Category Archives: Nature

I saw a roof garden amid the concrete jungle!

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature

Lakshmi banks on her balcony for most of her kitchen needs. Photo: Special Arrangement
A few days ago, I was on my way to a fruit stall (Pazhamudir) outlet on Venkatakrishna Road, Mandaveli in Chennai. After a minor test in parallel parking on Thiruvengadam street, I got out of the car and looked up at the veritable roof garden across the road…..glossy, green, yet unripe tomatoes and brinjal, graceful snake gourd and was that cauliflower in a garden? I was aghast! Blaming the illusion on Chennai heat, I walked towards my destination. Then, on second thoughts, I traced my path with long strides determined to find out if it was indeed cauliflower in a pot, on a balcony of a small bungalow on the busy streets of Chennai!

I walked up two short flights and rang the bell. The young man who answered the bell, obviously hiding his amusement at my enquiry, called out to his mother. A simple looking middle-aged lady appeared, with a humble smile and introduced herself as Lakshmi. She informed me promptly that they were cabbages. All the same, I conveyed my incredulity at what she had achieved in a little balcony. As she showed me around, I found to my utter surprise, radish, lemon grass, papaya, slender brinjal, bajji milagai (a chilli variety) and many more plants, but all in pots. From the pergola above was suspended a frail looking pandal laden with gundu malli (jasmine), ridge gourd, and betel leaves. Economical and ecofriendly, I was told. Hidden in a corner, I found two large pans with different keerai (greens) varieties. “Supplies my family with enough greens twice a week,” she said casually.

In the course of a conversation interspersed with my oohs and aahs of admiration, Lakshmi informed me that the kitchen garden was the result of a never-give-up attitude developed over 20 years of hard work, frustration, failure and discouragement. She had experimented with different types of soil, containers and watering patterns to arrive at what was the most suitable for her balcony garden. She also procured spill-proof and rodent-proof grow bags from a rural supplier to keep her balcony spic and span. Lakshmi proudly said all the vegetables were organically grown. Vegetable wastes from hotels and fast food joints across the city were composted at a friend’s house outside the city, and this was the main medium. Organic sludge from industries and coconut fibre were recent additions to her inventory. A paste of turmeric and neem leaves keeps pests away. She refrained from adding inorganic fertilizers and growth enhancers to the soil.

A PASSION

Lakshmi gets nearly 75 per cent of her weekly requirement from her balcony and distributes the surplus to her neighbours and friends. She has found her vocation and passion. She now employs a dozen hand-picked and trained gardeners and maintains numerous family and corporately-owned gardens around the city. Now if she is not self-made, who is?

For those who want to give gardening a go, Lakshmi is more than willing to help. Get in touch with her at lakshmisriram@hotmail.com

(The writer’s email ID is suresharuna@rediffmail.com)

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Opinion> Open Page / by Aruna Suresh / November 04th, 2012

Drip irrigation helps Dindigul farmer reap bumper harvest

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technologies

Madurai:

A farmer in Dindigul says he has achieved a bumper harvest by reaping an additional tonne of maize per acre, by adopting the drip irrigation system.

Chinnasamy, of Semmadaipatti in Reddiyarchathiram is a happy man as he has made a profit even after investing a lesser amount. Chinnasamy’s farm lies in a dry and drought-prone region and he feels that drip irrigation is the answer to their problems. “Most of us here have been using drip irrigation for various horticultural crops, like gooseberry and pomegranate, but I was the first to try it on corn in Reddiyarchathiram union,” he says.

Usually, drip irrigation is successful in crops where the plants are spaced apart at a distance of five to 10 feet. In the case of maize, the plants are seen close to one another and Chinnasamy had approached the department of agriculture, seeking subsidy for setting up a drip irrigation system in his farm. His success in reaping a good harvest this year has set an example for others in the region.

Chinnasamy says that he was able to use the water meant for irrigation in one acre in an additional one and a half acres using the drip irrigation system. According to agriculture officials, Chinnasamy has been able to reap four tonnes of maize this year against three tonnes last year. Joint director for agriculture, Dindigul N T Sampathkumar and other officers visited the farm on Friday and inspected it. Farmers in the area were also advised to add specific nutrients as some plants showed signs of needing additional iron supplements.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / by Padmini Sivarajah, TNN / October 21st, 2012

Bharathiar University launches herbal ointment

Business & Economy, Education, Nature, Science & Technologies

G. James Pitchai, Vice-Chancellor of Bharathiar University (left) releasing the herbal product of the Department of Botany, 'RuBHeal', at the university in Coimbatore on Thursday. P.V.L. Rao, Director, DRDO-BU-CLS, is in the picture.

G. James Pitchai, Vice-Chancellor of Bharathiar University (left) releasing the herbal product of the Department of Botany, ‘RuBHeal’, at the university in Coimbatore on Thursday. P.V.L. Rao, Director, DRDO-BU-CLS, is in the picture. / The Hindu

The Department of Botany of Bharathiar University launched a herbal ointment ‘RuBHeal’ here on Thursday. The research product is said to have resulted from the use of medicinal wealth found in the Western Ghats. A patent has been filed for it.

Launching the ointment at a national conference on “Phytomedicine” at the university, its Vice-Chancellor G. James Pitchai urged scientists not to restrict research to academics, but extend it to the welfare of society.

“Universities are fertile fields of research. Research should be technologically practical, economically feasible and environmentally safe,” he said.

P.V. Rao, Director of the Defence Research and Development Centre-Bharathiar University-CLS, said economic value of traditional knowledge was often identified as a reason of conserving and documenting cultural practices.

“To rationalise the use of natural resources in the modern healthcare system, it is necessary to explore these systems with scientific approaches,” he said.

M.J. Nanjan, director, TIFAC, JSS College of Pharmacy, Udhagamandalam, said there were many challenges in quality control and standardisation of herbal drugs / traditional medicine. Quality criteria for herbal drugs were based on a clear scientific definition of raw materials.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> National> TamilNadu / by Staff Reporter / Coimbatore, October 06th, 2012

A locomotive marvel

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Nature, Records, All

Scenic Ride

Few trains offer the type of excitement that the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) does. The leisurely journey it takes is best suited for nature lovers, as it offers a view of the mountain flora, and life in the hill at close quarters.

It was the British who, in the year 1908, planned and built the railway line, in order to reach hill stations such as Coonoor and Ooty. The NMR covers a distance of 41.8 km between Mettupalayam and Ooty, at an altitude of 2600 m, spanning 208 curves, 250 bridges, and 16 tunnels. It has a unique narrow gauge of 1,000 mm and rack pinion arrangement to negotiate the climbs and steep descents. It has one of the steepest gradients to climb during its journey.

The once popular steam locomotives have now been replaced by diesel engines between Ooty and Coonoor. The upward journey takes about five hours while the descent takes about four hours. A daily passenger train runs between Mettupalayam and Ooty.

However, four shuttle trains ply daily between Ooty and Coonoor and back.

In 2005, UNESCO designated NMR as a World Heritage Site, as part of the Mountain Railways of India. The NMR has hosted the filming of a few Indian as well foreign films.

The NMR is an engineering marvel, which must have been tough to build on a difficult terrain a century ago. It is still a challenge to run the train during rainy months.

I was impressed by the fact that tickets are issued as per the capacity of the compartment, with no standees allowed. However, if seats are available in the reserved coaches, then these are filled up at a higher rate, that includes reservation charges. The large windows facilitate easy viewing of the passing scenery of verdant forests, hills, dales, towns and villages. Tea estates fill up the gentle hill slopes. We pass through quaint stations with romantic names like Arvunkadu, Lovedale, Glendale and Wellington.

The diesel engine hoots constantly to keep away stray animals and people who might be caught unawares by the rushing train, though at 10.4 kmph, it might be the slowest in the country!

The manner in which the driver and the station staff communicate might appear amusing in this day of technological advancement. If there is a problem, such as a failed signal, the only way around it is to send a messenger on foot to the stranded train with a note stating that the driver is authorised to drive the train to the station.

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> Supplements> Sunday Herald Travel / by DBN Murthy / October 06th, 2012

VEEN Waters discovers unique Nilgiri source to enter India

Business & Economy, Nature, World Opinion

Finnish premium brand, VEEN Waters, known for its smooth spring water with an exceptionally low mineral composition and it’s award winning packaging, has announced it’s agreement with Blue Mountain Springs Pvt. Ltd. to gain exclusivity into another exceptionally low mineral composition spring water source in India, through which the brand will enter the Indian market.

The second spring water source is located in the Nilgiri mountains of Tamil Nadu in one of the oldest hill stations of India, Kotagiri.  At 1980mts, nestled amongst  dense Shola forests and splendid green lush of tea estates, the highlands of Kotagiri have been referred to as the “Switzerland of India” by the British collector of Coimbatore, John Sullivan when he first discovered the region in 1819.

“We have been looking into India for a while now, but what attracted us to this source was the almost identical characteristics of the water to our source in Lapland” says Mikko Nikkila, director of VEEN Waters Finland Oy.

The Indian source will bottle Veen products to cater to the Indian market and also for export within the subcontinent, whereas the Lapland source will continue to bottle for existing markets of Europe, UAE, Qatar, Singapore, China, Russia and the USA.

VEEN waters currently produces premium spring water products, Veen velvet and Veen effervescent in high quality glass packaging, which is sold in the culinary environment, exclusively to fine hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs.  This will be replicated for the Indian market.

“We are very pleased to collaborate with an exciting brand such as VEEN and thrilled that our unique water from the Nilgiris will be showcased for its distinctive properties”, added Arvind Rathnam, director of Blue Mountain Springs Pvt. Ltd.

More info:
www.veenwaters.com

source: http://www.PackagingEurope.com / September 28th, 2012

Farm tourism is in

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Uncategorized

Farm tourism seems to be the in thing for locals and tourists coming to the city. We explore.

Who would not want to wake up to the chirping of birds and soothing morning breeze? With farm tourism becoming the in thing in the city, farmhouses around Trichy are gearing up to provide that unique experience to the tourists.
These farmhouses seems to be popping up in every nook and corner of the outskirts of the city and those who have been yearning for that rural experience are all heading to spend their weekends there.
Sriram Krishnamoorthy, who owns a farm house in the city, says that he had always wanted a place to spend quality time with family away from the city. “Trichy is blessed with fertile soil, so when I invested in a house outside the city, I also made sure to cultivate the surrounding areas. I visit the farmhouse along with my friends and family. We just go there cook, eat, talk and relax, far away from the maddening city crowd.”
Such farm experience packages are gaining popularity in the city and travel agents are cashing in on the trend. Whether it is to explore the city’s temples, go trekking or relax under the monsoon weather, Trichy’s farmhouses have everything on board, “We have a group of Swedish students who visit us every year and stay with us to understand the Indian culture better. They return home inspired after looking at our lifestyle. So I provide them with the  essence of rural India by taking them to the nearby villages in Trichy,”says Santhanam Rajagopalan, an environmentalist.
Augustus Manimaran, a construction engineer who owns one such house, which is built with environment-friendly materials says that he is having the time of his life. “I have always wanted to retire peacefully and my farm house is my dream project. I have begun taking a walk around the place with my dog, visiting the place with friends and relaxing in nature’s lap.”
Constructed beautifully and nestled in acres of  paddy fields Augustus, has also allowed it for commercial renting. “Not everyone can afford to build such houses, so renting them out for commercial purposes, has now caught the city by storm,” he says.
Jerome Francis, an engineering student says that it’s great break and transports them in to a different world altogether. “Such retreats are great for friend’s reunion, we meet up in one of my uncle’s houses, which has a pool and is surrounded by lush greenery. We spend the day there just catching up on old stories.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Life & Style> Travel / by Nuvena Rajendran, TNN / September 15th, 2012

50 more milch cows given away in Trichy

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

Trichy:

The joint director of animal husbandry department in Trichy, E Chinnadurai, distributed 50 more free milch cows in Thiruvasi village in Lalgudi division to the beneficiaries. For the first time, all the beneficiaries and their companions stayed in the villages on the border of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for three days to purchase the right cow. Chinnadurai later claimed that the process had now become foolproof. It was the intermediary officials roped in to help in the purchase of the cattle from the neighbouring states who exploited the norms of the scheme to pocket huge commissions. Chinnadurai had instructed the purchasing team to stay at the villages until the right cow was purchased.

Chinnadurai said that the purchasing team recorded three days of milk yield before the beneficiaries themselves decided to buy them. With the 50 cows distributed in the first week of September, the total number of free cows distributed has gone up to 250, just 100 short of the target of 350 for the current fiscal. Last year, 450 cows were distributed to beneficiaries in nine villages at a cost of Rs 1.55 crore. Similarly, 4,089 goats were distributed to beneficiaries spread over 55 villages in Trichy district at a cost of Rs 5.19 crore. During this fiscal, 4,988 beneficiaries have been distributed goats spread over 81 villages – most of them falling under Srirangam constituency – at a cost of Rs 6.35 crore.

“I have clearly told them that they should keep their hands off the cow that does not yield at least a total of 10 litres of milk a day (five litres each in the morning and evening),” Chinnadura told TOI. Since a number of cows died from the lot of earlier distribution, Chinnadurai has ordered a team of officials including an assistant director of cattle breeding and fodder development, an assistant director from the animal diseases intelligence unit and a clinician to visit at least two villages where the free milch cows and goats were distributed and file an inspection report.

The stringent measures were necessary because in Srirangam, five of the 150 cows purchased from Andhra Pradesh had died in the first week of January, he said.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home>  City> Madurai> Villages / TNN, September 07th, 2012

Mongrel Jack from Madurai could be nominated the cutest Indian dog

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nature

Chennai:

Believe it or not, a mongrel from Madurai could well be crowned the cutest Indian dog. Jack, an Indian breed dog (aka mongrel) who was rescued and raised by a student in the temple city, is one of the ten finalists of PETA’s Cutest Indian Dog Alive Contest. Open only to rescued dogs, the criteria for selection was as simple as a photograph and a heart-warming story. Says Chani Singh, Campaign Co-ordinator, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), “We’ve been through hundreds of entries, both from street rescues and animal shelters.”

As it turns out, Jack from Madurai caught the attention of the PETA judges. With his floppy brown ears, Jack is the only nominee from Tamil Nadu and has no idea that his competition comes from as far as Lucknow, Ludhiana and Pune. His owner R Amirtham, an MSc Computer Science student, recalls how he found the now-famous dog, “Jack was a tiny puppy when I found him howling in the heat on a particularly hot summer day, near my house’s compound wall.”

His eyes wouldn’t open and he was too weak to stand, so he just howled for a long time. Amirtham already had a 5-year-old pomeranian at home, but his heart went out to the pup. “I gave him some milk and even found him a home with a neighbour,” Amirtham continues. But Jack and the pom Nemo were inseparable by then and staying apart was not an option. Now, who can argue wth incessant barks? So Jack was brought back, and has found happiness with an older woman (Nemo is now six), and couldn’t be any happier with his new family.

Jack may have no idea that he is in a contest, but hopefully his face will help change the trend of the ‘pedigree-only’ mentality that is the case with a large section of pet owners today. Chani elaborates, “We believe that it’s time to champion the Indian dog, so the contest makes the point that the kindest thing that a prospective dog guardian can do is rescue a dog from the streets or an animal shelter.”

So if you want ‘Madurai’ Jack to win, log on to PETA India’s website and vote. Famous or not – one thing’s for sure – Jack’s tail will be wagging vigorously.

source: http://www.ibnlive.in.com / Home> South> Chennai / The New Indian Express, Indian Express / IBN Chennai, September 07th, 2012

Fashion guru’s herbal garments heal

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies

A professor of Fashion Technology in Coimbatore has come up with trendy herbal solutions to nagging ailments. He heals sinuses by giving patients handkerchiefs treated with sandalwood and offers neem T-shirt to cure Psoriasis.

Professor K. Chandrasekaran is making good use of the benefits of coming from a family of Siddha doctors even after branching out into fashion technology.

Heading the department of Fashion Technology at PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore, Prof Chandrasekaran teamed up with two other teachers and carried out research into the effect of using 16 medicinal herb extracts like neem, sandalwood, turmeric and tulsi to treat garments used by people suffering from ailments such as chronic headache, asthma, sinus, liver disorders and joint pains.

Qualified naturopathy doctors in Coimbatore monitored the subjects and found remarkable improvements and tests showed that the garments retained the antibacterial performance of the herbal substance for 10-15 washes.

“The results have been hugely encouraging. Patients showed remarkable recovery in 48 days, which constitutes one mandalam in alternative medicine,” Prof Chandrasekaran told this newspaper.

He added that patients had been advised to wear the curative garments
next to their skin for 10-12 hours a day, especially during sleeping, for better results.

The research work was published in the prestigious Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge in its July 2012 edition.

Prof Chandrasekaran said he would soon complete the research and introduce his healing garments in the market. A welcome byproduct would be the elimination of chemical dyes and growing more trees and herbs.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Channels> Cities> Chennai / by Pramila Krishnan / DC, Chennai, August 14th, 2012

Come September, watch ‘Anaconda-5’ at crocodile bank

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nature

Chennai:

They were brought from the Czech Republic last October. And now having settled down and acclimatised, they are all set to meet visitors. The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust (MCBT) will unveil their anaconda display in the beginning of September and people will get an opportunity to view the huge reptiles that they have so far seen only in Hollywood movies.

“The enclosure that has been set up for the reptiles will replicate the south American rainforest habitat. It includes a waterbody and a land area which will allow the snakes to bask in the Chennai sunshine,” says MCBT director Colin James Stevenson. Anacondas require access to both land and water, even though they spend a lot of time in the water.

The MCBT will also put up a underwater viewing facility. Native to South America, they are the heaviest snakes.

The three yellow anacondas (Eunectes Notaeus) and two green anacondas (Eunectes murinus) were acquired as part of an exchange programme with the Protivin Crocodile Zoo in the Czech Republic. MCBT, which is the only zoo in India to house both the green and yellow anacondas, hopes that the iconic species will give a boost to their snake talks.

“People will want to see them, so we can use it to talk about snakes and dispel some of the myths surrounding them,” says Stevenson. “Our aim is to create awareness about snakes through our talks and interactions with visitors.”

Since their arrival, the anacondas have been quarantined. “They have been kept in an internal, room-sized enclosure and their health was monitored regularly ,” says Stevenson, who wanted to ensure that the reptiles were well cared for and calm enough to handle visitors viewing them before putting them on display.

The settling-in period has also helped the keepers get used to the snakes’ behaviour — eating patterns, basking behaviour and shedding cycles. “Being reptiles, they do not eat everyday. We normally feed them once a week,” says Stevenson.

Two-full time snake keepers have also been trained in anaconda husbandry. Detailed observations of the snakes are made everyday and the position of each anaconda is also recorded throughout the day. “We have to ensure that we have got their enclosure habitat right,” he says.

At the moment, the green anacondas are around five feet tall (1.5 metres). While the females can grow up to 16ft, the males get to be eight or nine feet. Stevenson is hopeful that the anacondas will be a major draw. “They have quite attractive markings and are a pretty species. They will be very popular with he visitors,” he says.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Chennai / by Priya M Menon, TNN / August 07th, 2012