Category Archives: Green Initiatives / Environment

Prestigious honour for OU academic

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

Dr. C. Manoharachary, senior scientist of National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI), was recently awarded ‘Indian Phytopathological Society Recognition Award’ for the year 2015 in recognition of his services to the field of plant pathology.

The Indian Phytopathological Society conferred the prestigious honour on him in New Delhi recently, informed a press release from Dr. Pratibha Sharma, secretary of the society.

Dr. Manocharachary did his post doctoral work in Germany. An acknowledged academic in his own right, Prof. Manoharachary specialises in biodiversity, taxonomy, conservation and bioprospecting of fungi, plant pathogens, microbes, mycorrhizae, lichens, medicinal plants, besides others. He discovered 20 new genera, 120 new species and 500 new additions of fungi.

He guided 50 PhDs, published 540 research papers in reputed national and international journals, besides authoring 28 books.

Dr. Manoharachary served the Osmania University in various capacities for over 40 years.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / Staff Reporter / Hyderabad – February 26th, 2016

Conservationist wins laurels

Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nature

Tiger researcher Jogu Yellam receiving the certificate for meritorious service in tiger conservation in Adilabad on Tuesday.— Photo: S. Harpal Singh
Tiger researcher Jogu Yellam receiving the certificate for meritorious service in tiger conservation in Adilabad on Tuesday.— Photo: S. Harpal Singh

Adilabad perhaps became the first district in Telangana State to recognise the importance of conservation when the administration gave away a certificate of appreciation to a tiger conservationist at the Kawal Tiger Reserve. Jogu Yellam, a tiger researcher at the KTR had his efforts in conservation as well those in tracking the movements of the tigers which have arrived at the facility rewarded when Collector M. Jagan Mohan and Superintendent of Police Tarun Joshi presented him the certificate at the 67th Republic Day celebration here on Tuesday.

Earlier, the Collector unfurled the national tricolour and took the salute at the march past by armed forces in the district as well as cadets of NCC and others. Among those who attended the programme were the in charge District Judge Suneetha Kunchala.

Addressing the people of the district from the AR head quarters here, Mr. Jagan Mohan recounted the government’s efforts in uplifting the poor and downtrodden. He said the Dalit Basti programme introduced by the government saw 294 dalit beneficiaries being allocated over 857 acres of land at the rate of 3 acres per beneficiary incurring a cost of Rs. 29 crore during 2014-2015.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Adilabad – January 27th, 2016

Distinction for TU faculty

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

Praveen Mamidala, head, Department of Biotechnology in the Telangana University got international recognition for his research on the evolution and characteristics of soyabean seed.

On his research done along with scientists Bansal, Priyanka and Brian J. Kassone of Agriculture and Research Development Centre of Ohio State articles were published in the internationally famous science magazine-Public Library Open Source. The magazine has four impact factors being given acknowledging the research in science.

Dr. Praveen said that the research was the first of its kind on the particular subject. He thanked the university Vice-Chancellor C. Parthasarathi and the Registrar Prof. R. Limbadri for their encouragement for his research.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Nizamabad – September 29th, 2015

Poorna named brand ambassador

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

Pakala village is looking to achieve cent per cent construction of Individual Sanitary Lavatories

Collector Yogitha Rana appointed mountaineer Malavath Poorna, who scaled Mount Everest, as brand ambassador for the Individual Sanitary Lavatories scheme in her native village – Pakala of Sirikonda mandal.

Declaring this at the Grama Sabha conducted as part of the implementation of Grama Jyothi programme at the village on Monday, she said residents should consider roads, schools, government offices and property as their own.

The Collector adopted the village for the execution of the Grama Jyothi programme.

She made it clear that if people wanted the government to do everything, a positive change would never come about in villages.

It is everyone’s responsibility to keep villages clean and green. Appealing to the villagers not to send their children to work and instead send them to schools, she said education would bring about a great change.

Explaining the intention of the Grama Jyothi, the Collector said that seven committees on sanitation-safe drinking water supply, healthcare-nutrition, education, social security-poverty alleviation, harnessing natural resources, agriculture and basic infrastructure development would be constituted to supervise the implementation of works.

She said that 40,000 saplings should be planted in the village and cent per cent ISLs be built within 30 days.

The village Sarpanch, Lakshmi, presided over the meeting.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Nizamabad – August 18th, 2015

Environment expert Rajamani passes away

Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders

Hyderabad :

Well-known environmentalist and former bureaucrat, R Rajamani, passed away in Hyderabad on Thursday, after a brief illness. He was 78.

Best remembered for his uprightness, passion and humility, the 1959 batch IAS officer from Andhra Pradesh cadre, served as the collector of both Adilabad and Medak during his tenure. He also held the principal secretary post in the finance and forest departments of erstwhile AP.

Apart from his home ground, the distinguished officer worked in various departments at the Centre during the term of three Prime Ministers – Morarji Desai, Charan Singh and Indira Gandhi. He then went on to serve in the cabinet secretariat under Rajiv Gandhi. Rajamani eventually retired from office as secretary, forest and environment, Government of India.

As an expert on environmental issues, his association with the field, however, did not end there. Post the completion of his tenure, Rajamani took on the role of an advisor to the United Nations Environment Programme and also played a critical part in protecting the city’s environment and rich heritage.

In fact, post a PIL filed before the Supreme Court pertaining to ‘destruction’ of the Hussainsagar, the SC appointed a three-member committee (was called the Rajamani Committee), with him at the helm of affairs, which eventually went on to save the iconic water body from falling prey to widespread encroachment.

“There was a high court order of 2000 that had laid down certain restrictions on construction activity around the lake. However, that was flouted by certain parties. When this three-member committee submitted its first report in 2005, the SC directed the authorities to honour the HC order,” shared environmental engineer, Sagar Dhara, who was part of this body along with R C Reddy and Rajamani. “While his level of involvement with his work was unimaginable, what struck me most about him was how humane he was. Also, despite being a former bureaucrat, he never shied away from raising his voice each time he thought that the government was doing something wrong. He was a great friend and mentor,” Dhara said.

For ‘green’ campaigner M Mandal too, Rajamani’s death has meant losing an advisor who environmental activists from the city flocked to, each time there was a crisis. “Until a few years ago, he also chaired the Heritage Conservation Committee and went all out to preserve Hyderabad’s ancient structures. He will be missed,” Mandal said.

Members of Forum for a Better Hyderabad (FBH) also expressed their condolences through a release issued on Thursday. “His knowledge, experience and wisdom concerning issues of nature and environmental protection and preservation had been of immense value during his association with FBH during the last one and half decades,” the release stated. The funeral will be held in the city on Friday.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / June 26th, 2015

Traditional knowledge on biodiversity in Telangana being gathered

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

Hyderabad :

In the fledgling Telangana State, the aged are being approached to find out from them traditional knowledge pertaining to medical plants and the richness of the bio-diversity in the areas.

The Telangana State Biodiversity Board (TSBB) which was formed after the bifurcation of united AP, has sent well-equipped teams with technical knowledge to fan out into bio-diversity rich areas to gather complete information about forest areas, government land, lakes, and rivers. Specifically, photographs are to be taken of plants and animals.

Dr Shilpi Sharma, a regional biodiversity coordinator said considering the importance Ayurveda has gained, the aged are being specifically approached to find out from them about the medicinal value of plants in the area they live.

Talking to them about traditional knowledge and their experiences, the teams will document everything with photographs and statements.

The idea behind gathering all the information is to record the rich biodiversity in the areas, and check if still exists. The information will also help in taking measures to preserve the bio-diversity in the specific areas.

The TSBB constituted Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) to prepare what are called “People’s Biodiversity Registers” (PBRs) in 50 areas at the gram panchayat level in Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Mahbubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Ranga Reddy and Warangal. Scientific institutions, NGOs and community-based organisations are also involved as Technical Support Groups (TSGs) with the BMCs to gather what will be a mine of information.

According to official sources a lot of information has been gathered at various places, even pertaining not only to the plant life but also insect life and microorganisms in the areas.

Interesting information also is coming out from people who are said to be parting with the traditional knowledge that they have acquired. Drying of fish today is mainly done by customized solar dryers but traditional knowledge provided an insight into how to do it in a better way without the use of solar dryers. The findings and knowledge will be well documented.

The National Biodiversity Board (NBB) has asked the biodiversity boards of all the states in the country and it has been going in for some years. Prior to united AP bifurcation in June last year, work pertaining to preparing “People’s Biodiversity Registers” had been taken up in all the districts.

However, with Telangana becoming a separate state, a fresh programme was begun a couple of months ago. Some preliminary information in the form of the PBRs is expected to be submitted in the next six months or so.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / by Ch. Sushil Rao, TNN / June 18th, 2015

Gubba Group launches Germplasm Bank

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

First such bank in the private sector to help preserve seeds

A Germplasm Bank for use by seed companies, farmers, scientists and research institutions is the latest business venture of Gubba, a Hyderabad-based Group specialising in cold storage services.

Announcing the launch of the bank established with an investment outlay of Rs. 4 crore, senior members of the management team led by the Group CEO, Gubba Kiran, on Wednesday said it was the first such facility in the private sector in India. It has two vaults that together offer 107 lockers in which Germplasm will be stored for five to 40 years under minus 20 degree Celsius. Explaining the process, Gubba Prashanth, Research and Technical Head, said on receiving the Germplasm seeds, it is sent to the laboratory to record the details and create a database. This is followed by x-ray analysis, cold drying, packing and preservation. The stored material will be subjected to quality checks periodically.

In tune with its role of custodian of the seeds, for which it will charge monthly rentals in the Rs. 20,000 – Rs. 25,000 band per locker, the company, he said, assures high levels of confidentiality of the database. Unless permitted by the customer, the information would not be shared, he added. A few lockers will be provided free of cost to individuals and NGOs working in the area of seed preservation. The facility over time is expected to generate and provide new scientific knowledge and information on ecosystems, species and genes.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent/ Hyderabad – January 29th, 2015

Awards Given Away to RTC Bus Drivers for Saving Fuel

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Records, All, Travel

Transport minister P Mahender Reddy presenting the first best KMPL award to Khammam depot driver Ch Papi Reddy at RTC Kala Bhavan in Hyderabad on Wednesday | EXPRESS Photo
Transport minister P Mahender Reddy presenting the first best KMPL award to Khammam depot driver Ch Papi Reddy at RTC Kala Bhavan in Hyderabad on Wednesday | EXPRESS Photo

Hyderabad :

‘’We will carve Telangana State Road Transport Corporation in such a way that its model will be followed by the rest of the transport departments in the country,’’ transport minister P Mahender Reddy has said.

APSRTC, in collaboration with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation gave away awards to the best HSD (High Speed Diesel) KMPL drivers, Protective Journey Driving Instructors (PJDIs), Safety Driving Instructors (SDIs) and mechanics of Telangana at APSRTC Kala Bhavan here on Wednesday.

The awards were given to 97 drivers, instructors and mechanics from the state for using the fuel efficiently and maintaining a noteworthy KMPL. The highest KMPL of 7.92 this year was recorded by Ch Appi Reddy of Khammam district, who thereby saved 4,418 litres of HSD.

Speaking on the occasion, the transport minister urged all the drivers to try their best to conserve fuel. ‘’Today, we spend as much as `1,150 crore per annum on diesel alone. Hence, conserving fuel and using it carefully should be a regular practice,’’ he said. He lauded the efforts of the award winners and also encouraged the fellow drivers to be pro active in fuel conservation.

‘’To make the road transport service accessible to every nook and corner of the state, the chief minister has allotted ` 500 crore for improving roads in the districts,’’ he said.

Among those present at the event include N Sambasiva Rao, vice-chairman and managing director, APSRTC, Ramana Rao, joint managing director, TSRTC.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / January 29th, 2015

Harita Haaram to Commence Soon

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

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Hyderabad :

The government plans to employ National Rural Employment Generation Scheme workers in a big way to implement ‘Telanganaku Harita Haaram’, a project conceived to increase the green cover in the state.

Having set itself a huge target of planting 130-crore seedlings outside forest areas in the state, the government, for the first-time, intends to involve even big farmers in the plantation drive.

In the united AP, the plantation drives held on smaller scales were confined to the participation of only small and marginal farmers as the targets set for the purpose were minimal. For instance, last year only 5 crore saplings were planted in 23 districts, officials in the rural development commissionerate pointed out.

As per the modalities worked out, field assistants of the rural development department will identify suitable places for planting the saplings. It can be on government offices’ premises, government-owned vacant lands or even lands owned by individual farmers.

For plantation in fields, each farmer will be given a maximum number of 160 saplings per acre for bund plantation and 600 saplings for block plantation. These saplings, mostly teak, are being raised at government and private nurseries in districts and will be ready by July when the first spell of monsoon is expected.

“Authorities of the concerned government office would be made responsible for a healthy growth of the plantations on their respective office premises,” a senior official in the department added, disclosing the guidelines finalised for the implementation of the programme at a high-level meeting held recently.

To ensure that the planted saplings are taken care of well, the government has laid down strict norms before paying the farmers. As per the rates finalised by the government, farmers will be paid `10 for digging a pit and `4 for planting a sapling. They will be paid `5 per plant at the end of every month for two years. However, this comes with a strict rider: they should ensure that at least half of of the saplings they plant should survive.

“That means there should be proper maintenance. Farmers should water the plants and clear the debris regularly to make sure that they receive the payment for two full years,” he pointed out.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Vikram Mukka / December 29th, 2014

Karimnagar Farmer Shows the Way Out of Darkness

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nature, Science & Technology

Veerla Prabhakar Rao stands beside the solar panels at his farm land in Velichala | expressphoto
Veerla Prabhakar Rao stands beside the solar panels at his farm land in Velichala | expressphoto

Karimnagar :

At a time when many farmers in the State are struggling to irrigate crops due to erratic power supply, Veerla Prabhakar Rao from Velichala village in Ramagundam mandal, has found a way out of the bleak scenario.

Rao, who owns about 60 acres of farm land at Velichala, which is 12 km from here, has installed solar photovaltaic (PV) panels with a total capacity of 18 KV, which can run two 7.5 HP pumpsets and irrigate seven acres. Speaking to Express, Rao said he had invested `7 lakh to set up the solar panels for irrigation of his paddy crop. He said thanks to the solar power, he is able to irrigate his crops well and believes the future lies in this.

“We can get power throughout the day with these solar panels. Besides, it is reliable and we could be self-reliant,” he pointed out. However, it is the cost factor that prevents farmers from opting for solar power.

“That is the reason why the government should provide at least 50 per cent subsidy,” he felt and appealed to the government to also bring awareness among farmers on the importance of harnessing non-conventional energy resources. “The power situation might worsen in summer. To have uninterrupted power supply for crops, it is better for farmers to opt for solar power and generate power on their own,” he said.

The government may take time to create awareness but Rao is leading by example. Farmers from surrounding areas are showing keen interest in his solar power. But as Rao himself says, the cost of installing solar power panels is what is holding them back.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service / December 23rd, 2014