Category Archives: Green Initiatives & Environment

An island sets an example in sustainable living

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All
An exhibition organised as part of the inauguration of the Rural Science and Technology Centre at Thuruthikkara in the district on Sunday.

Thuruthikkara is the first village to be declared free of plastic and e-waste

Thuruthikkara in Mulanthuruthy panchayat has several firsts to its name. Among other things, it was declared the first village to be totally free of incandescent bulbs, plastic and e-waste. The village also has the status of having scientifically tested water in all its drinking water wells.

The village has taken up initiatives to go easy on the environment. By getting rid of incandescent bulbs and introducing LED lighting systems, it has been able to save energy. Thuruthikkara also has the distinction of having launched LED clinics for the first time in the State, where LED lighting systems are assembled and repaired. “We were able to sell LED lighting systems for as low as ₹100 and ₹110 apiece,” said an office-bearer of Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Praishad, which had initiated the “Oorja, Nirmala, Haritha Gramam” project in Thuruthikkara, which forms the 10th ward of Mulanthuruthy panchayat. The villagers have also taken to recharging drinking water wells with rainwater.

Technology centre

On Sunday, a Rural Science and Technology Centre was inaugurated in the village. Parishad president T. Gangadharan inaugurated the centre, which will act as a regional centre of the Integrated Rural Technology Centre at Mundoor in Palakkad. Pro Vice Chancellor of Cochin University of Science and Technology P.G. Shankaran delivered the keynote address at the event.

“The aim of the centre is to make people aware of new technologies in various fields, including farming, and to create awareness about new breakthroughs,” said the Parishad official. He said that the initiatives included introduction of bio-bins and kitchen bins in the village whereby all kitchen waste could be turned into fertiliser used for homestead farming.

Every home has been able to generate about 12 kg of bio-fertiliser every month. Distribution of vegetable saplings helped families prepare areas of cultivation to cater for their own requirements. There are a total of 349 families. All the families as well as 25 organisations and institutions have partnered with the Parishad in making the programme a success.

The move to get rid of plastic waste began with the distribution of cloth bags to all households. Plastic is meticulously collected and disposed of. Introduction of aquaponics is another step that has been taken to achieve self-sufficiency and sustainability.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – October 21st, 2018

Edakkal caves all ready to welcome tourists

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, Travel
Tourists trekking to the Edakkal cave though the secondary pathway on Saturday.

The entry of tourists to the Edakkal caves on the Ambukuthi hills, known for the neolithic-age petroglyphs (rock engravings) on the walls of the cave, was resumed on Saturday after an interval of 23 days.

The caves, a major tourism destination in the district, were closed to tourists on August 23 after a huge stone collapsed in the first cave and a crack was formed near the old ticket counter of the first cave after heavy rain.

The entry to the first cave was banned but tourists could now reach the second cave through the secondary pathway constructed for the purpose, Archaeology and Archives Minister Kadannappally Ramachandran said. The entry was restricted to 1,930 tourists a day and only a group of 30 people at a time would be allowed to enter the cave, the Minister added.

The first cave would be opened to tourists only after a study by a team of experts, consisting of scientists of the National Centre for Earth Science Studies and experts of the Archaeology Department. The team for the purpose would be constituted soon and they would study the situation of the caves, the Minister said.

As many as 250 visitors, including 10 children, visited the cave on Saturday, District Tourism Promotion Council sources said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / Kalpeta – September 15th, 2018

‘Chekutty’ to help weave together flood-ravaged Chendamangalam

Amazing Feats, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All
Chekutty, the doll made from soiled fabric of Chendamangalam handlooms.

Designers create dolls from soiled handloom cloth

Born out of the love for Chendamangalam handloom are dolls made of the soiled textile from the flood-ravaged looms. ‘Chekutty’, as the designers have named it, is ‘Chendamangalam Kutty’ and stands for all that the floods have left behind.

“Chekutty has scars, Chekutty has stains. But Chekuty is each one of us who survived the floods,” goes the appeal from the designers who took up the task of helping rebuild the lives of the flood-hit Chendamangalam weavers, for whom 80% of revenue comes from Onam sales.

The only option left for the weavers was to burn the severely damaged and soiled stock, which could not be fixed through cleaning, says designer Lakshmi Menon of Pure Living, who has been promoting a green lifestyle along with ideas of making value-added products from waste materials.

Out of the debris of the soiled saris has emerged Chekutty – a mascot for rebuilding Kerala from despair.

Gopinath Parayil of Blue Beyond is partnering with Ms. Menon in the endeavour of ‘Weaving together Kerala’ – the slogan given for Chekutty dolls.

“We saw that there were many takers for the stock that was not damaged. It was the amount of damaged stock that got me thinking. And we needed to do something fast too,” says Ms. Menon.

“We have upcycled the fabric to help raise funds for the weavers that will help them till the next season,” says Mr. Parayil. The festival of Vishu next April is the next season for the weavers.

350 dolls per sari

The average cost of a sari is ₹1,300. Up to 350 dolls can be made from a sari, with the minimum price of a doll at ₹25. Hence, the cost retrieved from a sari will be nearly ₹9,000, says Ms. Menon.

Each piece of textile is chlorinated and boiled in water to disinfect it and is made safe to be used, she adds. The dolls may be hung on shoulder bags, suitcases or inside cars.

A demonstration of doll-making was organised at Panampilly Nagar on Sunday to help people take up the task.

Website

A website, www.chekutty.in, is in the process of being set up to invite people to participate in creating dolls or buying them.

Remaining stock

Ajith Kumar, secretary of the Handloom Weavers’ Co-operative Society, Karimpadam, Chendamangalam, says stock worth ₹21 lakh remains damaged. Fortunately, there was stock worth ₹10 lakh, set aside for Kozhikode and Ernakulam markets, which remains to be sold, he adds. (Mr. Kumar may be contacted at 9446927345.)

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Shyama Rajagopal / Kochi – September 10th, 2018

Floodwaters swallow a piece of Alangad’s illustrious history

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion
Precious loss: Several palm-leaf manuscripts (left) were damaged when floodwaters entered the Chembola Kalari at Alangad, near Paravur. | Photo Credit: H_Vibhu

The waters that surged into the historic Chembola Kalari in the heart of Alangad town on the night of August 15 has swallowed a piece of history in the form of a collection of palm-leaf manuscripts.

Legend has it that Lord Ayappan took lessons in the traditional martial art form at the Chembola Kalari.

It is also strongly linked to festivities at the Sabarimala temple. A member of the Chembola family said there were nearly 80 manuscripts in the collection, and around 20 to 25 of them have been damaged in the floods. The manuscripts mostly dealt with Sanskrit grammar and literature, he said.

It is believed that the Chembola family settled in Alangad from north Malabar at least 600 years ago.

The family member said the Chembola Kalari premises had escaped the great deluge in 1924 and it was a refuge for hundreds of people around the area.

He recounted an orally transmitted account of how people in the area used a big tamarind tree at the kalari premises to escape from the floods in 1924.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – August 31st, 2018

CMFRI to promote cage fish farming

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Records, All, Science & Technology
The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute pioneered caged fish farming in India.

Institute plans 500 units with 40% subsidy for farmers

In a major effort to increase the domestic fish production in the State, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute here will implement a ₹15-crore project helping fish farmers to launch 500 cage farming units. The farmers will be offered subsidy and technical support to carry out the cage culture under the scheme, which is funded by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad.

According to the programme, 40% of the total expense will be given as subsidy to the farmers who can conduct farming individually or in groups. Women and those from the SC/ST category will get 60% subsidy. The programme will be implemented in coastal districts of the State. Species such as sea bass, pearl spot, cobia, pompano and red snapper will be farmed.

The farmers from the coastal districts can register now at the Mariculture Division of the CMFRI to become part of the scheme. The applicants should be capable of carrying out the farming in water that is at least three metres deep during the low tide. Approval will be given only after a CMFRI team reviews the spot and various conditions of the water resources for farming, including environmental factors.

In addition, three Aqua One Labs will be set up in the State to help farmers for the smooth conduct of cage farming. These labs will provide services such as water quality check, sediment analysis, seed transportation, and disease management. Details of the requirements for setting up the laboratory are available in the CMFRI website (www.cmfri.org.in).

soruce: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – July 09th, 2018

Global laurel for Christ College team

Education, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
A team from Centre for Animal Taxonomy and Ecology of Christ College, Irinjalakuda, which has been invited to the European Congress of Arachnology in Hungary.

Only Indians to participate in European Congress of Arachnology

A six-member team from the Centre for Animal Taxonomy and Ecology (CATE) of Christ College, Irinjalakuda, has been invited to the 31st European Congress of Arachnology (ECA), which will be held at Vac, Hungary, from July 8-13.

They are the only Indians at the congress in which 150 arachnologists will take part from all over the world. “This is a prestigious recognition given on the basis of the contributions made by CATE to arachnological research,” said Sudhikumar A.V., who led the six-member team. Five budding arachnologists working under the guidance of Dr. Sudhikumar (Head, CATE) will present papers on Indian arachnology. Nafin K.S., research scholar, will present a paper on the diversity of spiders in Kole wetlands of Kerala and the role of spiders in biological pest control. Drisya Mohan, another member, will present a paper on the social behaviour of a rare spider (Stegodyphus sarasinorum) and the diversity of kleptoparasites (web parasites) associated with the web of this spider.

Diversity of spiders in the sacred groves of Kerala and the influence of environmental variables on them have rarely been explored. Sumesh N.V. will present a paper on this study. Forest fire has a devastating effect on the biodiversity of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS), a biodiversity hotspot of Kerala. Sudhin P.P. will focus on the effect of forest fire on the diversity of spiders in the WWS. Kashmeera N.A. will present an interesting study on the diversity of venomous spiders in Thar Desert, Rajasthan.

Dr. Sudhikumar will lay stress on global warming upon the feeding potential of a grassland spider, (Pardosa sumatrana), and its consequences on the food web which causes imbalance in the ecosystem. Travel expenses of the researchers are sponsored by European Society of Arachnology (ESA), University Grants Commission (UGC), and Department of Science and Technology (DST), Delhi.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / Thrissur – July 04th, 2018

Eco-friendly solution to mosquito menace

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology
Aravind Gopal engaged in research work at a mini-laboratory set up in his residential courtyard.

Researchers find insecticidal properties in extracts of plants

Now, an eco-friendly solution to mosquito menace. Aravind Gopal, a 40-year-old postgraduate in Biochemistry, and P.J. Benny, Professor of Zoology at Pala St. Thomas College, have found good insecticidal properties in the extracts of as many as 20 commonly found plants in Kerala.

Talking to The Hindu , they said extracts of two commonly found weeds,Merremia vitifolia or Manja kolambivalli or grape-leaf wood rose, and Mikania scandens, also known as climbing hemp weed, have shown very good insecticidal properties, with more than 90% insect repellent property.

Mr. Aravind has set up a mini-laboratory in his residential courtyard at Puthusserry-bhagom, near Adoor, to conduct field trials.

Dr. Benny said local bodies and government agencies could use even the crude extracts of these commonly found weeds as safe mosquito reduction agents in areas affected by mosquito-borne viral diseases. A present, various official agencies are learnt to be using hazardous chemical-based insecticides in mosquito eradication drives.

U.N. findings

Mr. Aravind said a report published by the United Nations in January, 2017 had put the average human casualty due to toxic exposure of pesticides across the world at 2,00,000 a year.

Reliance on hazardous pesticides is a short-term solution and the U.N. report lists an array of serious ailments such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, hormone disruption, birth defects, etc., as having suspected links to pesticides.

Pesticide-poisoning exceeds even fatalities from infectious diseases in some countries, he said.

Mosquito destroyers

Mr. Aravind said backswimmers, dragonfly and its larvae, damselflies and its larvae, diving beetles, frog and tadpole, native fishes, etc., were natural enemies of mosquito. Terrestrial and aquatic plants can provide healthy air that nourishes life.

Hence a social forest-cum-pond like that of the sacred grove (sarpa-kavu) of yore can preserve the biodiversity, provide fresh air and shelter to the predators of these pests, he said.

Mr. Aravind said while controlling pests, which form less than 1% of the insects, pesticides destroy the biodiversity and environment by killing or adversely affecting various other life forms, including more than 99% of the insects which are more integral to maintenance of the ecosystem.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Radhakrishnan Kuttoor / June 13th, 2018

Fresh water fish seed farm opened at Neyyar

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

Thiruvananthapuram:

The state will soon turn self-sufficient in freshwater fish seed production, said fisheries minister J Mercykutty Amma. She was speaking after inaugurating the freshwater fish seed farm and fish hatchery training centre near Neyyar dam on Friday.

“Having freshwater lakes in the state, Kerala has immense potential in freshwater fish farming,” minister opined. “The challenge is to produce quality juvenile fish. Against the demand for 12 crore juvenile fish, the state could produce only 2 crore,” the minister said.

The freshwater fish hatchery was constructed spending Rs 3.44 crore. Six concrete feeding tanks having 24.6m length and 9.6m width, a pool platform having 12m width and 7m length and an FRP tank platform which is 9m long and 8m wide are arranged at the hatchery, besides a 158 square metre hatchery office building.

A fisheries training centre of 1,008 square metres has been constructed using Rs 3.2 crore. This two-storey building can accommodate 32 persons and the training hall has the capacity to house 75 persons.

The fisheries minister said that administrative sanction for Rs 7.46 lakh has been given for the third phase of development of the Farm.

MLA C K Hareendran presided over the function which was attended by Perumkadavila block panchayat president Sujathakumar, Kallikkad

Grama panchayat vice-president Shyamlal, district panchayat member Ansajitha Russal, block panchayat member M K Kumar, grama panchayat member R Latha of and assistant director of fisheries department Sheeja attended the event.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News / Thiruvananthapuram – June 10th, 2018

The smallest sea cucumber in India

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, World Opinion
The smallest sea cucumber Thyonina bijui

Vizhinjam Bay is home to the animal which grows to a size of just 2 cm

The Vizhinjam Bay, a busy fishing ground noted for its biodiversity-rich marine ecosystem, is home to the smallest sea cucumber in India, scientists have reported.

Biju Kumar of the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, and his student Deepa Pillai stumbled upon the species while scouring the rocky coast during a biodiversity study in 2015.

The animal, which grows to a size of just 2 cm, is named Thyonina bijui, after Biju Kumar.

The specimen was identified as a new species by Professor Ahmed Thandar, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, while describing several species of sea cucumbers from the Indian Ocean.

The news about the discovery has been published in the international journal Zootaxa.

According to Dr. Kumar, this is the first species of sea cucumber endemic to the Kerala coast and is known only from Vizhinjam.

The animal inhabits shallow waters and has a barrel-shaped body.

It is reddish brown in colour, with plenty of tube feet all over the dorsal surface.

Sea cucumbers and starfish belong to the group of marine invertebrates called echinoderms.

Of the 179 sea cucumbers reported from India, 37 species have been recorded from the Kerala coast.

Culinary delicacy

The larger species of sea cucumbers are overharvested for export as they are considered one of the culinary delicacies in China and many western countries.

The Government of India has listed all species of sea cucumbers (holothurians) under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, imposing a blanket ban on their harvesting from Indian waters.

Occurring only in marine ecosystems, the sea cucumber plays a critical role in ecosystem functioning by recycling nutrients and carbonates.

Often referred to as the earthworms of the sea, these animals are responsible for extensive shifting and mixing of substrate and recycling of sediments into animal tissue and nitrogenous waste which can be taken up by algae and sea grass.

Dr. Kumar feels that detailed investigations of the marine biodiversity of the Kerala coast, especially from the rocky shores and bays, would lead to the discovery of several new species.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by T. Nandakumar / Thiruvananthapuram – June 07th, 2018

District wins award for green protocol

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The district administration has been awarded for taking steps to reduce plastic waste. Sujith Karun, district co-ordinator of Haritha Keralam Mission, received the award from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on behalf of the district collector in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

At the function, awards were given to 21 institutions from Ernakulam district for activities aimed at reducing plastic. The office of the Panchayat Deputy Director, Thiruvairanikulam temple committee, SCMS Engineering College, NSS technical cell, Thurithikkara Urja Nirmala Harithagramam, and the Society for Teresians for Environment Protection, were among the institutions that won the award.

The festival at Thiruvairanikulam temple, Malayattoor pilgrimage, Aluva Sivarathri, Edappally church festival, and Moothakunnam festival were among those that followed the green protocol. Biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste were segregated during these festivals and plastics were sent for recycling.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Staff Reporter / Kochi – June 07th, 2018