Category Archives: Green Initiatives / Environment

GBI to launch renewable solar power chargers

Business & Economy, Education, Green Initiatives / Environment, Science & Technology, World Opinion
BuffaloGrid managing director Daniel Becerra, along with GBI India Head Srinivas Gogineni explaining about the device, in Vijayawada on Friday. /. Photo. Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar / The Hindu
BuffaloGrid managing director Daniel Becerra, along with GBI India Head Srinivas Gogineni explaining about the device, in Vijayawada on Friday. /. Photo. Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar / The Hindu

Global Business Incubator (GBI) in association with BuffaloGrid, a UK-based Solar Power Systems manufacturer, is planning to introduce off-grid electrical solutions across India.

GBI, based at Koneru Lakshmaiah University (KLU), will soon launch renewable solar power chargers in rural areas for sustainable economic growth, particularly in villages. The project will begin by August this year, said GBI India Head Srinivas Gogineni.

BuffaloGrid founder and managing director Daniel Becerra who was in the city, gave a power point presentation to students on the solar powered recharging device titled ‘BuffaloGrid’ at KLU on Friday. “BuffaloGrid is a device which can recharge 100 mobile phones, solar power lamps and other devices a day. The equipment, which will be supplied to agents free of cost, is safe and reliable for charging. Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited CEO Richard Branson is mentoring our product,” said Mr. Daniel.

Mr. Srinivas said off-grid devices enable social inclusion, e-government and help in poverty eradication. United Nations recognised that mobile phones are one of the biggest contributors to economic growth in the rural areas.

K.L. University vice-president Koneru Raja Hareen said the solar power device (BuffaloGrid) would focus on cellphone recharging, which means access to all critical services such as mobile banking, water point mapping, health care and even access to broadband services.

“The company will conduct a trial run with 40 devices. After the trial is completed, BuffaloGrid will start operations in India in the next two months,” said Mr. Hareen.

According to Mr. Srinivas, BuffaloGrid embarked upon expansion of its operations in Uganda, Ghana and India. Already, 12,000 agents had been identified in India.

The mobile phone would be recharged only if the port is unlocked in the device with an SMS. The details of the mobile phone recharged would be recorded by BuffaloGrid, and the company would collect charges from the service providers or mobile companies. “Deliberations in this regard are under way,” said Mr. Srinivas.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Rajulapudi Srinivas / Vijayawada – June 27th, 2014

Veerulapadu residents get smokeless chulhas

Green Initiatives / Environment, Science & Technology, Uncategorized

Officials of the Krishna district branch of New & Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) on Monday distributed fuel-efficient smokeless chulhas in Veerulapadu mandal headquarters and in Jujjur village under Veerlulapadu mandal.

“Conventional firewood stoves have only 8 per cent fuel efficiency against the smokeless chulhas with 30 per cent fuel-efficiency, developed by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,” said NREDCAP Krishna district Manager K. Srinivasa Rao.

Allotted

He said of the 1,000 chulhas allotted to the Krishna district unit, 500 were given to beneficiaries in Veerulapadu mandal and another 500 in Jujjuru village.

Subsidy

The cost of each is Rs. 150. With the State extending a subsidy of Rs. 125, the beneficiaries paid only Rs. 25 per chulha, he said. MDO P. Srinivasulu, sarpanch B. Bikshali, ZPTC Sk. Md. Shahnaz Begum and MPTCs Sk. Nagul Meera and T. Veerababu were present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Special Correspondent / Vijayawada – June 03rd, 2014

Dutch firm to prepare sanitation plan for Vizag

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, World Opinion

Visakhapatnam :

Noida-based consultancy firm Royal Haskoning DHV, part of the Dutch Royal Haskoning group, has been commissioned by the Union ministry of housing, urban development and poverty alleviation to undertake a study and prepare an action plan for implementing a clean sanitation programme covering the entire Greater Visakhapatanam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) limits.

The project, called capacity building for urban development, is expected to be completed within the next four months, GVMC commissioner MV Satyanarayana said, pointing out that the consultancy firm will prepare an action plan and submit a report to the central government. The report will also include the requirement for necessary funds from the Centre and state, apart from the share to be put in by GVMC, based on the financial status of the civic body.

Showcasing the highlights of the preliminary studies to various stakeholders on Wednesday, team leader Ashit Neema said their team had been conducting a study for the last 20 days in the city and had looked at drinking water supply, sanitation, drainages and solid waste management.

As per the 2011 census, Neema said 68% of the houses in the city were getting clean drinking water whereas 17% were dependent on borewells and another 15% on wells. Furthemore, coming to the sanitation aspect, he said about 86% people had access to toilets, 4% were dependent on public toilets and 10% has no access to toilets. Also, he said that only 60% of city had drainages and that there was a need to strengthen the city’s solid waste management system.

Neema said the project would be taken up in eight phases, with the first phase being constituting a city sanitation task force, followed by various rounds of workshops to make stakeholders understand the problems and resolve them . He said that a final city sanitation plan would be released after four months or so as part of the project in order to make Vizag a clean city.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / TNN / June 05th, 2014

AP: Farmers floats cooperative

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

CowAP05jun2014

Nearly 1,000 farmers from six villages in Mopidevi mandal of Krishna district have resolved to form a marketing co-operative society for their agriculture produce.

The farmers growing vegetables and horticulture products along the banks of the Krishna river will greatly benefit from this cooperative venture.

The venture mainly supported by Nabard will enable the farmers to open vegetable and fruit collection points in their respective villages and sell the produce without middlemen.

With the availability of abundant ground water the farmers in the villages have been growing crops round the year and waiting for better marketing facilities. The cooperative society will solve their long-standing problem.

source: http://www.indiancooperative.com / Indian Cooperative / Home> From States / by Amey Kumar / June 01st, 2014

Pedana Kalamkari art form gets GI tag

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, World Opinion
A Kalamkari artist immersed in designing a piece of cloth. / File Photo / The Hindu
A Kalamkari artist immersed in designing a piece of cloth. / File Photo / The Hindu

Now, the production of Machilipatnam Kalamkari will be geographically limited to Pedana town and its neighbouring villages

Kalamkari, renowned for natural dye art or designs on fabrics, has been registered in the Geographical Indications Registry (GIR) of the Government of India under the Geographical Identification of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

Members of Vegetable Dye Hand Block Kalamkari Printers’ Welfare Association, Pedana received the registration certificate from the GIR, Chennai. In the GI Registration, this art form has, however, been recognised as ‘Machilipatnam Kalamkari’. Pedana is 15 k.m. from Machilipatnam.

“The registration will enable us to initiate legal action against those who copy the art or design in any form. It also restricts the production of fabrics with Kalamkari art in the areas falling out of the registered geographical area,” said the Welfare Association executive member Bandaru Anand Prasad.

According to GIR’s authorised user no – AU/396/GI/19/12, production of Machilipatnam Kalamkari is geographically only limited to Pedana town and its neighbouring villages of Machilipatnam, Polavaram and Kappaladoddi in Guduru mandal of Krishna district.

The ingredients used in the preparation of colours, stages of applying the dye and designs on fabrics were also submitted to the GIR authorities for the conservation of the art as well as easy identification of violators anywhere. Nevertheless, the geographical identification was limited for a few areas of production – such as textiles and textile goods, bed and table covers, clothing, carpets, rugs, linoleum and other materials for covering existing floors and embroidery.

“Since the new status deals with promising the registered standards of the Kalamkari, even local artisans and production houses have no exemption from the guidelines, framed for conservation of the art, if they fail to maintain the respective standard,” added Mr. Anand Prasad.

“Now we have every right to seek legal action against the violators – who copy the art form on the registered products,” he added. On the other hand, the scientists of National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad were engaged in producing new colours meant for Machilipatnam Kalamkari and a special training programme on applying new colours was also completed this week.

As a witness of the existence of the art form, a wall hanger dating back to 15th Century AD, is still being displayed in Victoria Museum, London.

The article has been edited to correct an editing error.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by  T. Appala Naidu / Pedana (Krishna District) / August 18th, 2013

A boon for fisherfolk in Krishna

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature
Fishing boats moored in the mangroove forest in Nagayalanka mandal of Krishna district./ Photo: T. Appala Naidu / The Hindu
Fishing boats moored in the mangroove forest in Nagayalanka mandal of Krishna district./ Photo: T. Appala Naidu / The Hindu

 Since the estuary passes through the sanctuary, boatmen bank on it for fishing

Besides the conservation of mangrove forest, boating and fishing in the brackish waters in the Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) in Krishna district has become an integral part of the local communities living on the sanctuary premises.

While elders of fisherfolk families are mostly seen busy in search of fish catch on country-made or small engine boats, children and women join their men, spending their day peacefully moving into the lush green mangrove forest and tranquil waters on the boat.

Since the estuary of Krishna passes through the sanctuary near the Sorlagondi and Nachugunta reserve forests, which are also part of the sanctuary in Nagayalanka mandal, scores of boatmen try their luck in fishing everyday. “The estuary is a natural way that directly takes our boat to the confluence point of river Krishna into Bay of Bengal. Half of the fishing is done before arrive the sea through the forest and estuary,” said a Yanadi tribal family.

Mullet, Grooper, Red Snapper, Sea Bream and Sillago Sihama, known as ‘Ladyfish’, whose seed is being developed by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, are a few fish species caught in the estuary. Near the proposed Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Missile Test Launch Facility, a treasure trove of mangrove plant species and serene water always appeal the passersby, thanks to its beauty. The locations which were explored suitable for fishing are including Gullalamoda, Sorlagondi, Eedurmondi, Nachugunta and Zinakapalem under the sanctuary boundary. Though locations within in the range of the KWS have no means of tourism facilities, the visitors always love to have a glimpse at the life of the local communities and fishing in the KWS, particularly in Summer.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Sorlagondi – May 19th, 2014

Krishi Parivartan Yatra: Agro-tech and business opportunity for farmers

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Science & Technology, Uncategorized

Sangareddy :

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) on Sunday kick started Krishi Parivartan Yatra, hosting the first of five agro-tech and business opportunities expos scheduled to take place in five cities in India.

Krishi Parivartan Yatra or a journey of agricultural transformation takes 50 farmers and entrepreneurs, who are beneficiaries of the World Bank-funded National Agriculture Innovation Project (NAIP) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), on a five-city tour to share new technologies and agri-ventures with fellow farmers.

The activity is being organized by NAIP to promote cross learning and sharing of success stories among farmers across the country, so as to strengthen agribusiness and boost the transformation of Indian agriculture. It will conclude and culminate into the Agri-Innovation Conclave in New Delhi on May 18.

The first expo held at ICRISAT showcased the best of enterprises developed through NAIP initiatives. The activity included parallel sessions and discussions where the NAIP farmer beneficiaries shared their success stories with about 200 farmers and entrepreneurs and promoted the tremendous potential in agribusiness. The train journey was then flagged from ICRISAT’s global headquarters in Hyderabad for the five-city tour after the day-long activity.

“Innovation in agriculture is widely considered as the key to achieve food security. To actualize this vast untapped potential of Indian agriculture, this Krishi Parivartan Yatra is being organized to bring to the fore, the unlimited opportunities that agriculture and agribusiness offer,” said Dr D Rama Rao, national director, NAIP at the inaugural session of the Yatra.

“Our mission is to make smallholder farmers in the drylands prosperous, not just self-sufficient. And that is why we are engaged in promoting an inclusive and technology-based entrepreneurship and agribusiness program,” said Joanna Kane-Potaka, strategic communication and marketing director, representing ICRISAT director-general Dr William Dar.

“ICRISAT’s Agri-Business Incubation (ABI) Program has supported more than 200 agribusiness ventures and benefited over 500,000 farmers in Andhra Pradesh and neighboring states. We have identified and supported some very good innovative products and technologies and taken them to the market. The Krishi Parivartan Yatra supports our goal to bring together the best of agri-ventures and enterprises to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers,” said SM Karuppanchetty, chief operating officer, ICRISAT-ABI.

The Yatra journey, along with the just concluded Agri-Biz Idol Camps held in various cities between May 5 and 9 to reach out to the youth and start-up entrepreneurs, will both culminate in the Agri-Innovation Conclave from May 18 to 19 in New Delhi. The conclave aims to bring together agribusiness experts, professionals, and other stakeholders from across the country, on a common platform to share NAIP’s success and conceive path breaking ideas for strengthening the future of agribusiness in India.

NAIP-ICAR has embarked on this unique initiative to promote awareness on the potential opportunities in agri-business, nurture agri-innovators for future generations, and also to promote the various business incubation services offered by NAIP’s Business Planning and Development (BPD) units. The BPDs which primarily act as an agriculture incubation centers help start-ups or entrepreneurs foraying into agribusiness to flourish by providing comprehensive business solutions.

Over the last five years, 22 agribusiness incubators (BPDs) have been set up throughout India in agricultural universities and research institutes by NAIP-ICAR with support and mentoring by ICRISAT-ABI. The success has led to ICRISAT and ICAR sharing their expertise across the continents to Africa, to coordinate the setting up of food business incubators and food technology laboratories in 10 African countries.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / by Syed Akbar, TNN / May 11th, 2014

APFDC earns highest-ever revenue from pepper auction

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

PepperHF19may2014

Vietnam model of cultivating it as mono-crop mooted

Auction of black pepper grown in Visakhapatnam and East Godavari by the AP Forest Development Corporation has fetched Rs.2.66 crore.

High in demand all over the world, particularly in Western and European countries, black pepper is known as an important ingredient to enhance the taste quotient of several delicacies — be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian. It is also recognised for its medicinal value in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, diarrhoea, and respiratory ailments.

During the auctions conducted at a function hall in MVP Colony here on Friday in the presence of APFDC Vice-Chairman-cum-Managing Director Rajesh Mittal, the response from the bidders was very good.

“Auction of 36.24 tonne brought us revenue of Rs.2.66 crore this time, the highest ever so far,” APFDC General Manager A.N. Gurumurthy told The Hindu on Saturday. During last year, the corporation earned Rs.47.33 lakh by auctioning 15.36 tonne.

Pepper is grown at high altitude in several parts of Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts as an inter-crop in coffee plantations. Tribal people involved in coffee plantations by the Coffee Board also produce pepper.

Pepper plants are creepers hanging from silver oak and other shade-giving trees in the coffee plantations of Anantagiri, Araku, and other valleys of the Eastern Ghats. They also attract several people interested in ecotourism.

While the APFDC is growing pepper in coffee plantations raised in 10,000 acres, the Coffee Board produces pepper as inter-crop in coffee taken up in 55,000 hectare. The APFDC and the Coffee Board have been getting awards at the highest level for raising fine flavour coffee, bringing international recognition to locally produced coffee.

Experts say that pepper potential in the lush-green jungles of the Eastern Ghats could be explored better by raising coffee in more area and promoting pepper under the shade of coffee plants.

Some moot that pepper production could be raised by following the Vietnam model of cultivating it as a mono-crop in large stretches of high-altitude hilly terrains by planting it on wooden poles or concrete pillars without disturbing the eco-system. Vietnam is one of the leading pepper exporters.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Santosh Patnaik / Visakhapatnam – May 11th, 2014

Hussainsagar water to be on sale

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Science & Technology
File picture of Hussainsagar lake. (Photo: DC/File)
File picture of Hussainsagar lake. (Photo: DC/File)

Hyderabad:

The Buddha Purnima project wing aims to earn Rs 60 lakh per month from the sale of treated water from Hussainsagar, which is the only revenue generating project under the Hussainsagar Lake and Catchment Improvement Programme (HCIP).

The three filling stations, at Khairatabad flyover, NTR Garden service gate and Sanjeevaiah Park second gate together will have the capacity to fill 1,000 tankers (of 10 kilo liters) per day. Out of the 50 MLD of treated water, 35 MLD will be used to maintain the lake balance, seven will be used by HMDA and the rest will be sold.

The three filling stations will be connected with a six-km pipeline procured from Kolkata. The HMDA chief engineer for the reuse project explained, “Per day, 50 MLD of sewerage water is being treated at various sewerage treatment plants (STPs), out of which 35 MLD is needed to maintain the lake balance (for evaporation and percolation); of the remaining 15 MLD, 7.10 MLD is required for gardening and landscaping of HMDA amusement establishments surrounding Hussainsagar. The remaining 8 MLD will be stored at the filling stations for sale.”

The treated water contains dissolved oxygen less than 3 milligrams per liter (mg/l), residual chlorine from 0.1 to 0.2 mg/l and other elements like nitrogen, phosphorus, coliform and suspended solids. It can be used for irrigation, construction, landscaping, gardening and washing purposes.

Till now, the South Central Railway, Secunderabad, has come forward to purchase 1.10 MLD for washing bogies (0.6 MLD at Nampally station and 0.5 MLD at Kachiguda); few private construction companies and concrete ready mix plants have also showed interest.

“The exact price per tanker will be finalised after the completion of the filling stations. The HMDA has estimated close to Rs 2 lakh revenue per day (Rs 60 lakh per month). Each station will have four filling points and the maximum flow at each point will be 69 cubic meter per hour,” added the official.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs/ by DC Correspondent / May 08th, 2014

From Pastapur to Senegal, widening the network of millets

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Nature, World Opinion
Chinna Narsamma, a member of the DDS, exchanging millet seeds with a delegate from Senegal at Pastapur in Medak district on Tuesday./ Photo: Mohd. Arif / The Hindu
Chinna Narsamma, a member of the DDS, exchanging millet seeds with a delegate from Senegal at Pastapur in Medak district on Tuesday./ Photo: Mohd. Arif / The Hindu

Medak-based DDS, with 10 African nations, strives for Afro-Indian Millet Alliance

The Deccan Development Society (DDS), which is working on various crop improvement programmes, has succeeded in forging alliance with several African nations for research and development of millet cultivation.

The DDS, headquartered at Pastapur in Medak district, along with 10 African nations, is actively participating for the realisation of the Afro-Indian Millet Alliance which has been under planning stage since February last year.

Food security

“Many West African nations are getting ready to pursue agricultural models designed by the DDS that encapsulate ecological farming, biodiversity, food and nutritional security, along with ecological security.

The Millet Network of India (MINI), of which the DDS is the national convenor, has foregrounded the various cultivation aspects of millets including biodiversity, ecology and farmers’ self-reliance,” said DDS Director P.V. Sateesh.

Overseas alliance

Speaking to the media at Pastapur on Tuesday, Mr. Sateesh said that last week the DDS was invited to attend to the West African Regional Assembly of the COPAGEN, a network present in nine West African countries– Senegal, Burkina Faso, Togo, Cote D’Ivore, Mali, Benin, Niger, Guinea, Guinea Bissau–, is engaged with millions of West African farmers.

“We are very happy to see that the research on Bt Cotton pursued by the DDS in Adilabad, Nalgonda and Warangal is being followed to find out the impact of Bt cotton in Burkina Faso, a West African country. Following in the footsteps of the DDS, the farmers there have formed community research groups and are regularly monitoring and colleting data on the cultivation aspects of Bt cotton,” he said.

A DDS team comprising Narsamma, a peasant farmer; Ms. Jayasri Cherukuri, Coordinator of the MINI and P.V. Satheesh, Director of the DDS, made a detailed presentation on the work done by the network here on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the DDS and the COPAGEN are also planning to organise farmer exchange programmes between the Africa and India, with a special focus on the women farmers in both the countries.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Sangareddy – November 22nd, 2013