Archive for category Nature
Summer this year usual sweltering heat but also cuts in supply of water and power.
Posted by ganesh in Chennai, Communication, Entertainment, Health, Information, Nature, Other,Public, Shutdown, Water, illegal on May 3rd, 2010
The showers a couple of days may have come as a relief, but the worst of summer is yet to come, according to meteorologists. The real hot season has just begun, and for the city’s residents, summer this year has meant not just the usual sweltering heat but also cuts in supply of water and power.
Residents began feeling the heat as early as February. With the temperature soaring since, the city’s beaches have seen a manifold increase in visitors, desperate to get away from their homes and enjoy the cool breeze.
A. Sudharshan, who runs a ‘chaat’ stall on Marina beach, said: “Sales triple in April and May.” The beaches also reflect the need for more accessible, free public spaces. For not-so-affluent people such as J. Bhagyalakshmi, beaches are the place to find peace of mind amidst the daily grind of work. “Children too enjoy coming here,” the homemaker said.
Beating the heat
How do Chennaiites cope with the heat? While some can manage to stay away from the sun during the day, others who are on the go for their jobs have to do with some time-tested methods.
Construction labourer S. Perumal said he prefers to work outdoors as the breeze helps. He drinks plenty of water and has learnt that alcohol does not help in reducing heat.
R. Sabarinathan, an insurance company branch manager, covers about 150 to 200 km daily for his job. “In summer, I meet customers from 7.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and then only from 3.30 p.m. I avoid consuming meat and alcohol. At office, we provide buttermilk and lemon juice,” he said.
P. Pathan, a constable attached to Sattankadu police station, said: “Earlier, I used to wear synthetic khaki material but suffered skin rashes. I have switched to cotton uniform. I drink ragi porridge daily,” he added.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to avoid the heat. “I have seen many elderly people fainting on the road during mid-May. The pollution, along with heat, makes summer unbearable,” the policeman
Huge Shiva Lingam was found by the workers under the construction
Posted by ganesh in Chennai, Information, Nature, Other, Public, Temples, government on March 30th, 2010
A huge Shiva Lingam was found by the workers just a couple of days ago under the construction site near Karumariamman Temple, Nanganallur.
‘The upper part of the lingam is seen and we feel it needs to be installed in a better place and a puja is to be done to get the power back into the Lingam’, say the local residents.
The locals further said that the Lingam looks huge and should have some history behind it as these areas have been water bodies and this would have been left unseen since hundreds of years. ‘Whatever it is, this has added on to the sanctity of Nanganallur, especially Thillai Ganga Nagar, the area it belongs to,’ they said.
The locals as the first step have applied holy ash and lit lamps and are waiting for it to be excavated. ‘We, as residents desire a temple to be constructed in this area rather than giving it away.’
Talking to News Today Secretary Thillai Ganga Nagar Welfare Association Sankarnarayanan said, ‘We came to know about it through few sources but have not visited the place still. The news is spreading only now in our areas.’
Lusciously Succulent Watermelons have keep Cool in the Summer.
Posted by ganesh in Information, Nature, Public, Water, businesses, ramanathapuram, tamilnaduon March 17th, 2010
Though there are symptoms for gruelling summer in southern districts this year, the lusciously succulent watermelons have hit the markets in large numbers here as one of the ways to keep cool in the summer.
For customers, the sweet information for tasting the juicy flesh of sweet melon is that there is no change of price of melon when compared to the last year. Heaps of watermelons have been seen in different parts of important roads of Ramanathapuram.
The roadside hawkers, who often change the business depending upon seasonal fruits and vegetables, keep themselves busy in cutting, slicing and selling the colourful fruit. A few of them work overtime to get melons from the suppliers, besides selling them to the customers during daytime. Different sizes of melons weighing from 3 to 15 kg are available in the market, particularly roadsides.
“The sun is shining bright than last summer, during which the town and peripherals received good summer shower. I hope we will have a good business this season,” says C. Murugan, a wholesale and retail melon merchant in Ramanathapuram.
According to a rough estimate, around 400 to 500 kg of watermelon arrives daily to the town alone. While some traders get melons from the Madurai market, some have contact with the traders in Poovanthi near Madurai, who buy melons from the farmers in the nearby localities in Madurai and Sivaganga districts.
The average retail price for a kg of melon is Rs.10. A piece of melon is being sold at Rs.5. Some traders, particularly fresh juice stalls, offer a glass of melon drink at a cost of Rs.15.
Global warming and climate change affects more dangerous than even terrorism
Posted by ganesh in Agriculture, Communication, Culture, Health, Madurai, Nature, Other, illegal,modification, programme on February 10th, 2010
Global warming and climate change affects all countries, rich and poor alike, and are more dangerous than even terrorism, which targets only specific countries, according to D.R. Karthikeyan, former Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
In the last century, forests had been indiscriminately targeted for narrow gains and this had also contributed greatly to this global problem.
Mr. Karthikeyan was addressing a sapling planting campaign, organised by the M.S. Chellamuthu Trust and Research Foundation, at Alagarkoil near here on Tuesday.
The campaign launched by Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers M.K. Alagiri recently aims at planting one lakh saplings in the district.
Avoiding the use of petroleum products, taking to bio-fuel and planting more saplings are the need of the hour, said Mr. Karthikeyan.
He said that trees helped in protecting the soil besides contributing to bringing in rain. He gave away saplings to families of mentally-challenged patients of the M.S. Chellamuthu Trust.
Speaking earlier, C. Ramasubramanian, State Nodal Officer, Mental Health Programme, and founder of the Trust, said that planting of saplings will be of great help. M. Easwaran, Commandant, Armed Reserve Police (Sixth Battalion), lauded the work being done by the Trust and assured Dr. Ramasubramanian of full support.
K.P.T. Ganesan, Chairman, Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Committee, said that saplings along with the tree guards would be provided upon receiving applications.
Trust officials said that while initially 100 saplings would be planted on the M.S. Chellamuthu Gardens campus at Algarkoil, a total of 1,000 saplings would be planted through 300 families drawn from the 23 self-help groups affiliated to the Trust.
Moon Phases Calendar
Posted by ganesh in Communication, Entertainment, Information, Nature, Other, Science on February 10th, 2010
Moon Phases Calendar
Shown below are the February-2010 moon phases (or “moon schedule”). This moon calendar is an easy tool for finding out the lunar phase for any given month. Simply select a month and year, and click “Go”, and it will show you what the moon will look like for any day that month. The internal phase calculator is very accurate, but the images are approximations. The current month is always shown by default on the main moon phase calendar page (use that page for bookmarks and linking, unless you want a specific month).
People watch rare celestial phenomenon- “Kankana Suryagrahanam”, or ring solar eclipse
Nandhi idol being decorated with fruits, vegetables and sweets to mark the Shankranthi festival at Big Temple in Thanjavur on Friday
People of Thanjavur district, particularly youth and students, witnessed the rarest of the rare celestial phenomenon- “Kankana Suryagrahanam”, or ring solar eclipse, on Friday.
They used special goggles and welder glass number four supplied by Birla Planetarium and Anna University to see the eclipse.
As the eclipse peaked at 1.30 p.m., there was a lot of enthusiasm.
“The sun looked like a crescent moon with the shadow of the moon covering most part of it,” said a student who witnessed the eclipse.
As a ring of fire was formed during the eclipse, it was called “Kankana Suryagrahanam”.
As it was happening after 103 years, it created a lot of curiosity among students. Trained teachers guided the students in viewing the eclipse.
Celebration of Mattu Pongal (Pongal and worship offered to cattle) has to be scheduled either between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. or after 3 p.m.. Temples remained closed from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. The sanctum sanctorum of the Big temple here remained closed and the biggest Nandhi at the entrance was covered with screen till the eclipse was over. Pujas started after 4 p.m.
All Saivite and Vaishnavite temples and Navagraha Kshetras in the district remained closed during the eclipse.
green cover by growing a large number of trees will scale down global warming:conference
Posted by ganesh in Agriculture, Communication, Culture, Dindigul, Nature, function,modification, programme on January 13th, 2010
A.K. Rajan, chairman, Coastal Aquaculture Authority, right, releasing a handbook and a CD on climate change at a conference in Dindigul on Tuesday. Nature scientist Nammalvar receives it.
Creation of more green cover by growing a large number of trees will scale down global warming and keep the earth cool and make it an ideal place for all living things; traditional agriculture practices will protect cultivable lands.
These observation were made at the South Regional Environment Conference here on Tuesday. Coastal Aquaculture Authority Chairman A.K. Rajan said that trees were the only viable source to bring down temperature. Degradation of environment and rise in temperature were faster than scientists’ expectations. The poor would be the worst affected.
Rise in temperature by one degree centigrade would force surface-living fish to go 15 metres deep into the sea. Further increase would force them to go deeper and even migrate towards north or south. Such a change would make fishermen’s life miserable creating acute sea food shortage. Natural farming scientist K. Nammazhvar said that human greed was the sole reason for the pathetic conditions prevailing on earth. Drought had gripped 14 districts. Remedy to this crisis was not known. “If you protect trees for three years, it will protect you till death and also your future generations.”
Former Vice-Chancellor of Gandhigram Rural University T. Karunakaran said that decentralisation of production would bring a desirable impact on global warming.
Peace Trust Chairman J. Paul Baskar said that Asian and African countries had realised the impact of global warming but only developed nations refused to take any preventive measures even though they realised the impact.
Awareness campaigns highlighting ahead of the Bhogi festival.
DCP (Pulianthope Range) Bhasker flagging off an awareness rally to prevent burning of plastic items on the eve of Bhogi festival on Sunday.
On Tuesday, awareness campaigns highlighting the need to refrain from burning garbage or other items will be held in all 10 zones of Chennai Corporation by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. The campaigns will go on till early Wednesday, ahead of the Bhogi festival.
Launching the campaign here on Monday, Minister for Environment T.P.M. Mohideen Khan urged residents to cooperate.
“Over the years, the [air] pollution levels [during Bhogi] have come down. Last year, the TNPCB’s ambient air quality monitoring system in nine locations showed that on an average there has been a reduction of total suspended particulate matter by 21 per cent as compared to the previous year,” he said.
Emphasising that it was not enough, he said: “We have to strive to bring it down further.” During the campaign, pamphlets and handbills highlighting the ill-effects of burning tyres or plastic waste will be distributed.
TNPCB would also conduct ambient air quality monitoring in Anna Nagar, Kilpauk, Besant Nagar, Triplicane, T. Nagar, Vyasarpadi, Vallalar Nagar, Royapuram and Mandaveli a few days before and after Bhogi, its officials said.
Mayor M. Subramanian, who also spoke on the occasion, said it was important to refrain from burning waste on Bhogi day, as the practice might cause allergies to the eyes, nose and skin. “Moreover, global warming is something that is threatening the earth. It is important we take all precautions to preserve our environment,” he said.
The Corporation has also sent awareness messages to the heads of all its schools to be conveyed to the students. “The messages will be read out during the morning assembly and will reach nearly five lakh students,”
Memories of the tsunami still haunt fishermen and family members
With tears in their eyes, family members, relatives and friends of tsunami victims today remembered those swallowed by the deadly waves on the Tamilnadu Coast five years ago that left over 8000 dead.
Around 500 residents of Odai Kuppam and Odai Managar at Besant Nagar here offered prayers and thronged the Elliots Beach on the fifth anniversary of the tsunami.
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Candle-light march and memorial service were also held. Fishermen stayed away from the sea as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives on 26 December, 2004.
The residents took out a procession in memory of the victims. The silent procession by the fishing community started from Besant Nagar Beach, went through Rajaji Bhavan and ended where it had started.
After the procession, women poured milk on the waters of Elliots Beach as a mark of respect for the tsunami victims. Fishermen and residents around the Thiruvanmiyur and Elliots beaches gathered to pay tribute to the victims. The shore wore a deserted look with the boats and catamarans remaining idle with black flags.
According to National Woman’s Organisation secretary Victor Gnanamani, many women have joined the self-help groups and many fishermen are under the fear of a repeat of the dreaded tsunami.
Memories of the tsunami still haunt fishermen in the affected neighbourhood fishing hamlets, he added. They do not have any alternative means of livelihood and do not know any other than fishing which they have been involved in right from their childhood days.
The day (26 December) has always kept the fishing community under fear that another disaster may occur like the one which occurred in 2004. ‘We still fear seawater entering into our habitations,’ said Kumar, a fisherman.
A fisherman, who had gone out fishing on the day of the tsunami, recalled: ‘We had gone fishing and were about 3 km into the sea and it was peaceful. We returned to the coast before 9 am.
My colleagues had tied the catamaran on the shore to a small post. After a while, the sea water swelled. When I looked back after crossing the beach, I saw the tsunami rushing in a flash and recede as quickly. My own catamaran was lifted up and thrown more than 150 metres away.’
Most of the people of the fishing community are not still able to cope with the aftermath of the tragedy. Many women are part of self-help groups, formed as part of the rehabilitation measures, but it is not sufficient for them to make both ends meet. ‘Many of our colleagues lost their property. Every time my husband goes out for fishing, I get scared and start praying to God to help him return safely,’ said Lakshmi, a fish vendor.
The giant waves triggered by undersea tremors in Indonesia had caused the tsunami, one of India’s biggest post-Independence natural calamities, both by the number of lives lost, and the magnitude of the disaster.
Even before the fisher folk residing along the sea and morning walkers on the black Sunday in Chennai could realise what was happening, the gushing sea had turned the beach into a watery grave.
In Nagapattinam, one of the worst-hit by the killer waves which claimed over 6000 lives and rendered about a lakh homeless in the district, painful memories of the tsunami still linger, but people have moved on.
A study conducted by Rejuvenate India Movement (RIM), an NGO, in over eight tsunami-hit villages in Tarangambadi taluk of Nagapattinam district has revealed a remarkable improvement in the learning skills of tsunami-hit students.
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