State-level project to be launched to protect sacred groves

ALAPPUZHA: A State-level project to protect sacred groves will be launched here on February 2, District Collector P. Venugopal has said.

The project, which aims at protecting and conserving ecologically and culturally significant sacred groves across the State and at the district-level as well, will be launched at the Municipal Town Hall here by Forest Minister Benoy Viswom in the presence of Coir and Cooperation Minister G. Sudhakaran and Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac, the Collector said at a meeting here.

According to Mr. Venugopal, 12 groves selected from across the State would get financial assistance in the first phase of the project, which will be implemented under the aegis of the State Forests and Wildlife Department. Five of these would get Rs.1 lakh each, out of which Rs.20,000 would be given as the first instalment on February 2.

The remaining seven groves would be given Rs.10,000 each, out of which Rs.7,000 each would be given on the day the project is launched.

At the district-level, 108 groves out of the identified total of 16,800 would get financial assistance in the first phase. These would be protected with help from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Divisional Forest Officer Raju Francis; Revenue Divisional Officer A. Gopakumar and others were present at the meeting.

Source: The Hindu, 19-1-2011

Organic farming focal theme of science congress

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The second Children's Agricultural Science Congress will commence at Public Library Hall in the city on January 28. Around 350 students from schools across the State are expected to participate in the two-day event jointly organised by Agri Friends Krishi Samskarika Vedi, Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA) and Indian Agricultural Association.

Students will share their farming and farm learning experiences and interact with farmers and agricultural experts at the event. Participating students will present research projects on local agriculture practices, school-level farming and ‘My farming experiences.'

The focal theme of the Children's Agricultural Congress is organic farming. Possibilities of organic farming, organic waste management, natural resource conservation, climate change and homestead farming are some of the sub-themes.

“The whole idea of this event is to bring our future generation closer to agriculture and thus closer to nature. The event will give students a platform to share their experiences in practising farming in their school or home, and encourage them to take up scientific studies on agriculture and thus build up their interest in farming,” said Agri Friends project coordinator S. Jayakumar.

Apart from the paper presentation competition, the second edition of the Children's Agricultural Congress will also feature competitions on poster exhibition, photo exhibition and agriculture exhibition in which students can exhibit and sell their farm produces. The event is open to upper primary, high school and higher secondary students. Competitions will be conducted in two categories — for students from Class V to XIII and Class IX to XII.

“The agriculture expo being held in connection with the Children's Agricultural Congress will include display of farming tools, forest soil collected by students, locally made organic manure, etc. Different varieties of locally produced indigenous vegetables and demonstration of new, eco-friendly techniques of farming by farmers will also be held,” Mr. Jayakumar said. He added that apart from schools students, children under the aegis of local farm clubs like the Thachankode Krishi Padom Club and Ulloor Krishi Padom Club will also participate in the Congress.

While the paper presentation competition will be held on the second day, the first day of the event will feature a series of classes and talks by farmers and agriculture experts, including the former director of Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) S. Edison and the former director of Agriculture Department R. Hali. Agriculture Department secretary A. Jayathilak; Director G. Surendran; State Horticulture Mission Director K. Prathapan; the former Chief Secretary Lissie Jacob; and the former DPI Lida Jacob are expected to participate.

Ahead of the event, students will felicitate Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran at a function to be held on January 20. Last date for free registration to the Congress has been extended to January 20.

Source: The Hindu, 17-01-2011

Scientist predicts existence of new galaxy Kalyan Ray

Using high-end mathematics, an Indian scientist has predicted existence of a mysterious ''dark and dwarf galaxy'' in the Milky Way.

If Galaxy X is actually discovered following the prediction, it could provide a whole new dimension to our current understanding of the Milky Way – a galaxy to which the Sun and the Earth belong to – and the esoteric “dark matter” which, though invisible to the naked eye, fills up most of the universe.

Buoyed by the strength of Sukanya Chakrabarti’s mathematical model, one astronomer has already applied for time on the Spitzer Space Telescope to look at infrared wavelengths for this hypothetical Galaxy X.

Chakrabarti – a theoretical astronomer at the University of California, Berkeley – presented her findings at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Seattle on Thursday. She used her method to correctly predict the mass and location of two dwarf satellite galaxies – M51 and NGC 1512. Both are of about one-hundredth, the size of the galaxy.

The technique works for satellite galaxies as small as one-thousandth the mass of the primary galaxy.

Chakrabarti used mathematical method to predict that a dwarf galaxy sits on the opposite side of the Milky Way from the Earth. It remains unseen because it is obscured by the intervening gas and dust in the galaxy’s disk.

Many large galaxies, such as the Milky Way, are thought to have lots of satellite galaxies too dim to see. They are dominated by “dark matter,” which astronomers say makes up 85 per cent of all matter in the universe but so far remains undetected. The Milky Way is surrounded by some 80 known or suspected dwarf galaxies that are called satellite galaxies.

Theoretical models of rotating spiral galaxies, however, predict there should be many more satellite galaxies, perhaps thousands, with small ones even more prevalent than large ones. Dwarf galaxies, however, are faint, and some of the galaxies may be primarily invisible dark matter.

“This approach has broad implications for many fields of physics and astronomy -- for the indirect detection of dark matter as well as dark-matter dominated dwarf galaxies, planetary dynamics, and for galaxy evolution driven by satellite impacts,” she said.

“The method is like inferring the size and speed of a ship by looking at its wake. You see the waves from a lot of boats, but you have to be able to separate out the wake of a medium or small ship from that of an ocean liner,” Chakrabarti’s colleague Leo Blitz, a UC Berkeley professor of astronomy, said.

Source;Deccan Herald, 13-1-2011

2010 warmest year since 1901

2010 was the warmest year since 1901, the India Meteorology Department (IMD) announced today.The annual mean temperature for the country as a whole was 25.8023 degrees Celsius during 2010 -- 0.93 degrees higher than the average for the 30-year period from 1961.

The pre-monsoon season between March and May last year was the hottest time with mean temperatures remaining 1.8 degrees Celsius above normal, said the Annual Climate Summary of India during 2010.

IMD Director General Ajit Tyagi said an analysis has also shown that the mean annual temperatures were generally above normal throughout the country during the year, with the departure from the normal being more pronounced in north and central India.

The departures from the normal were more than one degree Celsius over most parts of northern and central India, while they were between zero and one degree over the rest of the country.

The mean monthly temperature for the country as a whole for March was 2.27 degrees Celsius above the 1961-90 average, for April 2.02 degrees Celsius and for November 1.17 degrees Celsius.

Tyagi said an analysis of decadal variations in temperatures showed that the 2001-2010 period has been the warmest decade with a temperature anomaly of 0.40 degrees Celsius.

The annual total rainfall for the country as a whole was normal during the year 2010 with actual rainfall of 121.5 cm against the long period average of 119.7 cm.

Source;Deccan Herald, 13-1-2011

Herbal garden takes shape at school

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The student community of Government Girls Higher Secondary School for Girls Cotton Hill here received a green gift from the school alumni association on Wednesday.

The association of former teachers and students of the school, COTSA (Cotton Hill Old Teachers' and Students' Association), officially dedicated a herbal garden to their alma mater at a function held here on Wednesday.

The garden was inaugurated by Forest Minister Benoy Viswom.

More than 300 exotic and indigenous varieties of medicinal plants have been planted in the herbal garden, an initiative taken up by COTSA as part of the platinum jubilee celebrations of the school and to mark the end of the International Year of Biodiversity.

Different types of tulasi, kythoni, rudraksha, sandalwood, devadaru, pavizhamalli, turmeric, amaranth, dashapushpam and dashamulam are among the herbs planted in the garden.

“We have planted the herbs by categorising them into different varieties and genus. The seeds and saplings for the garden were collected from different places including the Ayurveda Research Institute at Poojappuram and Santhgiri Ashram. We will now involve the students in maintaining this garden,'' said former principal and COTSA secretary K.C. Ambika Kumari Amma.

Following the inaugural function, a talk on medicinal plants and biodiversity by Vellayani Agriculture College professor B.R. Reghunathan was also held.

State Horticulture Mission Director K. Prathapan and school Principal S. Mini were present at the function.

Source;Deccan Herald, 13-1-2011

Develop earth-regenerating farming systems: Minister

THRISSUR: Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran has said that earth-regenerating farming systems should be developed in the State.

He was addressing a meeting at Pazhuvil, near here, on Monday to launch a 10-year project drawn up by the Kerala Agricultural University and State Forest Department for the protection of biodiversity of kole lands. “Farming systems should be in tune with Nature,” he said. He stated that the project was expected to be submitted to the Centre by January 31.

V.S. Sunil Kumar, MLA, presided over the function.

Among those present on the occasion were Kerala Agricultural Univerity Vice-Chancellor K.R. Viswambharan; P.O. Nameer, head of KAU's Wildlife Department; Anthicaud block panchayat president T.B. Shaji; Cherpu block panchayat president M.K. Unnikrishnan; district panchayat member Sheela Vijayakumar; Chazhur grama panchayat president Naseema Syedu; Kole Karshaka Sangham secretary N. K. Subramanian; and District Kole Karshaka Sanghom president K.K. Kochu Mohammed.

Source: The Hindu, 11-1-2011

Kerala may ban hazardous pesticides

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government is considering a ban on red (extremely toxic) and yellow (highly toxic) categories of pesticides in phases against the background of mounting protests against pesticides in the State, especially in Kasaragod and Idukki districts.

Initially, the ban will apply to sensitive and biodiversity-rich areas and areas where pesticide use is intense.

However, there would not be an immediate ban on pesticide use in cardamom and tea plantations. Prescription by an agriculture officer might be made mandatory for sale of pesticides. In Idukki district, ban on use of red and yellow categories of pesticides is likely to come into effect for crops such as vegetables, banana and paddy at Devikulam, Idukki, Thodupuzha, Elamdesom and Adimali. Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran has asked the Director of Agriculture to prepare detailed proposals in this regard.

The government has already decided to withdraw licences to sell red and yellow categories of pesticides in Kasaragod district.

The Drugs Controller of Idukki recently took action against medical shops for selling steroids and other allopathic medicines for agriculture use. Rules permit only sale of limited number of pills of certain steroids and that too only against prescription.

Meanwhile, protests are growing from within Idukki district against excessive use of pesticides in plantations and vegetable gardens. Trade unions, which were reluctant to talk about pesticides and their impact on the workers, have started coming out against pesticides.

Source: The Hindu, 11-1-2011

A rare glimpse of Blue Throat

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Blue Throat ( Luscinia svecica), a small, migratory, passerine bird, was spotted at the Punchakari-Vellayani wetlands the other day. According to bird watchers, this is the first recorded sighting of this bird in southern Kerala. Earlier sightings were recorded from Kavassery, Palakkad and Kole wetlands of Thrissur.

Blue Throat was sighted at Punchakari by C. Sushanth, P.B. Biju and K.R. Nishanth, bird watchers and members of city-based nature lovers group Warblers and Waders, as part of their pre-waterfowl census 2011 studies.

“Blue Throat, called Neelakanta pakshi in Malayalam, is usually sighted in dry open spaces. It is a species that breeds in Europe and Alaska and migrates to dry, hotter regions during winter. In India it is usually seen in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and dry regions of North India. It is also a regular winter visitor in the Gulf countries and Iran,” Mr. Sushanth said.

Blue Throat is insectivorous. Male adult birds have a blue coat of feathers at its throat and breast, from which the name is derived. “They are mainly terrestrial, shy and unobtrusive birds and so easily escape observation. At Punchakari we spotted two Blue Throats, a male and a female,” Mr. Sushanth said.

Hot days ahead

He added that the sighting could be an indicator of climatic changes in Thiruvananthapuram. “Other dry habitat birds like the Spoonbill, Painted Stork and Black-headed Ibis have also been spotted. This could also be an indictor of a harsh summer this year,'' he said.

Source: The Hindu, 5-1-2011

Plea to check biodiversity loss

Thiruvananthapuram: The first Indian Biodiversity Congress which concluded here on Friday urged the government for concerted action involving local communities to check biodiversity loss.

A declaration adopted by the congress called for a decade-long plan of action to address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, reduce the pressures on biodiversity, safeguard biodiversity at all levels and enhance benefits provided by biodiversity.

The conference demanded an effective land use plan for reducing the loss of natural habitats, including forests. It said there was a need to at least halve, and where feasible, bring close to zero, the rate of loss of natural habitats; protect 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10 per cent of marine and coastal areas; restore at least 15 per cent of degraded areas; and make special efforts to reduce the pressure faced by coral reefs.

Biodiversity had so far served as the feedstock for sustainable food and health security and could play a similar role in the development of climate-resilient farming and livelihood systems, it said.

The IBC demanded integrating or including actions related to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in strategies relating to production sectors, such as agriculture, fisheries, forestry, tourism and mining.

One of the major recommendations involved dovetailing the use and conservation of biodiversity in agro-ecosystems into national development plans, including programmes aimed at poverty reduction, rural development, food security and dealing with climate change.

The declaration said though there were reports of local extinction of flora and fauna, systematic check lists were not available for planning effective management of biodiversity, especially the Rare, Endangered and Threatened (RET) species.

The IBC demanded immediate action for area specific data bases of RET species for their conservation and sustainable management.

It recommended partnerships between academic and research institutions and civil society organisations for demand-driven research on biodiversity conservation. Sufficient funds should be earmarked for grassroots-level conservation programmes involving local communities.

The IBC stressed the need for a master plan for biodiversity economics in India.

Source: The Hindu, 2-1-2011

Call for relook at concept of ecotourism

Thiruvananthapuram: A Civil Society Meet organised in connection with the first Indian Biodiversity Congress which concluded here on Friday has called for a relook at the concept of ecotourism as a means to protect biodiversity and enhance the well being of local people.

A resolution adopted by participants of the meet said ecotourism had resulted in more destruction to the natural ecosystem and biodiversity and displacement of local residents, including indigenous people all over the world.

There should be a better realisation that biodiversity did not require tourism but tourism required biodiversity. Therefore, responsible tourism managed by local communities and fully sensitive to the ecology and biodiversity of the region should be promoted, the resolution said.

Representatives of government organisations, tribal communities and various people's movements who also participated in the meeting stressed the need to use the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for biodiversity augmentation, including supporting organic and ecological agriculture, forestry management and cultivation of non-timber forest produce.

The resolution called for a national wetland conservation strategy and action plan with provisions to ensure a key role for local self-government institutions in conservation of wetlands across the country.

It urged the government not to allow open field trials or release of genetically-modified crops in India, considering the imminent threat to genetically-modified organisms on biodiversity as well as health and environment.

Source: The Hindu, 2-1-2011

Maharashtra chalks out action plan to tackle pollution

CHANDRAPUR: Maharashtra government is set to implement a time-bound 'action plan' for tackling the problem of pollution in industrial towns and cities.

The government has has set March 31, 2011 as deadline for implementation of the plan to bring the pollution level below 70% in all the industrial towns and cities, environment and culture minister Sanjay Deotale said.

Deotale, who is also the guardian minister of Chandrapur district, was talking to reporters here.

Chandrapur stands 4th in the country and tops the state in pollution levels, he said.

The action plan is comprehensive and will take care of pollution levels in air, rivers and lakes/tanks, he said.

Bodies like municipal corporation, municipal council and gram panchayat will be roped in for the anti-pollution drive, the minister said.

Deotale stated that the industries responsible for pollution shall also be dealt with sternly and directed to install equipment to keep the emission levels under control.

The government will also initiate steps for the conservation of rivers, lakes and village tanks, he said.

Deotale said the government was aware of the plight of farmers who suffered losses either due to drought or excess/ unseasonal rains in the state. Hence, a policy to help farmers has been framed.

According to the policy, the farmers shall get compensation ranging from Rs 7,500 per hectare to over Rs 10,000 per hectare depending on the type of loss and crops, he said.

Source: Times of India, 1-1-2011

Kerala may ban hazardous pesticides

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government is considering a ban on red (extremely toxic) and yellow (highly toxic) categories of pesticides in phases against the background of mounting protests against pesticides in the State, especially in Kasaragod and Idukki districts.

Initially, the ban will apply to sensitive and biodiversity-rich areas and areas where pesticide use is intense.

However, there would not be an immediate ban on pesticide use in cardamom and tea plantations. Prescription by an agriculture officer might be made mandatory for sale of pesticides. In Idukki district, ban on use of red and yellow categories of pesticides is likely to come into effect for crops such as vegetables, banana and paddy at Devikulam, Idukki, Thodupuzha, Elamdesom and Adimali. Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran has asked the Director of Agriculture to prepare detailed proposals in this regard.

The government has already decided to withdraw licences to sell red and yellow categories of pesticides in Kasaragod district.

The Drugs Controller of Idukki recently took action against medical shops for selling steroids and other allopathic medicines for agriculture use. Rules permit only sale of limited number of pills of certain steroids and that too only against prescription.

Meanwhile, protests are growing from within Idukki district against excessive use of pesticides in plantations and vegetable gardens. Trade unions, which were reluctant to talk about pesticides and their impact on the workers, have started coming out against pesticides.

Source: The Hindu, 11-1-2011