The Thalassery fishing harbour project has got clearance from the Union Government. The Central Economic Finance Committee approved the project and sanctioned Rs. 1 crore for initial expense, said Minister for Fisheries S. Sarma said here on 19th, February .
Mr. Sarma told presspersons that the Centre would grant half the cost of Rs. 19.78 crore, which would provide employment opportunities to at least 10,000 people. The project would be completed within two years. Once it became operational, the harbour would give a boost to fishing operations in the Malabar region, he said.
Two breakwaters of 850 and 550 meters would be constructed under the project. The State Cabinet meeting on Wednesday would finalise the permanent rehabilitation package for the 78 fishermen whose houses were gutted recently, he said.
E-learning constituency
Vadakkekara, represented by Mr. Sarma, will become the first e-learning Assembly constituency in the State by providing e-learning facility in all Government-aided schools in its limits.
Edusat Receive Only terminals have been installed in all higher secondary and high schools of the constituency. Computers have been installed in all lower primary and primary schools. CD libraries will be opened in all lower primary and upper primary schools.
Mr. Sarma said the fund for the project was released from the MLA fund.
(The Hindu,20th February,2007)
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Central nod for Thalassery fishing harbour project
Hunt for ‘extinct’woodpecker
State –of-the –art robot technology has joined the hunt for the ivorybilled woodpecker, one of America's most majestic birds that for decades was feared extinct. Scientists from California and Texas have developed a robot that scan the skies and pick out birds from other objects, using complex algorithms that send cameras whirring into action whenever a bird is spotted.
The cameras have been installed in the Cache River national Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas, where conservationists hope they will capture evidence of the elusive woodpecker, often described as "The Holy Grail" of bird watchers. The rare bird was believed to be extinct after it vanished six decades ago. But a flurry of unconfirmed sightings in recent years has fuelled speculation that it may have survived.
(The Hindu, 19th February 2007)
National forum proposed for disaster management
A national coordinating forum comprising all stakeholders, including government and private players and voluntary agencies, was the solution to effective management of disasters and their aftermath, according to a declaration adopted at a seminar on 16th February.
Information and communication technology tools will have to be harnessed for the purpose, the Chennai Declaration said.
(The Hindu,17th February,2007)
GPS to track deer at Guindy National Park
When the annual deer census begins at the Guindy National park in the first week of May, high-tech means will be used to track the deer population. The Wildlife department will make extensive use of navigational and mapping tools such as the Global Positioning System, to arrive at a near-accurate estimate of the spotted deer and the endangered blackbuck.
"Permanent transit lines have been put in position using GPS to be used as coordinates in mapping the 270 –hectare national park bang in the heart of the city. This along, with the use of the revised methodology recommended by the Wildlife Institute of India (WLI), Dehradun, is an improvement over earlier surveys which relied on less advanced methodology".
(The Hindu, 17th February 2007)
An emerald isle losing sheen
Pathiramanal Island situated in the Vembanad Lake, which can easily acquire the status of a Ramsar Site is getting destroyed systematically due to fire mishaps and poor tourism management.
A visit to the island, where plastic bottles are strewn all over and trees get transformed into a heap of ashes, gives a dismal picture of the conservation standards of our rich bio wealth. Sadly enough, the key playesrs associated with it the State Government, the KTDC, Muhamma panchayat, the Forest Department, the eco-protection group and environmentalists are looking the other way.as part of the project, Pathiramanal Biodiversity conservation and biopark project, a team of scientist from the CESS conducted a survey and found out astonishing facts about the richness of the island biodiversity which we all have underestimated during the year. According to the CESS report, the Pathiramanal island, which is spread over an area of 75 acres of land in the Vembanad lake, is home to 88 species of birds, 58 species of fishes, 23 varieties of spiders and 34 species of butterflies. The plant diversity includes more than 185 species. An endangered aquatic mammal species Lutra Perspicillata adds to its mammal diversity apart from the presence of seven species of snskes. The report specifies that the two endangered mangrove species – Bruguiera Gymnorhiza and Soneratia- need proper protection. But many valuable trees were destroyed in the fire range from illicit hooch brewing to the mindless smoking by tourists.
(The New Indian Express, 17th February,2007)
Central nod for Oceanarium in Kochi
With the aim of making Kochi the fishing capital of the country, the State Government, with assistance from the Central Government, will set up a marine biological institute and an oceanarium at Puthuvype. The Rs.150 crore-project will be implemented on 65 acres of Revenue Department Land near the proposed LNG Petronet project area.
Fisheries Minister S.Sarma told reporters here that the Union government had given the green signal for the project. The oceanarium will give an opportunity to understand marine life, the marine biological institute will nurture fisheries and marine life studies and research in the state.
(The New Indian Express,16th February,2007)
Havens for frogs in Peril
The familiar melody of ribbits, croaks and chrips is disapperaring as a mysterios killer fungus wipes out frog populations around the globe, in a phenomenon likened to the extinction of dinosaurs
Scientists from around the world are meeting here on Thursday and Friday to organize a worldwide effort to stem the deaths by asking zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens to taken in threatened frogs until the fungus can be stopped.
The aim of the group called Amphibian Ark is to prevent the world's more than 6,000 species of frogs, salamanders and wormlike Sicilians from disappearing. Scientists estimate up to 170 species of frogs have become extinct in the past decade from the fungus and other causes, and an additional 1,900 species are threatened.
(The Hindu,16th February 2007)
Threat to food, eco systems
MEXICO CITY: Experts say a moth whose larvae threaten to decimate Mexico's emblematic flat-leafed cactus has invaded the country's mainland for the first time, something authorities have feared for decades.
Lab reports indicated that at least one moth trapped in the resort city of Cancun since January is a South American ``nopal moth,'' a species non-native to Mexico detected last year off the coast on Isla Mujeres, said an official of plant safety.
Mexico said the moths probably flew across the narrow strait that separates the island from Mexico's Caribbean coast or caught a ride on a ferry.
Known as Cactoblastis Cactorum and native to Argentina, the moth was exported to Australia, South Africa and islands throughout the Caribbean starting in the 1920s to eradicate cacti that occupied valuable farmland.
But in countries like Mexico — where flat-leafed Opuntia cactuses known as ``nopales'' are a food source, an important part of the ecosystem and a national emblem — the moth poses a major threat.
The moths — whose larvae eat away the cacti's insides — also appeared in the United States in 1989.
(The Hindu,16th February,2007)
Animal welfare doubts over Sochi Winter Olympics
THE SHINY brochure features cosy chalets, pristine snow-capped mountains and rolling alpine pastures. But Russia's ambitious bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympics near the Black Sea resort of Sochi has run into trouble with environmentalists, who say that organisers are planning to build an Olympic bobsleigh run in an area inhabited by bears.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has written to President Vladimir Putin demanding he intervene to save Sochi's national park. It is home to red deer, wild boar, and numerous other species. It is also adjacent to another world heritage site in the snowy Caucasus mountains, which enjoy special Unesco status.
On Wednesday, Igor Chestin, director of WWF's Moscow office, said he had raised the alarm because of plans to develop at least 800 hectares of national park in the Sochi region.
"We are not against the Olympic games or against development in the city of Sochi. But environmental concerns have not been taken into account," he said. "The bears and other animals migrate from the high mountains down to the park in search of food. Their path cuts directly across the proposed bobsleigh run. The government's system of managing environmental protection in Russia is not adequate. We've seen this for many years now." — © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006.
(The Hindu, 16th February, 2007)
Zoo turning into a plastic dump
Even though it is a plastic-free zone, the city zoo has turned into a huge dump for plastic items, including carry bags and PET bottles.
Zoo rules stipulate that any plastic item brought by a visitor be kept either in the cloakroom or outside the gate.
Exceptions are often made in the case of plastic feeding bottles and / or water bottles for very young children.
The white-uniformed zoo guards are supposed to be alert enough to prevent people from discarding plastic material near animal enclosure. In spite of this, many carry bags and bottles can be seen thrown near many enclosures.
On Friday afternoon, the zoo officials were alerted to a big plastic bag found in the middle of the lion enclosure.
The biggest plastic dump inside the zoo is perhaps the crocodile enclosure very near the exit point and opposite the pit displaying the spectacled caimans.
Sources in the zoo told The Hindu that all the waste materials that are gathered from near the `upper garden' of the museum compound get dumped inside this enclosure by zoo staff themselves. This includes organic waste, dead leaves, plastic bags and crushed plastic bottles.
(The Hindu, 17th February 2007)
Spaceship finds hard evidence of water on Mars
San Francisco: A high-resolution camera mounted on a spaceship orbiting Mars has found evidence that water once ran under the planet's surface. The geological features could be probed for fossil evidence for past life or used to point to other regions of the planet where running water — and maybe life — can be found today.
The pictures were taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter which was launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in August 2005 and began sending data back from the planet in November last year.
They show discoloured rocky ridges in the Candor Chasma, part of a massive canyoned region at the equator called the Valles Marineris, the largest geological rift in the solar system. The ridges are evidence of chemical changes caused by a fluid as it flowed down a fissure in the rock.
The changes cemented the rock together making it stronger, so erosion left strengthened ridges. Chris Okubo, a geologist at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, studies similar geological evidence for ancient flowing water on the earth. "When I started to look at some of the HiRISE images of Mars we started to see the exact same features along the fractures. HiRISE [the High Resolution Science Experiment] is a camera on the orbiter with a resolution of about 30 cm.
"It is hard to say how long ago the fluids were there — hundreds of millions or perhaps a billion years ago," said Dr. Okubo. "But the fact that we see evidence for chemical reactions between the fluids and the rock means that the fluids were sitting there for quite a long time... that's perhaps good if you want to look for any habitable areas that might support any biological activity." He suggested that the regions of altered rock would be a good place to look for fossilised simple organisms and that landers might find water flowing underground. In December 2006, NASA scientists, using images from another orbiter, Mars Global Surveyor, found evidence for water flowing on the surface in the last five years. They compared images of the side of a crater taken in 2001 and 2005. The second showed gullies apparently caused by water bursting out of the crater wall.
(The Hindu, 17th February 2007)
Ungu-Kerala’s answer to biodiesel demand?
Pongamia pinnata, a tree bearing non-edible ' straight vegetable oil' and growing widely in the State, can do much more than hold a candle to jatropha, by ask Mr.K.Madhusoodanan of the Society of Energy Engineers and Managers (SEEM).
Better known as 'Ungu' Pongamia pinnata beats jatropha hollow on two counts at least; one, being a tree, it will support the afforestation cause in no small measure. Widely planted along the roadsides in the State, the tree has displayed promising growth rates in the local climatic conditions. Two, growing the tree in the forestlands, unutilized tribal lands and along forest boundaries could be w winnable strategy fro tribal upliftment and empowerment through practices that are socio-economically and environmentally sustainable. The state has about 92,300hectares of wasteland, of which 38, 400 hectares are underutilized degraded and notified forestland.
(The Business Line 15th February 2007)
State to launch river conservation project
Revenue Minister K.P.Rajendran announced here on Monday that the Government would launch a river and lake conservation project in the State. Addressing a press conference at the Collectorate conference hall, the Minister said the Government would set up a Wetland Information System and a Wetland Management System as part of the proposed river and lake conservation project.
He said illegal river sand mining and pollution of water sources by chemicals, pesticides and even human waster were serious environmental concerns facing the State. The authorities concerned should take urgent and effective measures to check these hazards. He said experts had already warned that the growing rate of degradation of our systems would ultimately lead to caving-in of bridges and even changing the river course.
Conservation of the three major rivers- the Bharathapuzha, the Periyar and the Pamba- would be taken in the fisrst phase. The project will be implemented in co-operation with the local bodies as well as non- governmental organizations.
(The Hindu,14th February 2007)
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
It’s calving season at Eravikulam Park
After the kurinji season, it is calving season now at the Eravikulam National park near Munnar. At least two dozen endangered Nilgiri ibexibex (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) are pregnant and some have already given birth.
The Park has been closed to visitors for a month from February 1 to protect the calves. This may be extended until the calving season is over. Despite good management, the number of ibex in the Park dwindled to about 700 last year from more than 1,000 a decade ago.
The numbers may go up if the new-borns survive in large numbers. This season is crucial for the conservation of the ibex, which is in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Mammals.
Also called Nilgiri Tahr, the ibex are thought to be primitive cousins of goats, they inhabit the maountains at places like Ponmudi, Silent Valley and Parabmbikulam in Kerala and Anamalais and Palanis in Tamil Nadu.
(The Hindu, 12th February 2007)
Biofuel to keep mobiles ringing in rural areas
Perhaps for the first time in the country, a pilot project using biofuels to power the mobile network will be implemented in Pune region. The first phase of the project that began three months back, is expected to go on stream by middle of this year and at least 20 base stations will be powered by biofuel.
A joint project between mobile service provider Idea Cellular, cellphone manufacturer Ericsson and the global trade association, it aims to increase mobile outreach to rural India that has seen low penetration due to power shortage.
Currently, areas having no electrical grids are being powered by diesel, "we have found an economically viable solutin. Cost is not the main project driver and costs may vary considerable by crop and region. Cottonseed, pongamia, Jatropha and neem are all being researched as a potential source for biofuel", GSMA Development Fund manager Dawn Hartley said in an email reply from Barcelona.
Biofuel has several advantages over conventional diesel as a power source like creating employment for local people, cutting cost and generating ecofreindly energy. It is also reduces carbon dioxide emission by 80 perent and extends the life of the base station generators.
(The New Indian Express, 11th February 2007)
Nature’s unique garden
It is by all standards a spectacular spot in the Western Ghats-an enclave of more than 7 sq.km covered by dwarf trees. Named Chinnapul, this area is nestled on the Pandi Motta mountain range of the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary in Kollam district.
The Chinnapul valley, located, 1,800 metres above sea level, has nurtured hundred of mature trees that are no more than 25 to 30 feet tall. These trees species found outside the valley are almost 200 feet in height. At first sight, Chinnapul appears to be a bonsai garden nurtured by nature. There is not a single tree in the valley that can be called tall. Even the reed bushes have stunted growth.
Though the Kerala Forest Department, which manages the wildlife sanctuary, is aware of the 'unusual'woodland, no studies have been carried out in the area. This is mainly because it is situated inside a core area of the sanctuary, and the Department does not want it to be disturbed.
(The Hindu, 10th February 2007)
Japanese Technology may save India’s river dolphins, says WW
Japanese technology to track and monitor the India's endangered Ganga river dolphins using underwater acoustics will play a vital role in efforts to conserve the freshwater mammals,WWF-India said.
The Gangetic cetaceans are one of only four species of dolphins in the world that inhabit rivers and lakes and are much less common than their marine counterparts, numbering only around 2,000 in India, according to the conservation group.
Over the last 25 years, their numbers have halved
-Reuters.
(The Hindu, 10th February 2007)
Bird Flu:Shorter interval between Outbreaks
Second instance of Avian influenza spreading across the globe and to Countries far away from the Southest Asia, the 'Epicentre', for the virus, seems real.
The lethal H5N1 virus has been recently found in a farm in Suffolk in Britain. Many countries where Bird Flu outbreaks were reported last time have been affected this time as well.
Starting in Southest Asia, the H5N1 virus found in birds in Britain, Hungry and Russia. Egypt and Nigeria, shows some kind of a similar spread across countries. No outbreak of the virus has been reported in India till date.
Indonesia appears to be the worst hit; five of the six humans infected with the virus have died.
In Vietnam, three outbreaks occurred in December in Ca Mau province and one in Bac Lien province.
China has not reported any outbreak so far. While the flu has been marching from one country to another infecting birds and in some cases, humans, one face is becoming apparent- as long as the virus persists in birds, be it poultry or wild birds, avian flu outbreaks are bound to recur. Only the time interval between outbreaks cannot be determined for sure.
(The Hindu, 8th February 2007)
Environment Campaign to commence today
The State Level activities of the National Environmental Awareness Campaign 2007 of the Ministry of Environment and Forest will take off here on Thursday with a formal inauguration by Minister for Health P. K Sreemathy.
The Center for Environment and Development (CED) is the Nodal agency for the project in Kerala. The CED has chalked out an action plan to take the awareness program to the people. The theme of this Year's campaign is Solid Waste Management. As many as 260 institutions and agencies across State comprising schools, Colleges, Libraries, Women's Group and Voluntary agencies will join the campaign.
Major C. Jayan Babu will preside on the inaugural function.
(The Hindu 8th February 2007)
Are you a carbon criminal
Supermarkets are scrambling to capture the millions of "green" pounds spent by increasingly environmentally aware shopers. Farmer's markets across the country are buzzing with conscientious customers buying locally grown knobbly carrots and leeks pulled straight from the soil.
With the threat of climate change racing up the global political agenda Britons are going green when they shop. And their sights are set on food miles.
" The concept of food miles has absolutely rightly entered into people's consciousness in Britain", says Bill Vortey, Head of the Sustainable markets group at Britain International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) think Tank.
The idea of reducing food miles seems straight forward simply by produce, which has travelled the shortest possible distance from farm to plate.
However, just as British consumer's enthusiasm to cut food miles is growing, some experts are warning that an over simplistic view of the issue risks doing more harm than good.
They are urging policy makers not to rush blindly into formulatring "buy-local-only" campaigns for consumers, which could prove disastrous for many poor African food producers.
According to Britain's National consumer Council (NCC) about 10 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions associated with British food transport come from air-freighted goods.
(The Business Line 8th February 2007)
‘Living fossil’ shark caught
A goblin shark- a rarely seen species often called a "living fossil" was caught alive in Tokyo Bay but died after being put on display, an official of the aquarium said. The grey, long-nosed shark was aught in fishermen's net around 150 to 200 meters deep. It was discovered by officials of the Tokyo sea life park when they took a boat with local fishermen on January 25. We were able to bring it to the aquarium alive and show it to the public said an official at the park. But the shark dies on the morning of January 27. Dead goblin sharks are caught from time to time, but it is rarely seen alive. We were able to document the way the shark swims. After it died, we dissected the speciemen for further studies, he said. The shark was about 1.3 metred long. Resembling pre-historic sharks, goblin sharks live on deep-sea bottoms. Little is known about their lives.
(The Business Line, 8th February 2007)
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
‘Responsible tourism will be promoted’
Chief Minister V.S.Achuthanandan has said that "responsible tourism" is the objective of the State Government while implementing tourim schemes. Achuthanandan was speaking after inaugurating the Rs.15 crore Sarovaram eco-tourism project here on Sunday. Achuthanandan said the Government would envisage a tourim project for each grama panchayath. He said infrastructure would be strengthened and the State would try to maintain the excellent credentials it had earned as a tourist center. Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who presided, said that unlike in the past the tourist zone of Kerala would not be confined to the Kovalam-Kumarakom-Thekkadi belt."Tourism in a big way would be brought to the Malabar region too.
(The Hindu, 5th February 2007)
Tourist spots to have destination management coordination panels
Destination management coordination committees will be set up in all tourist destinations to spearhead development by complying with environmental norms and culture and ensuring responsibility of local people, Minister for Home and Tourism Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said here on Saturday.
Announcing this at a press conference, on the sidelines of a two- day workshop on responsible tourism organized by Kerala Tourism, the Minister said the committees would have legislators, representatives of local bodies, non-governmental organizations, cooperative institutions and cultural organizations and tourism entrepreneurs.
(The Hindu, 4th February,2007)
India second largest producer of farmed fish
India has emerged as the world's second largest producer of farmed fish (aquaculture), but its total production is merely one twentieths that of China, which holds the number one position. Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) sources here say the country's share in global aquaculture output is 4.2 percent in volume and value.
The State of the World Aquaculture Report,compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO), says nine of the world's 10 largest aquaculture producing countries are in Asia. Chile, in the 10th place, is the only country outside the region to have made it to the top 10.
The countries, in the order of rank, are: China,India, the Philippines,Indonesia,Japan,Vietnam,Thailand,South Korea,Bangladesh and Chile.
(The Hindu,4th February 2007)
Sand mining blamed fro water shortage
Te demand for river sand and consequent higher prize following the construction boom in kerala, has led to indiscriminate sand mining from rivers, violating the rules in several parts of the State Deepening of the riverbed, coupled with the severe dry spell this year, has depleted groundwater level sharply.
This has resulted in the drying up of wells and ponds on which the inhabitants of river basins depend for drinking water. In the absence of sand no natural retention of water takes place. Sediment deficient flow picks up more sediment from the stream below the mining site, furthering the degradation process. In the Pampa River, aggressive sand mining is going on, it worsen the situation there. The situation has reached such a stage that the ground water level in the river basin has dropped by 3-4 meter. The riverbed has dropped by 4-6 meters. As a result not only have the wells and ponds dried up but saline water intrusion is taking place in Pampa.
(The Business Line 3rd February 2007)
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Personal, environmental hygiene project launched
The Personal and Environmental Hygiene and Development project (PEHD), a community based programme being implemented in 50 selected panchayaths in the districts by the Child Development Centre (CDC), Medical College, was formally dedicated to people at a function here on Wednesday. The project is part of the CDC's attempts to sensitise the community about health care, including pre-school and adolescent care. Already 6,000 people, including anganawadi workers, Kudumbasree volunteers, literacy workers, health workers and members of local bodieas are involved in the training programmes which focus on the importance of maintaing environmental hygiene.
(The Hindu,
‘Enerdiesel to check pollution
Karnataka Road Transport Corporation is planned to use Enerdiesel to check pollution and conserve oil resource. The method – blending ethanol with diesel – which KSRTC has adopted to reduce air pollution is unprecedented din South Asia, according to the technology provider. KSRTC plans to use the blended diesel in 2,500 buses in the coming days after the successful test on 133 buses in the city. Ethanol and diesel were blended through an agent called solubiliser, a biomass product, said G.Santhosh kumar, Environment Engineering Coordinator of Energenics, who is overseeing the pilot project. Enerdiesel comprises 91.8% diesel, 7.7% ethanol and 0.5% solubiliser
WHO caution on bird flu
Chinese and international health experts wrapped up a workshop on Tuesday on the pressing need for a vaccine against a future strain of bird flu that could pass easily between humans, a WHO spokewoman said.
The H5N1 virus has prompted the slaughter of millions of birds across
(The Hindu,
Eco-tourism project inauguration tomorrow
The first phase of the Konni Eco-Tourism project, based at Konni elephant cage, will be opened to the public on February 1. Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan will inaugurate the project at a function to be held on Konni elephant cage premises at
The cost of the two-phased project, implemented with the active involvement of Adoor Prakash MLS, is Rs.2.89 crore. The first phase of the project, implemented at a cost of Rs.85 lakh, will include elephant safari, elephant museum, stalls for the sale of natural products and a light refreshment restaurant.
In the final phase, trekking programmes covering Kurichi-Aluvankudi Peruvalli lake in Kallar, Kattathi-Kottampara and ManalarKumbavarutti have been planned. The major attraction of the project is the active participation and involvement of the tribals living in forest areas through 'Vana samrakshana Samithi', numbering around two dozens.
(The New Indian Express,
Buckingham Canal being reclaimed
The historical Buckingham Canal of Tangasseri here has fallen into real-estate hands. Part of
(The Hindu,
Analyzing tree rings to forecast climate change
Banglore-based scientists have undertaken a study to forecast climate change and quality assessment for wood products by using tree ring analysis, dendrochronology. The first of its kind, this study will see the influence of climate on the growth rate of trees and the quality of wood from the Western Ghats of Karnataka and
This project worth Rs14 lakhs, is funded by the Ministry of Environment and Forests under the Environment Research Programme. The three year study was undertaken a few months back by scientist and head, Wood Properties and Uses Division,
Teak and Mysristica have been chosen for the purpose due to their distinct growth rings. According to Dr.Rai, this study can suggest the possible effects on commercial plantation programmes and expected wood quality.
(The New Indian Express,
Vaccine developed
A Taiwanese research team on Monday said it had produced a bird flu vaccine that had passed initial animal tests. "The Vaccine against the H5NI strain has passed tests on mice", said Pele Chuang, the head of a 25-member team at the National Helath Research Institute. The H5N1 bird flu strain is potentially deadly to humans. The vaccine, using cell culture technology, needs validation by the Health Ministry before human tests are undertaking. They are due to be completed before the end of June next year. If all goes to plan, mass production of the vaccines up to a million doses a year would begin in late 2008.
(The Hindu
Kerala rice production on decline
The area under paddy, the main food crop of Kerala, has come down significantly over the years, which had led to the State depending more and more on outside supplies to meet its domestic requirement of rice.
In 2005-06, the total area under paddy stood at 2.76 lakh hectares as against around 7.53lakh hactares in 1961-62. This means the State witnessed a decrease of 63 percent in paddy area over a period of 44 years, according to the latest report of the Department of Economics and Statistics.
The total production of rice has also come down in tandem: it stood at 6.3 lakh tones in 2005-06 compared to 13.39 lakh tones in 1981-82. Thus, over a period of 24 years, the rice production has fallen by more than 50 percent. At 6.3 lakh tones as on the last count it can meet only around one-fifth of the State's total annual consumption of 30 –lakh tones.
The area under paddy in 2005-06 was 21% of the total food crops are in the state and Palakkad district ranked first in terms of the cultivated area, followed by the Alapuzha district. On the other hand, there has been a rise in the area under coconut in the state. It increased from 5.05lakh hactares in 1961-62 to 8.98lakh hactares in 2005-06. Kozhicode district came first with 14.5% of the total area under coconut, followed by Malappuram, Pathanamthitta and Wayanad.
(The Business Line,
Virgin birth of dragons
A British Zoo on Wednesday announced the virgin birth of five Komodo dragons, giving scientists new hope for the captive breeding of the endangered species. In an evolutionary twist, the new born's 8 year old mother, Flora, shocked staff at Chester Zoo in northern
(The Hindu,
Disaster management unit to be set up in GSI Kerala
The Geological Survey of
The Kerala unit of the GSI has been credited with the discovery of a variety economic minerals in the state, some of which are presently under study. The Geo-data bank has high-end computers and the latest software for GIS analysis and digital image processing.
(The New Indian Express,
Before it is too late
Scientists recently launched a bid to save some of the world's rarest and most neglected creatures from extinction. With an initial list of just ten, including a venomous shrew-like creature, an egg-laying mammal and the world's smallest bat the programme will give last ditch conservation aid where till date there has been little or none.
These are one of a kind species. If they are lost there is nothing similar to them left on the planet. It would be a bit like the art world losing the Mona Lisa, they are simply irreplaceable.
Not only are the target species unique, the project itself is breaking new ground by using the internet to highlight threatened creatures and encourage the public to sponsor conservation.
(The New Indian Express
A tsunami museaum all the way from Hawaii
The Disaster Mangement Division (DMD) of the
(The New Indian Express
Scientist warns the earth may be absorbing less gas
Carbon Dioxide is accumulating in the atmosphere much faster than scientists expected; New figures from dozens of measuring stations across the world reveal that CO2 the main green house gas, rose at record levels during 2006- the fourth year in the last five to show a sharp increase. It could indicate that global temperature are making forests, soils and oceans less able to absorb CO2 a shift that would make it harder to tackle global warming.
According to the latest figures, last year saw a rise of 2.6ppm.. If the current trend continues, this Year's means the carbon dioxide level has risen by an average 2.2ppm each year since 2001. Above average annual rises in carbon dioxide levels have been explained by natural events such as the El Nino weather pattern, centered on the
(The Hindu,