Category Archives: Green Initiatives / Environment

Project Anantha launched

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Science & Technology
Revenue minister N. Raghuveera Reddy lights lamp to mark the inauguration of ‘Project Anantha’ at Rythu Bazaar in Anantapur on Thursday. MP Anantha Venkatarami Reddy is also seen. — DC
Revenue minister N. Raghuveera Reddy lights lamp to mark the inauguration of ‘Project Anantha’ at Rythu Bazaar in Anantapur on Thursday. MP Anantha Venkatarami Reddy is also seen. — DC

Anantapur: 

Revenue minister N. Raghuveera Reddy on Thursday launched ‘Project Anantha’, an innovative project with five year-plan, with an estimate of Rs 7676 crore at Rythu Bazaar here on Thursday.

The project was designed to take all available measures to overcome severe drought situation in the district as Anantapur is located in rain-shadow region, made permanently drought with second lowest rainfall district in the country.

Raghuveera Reddy had inaugurated the Project Anantha office at Rythu Bazaar premises on the occasion.

Speaking at the programme, the revenue minister said that this was the first ever project designed in the country allocating separate budget in the five year plan from 2013-14 to 2017-18 based on the recommendations of ICAR committee report.

“The ICAR committee had studied all the relevant concerns and issues of agriculture and allied sectors in detail made an assessment of natural resource base, crops, livelyhood opportunities available in the district in a scientific way,” he recalled.

Referring to introduction of all sectors in the Project, Raghuveera Reddy observed that techno-development action research project leveraging specific agriculture, sericulture and dairy technologies for result oriented development.

Revenue minister also said Project Anantha collaborated with ICAR and universities of agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry departments for its implementation.

“The Project requires Rs 7676 crores of which Rs 3550.078 crores from various departmental resources, subsidy,  beneficiary contribution. And intends to mobilise an amount of Rs 836 crore through banks,” he said.

As part of the introducing the project, 14 villages of 14 Assembly segments have been selected for pilot project and later extended to all the villages, he said, adding that the Project Anantha programme should have no link with the elections and politics as all representatives and leaders sought district should overcome drought situation.

He expressed confidence the new project with all allied sectors would certainly uplift farmers of Anantapur.

MP Ananta Venkatarami Reddy, MLAs Madhusudhan Guptha, B.K. Parthasarathi,  Abdul Ghani and B. Gurunath Reddy, collector D.S. Lokesh Kumar, Project Anantha Chairman Chandramouli were among participated in the programme.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / January 03rd, 2014

Production of Sona Masoori Goes up in Kurnool

Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All

Despite heavy rains and cyclones lashing the district this year, Kurnool has recorded an increase in paddy production compared to last year. Adequate water released from KC Canal, Srisailam reservoir and Tungabhadra dam has facilitated this increase, agriculture officials said.

Nearly 64.77 lakh tonnes of paddy was harvested during kharif season. The official expected 28 lakh tones for rabi season. Almost 95 percent of the total production of the BPT 5204 (Kurnool Sona Masoori) variety has been procured to be stored in the district. The early release of irrigation water from various projects paved the way for a good harvest.

Farmers, especially in Nandyal, Allagadda and Atmakur taluks, are on cloud nine despite last minute obstacles during the season. Crops suffered minor damage in July and November because of monsoon rains and cyclones. However, the agriculture department stepped in and provided valuable inputs to farmers and advised them to make use of fertilizer and urea, agriculture joint director D Thakur Naik told Express.

The rice variety Kurnool Sona (BPT 5204) Masoori is soon likely to be in more supply, he added. Sona Masoori is the preferred variety for rice eaters in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Its major production centres are Kurnool, Nizamabad, Nellore and Guntur and the variety produced in Kurnool is considered to be the best.

Kurnool Sona Masoori has a unique taste that is not matched by rice from any other province. “Everyone is crazy about Sona Masoori because of the name it has earned and not because equally good varieties are not available,” technical agriculture officer Shashidhar Reddy said.

Sona Masoori cultivation during the just-ended kharif season in Kurnool increased to nearly 10,000 hectares as against the normal 86,939 hectares.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by K Madhu Sudhakar – Kurnool / December 23rd, 2013

Visakhapatnam’s nature lovers turn guardian angels of tree

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Visakhapatnam :

Having lost trust in the intentions and actions of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), environment-conscious citizens and NGOs have decided to maintain a strict daily vigil on the 125-year-old heritage banyan tree at Railway Station Road to prevent it from falling prey to the civic body’s axe.

After the photograph of the tree bearing axe marks was published in TOI on Sunday, irked green lovers not only paid the heritage banyan tree a visit the same day but also spoke to GVMC workers present at the site. Noted environment and heritage activist from the city, Sohan Hatangadi, who is a member of Intach (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) also sent a scathing email in this regard to the GVMC chief on Sunday, which still hasn’t received any response.

Vivek Rathod, an active member of Meecons (Mother Earth Environment Consciousness Society), said, “On Sunday, we visited the tree and the GVMC staff in charge of constructing the wall and drainage said that the drainage construction will take place from another side to prevent any further damage to the tree. However, we will be keeping an eye on their future activities around the tree and will also meet the authorities at the earliest. We have decided to take turns to visit the tree each day and keep a strict watch so that no further harm is done to the tree.”

With the GVMC demolishing the century-old Kurupam market structure overnight, citizens are apprehensive that the heritage tree could also meet the same fate. Already, around 40 full-grown trees on the railway station road have been chopped off recently for road widening much to the chagrin of denizens.

Representatives of environmental NGOs are also planning to meet GVMC authorities to ensure that the heritage tree is not harmed any more. The tree not only bore axe marks but also a branch was chopped off for facilitating drainage in the area despite assurances given by GVMC that it would not touch the tree.

Meanwhile, in his letter to the GVMC commissioner M V Satyanarayana, Sohan wrote, “Now that the railway area has been acquired by GVMC, it has exposed the tree and left it to the mercy of the corporation’s axe. The GVMC has failed miserably in greening our city and now it appears to be taking an active part in destroying what little greenery we have. Your engineers are giving only a speculative, uninformed and unconvincing response when asked how this could happen.”

“We are frequently seeing news reports of old trees being axed during road widening. Some of these old trees are more than 100 years old and are not only of heritage significance, but also nurture thousands of birds and small animals that are a part of our ecosystem. Furthermore, large trees such as these serve as a CO2 sink removing almost 50 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere in a year,” the letter said.

However, till Tuesday, Sohan said he had not received any intimation from the GVMC. “After December 27, we, on behalf of Intach, are planning to meet the GVMC commissioner regarding the tree as well as establishing a heritage conservation committee,” he said.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam> Cultural Heritage / TNN / December 25th, 2013

Success for Silver Pompano in Andhra Pradesh

Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology

INDIA – The first crop of the highly valued Silver Pompano fish cultivated in Krishna district, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, for the first time is ready for harvest.

The marine fish, locally known as Chanduva Para, which is being cultivated in two acres of brackish water in Nagayalanka mandal, survived without any retardation in growth despite the recent bad weather.  The Hindu  reports that this is the first marine fish being cultivated in brackish waters in Krishna district.

Scientists from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Chennai, provided the Silver Pompano seed to the Nagayalanka-based farmer, T. Raghu Sekhar, in July. The tenant farmer sowed the seed in his two-acre pond at Peda Kammavaripalem in Nagayalanka mandal.

Good growth

“Of the total 6,000 seeds released into the pond, not a single fish died and growth is expected to reach the maximum of 400 gm to 420 gm by the time of the first harvest due in March,” Mr Sekhar told  The Hindu .

By the fourth month the fish grew to the size of a palm and also turned white. They were able to tolerate the vagaries of weather, Mr Sekhar said. There is great demand for the Silver Pompano, a marine fish, in the domestic market all along the coast in Andhra Pradesh. But there was a drastic fall in the catch of the variety of fish in the ocean. The fishermen were not sure when and in which weather conditions they could catch this variety of fish in the ocean, Mr Sekhar said.

Lucrative price

The cultivation of these fish was, however, tricky because the salinity of the water should be maintained between five and 40 PPT (parts per thousand) for the fish to thrive and grow.

“Domestic market prices are very lucrative for Silver Pompano, fetching Rs 200 a kg. At times when the cultivation of tiger prawn and high risk Vannamei shrimp are driving the farmer into losses frequently, shifting to cultivation of marine fish species is being seen as a viable and lucrative option,” added Mr Sekhar

source : http://www.thefishsite.com/ The Fish Site / Home> News> India / by The Fish Site News Desk / December 17th, 2013

Flamingo fest at Sullurpeta from January 8

Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

FlamingoHF27dec2013

Nellore: 

District administration is planning to hold the unique three-day event Flamingo Festival at Sullurpeta from January 8th next year.

The administration has been organising the festival every year to mark the arrival of thousands of migratory birds, especially flamingos, to Nelapattu Birds sanctuary, widely known as their winter home.

Bird watchers and tourists throng the Sanctuary and Pulicat lake to watch flamingos hunt fish during the daytime.

The festival was planned about a decade ago to attract tourists to the sanctuary from the state and neighbouring states.

District collector N. Srikant has asked the officials to prepare an action plan to hold the festival on January 8, 9 and 10 next year during a meeting held at the Kalyana Mandapam in Chengalamma temple at Sullurpeta on Wednesday.

He directed the officials to make necessary arrangements to provide accommodation for the tourists and asked them not to repeat the mistakes committed in making arrangements earlier.

Srikant said that stalls of various government departments and cultural prorgammes would be arranged at the junior college ground at Sullurpeta during the festival.

Seminars on bio-diversity, birds and protection of Pulicat lake would also be conducted.

Boat ride will be arranged for the visitors at Bheemulavaripalem in Tada mandal.

The collector inspected the junior college ground along with ZP CEO Jitendra, DWMA project director Gowthami, tourism officer Nagabhushana, Nayudupeta RDO M.V. Ramana and Gudur DSP Chowdeswari Devi.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / December 19th, 2013

Nursery for Plant Scions in Hyderabad

Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Science & Technology

plantHF24dec2013

As many as two new Scion Bank Nurseries producing high yielding grafts of different varieties of fruit plants and others are being planned at Moinabad on the city outskirts by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) shortly.

The two new scion bank nurseries have been proposed at Peddmangalaram village in about 50 acres land and Kanakamaidi village in Moinabad mandal of Rangareddy in about 100 acres of land at a cost of `20 crore each.

These two villages fall under the GOMs 111. For the developing the nurseries, HMDA has requested the State Government to transfer the above said lands to them from the Revenue Department so that they can take up the works. The HMDA which already established a scion bank nursery at Tellapur is developing high yielding grafts of different varieties of mango, amla, pomegranate, sapota, seethaphal, jamun, acid lime and tamarind, according to HMDA officials.

The grafts are established through approach, bud and veneer grafting techniques. The scientific management of scion bank yields from 50,000 to 75,000 grafted seedlings per annum.

Presently, the HMDA is making attempts for environment upgradation of Hyderabad metropolitan area by developing and supplying various types of nursery seedlings for multiple urban uses like ornamental plants, shade bearing plants, fruit bearing plants, fodder and fuel needs of the urban and peri urban population.   As many as 10 central nurseries are maintained by the Urban Forestry Wing all around HMA area at Mental Hospital Campus in Erragadda, Airforce Station Land at Hakeempet, Pedda Cheruvu in Nacharam, Bomrukdowla at Rajendranagar, Vanasthalipuram, Yapral, Cherlapalli, Shamshabad, Tellapur and Kapra etc.

In the scion nursery, just a stump, which already has an established healthy root system, is grafted with a cutting or a bud from another plant. In some cases, such as grapes and other fruit-bearing plants, cuttings are used for rootstocks, the roots being established in nursery conditions before planting them out.

The plant part grafted onto the rootstock is usually called the scion. The rootstock is selected for its interaction with the soil, providing the roots and the stem to support the new plant, obtaining the necessary soil water and minerals. After a few weeks, tissues of two parts will have grown together, eventually forming a single plant.

The use of rootstocks is commonly associated with fruit-bearing plants and trees, but is the only way to mass propagate many other types of plants that do not breed true from seed.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by S. Bachan Jeet Singh – Hyderabad / December 13th, 2013

Hyderabad to host 3-day global meet on millets

Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Mumbai :

A global meet on millets for expert consultations on their promotion for health and nutrition security will be held in Hyderabad during December 18-20.

Organised jointly by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research, Directorate of Sorghum Research and Society for Millet Research, the three-day global meet will bring together experts from India and abroad (Africa, Australia, China, and the US).

Topics

They will discuss a range of topics including global millet scenario, genetic improvement, role of private sector in millet consumption, innovations in processing, supply chain management, nutrition and health implications as also government policies and programmes.

Scientists, nutritionists, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, policymakers and other stakeholders are participating.

Following the success of Green Revolution and emphasis on fine cereals rice and wheat, in recent decades, there has been a gradual reduction in consumption of millets such as sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, kodo millet, proso millet and barnyard millet, as staple food in the semi-arid regions.

Given the current health and nutritional challenge facing a large number of people, especially the poor, the global meet will attempt to once again evolve strategies to mainstream millets in the daily food of people.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Agri-Biz / by The Hindu Bureau / Mumbai – December 09th, 2013

Researchers claim development of diabetic-friendly rice varieties

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology
Vice-Chancellor of Acharya N.G. Ranga Agriculture University A. Padma Raju addressing farmers and rice millers in Tadepalligudem in West Godavari district on Saturday. / Photo A.V.G .Prasad / The Hindu
Vice-Chancellor of Acharya N.G. Ranga Agriculture University A. Padma Raju addressing farmers and rice millers in Tadepalligudem in West Godavari district on Saturday. / Photo A.V.G .Prasad / The Hindu

Acharya N.G. Ranga Agriculture University takes up research on developing the new varieties

Acharya N.G. Ranga Agriculture University has taken up research on development of diabetic-friendly rice varieties in collaboration with private industries, University Vice-Chancellor Alluri Padma Raju disclosed here on Saturday.

Mr. Raju was speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of a meeting of rice millers, peasant representatives and agricultural scientists conducted by the Agricultural Research Station (ARS) at Maruteru for popularising new paddy varieties.

“Scientists are on the job of building glycemic indices (GIs) with the data on how much carbohydrates in each existing rice variety raises a person’s blood glucose levels after consuming the particular variety,” he said. As of now, 40 rice varieties were available with the researchers and 14 of them were found to be having anti-diabetic properties. Of them, BPT-5204, popularly known as Samba Masuri, was found to be more friendlier to diabetics, Mr. Raju explained.

The research strategies involved collection of anti-diabetic genes from different varieties and introduced them in the select varieties by way of selective breeding through the marker identification method.

Diabetes was fast spreading and people even below 30 years were falling prey to the disease, of late. The breakthrough, if achieved in the on-going research, would be a boon for the people prone to diabetics caused by food habits, among others, in a country where rice consumption accounted for more than 80 per cent, he hoped.

The Samba Masuri was identified as an ideal variety for projection as more diabetic friendly given its ‘admirable’ strains such as easy to cook and preservation without becoming stale for a long time after cooking and non-sticky in nature, Mr. Raju said.

The V-C informed that the gale-resistant paddy varieties, need of the hour in the cyclone-prone Godavari delta region, were likely to be released in April next, facilitating sowing for the next kharif. The research had been in progress for the last 4-5 years and it was currently under trial in different stages, he added. If these new breeds hit the markets, the paddy growers would be relieved of the miseries caused by the predominant variety of Swarna in view of its susceptibility to lodging at times of cyclones, he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by  G Nagarajan / Tadepalligudem (West Godavari Dist.), December 22nd, 2013

Vakalapudi gearing up for ‘beach festival’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature
First round of the festival was a grand success, says District collector Neetu Prasad / The Hindu
First round of the festival was a grand success, says District collector Neetu Prasad / The Hindu

Collector holds review meet on the three-day celebrations

East Godavari district administration is making arrangements for the celebration of three-day ‘beach festival’ at Vakalapudi beach for the second consecutive year from January 10.

Addressing a review meeting with the officials of various departments here on Wednesday, Collector Neetu Prasad said that the State government allocated Rs.12 lakh for the last festival, while the sponsors had come out with another Rs. 40 lakh. She said that efforts were on to get more funds from the government for this year event as the first round of beach festival was a grand success.

Recalling the traffic congestion on the Beach Road during the last festival, the Collector asked the police to identify alternative routes to avoid traffic jams.

Different committees were appointed to ensure peaceful conduct of the festival and the convener of each committee was directly answerable to the Collector. Similarly, a sponsors’ meet would be conducted in which the hoteliers and tour operators would be invited. Ms. Neetu asked the officials to arrange a photo exhibition that would depict the places of importance in the district.

She also suggested arrangement of stalls in the exhibition by the government departments.

Cultural performances would be arranged on all the three days for providing entertainment to the audience, she said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu /Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Kakinada – December 12th, 2013

Women shine in green business

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

 

Picture for representational purpose only.
Picture for representational purpose only.

Hyderabad:

Planning to become a woman entrepreneur? Young women from the state are setting up new businesses and are doing pretty well for themselves.

Several women entrepreneurs came together at the three-day international conference on ‘Green Enterprises and Green Industrial Parks’ organised by ALEAP. The international conference brought women entrepreneurs, sponsors and government officials on a common platform.

Present at the conference was Anusha Barrela, 23. She is the founder and president of three different firms — Bio Conservation Foundation, Saatyaki Foundation and Siaa Enterprises. “The Bio Conservation Foundation aims at rehabilitating endangered flora and fauna. We are currently working on saving the Olive Ridley sea turtle.

In our hatcheries along the east coast of the Bay of Bengal, we store turtle eggs and nourish the hatchlings, which are then released into the sea with the help of the forest department,” she explained. Elephants and sparrows are on the list too.

She is also the founder of Apple Tree (Saatyaki Foundation), a pre-primary school that brings an international curriculum for pre-primary education to South India. Siaa Enterprises deals with publishing children’s books.

Aishwarya, 26, who had a stall at the show, started Tint and Tones, her textile business, about six months ago. The firm deals in organic, hand-woven textiles. A graduate of the Parsons’ School of Design, New York, Aishwarya says, “We work with weavers to develop different kinds of fabrics.”

Speaking about business parks for women entrepreneurs, Rajat Kumar, the commissioner of industries, said, “APIIC is identifying land for these parks. Currently, three such parks at Visakhapatnam, Kadapa and Nellore are being developed by ALEAP. Others will begin soon.”

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Current Affairs / DC / Kruthi Gonwar / July 19th, 2013