Category Archives: Green Initiatives & Environment

Wayanad sanctuary yields a new spider

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, World Opinion

Team from CATE spots a spider taxonomically related to an Australian species

A new species of spider has been discovered from the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, a major biodiversity hotspot in the State. The new species, Cocalus lacinia, spotted in the Kurichiad forest range of the sanctuary, is taxonomically related to an Australian species, described by arachnologist Fred Wanless in 1981.

A biodiversity investigation team, based at the Centre for Animal Taxonomy and Ecology (CATE), Christ College, Irinjalakuda, spotted the new species.

The head of the 8-mm-long male spider is brownish yellow and there are black lines along the sides of the hairy head region. Its eyebrows and forehead are white. The oval shaped abdomen is yellow and covered with black and white scales. The head of the 13-mm-long female is brownish and hairy. There is a V-shaped black mark on the upper surface of the head and red lines along the sides.

‘United biosphere’

“The nocturnal spider hides in the crevices of teak plants during day, and hunts at night for small insects. This discovery of a new species of spider from India and the presence of its close relative from Australia supports the theory that millions of years ago the biosphere was united and the present continents were formed by splitting a single big continent named Pangea,” says Sudhikumar A.V., Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, Christ College, who led the team. Investigations are on with the help of genetic samples from the Australian species and Indian species to get more evidence for the theory of supercontinents. It may give more information on plate tectonics and the evolution of modern spiders, he said.

Sudhin P.P., Nafin K.S., and Sumesh N.V., research scholars of CATE, also took part in the study.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Mini Muringatheri / Thrissur – February 15th, 2019

Experts visit excavation site at Edayaranmula

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

Heritage: Noted curator M. L. Johny, inspecting a terracotta figurine unearthed from the Pampa river banks at Edayaranmula during his visit to the temporary museum set up by the Archaeology Department at Aranmula on Friday.  

Inspect terracotta pieces, including male and female figurines

Noted curator M. L. Johny, accompanied by Antony Kaaral from the Government Fine Arts College in Thiruvananthapuram, visited the excavation site of the Archaeology Department on the banks of river Pampa at Edayaranmula on Friday.

They also visited the temporary museum set up by the Kerala State Archaeology Department at Aranmula where the terracotta figurines unearthed from Edyaranmula have been kept.

Excavation

The Archaeology Department had launched excavation on the banks of river Pampa at Edayaranmula near Aranmula in December last, exploring traces of a vibrant ancient Pampa Valley civilization in the area following the sighting of a few terracotta artefacts there, earlier, in September.

Rajeev Puliyoor, Malayalam teacher at the Mahatma Gandhi University B.Ed Centre at Elanthoor who has been doing research on the ‘Pampa Valley Civilization,’ and K.P. Sreeranganathan, photographer turned historian, also accompanied the two artistes.

The unearthed terracotta pieces include male and female figurines, snake heads, bust of a man and a twin female terracotta statue.

Mr. Puliyoor said renowned historians M.R.Raghava Warrier and M.G.S.Narayanan, were of the view that the terracotta artefacts unearthed from the banks of river Pampa appeared to be centuries old. Prof Warrier had visited the site twice, earlier, he said.

Mr Puliyoor stressed the need for an exhaustive study and excavation in the Pampa river basin in the wake of the unearthing of ancient terracotta artefacts from the river banks.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Pathanathitta – February 08th, 2019

CMFRI opens doors to marine wonders for public

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Records, All, Science & Technology, Travel

Institute celebrating its 72nd Foundation Day; exhibition from tomorrow

The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) will throw open its doors to the public on Tuesday as part of its 72nd Foundation Day celebrations. The public can view splendours of the marine world like precious pearls in the deep sea and the process of extracting them from farmed pearl oysters.

The exhibition will be a display of diverse marine aquatic species as well as a platform to understand the latest developments in marine research. The National Marine Biodiversity Museum at the CMFRI is rich with collections from a wide spectrum of niches ranging from estuaries to coastal and deeper waters of the Indian seas, various laboratories, newly-designed marine research aquarium, hatcheries and other facilities. The exhibition will be open between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., said a press release here.

Whale shark, the largest fish, horse shoe crab, sea snakes, sea birds, pearl oyster, sea cow, dolphins, and sharks can be viewed. Antarctic krills, a favourite food of penguins and blue whales, is also available at the museum. The marine research aquarium showcases different marine ornamental varieties including bat fish and lion fish.

Those curious about the latest research developments in marine fisheries may visit various laboratories dedicated to bioprospecting, ocean acidification, fishery biology, environmental research, climate change and cell culture. The fish ageing laboratory will help uncover the secrets behind estimation of fish age which is a revolutionary step in marine fisheries research. Visitors can also acquire knowledge in the area of developing medicines from marine organisms for various diseases.


Among the research facilities of the CMFRI, the scanning electron microscope that produces images of a sample in higher resolution that is 10-lakh fold is expected to draw the attention of visitors.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – February 04th, 2019

Kole Fish Count records 82 species

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All

Participatory assessment: Scientists, students and nature enthusiasts participated in the survey that covered the Kole land habitats in Thrissur and Malappuram districts on Saturday.  

Survey, coinciding with Wetland Day, reveals six alien species

The Kole Fish Count, conducted on February 2 in connection with World Wetland Day across the Kole wetlands of central Kerala, recorded 82 aquatic species. These include 71 fish species (18 species of brackish water fish and 53 species of freshwater fish), five shrimp species, four crab and two mollusc species.

The participatory assessment, in which scientists, students and nature enthusiasts from the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, the Kerala Agricultural University’s College of Forestry and the Kole Birders Collective participated, covered the entire expanse of Kole habitats distributed across Thrissur and Malappuram districts. Among the major Kole regions, Ponnani had a higher diversity than Thrissur.

Maranchery in Ponnani Kole had the highest diversity (45 species) followed by Uppungal (also in Ponnani Kole) and Enamavu (Thrissur Kole) with 34 species each.

With just 18 species, Adat (Thrissur Kole) recorded the lowest diversity.

Some of the most common species encountered during the survey include the orange chromide (known as pallathi in Malayalam), the dwarf pufferfish, Malabar leaf fish, and pearl spot or karimeen.

Future threats

However, the teams also came across six non-native fish species, raising concerns on the sustainability of the fishery and aquaculture practices being followed in the Kole and vicinity.

The presence of six species of non-native fish in the Kole is of significant concern as these have the potential to compete with, and outnumber native species, said Rajeev Raghavan, assistant professor at KUFOS and the South Asia Coordinator of the IUCN’s Freshwater Fish Specialist Group.

“Particularly alarming is the frequent catches of the Amazonian sucker catfish from various parts of the Kole,” he added.

The government needs to take immediate action to prevent illegal fishing practices carried out during the annual harvest of auctioned waterbodies that are part of the Kole wetlands, noted M. K. Sajeevan, Head, Department of Fisheries Resource Management, KUFOS.

In addition to aquatic biodiversity, the teams also collected samples to assess the health of the ecosystem through evaluation of key water quality parameters, results of which will be released soon.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Staff Reporter / Kochi – February 03rd, 2019

Engineering a change in toilet technology

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Though advancements have been made in the field of technology, maintenance has always been a plaguing issue and the least addressed.


B P Deepu

Thiruvananthapuram :

 Though advancements have been made in the field of technology, maintenance has always been a plaguing issue and the least addressed. This is where the US-based Caltech and Thiruvananthapuram-based Eram Scientifc Solutions,  come in. The companies have collaborated with each other to bring out Seva, e-toilets which are able to self-clean and are self-reparable. The aim is to address the issue of water scarcity which is prevalent in many cities.

Clement Cid, the Senior Research Engineer in Environmental Science and Engineering at Caltech won the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Reinvent the Toilet Challenge in 2012. He was in the city as part of the project. According to him,  the biggest challenge was to create a cheap, safe and clean toilet for over 2 billion people across the globe.

He brought out a technology that uses electrochemical mechanisms to treat disinfected water. But his collaboration with Eram in 2013 paved the way for a revolution. “We met with Eram in a sanitation conference and with the support of Gates Foundation, we were able to make a prototype and were able to run it for a year. The result was positive,” he said.

 Clement believes the new e-toilet system will help in bringing a change in the Indian sanitation system. 


“Maintaining toilets is a big issue in cities where sewerage systems are haywire.  The self-sufficient toilets will help municipalities and cities which are facing these issues,” he said.

‘Toilet of the future’


The ‘Toilet of the future’ concept was introduced by Gates Foundation and the Caltech group led by Michael Hoffmann. Clement was among the team members. Using sophisticated solar-powered treatment units, the team thought of working on a sensor system that would help in minimising the use of skilled repairs. 

The same concept is used in Seva e-toilets. “The toilets will be equipped with sensors which can monitor leaks. Once the issue is detected, an operator is alerted who can easily come and fix it,” he said.        Clement also added the idea is to install the toilets in public places. Later this technology can be introduced in household units and e-toilets. Caltech has started trials of its system in different places in Kerala. The trial run of the Seva prototype will be tested in Coimbatore. “Once the trial is completed, it will be installed in several cities where there are no proper sewer lines,” Clement said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Steni Simon / Express News Service / January 12th, 2019

New genus of tarantulas recorded in Kerala

Agriculture, Education, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

(From left) Annandaliella ernakulamensis, which is found only in Thattekkad in Ernakulam; Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica from Chinnar in Kerala; and Poecilotheria rufilata that the survey team recorded from Achenkovil.

Recent floods could have affected survival of rare spiders, claims arachnologist

Kerala is home to around six species of large, hairy spiders called tarantulas. But a four-year Statewide survey by a team from Kuravilangad’s Deva Matha College now shows that Kerala may be home to more than 11 species of these often iridescently-coloured arachnids.

New genus and species

The research project, for which a team led by Sunil K. Jose (assistant professor at Deva Matha College) surveyed several districts including Kasaragod, Kollam and Ernakulam for tarantulas, has identified four genus of the large spiders (Sahydroaraneus, Chilobrachys, Neoheterophrictus and Thrigmopoeus) that have not been recorded in the State before.

Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica from Chinnar in Kerala

For instance, the team recorded Chilobrachys fimbiratus (also called the Indian violet spider, which is endemic to the Western Ghats of Karnataka and Maharashtra) in Kasaragod district.

Similarly, they spotted the Rameshwaram Parachute Spider (Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica) which has so far been recorded only from Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district (found only on the Rameshwaram Island and Mandapam area here) from Chinnar in Kerala. This tarantula has been classified as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List. Totally, tarantulas from seven genus have now been recorded in the State.

Poecilotheria rufilata that the team recorded from Achenkovil

The range extensions of the genus and species had been described in the report submitted to the University Grants Commission, which funded the work that focused on studying spiders belonging to the family Theraphosidae, said Dr. Jose. He also presented the results at the recently-concluded international conference of the Asian Society of Arachnology at Bangkok, Thailand.

Kerala floods

While deforestation was one of the threats that the forest-dwelling tarantulas faced along the Western Ghats, the recent floods that Kerala witnessed could have affected the species in those areas too, said Dr. Jose.

“All tarantulas seen in Kerala except those in the genus Poecilotheria [tiger spiders] live in burrows in the ground. These would have become submerged during the floods,” he said.

Yet another threat that tarantulas face is collection for the illegal pet trade across the world. Kerala’s colourful tarantulas belonging to the genus Poecilotheria and Haploclastus were collected illegally and were available for sale on the internet for as high as $275, he added.

Tarantulas are a group of large, hairy spiders that can live up to 10 to 20 years.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities / by Staff Reporter / Kochi – December 04th, 2018

Ayurveda meet from today

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, World Opinion

Centre hails move for branding ‘Indian Ayurveda’

The Global Ayurveda Summit will be inaugurated by Industries Minister E.P. Jayaran here on Thursday.

The major attraction of the two-day meet will be Ayurstart – the first Ayurveda startup competition to attract young minds to come up with out-of-the-box ideas in the Ayurveda sector.

Addressing an interactive session Wednesday ahead of the summit, Sangeeta Saxena, Director of Commerce, urged Kerala to take Ayurveda to the next level.

The summit will be held at Hotel Le Meridien in the city.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – November 22nd, 2018

Now, Noolpuzha health centre reaches out to elderly patients

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Travel

The lithium-powered e-rickshaw procured by the Noolpuzha Family Health Centre.

To operate electric rickshaw for senior citizens, women, tribespeople

After setting a benchmark in the rural healthcare sector of the country by securing the first position in the National Quality Assurance Certification (NQAC) process a few weeks ago, the Noolpuzha Family Health Centre (FHC) in Wayanad is preparing to launch an innovative project to lend a helping hand to elderly patients in the grama panchayat.

The FHC plans to arrange free transportation facilities for senior citizens, women and tribespeople residing within 5-km radius of the hospital using a lithium-powered electric rickshaw, a first such project in the public health care sector of the State.

The hospital authorities have procured the e-rickshaw at a cost of ₹2 lakh and all work including customisation and registration of the vehicle has been completed.

“As Noolpuzha grama panchayat is the second largest tribal populated grama panchayat in the State, we hope the project will be of great help to the poor people in the grama panchayat,” V.P. Dahar Mohammed, medical officer at the hospital, told The Hindu. The panchayat has provided ₹1.75 crore from its plan fund for the all-round development of the hospital over the past three years, including the cost of the e-rickshaw.

“We are planning to utilize the service of the hospital driver to operate the vehicle till we find an alternative. During an emergency, the vehicle will be provided to the public also. The vehicle will run 85 km with a single charge and it will start operation by November-end,” said the medical officer.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by E.M. Manoj / Kalpetta – November 18th, 2018

Samakalika Malayalam Vaarika award for environmentalist T P Padmanabhan

Amazing Feats, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All

Kochi :

Environmentalist T P Padmanabhan (Photo | Samakalika Malayalam)

T P Padmanabhan, environmentalist and director of  Payyannur-based Society for Environmental Education in Kerala (SEEK), an organisation spearheading environment protection campaigns and agitations, has won this year’s Social Service Award of Samakalika Malayalam Vaarika, a sister publication of The New Indian Express.

The award carries a plaque, citation and a purse of Rs 1 lakh. This year’s winner was selected by a jury comprising environmentalist M K Prasad, writer N Sasidharan and literary critic G Madhusudanan.

Samakalika Malayalam Vaarika had instituted the award in 2013 to honour persons who dedicate their lives to social service. Sixty-eight-year-old Padmanabhan has been working relentlessly for environment protection for the past several decades. He became the director of SEEK from 1987 and also the editor of the organisation’s mouth piece ‘Soochi Mukhi’.

He was the key person who led various agitations in Kerala seeking protection of the environment which included the famous Silent Valley movement that set the stage for environmental activism in the state.

The previous winners of the award are V P Suhara, social worker from Kozhikode: Raziya Banu, a social worker from Palakkad; V C Raju of Murikkasseri, Idukki; Krishnan Pallam of Pattambi, who runs the destitute home ‘Abhayam’; and Sajini Mathews, who founded Snehabhavan at Muttam, Melukavu.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service /  November 09th, 2018

Ponkuzhi forests throw a surprise

Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

Liparis tschangii belongs to Orchidaceae family.

Discovery of Liparis tschangii published in Indian Forester

Liparis tschangii, a plant that belongs to the Orchidaceae family, has been discovered in the Ponkuzhi forests in Wayanad district, a major biodiversity hotspot on the Nilgiri biosphere reserve.

The tuberous species was discovered by a team of researchers led by V. Balakrishnan, former Director of Community Agrobiodiversity Centre of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) at Puthoorvayal here during an expedition recently. The discovery has been published in the recent edition of the science journal Indian Forester.

Liparis tschangii is mainly found in China and Vietnam, but this was the first time that the distributional record of the plant was reported from India, Dr. Balakrishnan told The Hindu.

“The leaves of the plant resemble the structure of the human heart and have white rhizome and green flower bunches,” Salim Pichan, botanist, MSSRF, and a member of the team said.

Very rare

“The plant is very rare in this locality and may need conservation priority,” Mr. Pichan added.

Jose Mathew, assistant professor, Department of Botany, S D College, Alappuzha; P. Dhanesh Kumar, former Divisional Forest Officer, South Wayanad forest division; Jayesh P. Joseph and M. Jithin, scientists of MSSRF, are the other members of the team.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by E.M. Manoj / Kalpeta – October 26th, 2018