A retired government officer based in this district has bagged the latest Sahitya Akademi award for the best translated novel in Tamil. S Devadoss’ work, Ladakhilirundhu Kavizhum Nizhal is the Tamil version of an English novel, Shadow From Ladakh by Bhabani Bhattacharya. The award was announced on Monday.
Devadoss said the novel was about a love story in Ladakh during the Sino-Indian War of 1962. He said, “The Sahitya Akademi Award for the novel is a good recognition for me and I am very happy.”
S Devadoss, from Nadayaneri village, has settled in Rajapalayam taluk in Virudhunagar district after retiring as a deputy registrar, Cooperative Societies department.
He said he completed his MA Tamil from Madurai Kamaraj University which kindled his interest in reading novels written by authors from other countries.
While reading those novels he felt there was a need to translate them into Tamil, which is one of the oldest languages, so that our people would know the culture of the other countries when they read these novels.
He said, “Though I was working as a government employee I gave lots of importance to my literary work. I used to wake up early to work on translation.”
He began his literary pursuit in 1990 and has so far translated 25 novels, short stories and non-fictional works. “One of my best works is ‘Platerovum Naanum” which was translated from the novel Platero and I written by a Spanish writer Juan Ramón Jiménez who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. This is a very simple novel and the narration style is different. This novel will be an inspiration for new writers,” said Devadoss.
He said he also translated the works of veteran Spanish director Luis Buñuel and the works of well-known Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Kauhik Kannan / March 12th, 2015
DJ Academy of Design and British Council will jointly organise a two-day conference on “Universal Design” here on March 13 and 14 and as many as 150 participants are expected from different parts of the country and even abroad.
Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu, chairman of the governing council of the academy, told presspersons here on Tuesday that town planners, product designers, architects, social workers and students will take part.
The objective is to sensitise the participants and the public to the need for inclusive design in public infrastructure and products.
A couple of speakers from the U.K. will also participate. There are countries that have norms, insisting on inclusive design in public places.
Awareness and the need for such design needs to improve here.
At the end of the two-day event, a resolution will be adopted and it will be sent to design institutes, Corporates and policy makers. DJ Academy plans to organise the event regularly.
Explaining the concept of universal design, Mr. Jayavarthanavelu said transport systems such as buses and facilities such as elevators need to be designed in such a way that it can be used as a common facility by those with disabilities and the public.
The requirements of the elderly and those with disabilities need to be addressed in the common infrastructure.
The demand for such designing is high in the country and the awareness should go up.
The event will also have sessions on the principles of universal design in products and an expo on products designed by the students of the academy.
DJ Academy has undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in design, he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Special Correspondent / Coimbatore – March 11th, 2015
P. Rajendran, head of the production team from Doordharshan Kendra, giving an introduction about the documentary on the life of yesteryear comedian Nagercoil Sudalaimuthu Krishnan at his residence in Ozhuginasery in Nagercoil.
A team from Doordarshan Kendra, Chennai, started shooting for a documentary on the life of legendary comedian Nagercoil Sudailaimuthu Krishnan (NSK) at his residence here on Wednesday.
A team, led by P. Rajendran, Production Executive, stepped into the dilapidated NSK Madhuram Bhavan along with scriptwriter and journalist Chozha Nagarajan from Madurai in the morning.
Opportunity
Mr. Chozha Nagarajan told The Hindu that Doordarshan had given an opportunity to write the script and coordinate with the production team by providing other materials required for the documentary to be screened in Pothigai channel for 50 minutes.
The documentary will feature interviews of NSK’s relatives, film personalities, clippings from his films and photos. Mr. Nagarajan appealed to the State government to renovate the dilapidated house of NSK and nationalise part of his house as memorial, as it would help his family financially.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by R Arivanantham / Nagercoil – March 07th, 2015
Just as the matriarch of the Tamil household in Chennai dots her porch with a kolam at the crack of dawn every day, women of the Parsi community pretty up theirs with what they call a ‘chalk’.
“It’s just like the kolam, except we have readymade tins with holes designed in them so all we need to do is fill them with rice flour and tap them on the ground,” said Tehnaz Bahadurji, a Parsi resident of Chennai, who spoke on the history, culture and practices of her community at Alliance Francaise on Tuesday. Her lecture, which was organised by the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), traced how the Parsis migrated to India, how they trickled into Chennai and finally, how they live and, most important, dine.
While the first wave of Parsis settled in Gujarat centuries ago, the first Parsi to come to Chennai was Heerjibhai Kharas, who came here in the 1800s, said Bahadurji, who added that the government gave the community land in 1814, on which a Fire Temple was built more than a century later. The Parsi Fire Temple celebrated its centenary in the city in 2010.
Bahadurji then went on to list the famous Parsis past and present in Chennai – the most prominent among them being social activist and philanthropist Mary Clubwallah Jadhav (who died in 1975), who received the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan from the government.
“The Parsis and Iranis were also involved in the cinema industry in Chennai. We built four theatres – the Elphinstone Theatre, the New Elphinstone Theatre, Wellington Theatre, and the Casino Theatre (which still stands on Anna Salai),” said Bahadurji.
When she got to the culture of the Parsi community, which has now dwindled to just 60,000 people in India, Bahadurji spoke of how several traditions were on the verge of dying out. The tradition of the ‘thoran’ for instance, which was used to decorate the doors of Parsi homes.
When she spoke of the ‘gaara’, the Parsi saree, Bahadurji talked of how in the old days women wore their sarees over their heads with only one ear exposed. “That’s the reason why you will find that Parsi jewellery sets in the old days came with only one earring. The jewelers probably figured they did not have to bother making two since the women always had one ear covered,” she said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / March 05th, 2015
Kishore had won the national award for editing for his work in ‘Aadukalam’. (File Photo) / The Hindu
National award-winning film editor Kishore Te, who had worked in films such as Eeram, Aadukalamand Paradesi, was declared brain dead at a hospital in Vadapalani on Friday. He was 36.
He was reportedly admitted to Vijaya hospital on February 27 after he fell unconscious. Hospital sources said that an MRI scan revealed that he had suffered a stroke.
He had been facing a lot of stress at work recently and that might have led to health issues, it was said.
All efforts were taken to revive and rehabilitate Kishore, but in vain. On Friday evening, he was declared brain dead.
Soon after, Kishore’s father insisted that his organs be harvested. His corneas, kidneys, liver and heart were harvested and shared with other hospitals on the network, hospital sources said.
Kishore was among the bright emerging stars in Kollywood and was believed to have great potential. Insiders said his death was a big blow to the film industry, particularly to the discipline of editing.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – March 07th, 2015
Radha Viswanathan re-lives moments of living and performing with an icon, to Ranjani Govind.
“It’s comforting to see my grand-daughter Aishwarya become a serious performer. I remember the days when I would wonder whether there would be anyone in the family to carry the legacy forward. My prayers seem to be answered,” says the 80-year-old Radha Viswanathan, daughter of M.S. Subbulakshmi, during a recent interview in Bengaluru.
A young Radha with MS.
Radha was recently honoured during the release of an album of a nearly 40-year-old soundtrack of MS and hers, in Bengaluru, with veteran mridangam vidwan T.K. Murthy and former ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan participating. The album was recorded in Mumbai by the National Centre of Performing Arts (NCPA) and is now being brought out in association with Sony Music.
Radha is happy that the rare gems from the 1970s, was now being shared with rasikas. “It is a historic occasion for our family.”
Radha, who accompanied her mother for over 60 years, be it at live concerts or recordings, cherishes every memory of the time she spent with her iconic mother. “I was blessed to have a mother who was an embodiment of compassion,” she says, as she gets nostalgic. Radha’s mobility might have been restricted to a wheelchair owing to several health issues, but her zest for life, passion for music and elephantine memory keep her as youthful as ever. She can leave you stumped with her recollection of events, rolling back to instances when as a four-year-old she remembered the time when MS entered her family.
MS and Radha. The Hindu Archives
Talking about her computer-like memory, Radha says, “Storing information is inherent to my persona. Every time I sang a kriti leant instantly at class, Semmangudi mama would say, ‘You have a camphor-like brain, catching everything instantly!’” recalls Radha, who always made notations of the trickiest of sangatis.
Looking settled in her son V. Shrinivasan’s home, the contentment is apparent on her still radiant face. “It’s rewarding to have taught Aishwarya nearly 500 kritis. Do you realise that it is authentic Semmangudi, Musiri and T. Brinda schooling that I have passed on? My younger grand-daughter Saundarya too is catching up,” she says.
But why didn’t MS train other students? “My mother was too busy an artist to teach. She was incredibly humble and used to continuously learn from others and considered herself a student all her life,” says Radha. There were instances when Radha learnt from Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer as MS was too busy. Radha would later sing what she had learnt to her mother. “In fact, we practised together to get the nuances right,” she remembers.
Radha stepped on to the music platform as a four-year-old, singing tail-enders or the so-called ‘tukkadas.’ “That was the beginning of my musical journey. But later I learnt from Mayavaram Krishna Iyer and GNB’s sishya, T.R Balu,” she says. Once when MS was unwell, Musiri came visiting. Radha had then sung ‘Saraseeruha’ in Nattai and ‘Sudhamayi’ in Amruthavarshini. Fourteen years later, when the same kritis were presented at the Central College of Music where Musiri was the principal, he remembered, “I recall Radha singing these kritis as a six-year-old. Even then, I knew she would go a long way.”
It was Musiri who had advised them about the importance of ‘voice synchrony;’ he had told Radha, “Your voice should blend with MS’s and sound like a single, integrated tenor.” No wonder their Vishnu Sahasranamam recording is known for this quality! “In the line, “Amaaani Maanado Maanyo,” when MS briefly stopped to take a breath, it had to be re-recorded, but Amma insisted it be left alone. ‘Let people know that Radha sang along,’ Amma said.”
What was special as far as their voice experimentation was concerned were the lessons that MS and Radha got from T. Brinda and T. Muktha, who had by then set a trend in high-and low-octave singing. Kritis such as ‘Janani Ninnuvina’ in Ritigowla, ‘Raave Himagiri’ in Thodi and ‘Teera teeyaga raada’ in Gowlipantu that saw MS taking to the base and Radha singing in the higher octaves, became a rage with audiences.
Father Sadasivam’s love for dance saw Radha and Anandi (daughter of Kalki Krishnamurthy) team up and learn Bharatanatyam from Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai. Her ability to learn and absorb was so amazing that Radha had her arangetram, along with Anandi, as an 11-year-old! They performed to packed audiences, effortlessly. “Even here, Amma would sing padams for us. Who can forget the rave reviews that the two got for their superb pairing in ‘Maalai Pozhudinilae’ and ‘Thayae Yashoda’?
Says Radha’s son, Shrinivasan, “In 2010, when my mother was asked to do abhinaya at the Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana, she obliged and left the the audiences in tears. And mind you, she was sitting all the while!”
It was her love for song and dance that Radha saw act as the young Bharatan in ‘Shakuntalai’ in 1940 and as Bala Meera in ‘Meera’ in 1946. “By the time, the Hindi version came, I had grown taller and so I did not act in it,” she says. When Radha was13, she had led the chorus in ‘Meera’ and had the music director Bhattacharya refer to her as ‘my boss.’
Born in 1934, December 11, in Gobichettipalayam, Radha was married to Viswanathan and went to Ahmedabad. But Radha’s passion for music and MS’s need for a vocal support soon brought them together and they travelled the world and became ambassadors of Carnatic music.
From Radha’s memory bank
* MS always advised me and my sister Vijaya to have a smile on our faces while singing.
* We took classes from Semmangudi, Musiri, Brinda-Muktha, K.V. Narayanaswamy, Siddeshwari Devi in Hindustani, Sandhyavandanam Srinivasa Rao and Meera bhajans from Dilip Kumar Roy.
* Radha still remembers the first concert at The Music Academy. Prime Minister Nehru was to inaugurate. The Udaipur Maharaja, mesmerised by our Kalyani rendering, had offered MS his kingdom!
* She recalls MS’s ‘never-question’ attitude towards her father Sadasivam’s ‘concert listing’ as a mark of respect for his knowledge and intuitive knack of planning.
* Once, Radha danced in front of Mahatma Gandhi with MS singing ‘Ghana Shyam Aaaye Re’ at the Birla House in Delhi. “And Gandhiji really enjoyed my performance!”
From the NCPA archives
The CD with 16 songs of M.S. Subbulakshmi and Radha Vishwanathan that Sony Music has released in association with the National Centre of Performing Arts (NCPA), is part of “Masters Works” series,” which was recorded in the 1970s.
Shridhar Subramaniam, president, Sony Music said, “Two more live concerts of MS and Radha, with Karaikkudi Mani on the mridangam will be released in two months. Also in the pipeline is one with Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain on the tabla.”
NCPA had 5000 hours of live and studio-recordings in several genres mainly done in Mumbai from 1971 for their archival and academic purposes and directed towards student-researchers. Soon, recordings of Pandit Jasraj, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Ustad Rashid Khan, Gangubai Hangal, Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna and M. L. Vasanthakumari, were released by Sony Music.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review / by Ranjan Govind / February 26th, 2015
The dam constructed by Parakrama Pandian in Kuruvithurai. Photo: Special Arrangement
Inscriptions dating back to 12th Century, found along river Vaigai, talk about the efficient water management system devised by the Pandiya Kings
With summer round the corner, most of us are already worried about water scarcity this season. Experts have done their bit by sounding the alarm on the depleting water table. But have you ever wondered how are ancestors used, managed and conserved this elixir of life?
When it comes to effective conservation, distribution and management of water, one cannot dispense the role of King Karikal Chola, who built the Grand Anaicut across River Cauvery. There are several historical evidences to prove that ancient Tamil rulers had effective water management systems in place in their respective kingdoms.
The Pandiya kings constructed check dams across River Vaigai. King Maravarman Arikesari, also known as Koon Pandiyan, who ruled Madurai during Seventh century built a check dam across Vaigai and named it after himself. It is near the Kuruvikaran Salai road and archaeologists have found a stone inscription there. Likewise, King Parakrama Pandiyan constructed a check dam Sitranai in Kuruvithurai near Madurai. He also extracted granite from the nearby hill Kuruvikal and built a stone quarry. Stone inscriptions in Kuruvithurai Perumal Temple record this.
The stone inscription in the Kuruvithurai Perumal Temple. Photo: Special Arrangement
In the olden days, exclusive groups were constituted for the upkeep of the water bodies. These were theyeri variyam (lake board) and kalingu variyam (sluice board). According to B. Thirumalai and R. Sivakumar, authors of ‘Vaiyai Thadam Thedi’, the landmark ruling of Sri Vallabha Pandiyan, who established the riparian rights of the lower ayacut farmers, is remembered even today. “The case of a landlord cutting off the main channel by digging a channel upstream and depriving farmers of the lower areas was brought to the King,” says Sivakumar.
“The practice of creating a water body to help people has been there for ages,” says C. Santhalingam. Secretary, Pandya Nadu Centre for Historical Research. Tamil Brahmi inscriptions recovered from Nadumuthalaikulam near Vikkramangalam give evidence of existence of a 2000-year-old man-made lake. “Kings created water bodies and collected land tax from people. Pallavas constructed lakes across their kingdom and named the lakes after them. Some of the man-made lakes are Chithiramega Thadagam and Vairamega Thadagam,” he says.
There were also several lakes like the Thoosi Mamandoor Yeri near Kanchipuram, the biggest of the lot. “The rulers did not end with that. They appointed guards to stop people from polluting and created a corpus fund for the maintenance of the water body. The board used the money to desilt the lake and to distribute food and clothes for victims of floods. They also let the lake on contract for fishing and for ferrying people on coracles to generate funds. Many rich people also donated liberally,” he says.
“For effective distribution there are different types of sluice gates like Pulikan madai (which has three outlets). Depending upon the storage the water is released through these outlets. The one with seven outlets is located near Srivilliputhur. It is constructed by the Koon Pandiyan and to control the flow a pillar is erected at the centre of the main sluice gate,” he says.
Lakes were given much importance in those days. They were quoted in Sangam literature to identify the geographical division of that place, like the Madakulakeezh which refers to the land irrigated by the Madakulam Lake.
“Predominantly an agrarian community dependent on water source, our ancestors knew the importance of conserving water. They were farsighted, sensitive to environmental issues and better equipped than the current times,” concludes Santhalingam.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by T. Saravanan / Madurai – March 04th, 2015
Sam Paul at Jonah’s goes to Japan. Photo: M. Karunakaran / The Hindu
From educational institutions and restaurants to gyms and styling salons, Sam Paul has ventured into a slew of businesses. The city businessman tells why he’s always looking for new frontiers to conquer.
There are two men, employed by Sam Paul, who look after newspaper clippings.
Every morning, Sam wakes up at 7, fits in an hour of exercise and then, sits down to scan the local papers. Since 2004, from the first mention of the launch of Casa Piccola in Chennai, he’s collected about 500 news clippings of himself. He often makes it to the papers for something or the other; news about the latest Toni & Guy store launch, party pictures, involvement in charity activities and social, news about his acting venture in the upcoming movie Patra… even the smallest mention, he clips, files, indexes and laminates. “We need some cheap thrills, no?” laughs Sam.
The reason he values these clippings and takes such care in making sure they are preserved is because, he says, he treasures the recognition and appreciation that comes his way. “This is achievement! I am well-heeled — I own a house, I drive a Porsche. I have good people working for me. What else do I need?”
Sam, who has been the reason for the arrival of many big brands in the city, schooled here. He holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Engineering and followed it up with a doctorate from College of Engineering, Guindy. He started working with his father, helping manage educational institutions owned by the family, had many grand business ideas which his father disagreed to and eventually, was asked to leave home for being too rebellious.
Relentless, Sam worked to prove himself, sleeping on the floor of his friend’s place in the meantime. Using the money he earned, and then some, he opened Casa Piccola in 2004, which was all the rage those days. “I just wanted to show my father that I was capable of earning my own money. But from there to where I am right now, it’s all God’s grace. Nothing else.”
Over a decade later, he has chiselled an identity for himself as a restaurateur in Chennai. He manages Crimson Chakra, Haagen-Dazs and Jonah’s Bistro. His latest, Jonah’s goes to Japan, in collaboration with Momoyama, introduces an Asian twist to the existing European menu designed by ‘MADChef’ Kaushik. “Right now, I’m tripping on Japanese,” grins Sam.
At the launch of the restaurant, Sam bustles about, greeting old friends and making new ones. He’s a people’s person; no doubt about it. He says he has the knack to identify the right ones too. “My greatest asset is that my staff have remained with me… it’s important to have the right people,” says Sam, adding that the same men who worked at Casa Piccola are cooking up a storm in Jonah’s kitchen too.
As the dishes stream out, Sam talks about the peasant origins of the beef goulash, fusses over the amount of fish in the seafood broth and insists that the chicken parmigiana would pair better with mashed potato, as opposed to spaghetti. “I’ve been doing this since 2004, you start to know a little by now,” chuckles the foodie.
This, however, is not all that he knows. In 2010, sometime in between opening new restaurants, managing educational institutions and being responsible for the mushrooming of Toni & Guy outlets in the city, he got bored of all that he was doing and bounded off to study law at the Government Law College. “I was 32 years old at that time, and I sat with these boys who were 18-19 years old and studied for three years. In fact, I got debarred for six months for not having enough attendance,” laughs Sam. He now practises law at the High Court and works with N. Chandrasekaran, Special Public Prosecutor for CBI cases.
That hardly confines him from juggling other things though: Sam just acted in a film and is producing another. He’s looking to do some celebrity DJing born out of a love for music and the request of a few friends. Keeping in line with body building titles that Sam won when he was in University, he launched a new project last month — Slam, the fitness studio. He is further looking to expand the Jonah’s brand and working to bring Doner Kebab to India, because, he says, “I am very particular about my kebabs.”
“That’s the greatest thing in life: to be able to do what you want. If I want to do something, I just have to think of the way to do it professionally… it’s all about God’s grace and having the right people by your side.” smiles the 37-year-old.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Raveena Joseph / March 03rd, 2015
An aerial view of the portrait of Mother Teresa created by students of a private school at Kavanur, in Vellore on Saturday | express
Vellore :
The chances of your hearing about Kavanur near Timiri is as remote as the village is. Located in the eastern part of the district, the village is likely to enter Limca Book of World Records, courtesy the artistic skill of 70-odd students of a private school.
On Saturday, the children made a 72 feet by 60 feet portrait of Mother Teresa, using small black pebbles. The weight of the pebbles was around three tonnes, a record of its own kind, worthy of finding place in the Limca Book of Records.
The initiative was taken by the drawing teacher Navakumar (29), who is a self-styled record breaker himself. In 2006, he entered the record book by drawing a picture of Tamil saint Thiruvalluvar using enamel paint on 133 feet by 60 feet canvas.
In 2008, he attempted another portrait on a 280 feet by two feet canvas to draw the world flags. The attempt gave him another entry in the record books in 2009. In 2010, he drew a picture of Gandhi on water on a three feet container using kolam, which gave him another entry into Limca records.
Navakumar, a part time arts teacher at a government school in Seemapudur village, also goes to the Indira Nursery and Primary School in Kavanur every week to teach drawing to kids free of cost. He also runs an art studio in Vellore, where he teaches children and elders various forms of drawing. According to Navakumar the previous record was held by students in the age group of eight to 10 for drawing a portrait with the dimension of 30 feet by 40 feet using colour powders. This attempt by the Kavanur school students in the same age group would break this record comfortably, he said.
“When I told the school correspondent R Settu about the possibility of training the school children for a Limca record, he put me on the job,” recalled Navakumar. He began training the kids on the pebble portrait three months ago. Last week, he organized practical sessions on the school grounds.
“We decided to go for the portrait of aged persons, as the facial wrinkles could be better captured. Though difficult, it makes a lot of difference in artistry,” said Navakumar when asked why he chose Mother Teresa.
“By drawing her portrait, children would learn about her and imbibe her qualities,” he added.
On Saturday, the district educational officer D Manoharan was the chief guest when the children toiled for nearly an hour before putting on display the portrait under the guidance of Navakumar. The whole event was documented, videographed in the presence of government officials and would be sent to Limca Books.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by V. Narayana Murthi / March 03rd, 2015
The civic body began its Coimbatore Guinness Championship Campaign on Sunday to clean up the city. Despite facing a shortage of sanitary workers and push carts, the civic body officials roped in hundreds of volunteers and college students to go around the city collecting litter and promote source segregating.
The championship will begin on Wednesday after officials purchase push carts and begin to evaluate workers, said K Vijayakarthikeyan, corporation commissioner. The challenge will end on March 11, he added.
On Monday, officials inspected six wards and instructed sanitary workers to begin the championship. “Around 20 volunteers from NGOs have been allotted to each ward. Each zone will have a non-governmental organisation leading the effort. A team of sanitary inspectors and corporation officials will monitor them and evaluate their work.
“A jury will judge the best zone, best ward and best team,” said Suresh Bhandari, co-ordinator of Clean Cities Foundation.
Each ward would require at least 15 push carts but have been provided only seven push carts, said an official.
The civic body aims to create awareness about source segregation through this championship, as volunteers will go door to door to educate residents on segregating waste at source into three parts-wet, dry and hazardous. “The dry waste which is plastic waste will be weighed at collection centres such as ward offices and sold to companies. Workers will earn 4 per kg. The wet waste will be transported to Vellalore dump yard,” said Sri Rangaraj, sanitary inspector, central zone. Officials will evaluate every sanitary worker based on five criteria such as appearance, work skills, segregation, weighing and cleaning.
The volunteers have informed hotels, residents of apartments and other commercial complexes to segregate waste and hand it over to workers. “We have distributed around two lakh contest cards to school students who will get it signed by their parents. They will receive certificates from the corporation at the end of the championship,” said a higher official.
Registrations are taking place through a website and a missed call service-814436000-has been activated. As on Sunday evening, 2,500 residents had registered on the website and 300 had registered through the missed calls service. “We have already reached the two lakh mark so far. If the numbers increase, it will help us win with a bigger margin,” said Suresh.
On March 5, Dr Sanjay Gupta, coordinator of the Guinness Book of World records will visit the city to instruct them on the methodology. “Since the verification of two lakh contest cards will take a few weeks, we are hopeful that by the end of March, we will get the results and will enter the Guinness Book of world records,” added an official. While activists said that the championship was a gimmick to divert attention from the Vellalore dump yard issues, corporation officials maintained that they were planning to set up at least 15 segregation sheds after the championship ends.
“We will make sure that the drive continues even after the championship ends,” said a higher official.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / TNN / March 03rd, 2015
