involved includes the raw imagery (the satellite imagery of the location containing the poly houses is obtained), geo-referencing (the spatial data is geo-referenced using the particular toolbar), digitisation and photo-annealing (the images of the polyhouses are also attached with the point features by defining a field of type ‘raster’).

Mohamed said that development and implementation of precision farming or site-specific farming has been made possible by combining the GPS and GIS. These technologies enable the coupling of real-time data collection with accurate position information, leading to the efficient manipulation and analysis of large amounts of geospatial data.

GPS-based applications in precision farming are being used for farm planning, field mapping, soil sampling, tractor guidance, crop scouting, variable rate applications and yield mapping in the developed countries. The carnations grown in polyhouses in Kodaikanal are of international quality coming next only to their famous Columbian counterparts. If accessible over the GPS, cut flower cultivators in the region can become global entrepreneurs without the interference of middlemen as their buyers can get details about them from anywhere in the world.

Precision farming is now changing the way farmers and agribusinesses view the land from which they reap their profits. Position information system provides position data with acceptable degree of accuracy, available on demand at any time and at any location and is able to interface with other equipment. Farmers using the GPS system have the advantage of utilizing their land to the maximum.

According to Mohamed and G Kandasamy, deputy director of horticulture (state schemes), four poly green houses of 8,754 sq metres, belonging to four beneficiaries of Gundupatti in Kodaikanal block, were built with the subsidy being provided under NHM during the year 2012-2013.

With the help of the agriculture engineering department, Dindigul, ground control points (GCP) with GPS measurement for the poly houses were taken and were processed with the help of R A Alaguraja, associate professor, ECE department, TCE for representing these poly houses using GIS.

Mohamed said that the GIS would provide a big advantage to farmers especially those into the floral industry, which is the cut flower industry.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Madurai / by Padmini Sivarajah, TNN / November 22nd, 2012

Eminent violinist Mohan Chandrasekaran turns 75

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Sangita Kalanidhi M. Chandrasekaran in concert. Photo: V. Ganesan

Sangita Kalanidhi M. Chandrasekaran in concert. /  Photo: V. Ganesan / The Hindu

Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. Mohan Chandrasekaran turns 75 this year. Concurrently, the career of this extraordinary violinist enters its 60th year.

Family members and disciples of the artiste will celebrate the event on November 22 at P.S. Dakshinamurthy Auditorium, R.K. Mutt Road, Mylapore, from 5 p.m. Sangeetha Kalanidhi M.S. Gopalakrishnan and Sangeetha Kala Acharya P.S. Narayanaswamy will felicitate the violin maestro. The felicitation will be followed by a slide show on Dr. Chandrasekaran’s musical journey.

Born to a family of traditional musicians, Chandrasekaran was initiated into the violin by his mother, Charubala Mohan. The young boy turned out to be a prodigy and began performing publicly in 1949, at the age of eleven.

Chandrasekaran’s unique style – flamboyant and pure at once – as well as his ability to follow the lead artiste like a shadow, have earned him many laurels as a soloists and made him a coveted accompanist.

Chandrasekaran has provided Violin accompaniment to stalwarts like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, G.N. Balasubramaniam, Madurai Mani Iyer, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, Ramnad Krishnan, T.K. Rangachari, Sathur A.G. Subramaniam, Mayavaram Rajam, Flute T.R.Mahalingam, Musiri Subramania Iyer, Maharajapuram Santhanam, Palghat K.V. Narayanaswamy, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Flute N. Ramani and Dr.M. Balamurali Krishna, among many others.

In recognition of his contributions to the field of music, the Government of India honoured him with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 1986. The Government of Tamil Nadu honoured with the Kalaimamani Award in 1982.

The Music Academy, Chennai, conferred on him the title Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 2005. He is the first recipient of the M.S. Subbulakshmi Award instituted by The Hindu in December 2005.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> Cities> Chennai> Arts> Music / by Staff Reporter / November 21st, 2012

Running for a reason

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports

There’s no better feeling in the world for a runner than to cross the finishing line. But there is more to it, say veteran marathon runners. It is also a great platform to work for a cause. The adrenaline rush one gets by covering kilometers is even higher when one is passionately pursuing a cause that means impact.

The Wipro Chennai Mara-thon 2012 is being organized on December 2 to set many a heart racing. Senthil Kumar, Race Director, says, “Mara-thons help raise funds for a variety of causes. With the help of registration fees and sponsorships, runners are able to contribute to these causes. There are many causes marathons work for, but providing education for underprivileged kids and supporting children with special needs top that list.”

The marathon has partnered with United Way of Chennai, an NGO that works to encourage giving. Four NGOs have registered and Shyamala who works with United Way believes that the spirit of giving needs to be enhanced, which is what makes a marathon really successful. “We have 500 people running for Isha Vidhya. 50 people have signed up to raise ` 1 lakh. The power of running is quite great. “The people at Isha Vidhya, an initiative of the Isha Foun­dation, couldn’t agree more. The foundation is partnering with the Chennai Mar­athon for the first time and is hoping to achieve a lot through this endeavor. Isha Vidhya aims to raise the level of education in rural areas in Tamil Nadu and with the help of the marathon; they hope to raise money for scholarships, Additional classrooms and appointing more teachers in schools where there aren’t enough. “We were associated with the Mumbai marathon for the last few years and were able to gather `2 crore through participant registrations and sponsorships,” says Prabhu Loganathan, Fun­draising Coordinator for Isha Vidhya. “The support we get from marathons is really great and we hope to create awareness about social causes and charities with the help of such marathons.”

A marathon without a cause is as ineffective as one without its passionate runners. Marathon enthusiast J. Balasubramanian or ‘Bala’, a chartered accountant, believes that one needs to put in a lot of effort to support such causes. Bala says that he will be organizing and participating in 12 marathons with a varying group of runners every day from December 1 to 12 — with proceeds from each marathon being donated to a different NGO. He says. “To mark the special date 12-12-12, I am running to raise money for lesser-known charities. For instance, there is a home in Muthukadu called Paradise Home that supports 65 children who require special attention.

Corporates tend to make businesses out of big marathons and runners pay double the amount to register. I believe in running a measurable distance and paying only once I complete the distance I intended to cover,” he asserts.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Tabloid> Chennai / by Shruthi Menon, DC, Chennai / November 21st, 2012

Simulations to help medicos sail through emergencies

Science & Technologies

Programme to train doctors in labour rooms across State; aimed at giving mothers better care.

What does it take to handle emergencies in the labour room of a maternity hospital? Mostly experience, one would think. But it also requires being able to handle stress, and obstetricians have discovered that working with patients can be very stressful. And the best way to beat stress is to be prepared.

Picture: The Hindu

For the past five years, obstetricians the world over have changed the way they train. Doctors now learn in simulated environments, giving themselves challenging situations to deal with. This training programme has now arrived in the city, coinciding with national newborn week – November 15 to 22.

M. Padmapriya, a postgraduate student of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Government Kilpauk Medical College (KMC), who participated in the programme on Friday, ahead of the session for medical professors, says it is the best way to learn to handle an emergency.

“There are flow-charts, which no matter how many times you read, you tend to forget. The simulation programme has helped me remember the sequence I should follow in a real-life situation,” she said.

In an emergency, doctors end up issuing the same instruction to all the people in the room. “We send out all the nurses in search of blood and there is no one at hand in the operating room,” Dr. Padmapriya recalled.

The training, which created a variety of challenging situations and varied protocols, gave them the opportunity to practise, she said. “For instance, sometimes the baby’s head and shoulder make their way out but then the baby gets stuck. Experience in handling such situations through simulation will enable us to handle the emergency without causing severe morbidity in the newborn,” she said.

Narmada Kuppuswamy, one of the resource persons who conducted the programme said, “Such training programmes have been in vogue for the past decade but in the last five years, many medical colleges in the United States, Britain and Australia have adopted such training programmes.” The two-day programme, which began on Saturday, uses simple techniques like foam stitched to resemble a uterus and patient-actors, Dr. Narmada said.

Such programmes can ensure better care for the woman who comes for childbirth, said A. Kala, head of obstetrics at KMC. She cited studies that found that even in urban settings one in three women gets sub-optimal care and around 25 per cent of patients said they were unhappy with the quality of care provided to them. Better-trained obstetricians can handle emergencies and prevent maternal and newborn deaths, she said.

Confidential reports have also found that absence of team work, lack of skills and inexperience in handling emergencies, poor leadership and communication skills are causes for maternal mortality, Dr. Kala said.

Six persons from abroad and 10 from India are training teachers from 31 colleges in the State, with assistance from Health Education and Learning Projects Charitable Trust and American Tamil Medical Association.

Doctors say clean deliveries, skilled care during deliveries and timely access to emergency obstetric care can prevent newborn deaths. Incidentally, This week (November 15 to 22) is being observed as ‘national newborn week’. An awareness camp on care for newborns was recently held in the Chennai Corporation hospital in Saidapet.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com  / Home> Cities> Chennai  R. Sujatha / November 18th, 2012

Of lush lawns and mellifluous music in Adyar

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Natural beauty of the kind found in Theosophical Society is fast vanishing. / Photo: N. Sridharan / The Hindu

To breathe the air of the Theosophical Society and smell the fragrances of its diverse vegetation while listening to a recent lecture at the Blavatsky bungalow inside its sprawling campus, just beyond the Adyar bridge, was to be overcome by a deep sense of loss of a past rich in simple beauty of a kind that rapid urbanisation has banished from our midst in the last couple of decades.

The quiet of the afternoon punctuated only by birdcalls and greenery all around us created an impression of a faraway place completely divorced from the cityscape we had left barely half a kilometre behind.

The bungalow is right next to the great banyan tree under which Rukmini Devi Arundale had her arangetram, back in December 1935.The last time I had spent any length of time inside the TS had been in 1986 when she passed away.

Her cottage inside the society was a perfect example of the simple beauty and grace social activist Aruna Roy spoke of during a recent talk at Kalakshetra recalling her own student days at the institution. The gleaming red floor, the Pattamadai mats and functional but elegant cane and wooden furniture were minimalist if anything; and the house was airy and sunlit.

There had been an endless stream of mourners coming in all morning to pay their last respects to Athai, as the great lady was known in dance circles. Men and women congregated quietly in small groups. Some of them chanted and sang softly, reverentially, spontaneously.

The human drama is never complete on such occasions without a touch of the comic, and relief was provided by a few self-proclaimed torchbearers of bharatanatyam. Each of them informed the print and TV journalists present that Athai had specifically but confidentially told her that she was the successor she expected to take her legacy forward.

The funeral procession to the cremation ground adjoining Kalakshetra in Thiruvanmiyur was again a picture of dignified, graceful solemnity, marked by a silence seldom seen in our part of the world.

As we came out of Blavatsky Bungalow—where young J Krishnamurti and his brother Nitya probably had their first glimpses into the world of theosophy, still unaware that their lives would soon be turned upside down—I remembered the extraordinary people who once walked there.

I remembered the impact of the magnetic presence of Rukmini Devi as she sat next to her much-loved lieutenant Sankara Menon in the driver’s seat of her Fiat; I remembered lying sprawled on the lawns of nearby Vasanta Vihar and listening to the gentle but mesmeric tones of Krishnamurti; I remembered the many teachers, musicians and dancers who cycled everywhere in their dhotis and cotton saris; I remembered the countless hours I spent at the Adyar Library in the 1960s; I remembered Mary Lutyens’s description of Adyar in her biography of Krishnamurti as the most beautiful place in the world.

And I felt blessed that Adyar had once been part of my life.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by V. Ramnarayan / November 18th, 2012

Music for the masses

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

At the audio launch of Sathiram Perundhu Nilayam

Sathiram Perundhu Nilayam

What it is about…

Haji Cine Creations’ Sathiram Perundhu Nilayam is based on a true life story. Directed by Ravipriyan, who has also written the story, screenplay and dialogue, the film features Roshan, Twinkle, Swathi, Pandiarajan, Nalini, Mayilsamy, Muthukalai, Alex Raja, Ilamaran and Rohini. The music was composed by Sriram. The first CD was released by actor Radha Ravi and received by Asiq Meeran, the Deputy Mayor of Tiruchi, and Roshan, hero of the movie.

Music highlights

There are six songs in the album and the best is ‘Yaar Ivano’ sung by Madhumitha and written by Ilaiyakamban. He has also written another song ‘Tiruchi Malaikottai,’ sung by Solar Sai. Kamakodian’s meaningful lyrics in ‘Sonna Varthai’ are expressively rendered by Prasanna. The same lyricist’s ‘Adicha Fullu’ sung by Krishnaraj is for the masses. ‘Unnale,’ written by Sarathy, has been sung by Venki and ‘Manasu Vecha Kathalukku’, written by the director and sung by Jaidev is above average.

What they say…

Producer Balkeesh Alavudeen: When director Ravipriyan came to me with a story on the TASMAC shops in Tamil Nadu and particularly how the people working there are treated in society, I got interested to produce the film. Trichy N. Babu joined me in the venture and the film has come out well.

Director Ravipriyan: I have worked with directors K. Balachander, Indiran and Majith. This is my first film. It is based on an incident that happened at the popular Tiruchi bus terminus, Sathiram Perundhu Nilayam. In fact it was the story which helped me easily find a producer.

Hero Roshan: I am a theatre artiste and have won several awards in Tiruchi and other places. I wanted to prove my mettle on celluloid. Director Ravipriyan happened to be looking for someone to play the lead in his film and he said I fitted the role to a T. I feel my work in the film will fetch me recognition.

Music director Sreeram: I have been interested in music from a young age. My first film was Akku.Director Ravi Priyan who watched it liked my work and approached me to do his film. My future films include Kaanagam, Virudachalam and Annakalangiyam Magal Poonkodi.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> Cities> Chennai> Cinema / by S.R. Ashok Kumar / November 17th, 2012

Solar energy soon to power Koyambedu Market, CMDA and TNHB buildings

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Science & Technologies

 Minister R Vaithilingam planting saplings at Koyambedu on Thursday as the Mayor looks on | P Jawahar

In a green initiative, the State government is exploring the possibility of tapping solar power for Asia’s largest perishable goods wholesale market.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Department, Phanindra Reddy, told Express that Housing and Urban Development Minister R Vaithilingam is keen on exploring solar energy for Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority as well as Tamil Nadu Housing Board buildings. Currently, talks are going on with Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency in this regard, the official said.

Meanwhile, Vaithilingam along with mayor Saidai Duraisamy planted saplings near the flower market. The drive to plant 1,000 saplings is part of an initiative to redevelop the market, which also includes landscaping, construction of a compound wall and rainwater harvesting. CMDA sources said a tender has already been floated for the construction of the compound wall.

Also, tenders have been floated for laying concrete in the open area between the flower and fruit markets. Interestingly, CCTVs are also to be installed in the complex, officials said.

But, garbage and lack of water and bathroom facilities are some of the major issues still plaguing the market. Traders also complained about illegal parking of omni buses, which affects the movement of vehicles in the area.

Sources said work to develop the omni bus stand opposite the Koyambedu market is progressing and four acres of land has been identified.

Sources also said one acre of land behind the flower market has been identified for processing garbage from the market.

Interestingly, MMC officials say that although CMDA had allotted land acquired by it in the 1980s from Tamil Nadu Housing Board for vermin-compost, separation of garbage for the nearby bio-methanation plant as well as banana stem process, the plant could not be put to use due to a court battle over the rights of the land.

Meanwhile, traders also brought to light the lack of water in Koyambedu market. CMDA officials said the market is without water as the traders are yet to pay dues to Metro Water, which cut its connection. “The issue could be sorted out through discussions with Metro Water as well as traders who should be willing to pay their dues,” a senior CMDA official said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / Home> Cities> Chennai / by C. ShivaKumer – Chennai / November 16th, 2012

Tree count at 80,000 after 1st phase of census

Education, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature

The first phase of tree census covered educational institutions / Photo: R. Shivaji Rao / The Hindu

Number of exotic species trumps indigenous ones in city; second phase to begin by month-end

Exotic species of trees such as gulmohar and copper pods outnumber indigenous ones in the city.

This was one of the findings from the first phase of a tree census spearheaded by the urban forestry division. The second phase is likely to begin in the last week of November.

Over 80,000 trees have been enumerated in Chennai so far. The census is being carried out in two phases with nearly 150 botany students and staff from various city colleges serving as volunteers. The programme began in August 2011 at Guindy National Park.

While the first phase covered mostly educational institutions, the second one will facilitate ward-wise enumeration of trees.

Some of the places covered in the first phase are Guindy National Park, IIT-Madras, Anna University, Theosophical Society, Ramakrishna Mission, Stella Maris College, Ethiraj College for Women, Nandanam Arts College and Queen Mary’s College, an official of the forest department said.

“During the census, we collect details such as the species of the tree, its girth which is the measurement of its circumference, approximate height, age, and its importance,” he said.

So far, over 150 species of trees have been identified. Forest officials are confident they will be able to find more species as the census progresses.

“Exotic species are prevalent now because they were popular until a decade ago. It is only over the past ten years that many indigenous trees were planted,” another forest official said.

The tree census that began in Pune three years ago has not been completed yet. The census has also been carried out in some areas in Mumbai and Bangalore as well, the official said.

D. Narasimhan, associate professor, Madras Christian College, who is the project coordinator of the census, said, “We work for about six to seven hours a day during the weekends. Since we cover residential neighbourhoods in the second phase, we will need the cooperation of residents.”

The census is likely to be completed by February 2013, he said.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Sunitha Sekhar / November 12th, 2012

Cancer awareness programme at SRM Medical College

Education, Science & Technologies

Chennai:

SRM Medical College and Research Centre in the city’s suburb organised a cancer awareness programme on Sunday. The programme was aimed to raise awareness and understanding about cancer that is affecting more and more people across the world.

Addressing the gathering, chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute Dr V Shantha said, in India, cancers are more often associated with tobacco use, but lifestyle changes are also aiding cancer in a large number. Shantha distributed prizes for the ‘Pathology Prize Competition’ , organised as part of the awareness programme. SRM University vice-chancellor (VC) M Ponnavaikko, pro-VC (Medical) P Thangaraju attended the programme.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / November 12th, 2012