Category Archives: Nature

Govt to release Rs 13,000cr for Green India Mission

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature

Chennai :

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

Turmeric gleams on export enquiries, N. India orders

Business & Economy, Nature

Erode :

Turmeric prices increased by over Rs. 500 a quintal for almost all varieties on Friday following export enquiries from countries such as Malaysia and UAE, and orders from North India have

“Due to heavy demand for the root variety in North India and also from other countries, prices increased sharply. The hybrid root increased by ₹650 a quintal to ₹ 7,044 a quintal. Turmeric exporters are getting good orders for the root variety from countries such as Malaysia, Sri Lanka and UAE. So, they are buying stocks that have arrived,” said a trader.

RKV Ravishankar, President, Erode Turmeric Merchants Association, said some traders have received upcountry orders for the root variety and they are buying both varieties for a high price. Turmeric exporters having orders from Sri Lanka and Malaysiaare expecting more orders. Due to the arrival of quality produce, prices of both varieties of turmeric increased. Prices in the futures market have been ruling stable for the last couple of days. If the prices rise in the futures market, they could rise in the spot markets too.

Traders bought all the 200 bags of the new crop by quoting a higher price on Friday. At the Erode Turmeric Merchants Association Sales yard (new crop), the finger variety was sold at ₹5,695-6,714 a quintal and root variety at ₹5,499-6,714.

The finger variety (old crop) was sold at ₹4,868-6,897 and root variety ₹4,699-6,699.

Salem hybrid : The finger variety fetched ₹6,689-7,599 and the root variety ₹5,866-7,044. Of the 1,217 bags that arrived, 598 were sold.

At the Regulated Market Committee, the finger variety was sold at ₹5,969-6,889, the root variety at ₹5,834-6,789. Of the 1,169 bags on offer, 1,113 were traded.

At the Erode Co-operative Marketing Society, the finger variety was sold at ₹5,731-6,929 and root variety ₹5,347-6,899. Out of the 715 bags put up for sale, 686 were picked up.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Markets> Commodities /by The Hindu Correspondent / Erode – January 31st, 2014

Bodi’s goat-rearing women float producer company

Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature

Theni :

The goat-rearing women of Bodi Hills have floated a producer’s company to facilitate themselves in procuring and selling the goats and cater to other auxiliary works required for their trade. Known as the voicemail goat farmers after the women came into limelight for effectively using voicemails through mobile phone to rear the goats, the women for long have been contemplating about floating a proper registered company. The voicemail scheme was implemented by IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Nigam Limited (IKSL).

The producer’s company, Agharam Goat Farmers Producer Company will be involve in selling the goats raised by the women and procure goats whenever they require. It will also involve in distributing loans to the members of the company to raise goats. The auxiliary works of the company will include procuring fodder for the goats, veterinary medicines for the animals and organising camps occasionally for the benefit of the goat rearing women in the region. The company will collect nominal fees for the services which will be included in the capital fund. The collected funds would be circulated among the women as loans.

The illiterate and semi-illiterate women of this region have become the board of directors with a 11-member board monitoring the company. P Vasiammal from Kodiabommanaickenputhur near Rasingapuram, one of the directors, said the company would help wean out the middlemen in the goat trade. “We can save the money spent as brokerage since the company will undertake the transactions,” she said.

This week, the women have given away Rs 30,000 as loans to 11 goat-rearing women of their company. Each of them contributed Rs 250 as share amount and 1,190 women of Bodi – most of them in goat-rearing – have bought the shares. In such manner, they have raised Rs 2.97 lakh as capital for the company. A board of 11 members selected from these women will manage the company affairs with the help of Vidiyal, a Bodi-based NGO working among the women.

“We did not want to hurry because we are planning to run this company in a successful manner,” said A Periajakkamma, another director of the board.

Initially, the women have decided to function under Agharam Traditional Farmers Producer’s Company – one of the producer companies of farmers based in Madurai – to learn the functioning of the company.

“Most of us are uneducated and we don’t want to hurry things. We are working together to improve the company,” said P Papathi, a goat farmer in Bodi and shareholder of the company.

K Kamaraj of Vidiyal NGO said that the organisation would handhold the women for some days till they learn to function on their own. “The women are working hard and training themselves to take up various roles in the company. They will succeed in their venture,” he said.

Having started the producer’s company, the women are now contemplating on starting a cooperative bank. “We are thinking about a bank exclusively for us and we will work together to achieve it too in future,” Vasiammal says with confidence.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai> Goats / by J. Arockiaraj, TNN / January 31st, 2014

Greater flamingos found in Tenkasi tank

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Uncategorized

Tirunelveli :

The third leg of bird monitoring undertaken by the Tirunelveli forest circle spotted a good number of greater flamingos in the water bodies. Interestingly, some of them were spotted for the first time at the Sundarapandiayapuram tank near Tenkasi.

Tirunelveli forest circle consisting Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari districts has undertaken six months’ aquatic bird monitoring in the water bodies. The third leg of bird monitoring took place on Saturday. According to forest officials, the monitoring was conducted in about 20 tanks across the three districts. Different species of birds, ranging from 10 to 40, were noted in each tank with numbers ranging from few hundreds to as high as 15,000. Important water birds noted were spot-billed pelicans, bar-headed geese, little grebe, Indian spot-billed duck, comb duck, Asian open-bill stork, painted stork, pheasant-tailed jacana, terns apart from egrets, herons, variety of ibis, cormorants and moorhens, forest officials said.

District forest officer C H Padma said a group of greater flamingos was noticed first time in Sunderpandiyapuram tank near Tenkasi. In many of the irrigational tanks, an increased water level is observed due to release of water from dams. “It is happy to note that local people were aware of these monitoring works going on around their villages. Local people were also involved in some of the tanks on Saturday,” she said.

Conservator of forests Tirunelveli, Rakesh Kumar Dogra also participated in the monitoring exercise in Kadambankulam and Tuthukuzham of Tuticorin district and spotted around 100 greater flamingos. Commenting on the greater flamingos spotted in Tenkasi region, he opined that they could have migrated from nearby tanks. “We have learnt from the local people that flamingos do visit different tanks but not regularly,” he said. Though the flamingos normally prefer tanks nearby seashore areas, they could have visited this Sunderapandiapuram tank in the interior area for food, said M Mathivanan, coordinator of Agasthiamalai based Conservation Centre of ATREE.

The bird-monitoring exercise is yielding positive results and helping in the conservation of the tanks and the winged visitors, Dogra said. “The monthly presence of the department around the water bodies improves conservation. Officials were also instructed to specifically look for any mortality of birds or abnormal behaviour. This activity has definitely improved the protection status of winter visitors to these bird habitats,” he said.

The next monitoring is on February 23.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai / TNN / January 28th, 2014

Feel of the country in Yercaud

About Chennai(Madras) / TamilNadu, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature

Rural beauty

It is hard to believe that a mere 22 kilometres from chaotic, noisy and lively Salem, at a height of 4,970 feet, lies Yercaud, a quaint hill station in the middle of Shevaroy Hills in the Eastern Ghats.
Yercaud, the “jewel of the south”, is not as well known as Ootacamund or Kodaikanal and therefore spared the ravages of droves of tourists, but it is a popular hill station because it is relatively less expensive and has comfortable weather conditions throughout the year. Tracing its etymology to the Tamil term yer meaning lake and kadu meaning forest, Yercaud, literally means the forest around the lake, and is believed to have been inhabited first by the tribes from Kanchipuram, when Tamil Nadu or Thondai, as it was then known, was invaded by Telugu rulers.

We know about Yercaud from the time Sir Thomas Munroe discovered it on 1842. Planters made a beeline after David Cockburn, the collector of Salem in the 1820s, facilitated the establishment of plantations with coffee, pepper, orange, apple and other citrus fruit plants imported from South Africa. Cockburn has since been known as the Father of Yercaud.A 45 minute drive from Salem on a fine ghat road is one of the USPs of Yercaud.

This drive is best done in the morning, so that you can admire the 20, scary hairpin bends, the beautiful scenery and the clusters of baby monkeys and their families. You know you have reached Yercaud when the lake appears. This is quite a sight — a serene body of water ringed in by mysterious beautiful hills and dotted with colourful boats. There are other sights too in Yercaud. The Lady’s Seat, perched up on a precipice gives a vantage view of the hills all around, the sunrise and the sunset.

It is named so because the women of the Raj would sit there and pass the time of the day soaking in the sun and the beauty with a pair of binoculars. At the Botanical gardens, you can see the diverse flora and fauna of the Shevaroy Hills right down to the insectivorous pitcher plant. The Killiyur Falls, into which the lake empties out, is another beautiful sight, if you can manage the trek. The Chennai Trekking Club organises some interesting treks. The view from Pagoda Point and the Karadiyur Point in Karadiyur village, 12 kilometres from Yercaud are worth a visit.

For those who swear off the traditional sightseeing spots, Yercaud offers many small streets and bylanes through which you can amble gently, soaking in the quaint colonial bungalows like

The Grange, which was built by the collector in the 1820s or the Fairholme Bungalow. Stop by and tease a butterfly and quaff a cup of tea from the chai kadai (shop) in the typical old world thick glass tumbler. Pick up some absolutely fresh green peppercorns, bite into soft avocados and taste some uncommon fruits right off the trees in the plantations. Or get into the car and drive around the 32 kilometre loop road, which starts at the lake and ends at it — a road straight out of the picture book complete with the canopy of trees.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald /Home> Supplements> Sunday Herald Travel / by Bhagyalakshmi – January 19th, 2014

Farmers opt for mulch farming to battle odd seasons

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies

Madurai :

Even as the climatic conditions are not favourable and drought-like condition appears imminent, a group of farmers from Kannanur village in Chellampatti Union are confident to tide over the crisis with the system of mulch farming. In mulch farming method, the root soil of the plant is covered with the plastic sheet or organic materials. The method is beneficial to save moisture on the earth, reduce weed growth and protect the soil fertility.

The farmers in the village were desperately looking out for some alternative since they were finding weeding laborious and finding workers for the task was even more troublesome.

P Kaniraja (37) from the village stumbled upon a news about mulch farming of using plastic sheets in Tharapuram and Thuraiyur in Trichy district. A school drop out; the progressive farmer keeps track of all new inventions in the field and wanted to try mulch farming in 2008. He attempted mulch farming on tuberose which turned out to be a huge success for him. “We chose tuberose since it is 1,000 day crop and the mulches can be used for long without replacing,” Kaniraja said. While in conventional farming he used to run around for agricultural labourers for weeding but along with his wife Sathya, he completes weeding work in just few hours once in a while.

“Weeds are real menace in tuberose and it will cause lot of damage if not removed on time. The soil will lose its fertility since weeds consume the nutrients and chemical fertilisers have to be used in that case. It bears lot of financial burden on the farmers. Mulch farming is really beneficial for the farmers since we are relieved of weeds and additional cost on fertilising the soil,” says M Selvam, another tuberose farmer from the village.

Another great benefit of mulch farming is that the plastic layers prevent moisture loss from the ground and the plants require lesser water. Sprinklers are ideal for irrigation. “In conventional irrigation method, water has to be pumped three to four hours continuously for an acre of cultivation but operating sprinklers for 15 minutes in a day is all sufficient for the plants. We can irrigate on alternate days also,” Kaniraja explained.

Some 10 farmers from the village are making use of mulch farming and they are actively promoting it among their friends. “Initially, five of us adopted mulch farming and many other farmers are showing interest due to its benefit. There are around 10 of us in the village and two more started it recently,” said Selvam.

“It will be beneficial to fight drought season also since it requires hardly 1/10{+t}{+h} of the water used in conventional methods,” said Kaniraja. Out of his interest, he had created a rose garden under mulch farming in nearby Arul Anandar College at Karumathur. College principal, Fr Xavier Vedham said that the model farm is attracting a lot of farmers. “We have kept it as demo model and many farmers are visiting to have a look of it,” he said.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai> Soil / TNN / by J Arockiaraj, TNN / January 22nd, 2014

Coimbatore Corporation begins to process wet waste at crematorium

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies
The pits, the Coimbatore Corporation has dug for processing wet waste at the Chokkampudur burial ground./ Photo: S. Siva Saravanan / The Hindu
The pits, the Coimbatore Corporation has dug for processing wet waste at the Chokkampudur burial ground./ Photo: S. Siva Saravanan / The Hindu

Being done on experimental basis at Chokkampudur

Following the initiative to segregate waste at ward 23 in R.S. Puram, the Coimbatore Corporation has taken the next step by processing wet waste.

According to Corporation Commissioner G. Latha, the civic body had started the process a week ago, on an experimental basis, at the Chokkampudur crematorium, where the civic body had dug three pits to process the waste.

The area councillor S. Manimeghalai said that conservancy workers collected two small truck loads of wet waste, took it to the crematorium, where they dumped it in the first pit.

The workers then sprinkled effective micro-organism solution to hasten the process of composting.

They also topped it with dry waste and dried and powdered cow dung to complete the process.

Thereafter, every day, the workers would stir the waste till the 20 day.

They would then transfer the waste to the second pit.

Once the experiment was complete, the workers would dig a bigger pit to accommodate the entire ward’s wet waste. Ms. Manimeghalai said that the initiative had provided a solution in wet waste management, which became necessary after the Corporation and residents came together to segregate waste.

Every day, the workers in the ward collected six-and-half to seven tonnes of dry waste, which they sold to a private firm which paid the workers at Rs. 3 a kg.

Fuel

Ms. Latha said that the local processing of wet waste also helped the Corporation save on fuel in that the civic body need not transport the waste till the compost yard in Vellalore.

The motto was local solution for local problem.

If the civic body found the process successful, it could consider replicating it in other wards, starting with the four wards where it had begun waste segregation.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Staff Reporter / Coimbatore – January 22nd, 2014

College farm saves on water through unique drip-irrigation system

Education, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies

Madurai :

As alternative methods of farming are tried to boost agricultural output, the state government is keen on promoting kitchen gardens to produce fresh fruits and vegetables. Arul Anandar College at Karumathur, 25 km from Madurai city, has been raising vegetables in sacks and that too with the least of water to counter water shortage in the region.

Though, sack cultivation is not novel, its irrigation method is rarely heard of, at least in the region. Discarded pet bottles of 2 to 3 litres are hung upside down from a pole attached to the sack. Intravenous tubes used to give saline to patients are used to regulate water flow to plants.

The college has been involved in several research work in agriculture under the Rural Development Science (RDS) programme. The RDS department has been testing sack cultivation for the last few years as it is ideal for raising vegetables especially creepers on terrace, said college sources. The practice involves filling discarded plastic sacks with enriched soil and composted coir so that the sack weighs light. After successfully growing creeper vegetables like ash guards, snake guards, bitter guard and pumpkin in this way, the college has started experimenting with intercrops like brinjal and ladies finger of late.

Second-year students of the RDS department water the plants once in two or three days. Guru Eswaran, one of them, said purpose of the saline tubes is to regulate water flow. “We fill bottles once in two or three days. In case of holidays, we can reduce the flow so that the water in the bottle lasts for a week’s time,” he explained. The students also add diluted vermicompost wash (the concentrated run-off water obtained from vermicompost fields) into the bottles as fertiliser.

Ambudoss Arvind, associate agriculture professor, said sack cultivation is ideal for roof-top gardens and kitchen gardens. Using this method, one can save space and water, besides adopt organic methods. It could be used even in dry areas not fit for conventional farming. “We are also trying poly-bags for kitchen gardens. Pesticide spraying is very intense in conventional method of farming. Vegetable crops can be raised organically too. A kitchen garden can serve the needs of an entire street,” he claimed.

Besides research, the college also demonstrates innovative farming practices to farmers. College principal Fr Xavier Vedham said the RDS department sensitises local farmers about its innovative methods.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai> Vegetables / by J. Arockiaraj, TNN / January 19th, 2014

He practised what he preached

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Science & Technologies
Nammalvar / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Nammalvar / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Along with Nammalvar, his brothers Balakrishnan, an engineer, and Ilangovan, a former MLA, practised organic farming.

Chirping of birds rented the air. Gentle breeze from hundreds of trees blew across the farm. It was the farm maintained by the family of G. Nammalvar (75), organic farming scientist, who passed away on December 30, at Ilankadu, his native village near Thirukattupalli.

It was a hot summer in June 2004, when this reporter visited that place to see Nammalvar along with V.Palaniappan, Adviser to Thiruvaiyaru Knowledge Resource Centre of Dr. M. S. Swaminathan Foundation.

Rays of sun and summer heat could not enter the place as it was a mini woodland with all kinds of trees. Birds were in large numbers and went on chirping.

Nammalvar, with his green head gear and flowing beard, was sitting on a wooden coir mesh cot under a tree.

As he took us through the farm and explained the activities, we understood that Nammalvar not only preached organic farming but also practised it in his family farm.

Along with Nammalvar, his brothers Balakrishnan, an engineer, and Ilangovan, a former MLA, practised organic farming.

Nammalvar showed the variety of trees he and his brothers had planted in the farm.

He showed how the leaves that withered from trees and other biological waste were turned into compost.

He also demonstrated the ‘Pancha Kavyam’ was prepared using five products — cow’s urine, dung and milk, ghee and buttermilk. “Pancha Kavyam can be used as a growth regulator and pesticide repellent for crops,” he said.

It was Nammalvar’s padayatra for ‘reviving natural resources and fertility’ (Iyarkai Valam Meetpu Nadaipayanam) in 2004, organised by Centre for Ecology and Research, a voluntary organisation, that made people rally behind him.

The yatra which commenced on June 5, 2004 covered a distance of 550 km in 25 days from Poompuhar to Grand Anicut, passing via 344 villages in Cauvery delta districts.

The padayatra created public awareness of the importance of organic farming, sustainable agriculture and participatory development at Thirukattupalli, Thiruvaiyaru and Orathanadu.

His last campaign for nearly a month from December 1 in Cauvery delta districts was against the proposed methane extraction project.

He was planning to organise a rally at Mannargudi on January 25 to protest against the proposed project.

Hundreds of people, mostly farmers, paid homage to late Nammalvar whose body was kept at Bharath College of Science and Management here.

R.Vaithilingam, State Minister for Housing and Urban Development, paid homage to Nammalvar. The Minister placed a wreath on the body of Nammalvar on behalf of Tamil Nadu Government, said a press release issued here on Tuesday.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / by G. Srinivasan / Thanjavur – January 01st, 2014

TNAU releases new rice variety

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies

Coimbatore :

The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has released a new rice variety, which has recorded a highest yield of 11,567 kg per hectare.

Rice TPS 5, released at a function today, observed as Farmers Day, has a normal yield of 6,301 kg per hectare, 13 per cent increase over the parent seed ASD 16, with 118 days duration.

This can be adopted throughout Tamil Nadu barring Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga Districts, a TNAU release said.

The highest yield of 11,567 kg was achieved at Mohanoor in Namakkal district.

TNAU also released Blackgram MDU 1, which has a yield of 1,679 kg/ hectare. The newly released variety of fodder sorghum Co31 has a yield of 227 tonnes per year.

The newly released Butter Pear Ooty seed has a yield of 97.13 kg per tree a year, meant for Nilgiris district and Kodaikanal.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home / by PTI / Coimbatore – January 11th, 2014