Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA) is organising a two-day event here on Saturday and Sunday (February 22 and 23) to create awareness on the Chief Minister’s capital incentive scheme for solar rooftop systems for domestic purpose.
An official of the agency told The Hindu that a similar event will be held here on March 1 and 2.
The State Government has identified 17 vendors for the project and three of them have put up stalls at the Government Polytechnic College here to demonstrate the working of the rooftop systems.
The official said that a consumer who wants to install one kw rooftop solar system under the scheme will get Rs. 50,000 subsidy.
This includes Rs. 20,000 from the State Government and Rs. 30,000 from the Union Government. The plan is to have about 10,000 installations in the State initially. At least 5,000 of these are expected in this region (Coimbatore, Tirupur and Erode districts).
The consumer will have to submit an application to TEDA to get the benefit. It can be an application from an individual or a group of consumers (those who live in apartments). The TEDA will send a message to the consumer when it gives its approval.
The entire process will take about a couple of months. It will also give the consumer details of the vendors and the rates that they quote.
The consumer can choose the vendor. The consumer and the vendor will inform the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) about the installation so that it can provide net meter to the electricity service connection.
D. Devarajan of Sree Dev Solar Solutions, one of the vendors in the project and who has put up a demo system at the event, said that an one kw solar system can generate at least four units of energy a day.
This will take care of most of the essential energy needs of a household. A consumer who does not consume the entire solar energy generated can export it to the grid. With better awareness about the solar systems and the scheme, more consumers in the region are expected to go in for it.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by M. Soundariya Preetha / Coimbatore – February 23rd, 2014
Sholai School principal and founder Brian Jenkins. (Photo / K K Sundar)
The sun set on the Empire in India decades ago, but its shining in the Palni hills near Kodaikanal. In Tamil Nadu’s very own Hogwarts, Sholai School with its founder Brian Jenkins,68, playing Dumbledore, a magical realm of green, rolling hills, continues to generate its own power and water by harnessing the energy of Nature. The school practices organic farming and grows pepper, coffee and seasonal fruits and vegetables. It also runs its own dairy, and not just produces its own organic milk and cheese but even exports home-grown coffee to Germany.
Students here are taught swimming, yoga, bird watching, horse riding, trekking and outdoor and indoor games. In the past, they have also built check dams and a bridge across a small river that runs through the campus.
Sholai School with its other divisions collectively called CLOAAT (Centre for Learning, Organic Agriculture and Appropriate Technology), is one of its kind in all of India.
It was founded in 1991 by Brian Jenkins (68), a British social anthropologist, thinker and teacher. Jenkins first came to India in 1969 to study Buddhist meditation at Bodhgaya. By then, he became familiar with Jiddu Krishnamurthy’s teachings, and later the man himself as he began teaching at Krishnamurthy’s Brockwood Park School in the UK. After 14 years in Brockwood, Jenkins decided to do something on his own. Krishnamurthy advised him to not be “a blueprint”.
With the small inheritance left to him by his grandmother, Jenkins began looking for a place in India and in 1989 found this scenic 100-acre area, 18 km from Kodaikanal.
“I did not have a master plan as people normally do; first we built a small building with a kitchen and a toilet. Then when we felt the need for another, so we built one more and so on,” says Jenkins. Today, the sprawling school complex includes a dining hall, a kitchen, the classroom block, a boys’ hostel, girls’ hostel, a library, and so on. There’s also a swimming pool and a badminton court with an auditorium in the pipeline.
From xenophobic to swindling locals, Jenkins had to deal with a lot before things settled down. “In the beginning, there was one teacher —me and my two children, my first students. Later a boy from Ladakh and another from the Gulf joined us,” he recalls. This is a far cry from the 51 students that the school has today, with a student-teacher ratio of 4:1.
Unlike conventional schools, students here are not grouped by age or class (entry level is 8 years and goes up to 19 years) but rather according to their academic abilities and liking.
“They have the choice of moving up or down the order,” says a teacher here. There is an interesting mix of students here with half being underprivileged local kids who receive 100 per cent scholarships.
The administration also steers clear of conditioning, a sentiment supported strongly by Jenkins and his mentor Jiddu Krishnamurthy. “In my school, children are learning not to be conditioned,” says Jenkins. That is why at Sholai mathematics is taught along with farming, science with carpentry and woodwork and games with masonry.
There is interplay of roles for teachers as well. Dhruv, a 24-year-old teacher from Bangalore teaches biology as well as milks cows on the dairy farm. The milk, like the coffee produced here, is sold with some being used to make cheese. Similarly, Bala, who teaches computers, and Josephine, who teaches developmental studies, are both involved in a government-funded GIS survey. In fact, Jenkins likes and encourages everybody to share their skills, encouraging practice rather than theory.
The school is powered by solar panels and generators powered by micro hydro energy. “We have some 70 solar panels. Our micro hydro is another contributor, our wind generator also gives us some power,” affirms Jenkins.
“For cooking, we burn wood and we also have a bio gas and a bio-mass, with the former being our biggest energy provider. We also have zero wastage,” says Jenkins.
Like no other
■ The school practices organic farming and grows pepper, coffee and seasonal fruits and vegetables.
■ It also runs its own dairy and not just produces its own organic milk and cheese but even exports home-grown coffee to Germany
■ Students here are taught swimming, yoga, bird watching, horse riding, trekking and outdoor and indoor games.
■ The school is powered by solar panels and generators powered by micro hydro energy
The Path finders
Mirambika, New Delhi
This New Delhi based experimental school run by Aurobindo Ashram is based on Sri Aurobindo and Mother’s principles.
Isha Home School, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
Founded in 2005 by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Isha Home School strives to incorporate his educational approach into its day-to-day working.
The Valley School, Thatguni, Karnataka
The Valley School is based on the teachings of the eminent philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti.
Vikasana, Bangalore, Karnataka
Vikasana is a rural centre for education inspired by David Horsburgh’s philosophy of learning. It provides free education to children of all ages from landless farmers of neighboring villages.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Magazine / by Suinita Raghu / March 02nd, 2014
Members of the Krishnagiri-based Indian Rivers Knit Movement (IRKM), an NGO creating awareness about the need for inter-linking and networking of rivers, who are on a ‘paadayatra’ from Hosur to Chennai to meet Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, passed through Vellore on Tuesday evening.
They were received by the members of the National Waterways Development Technologies, another Vellore-based NGO, led by president K K Sridhar and secretary Venkatesan.
The paadayatra has been undertaken to highlight the importance of the inter-linking of rivers and the protection of farmers, said Sardhar, director of the IRKM who organized the event.
Floods and droughts plaguing India, drive farmers to commit suicide and the only solution, to ensure protection to the farmers, is to link all the rivers, he said.
The NGO would appeal to the CM to come up with a policy to set up waterways by linking the rivers in the country.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service – Vellore / February 20th, 2014
Members of Tamil Nadu Snake Research and Wild Animal Rescue Trust with a snake at an awareness programme in the city. / Photo: S. James / The Hindu
They are on a mission to create awareness among the public
As P. Manimegalai stealthily takes out a snake from a bag and shows it to the group around her, a collective gasp of fear is heard. “This snake is like a baby. It will not harm you,” she states confidently as she pulls out another snake from her backpack.
The founder of Tamil Nadu Snake Research and Wild Animal Rescue Trust, this 27-year-old woman from Ramanathapuram is one of the few female snake catchers in the State.
Ms.Manimegalai, along with R. Nagarathinam, M. Selvakumari, Katheejal Begum and S. Amutha, run the all-women members trust that has been attending calls from people who spot snakes and ask them to be caught. The trust also conducts regular programmes for college and school students as well as housewives.
“It has been ingrained in most of us that all snakes are poisonous and we immediately react with fear and end up killing them. But most of them are harmless and in the long run if people continue to keep killing them, everything from the food chain to the ecosystem will be thrown out of balance,” says Ms.Manimegalai. “We also talk to people about first aid to be administered in the event of a snake bite and teach them how to differentiate between poisonous and non-poisonous snakes”, she explains.
The members of the trust say that out of the 65 types of snakes that can be found in the district, only four types are poisonous.
“If not harmed or disturbed, they will just slither away and not cause any harm but people get together in groups and beat them up. We offer to catch snakes when called and either hand them over to the Forest Department or release them safely in a forest area,” explains R. Nagarathinam, a member of the trust.
The women from the trust also rue the false notions propagated through mass media and popular culture. “Snakes don’t wait for their prey, nor do they remember people across generations and take revenge as depicted in movies,” they say.
At an awareness programme that the trust conducted on Wednesday for a group of residents in Anaiyur, many women who were first hesitant to touch the snakes that were being shown slowly mustered courage to do so after they were told about the species. M.D. Lakshmikantham, a resident of Anaiyur drew applause from the crowd when she put the snake around her neck.
“If my message reaches at least 10 other people like her who will be calm when they spot a snake and not kill it, it will do a lot for the conservation of the species,” concludes Ms.Manimegalai who stays in Vilangudi.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Madurai / by S. Poorvaja / Madurai – February 15th, 2014
Here is a good news for the farmers of the district interested in installing solar-powered water pumping system to irrigate their farms.
The Department of Agricultural Engineering here has launched a new scheme to provide 80 per cent subsidy on solar water pumps with 5 HP capacity.
The criteria for availing this facility are that the farmers should have bore wells with a six-inch diameter with 300-feet deep water and they should have installed the drip or sprinkler system of irrigation system to irrigate their farms.
While the scheme aims at creating awareness on the use of alternative source of energy (solar) to the existing conventional power from the Electricity Board, the proposed system would use the advanced sun-tracking panels to ensure power generation throughout the day.
The cost of the system is `4.39 lakh and the subsidy component `3.35 lakh, which leaves the farmer’s contribution to be `1.04 lakh. The farmers should ensure that shadow-free space was available near the bore wells for the installation of the solar-powered water pumping system.
The companies that supply the solar-powered water pumping system would also install, commission and maintain the units for a period of five years. Interested farmers could contact the officials of the Department of Agricultural Engineering in Vellore, Wallajah and Tirupattur and make use of the opportunity.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service – Vellore / February 21st, 2014
The initiative will mark 100 years of the college’s existence
One of the oldest colleges in the country, Queen Mary’s College, plans to go solar soon, to commemorate the 100 year of its existence.
Hemamalini Rajagopal, head, physics department, said the college will begin with installing 15 solar streetlights inside the campus, and then work towards making the administrative buildings completely solar.
“Companies like Mahindra have come forward to help us. We have approached some companies for solar panels for the main building first,” she said.
Ms. Rajagopal said the project will take shape in phases over the next two years.
To mark the centenary year of the college, students, volunteers and staff members will start landscaping of the college campus soon to make it look greener and cleaner, said Maria Preethi Srinivasan of the English department.
As part of the celebrations, alumni and students of the college will bring out a coffee table book that will have details about the history of the college, interviews of alumni and old pictures.
“The college has seen much, from two world wars to several social struggles. The effort is to capture its transition from an institution built for the elite to one that serves the poorest of the poor,” said Prof. Srinivasan.
Among the highlights is a multi-lingual choir to be performed by students of the college. “Our focus has been on celebrating the multiculturalism on campus. Even recently, the guests at a seminar were greeted in six different languages,” she said.
Celebrations for the centenary year began last year with a sing-along event by the alumni. “We are also coming out with memoirs that can be sponsored or afforded by everyone. The event is a clarion call for every QMCian to chip in,” said Nithya Balaji, a committee member of the college’s Old Student’s Association.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Vasudha Venugopal / Chennai – February 21st, 2014
Art Chennai’s two-day conclave on the Future of the Past brought together on day two, panels that inspected the future of the city, of the painting, and of art’s curatorial practice – and went on to collectively deliberate over points of function, form and process.
In contemplating the Future of the City, Durganand Balsavar, architect and founder of Artes – Human Settlements Research Collaborative, harked back to its past and foregrounded the priorities that marked its development post-Renaissance, from a largely functional entity that met the habitation needs of its occupants, to an aesthetical one.
Girish Shahane, art director of Art Chennai and moderator of the conference raised the question concerning the conflict that arises between the pragmatic needs of development and the romantic ideals of heritage conservation. Integration, was S Muthiah’s recommendation. Madras’ chronicler cited as example Moore Market, saying it could have been accommodated within the expansion plans of Central Station. More importantly, reminded Balsavar, issues of development and restoration should be perceived as the city itself should – as a composite unit and not piecemeal.
Which is the argument made by some of the participant artists in the session on the future of the painting. Had new media, performance and installations dismounted the canvas from its once hallowed perch? Although Vivan Sundaram has long since moved away from the painting to explore other media, he acknowledged that institutions that fund and house art ought to make room for the whole clan. For artists Prajakta Potnis and Mithu Sen the painting continues to be a part of their practice, whether as the end product or the starting place of an idea.
From the configuration of art to the enterprise of its curator, the day closed with views from these new artistic operatives. Participants Natasha Ginwala, Zasha Colah, Akanksha Rastogi and art critic Zehra Jumabhoy discussed curatorial practice, like art itself, as emerging from conditions of its placement and transcending narrow notions of nationality.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / February 16th, 2014
The city would compete with other cities in a public campaign for the ‘We Love Cities’ award that would be presented in Vancouver, Canada, Commissioner G. Latha said.
The World Wildlife Fund has selected Coimbatore as one of the finalist cities in the Earth Hour City Challenge 2014, said Commissioner G. Latha at the recently held urgent council meeting.
The challenge for civic bodies across the globe was to take innovative action towards greener, cleaner and more sustainable cities, while inspiring other cities to do the same.
A WWF release said that among the 163 cities from 14 countries that participated in the challenge this year, 33 have qualified for the finals. Aside from Coimbatore, Kochi and Hyderabad had also made it to the finals, following a thorough assessment by international jury.
The city would compete with other cities in a public campaign for the ‘We Love Cities’ award that would be presented in Vancouver, Canada, Ms. Latha said. For Coimbatore to win the challenge, the city’s residents should log on to www.welovecities.org and vote for Coimbatore, the Commissioner said and appealed to the city’s residents to do so.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Staff Reporter / February 21st, 2014
Kangayam bulls at the exhibition-cum-beauty contest at Kangayam in Tirupur district on Saturday. / The Hindu
Contest aimed at enthusing cattle breeders to save the species from extinction
Displaying their trademark sturdiness, a total of 452 Kangayam head of cattle lined up for a beauty contest-cum-exhibition organised by the Department of Animal Husbandry at Kangayam here on Saturday.
A panel of six judges, comprising experts from Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and retired officials from Animal Husbandry Department, evaluated the cattle in terms of classification Kangayam Bull, Kangayam Bullock and Kangayam Cow as well as by their colours. In the end, as many as 78 proud owners of Kangayam cattle from Coimbatore, Tirupur, Dindigul, Erode and Karur districts, the areas falling under the Kangayam cattle tract, walked away with cash prizes totalling Rs.1.8 lakh.
“The contest has been aimed at enthusing cattle breeders and farmers to opt for different varieties of pure Kangayam breed and save the species from extinction,” L. Nagarajan, the Regional Joint Director of Animal Husbandry, said.
M. Thangamuthu (48), a farmer from Sivanmalai, who came with his majestic Kangayam Bull for the sheer pride of participation, told The Hindu that the government should provide assistance to farmers/breeders to offset the cost of rearing if the population had to be multiplied.
“Nurturing the Kangayam breed in a healthy manner requires almost Rs. 300 a day these days,” he pointed out.
A large number of visitors thronged the event venue and among were veterinary students and researchers.
Good experience
“It is a good experience as the event not only provided us with an opportunity to see different varieties of genetically pure Kangayam cattle breed at a single place but also to interact with its breeders,” a student from Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal, said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Tamil Nadu / Tirupur – February 09th, 2014
The Union cabinet will soon sanction 13,000 crore for the initial phase of the 10-year Green India Mission to increase forest cover and quality of forests in the country, said Union forest and environment secretary V Rajagopalan. He said the project with a budget of 46,000 crore will get its first allocation by the end of this month.
He was inaugurating the fifth international ‘Casuarina workshop’ at Mamallapuram to tap the potential of casuarina cultivation for environment and livelihood.
The mission envisages increasing green cover in the country from 24% to 33% in 10 years. The mission is one of the 10 national missions under the environment ministry to deal with climate change and its impact. Rajagopalan said Green India Mission targets afforestation of 10 million hectares and methods being taken up include agroforestry to ensure livelihood support for local communities.
When asked about allegations that the Union ministry has cleared projects worth 1.5lakh crore immediately after the resignation of Jayanthi Natarajan as the environment minister, Rajagopalan said the projects were cleared following procedures. “They were long pending. There was nothing unusual in that,” he said.
The international casuarina workshop is hosted by the Coimbatore-based Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding. Addressing the workshop attended by scientists, farmers and industries, Rajagopalan said the cultivation, harvest, processing and transport of casuarinas generate employment and a stable market in the rural areas.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Environment> Flora & Fauna / TNN / February 04th, 2014
