Category Archives: Green Products

Mumbai lawyer Afroz Shah to receive top UN environment award for Versova Beach clean-up

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Leaders, , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

_________________________________________________________________

Highlights :

  1. Shah and his 84-year-old neighbour Harbansh Mathur had started manually cleaning Versova Beach in 2015.
  2. The clean-up grew into a massive volunteer movement that saw 4,000 tons of garbage being picked up.
  3. UNEP has hailed the movement as an example of the key role of citizen action in protecting the environment
  4. ______________________________________________________________

 

AfrozShahMPOs31dec2016

New Delhi :

The largest beach clean-up in the world would be a reward in itself. But for spearheading it, Mumbai-based lawyer Afroz Shah has been named as one of winners of the top environmental honour of the United Nations. Shah will be among those bestowed with the Champions of the Earth award for leading the clean-up of Mumbai’s  Versova Beach.

Shah will receive the award under the ‘Action and Inspiration’ category for kick-starting a volunteer campaign to pick up, by hand, all the plastic bags, cement sacks, glass bottles, pieces of clothing, and shoes, that covered the entire 2.5-km stretch of the Versova Beach, even rising many feet high in some places.

The movement grew and grew over the past year and picked up a whopping 4,000 tons of garbage.

“Shah’s efforts, and the hundreds of volunteers he’s inspired, is a wonderful example of citizen action and reminds the rest of the world that even the most ambitious, global agreements are only as good as the individual action and determination that brings them to life. His outstanding leadership is drawing global attention to the devastating impacts of marine litter,” said United Nations Environment Project (UNEP) chief Erik Solheim, who had joined Shah in the clean-up for a day in October.

AfrozShah02MPOs31dec2016

Lewis Pugh, the United Nations Patron of the Oceans, too, congratulated Shah in a twitter. “So delighted that Afroz Shah has won the UN’s highest award for his incredible efforts to clean Mumbai’s beaches!!” he tweeted.

Pugh has for long hailed the Versova clean-up as the ‘largest beach clean-up in history’. He had made it a point to visit Mumbai and take part in the clean-up in July.

AfrozShah04MPOs31dec2016

“This award is in honour of the hundreds of volunteers who have joined me over the past year to clean up our beach and ocean. I am an ocean lover and feel that we owe a duty to our ocean to make it free of plastic,” said Shah as part of the announcement on the UNEP website.

“I just hope this is the beginning for coastal communities across India and the world – we have to win the fight against marine dumping and that involves getting our hands dirty. We humans need to reignite our bond with the ocean and we don’t have to wait for anybody else to help us do that,” he added.

Shah and his 84-year-old neighbour,  Harbansh Mathur, had started picking up garbage off the beach in July 2015. This grew into a movement, with a rising number of volunteers, outliving Mathur.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> India News / TNN / December 03rd, 2016

Scientists name new spider after Harry Potter character

Amazing Feats, Green Products, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , , ,

Shivamogga, KARNATAKA :

Bengaluru :

For any hardcore Harry Potter fan, the Sorting Hat, and the medieval wizard Godric Gryffindor is basic knowledge. Three entomologists, who stumbled upon a new species of spider have decided to pay tribute to the character by naming it after him. Though the arachnid bears resemblance to the ‘Sorting Hat’ of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it would be hard to spot it if you are trekking in the Western Ghats.

spiderbf13dec2016

Eriovixia gryffindori, is the new spider species discovered, details of which was published in the recent edition of Indian Journal of Arachnology.
The discovery of the arachnid was made at ‘Kans’ forestland of Central Western Ghats at Hosanagara taluk of Shivamogga district, by Javed Ahmed, Rajashree Khalap and Sumukha J N.

While Javed and Rajashree hail from Mumbai, Sumukha is from Shivamogga.

Describing the etymology of the spider, the scientists write that naming it after Gryffindor – after whom one of the four houses in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is named and who once owned the Sorting Hat – was, “An ode from the authors, for magic lost, and found, in an effort to draw attention to the fascinating, but oft overlooked world of invertebrates, and their secret lives.”
Prior to it, they express their fondness of J K Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series as a ‘wordsmith extraordinaire’.
“This uniquely shaped spider derives its name from the fabulous, sentient magical artifact, the sorting hat, owned by the (fictitious) medieval wizard Godric Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and stemming from the powerful imagination of Ms. J K Rowling….” they wrote.

While the team found a female specimen of the Gryffindor spider, they are yet to describe the holotype of a typical male of the species. The paper notes that the particular species of spider is known to be distributed only from Shivamogga district, as of now.
The spider mimics dry foliage, making it ideal for it to reside almost undetected on the forest floor.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / December 13th, 2016

Tree Facts : Floral Splendour

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Products, , ,

Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

treefactsbf12nov2016

Ornamental garden is the dream of plant-loving urban dwellers. Plants, foliage and flowering of different hues in various combination can express the beauty of nature around the living area. It is not the size that matters as one can landscape even a small home ground in the same way as done for larger estates or public parks. When done in the best form it is the pride of the house.

An ‘ornamental garden’ developed by a woman falls into this category. The owner, gardener and executor is none other than the winner of the first prize in the Annual Dasara Flower Show under ornamental garden category: Ms. Hashmath Fathima. It is an artistic outdoor garden developed around her little dwelling place in a plot of land in Kalyanagiri, all on her own. The garden has all the ingredients of a modern ornamental garden with display of choicest flowering and foliage plants in the form of annuals and perennials (herbs, shrubs, climbers, trees, ornamental grasses, bulbs etc.) embellished with various design elements.

The special feature is most part of the garden is developed using containers of various size, shape and hues. The entrance gate opens up into a path leading to the garage, beautifully paved with lawn grass in the crevices which makes up for the absence of a lawn (due to lack of space). On entry into the garden you can notice the potted plants stacked up in multiple rows in various colour combination of foliage and flowers & height along side the wooden wall. The half wall of the verandah has been decked up with colourful overhanging Lantanas, besides the hanging pots at the entrance of the house.

For embellishment valuable objects of artefacts in the form of figurines of various objects, birds nests etc., are placed at vantage points. The northern wall of the house is fully green, a breathing wall completely covered with creeping fig (Ficus repens). The perennial climbers (Allamanda, Quisqualis, Bougainvillea etc.) with their foothold on the northern edge ramble on the wooden barricade. The garlic vine (Mansoa alliacea) overarching the garage makes spectacular display with purple coloured blooms and attracts the onlookers. A small pond is also designed in the backyard with water lily (Nymphae sps) in it. In addition to being pleasant to look at, this ornamental garden is also enjoyable to use with a recreation area to sit and enjoy reading etc., in the form of a bench decorated with an arch covered with a climber in the front yard and an aviary with plenty of beautiful birds in the backyard.

Another eye-catching addition is the bottle garden (hanging) created using soft drink bottles planted with variegated Alternantheras. This impressed me a lot. In general the display of plants is such that as soon as one enters one can experience the burst of flowers of all hues amidst the colourful foliage. Above all, with innumerable flowering and foliage plants (Acalypha, Althea rosea, Asparagus, Aglonema, Alternanthera, Anthuriums, Asters, Coleus, Catharanthus, Chrysanthemums, Cocks comb, Begonias, Cosmos, Calendulas, Chlorophytum, Duranta, Euphorbia milii, Gamphrena, Gazania, Gerberas, Day lily, Ferns, Marigolds, Pentas, Petunias, Zinnias etc., etc.) this little paradise looked like a “mini flower show.”

Ms. Hashmath is into gardening for more than a decade and has won several first prizes in the past too. I understand that she herself carries out most of her gardening work and uses only organic manure. Most of her earnings are spent on maintaining the garden. A dress designer by profession, she has put her heart and soul in designing the beautiful and attractive garden as well! Furthermore, she has shown the ability and imagination of the gardener in her in the best form besides the woman power.

Text & photographs by Dr. Mahadeswara Swamy, Scientist, Mob: 97429-91057, e-mail: swamy_clri@hotmail.com

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / November 06th, 2016

Bovine Intervention : Desi, and special too

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, , , , , , ,

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

In Mangaluru, a family conserves Indian breeds of cattle with a missionary zeal
At a time when communally charged feelings are nurturing suspicions linking the Muslim community with beef consumption and a threat to cows, here’s a heartening case that may help cast away such generalised conceptions.

A Muslim family in Uppinakote in Brahmavar taluk of Udupi district has for decades nurtured a passion about, and striving to conserve, the desi cattle breeds.

The star attraction at the recently organised Krishi Mela in Udupi were two well-built Raja Sahiwal Breeder bulls – a 36-month-old, weighing 650 Kg; and a 32-month-old, weighing 570 kg. Both the bulls are from Manama Farm House, owned by 66-year-old Sheikh Zainul Abideen and his four sons – Nowshad Ahammad (29), Mumshad Aalam (36), Mohammed Irshad (31) and Sheikh Mudassir (22).

Nowshad, who works as a deputy technical manager for a Norway-based ship repair company in Saudi Arabia, informed Bangalore Mirror that the passion for conserving desi cattle breed came down from his father Sheikh Zainul, who, after working as a chef for 14 years in Bahrain, returned to India 30 years ago and set up an agricultural-cum-dairy farm with a few desi and Jersey cows.

“Our home was a paradise. We supported our father in maintaining the farm along with our studies. But we never went out to play cricket or any other sports; instead we would play with the cattle,” says Nowshad.

The family owned a total of 23 milk cows. Five years ago, Sheikh Zainul Abideen completed a hat-trick of awards (three consecutive years) for being the largest milk producer in the area.

“As kids, getting back from school meant watching Dad help an animal or bird in distress…even snakes,” says Nowshad, describing his father’s passion.

“However, we were shocked when a few our cattle suddenly died. Veterinarians, including those from KMF (Karnataka Milk Federation) visited the farm, but they failed to find out the reason for the deaths,” Nowshad said.

The tragedy forced the family to sell the rest of the cattle. But they did not give up their passion. They studied a variety of Indian cattle breeds and came upon the Sahiwal breed, a breed of Zebu cattle primarily used in dairy production. The Sahiwal breed originated from the Sahiwal district of Punjab province in Pakistan.

Having learnt about the family’s keenness to get the Sahiwal breed to Udupi, a person known to the family assured them that he would get the breed to Manama Farm House and took an advance of Rs 10,000.

“However, once he came with the cattle, he refused to give them to us because we were Muslims. We begged him but he failed to be convinced. Within one year, we noticed that the cattle were very weak and looked as if they would die anytime. We paid another Rs 10,000 and brought the cattle home. They started recovering; and were the star attraction at the Krishi Mela,” Nowshad said. Currently, the Manama Farm House has six Sahiwal breed bulls. By February next year, they hope to buy another three directly from Punjab.

“Our dream is to popularise the desi breeds and promote cattle-rearing. Having participated in conferences abroad, we see the Indian breeds have a huge potential,” he said.

Of the brothers, the eldest Mumshad (who worked in Saudi Arabia for nearly seven years to start an aquarium-cultured fish farm) and the second eldest Irshad help their father with the agricultural, dairy as well as a catering business. Their mother Mehrunnisa is a home-maker and helps in the daily routine running of the place. The youngest brother Mudassir has completed a diploma in diesel mechanics and is staying in Udupi.

The Manama Farm House is also famous for Kadaknath breed of chicken from Madhya Pradesh, which ensures steady supply for the catering business.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> News> States / by Deepthi Sanjiv, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / November 08th, 2016

After 50 years, Begum Talab brims with life

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Vijayapura, KARNATAKA :

The historic tank has been revived with water from the Krishna river

Brimming with water, with women washing clothes at the edge while children swim in the fresh water, it is hard to believe that just a month ago, the Begum Talab, spread across over 234 acres, was a barren wasteland, with few small pools of water.

The ancient tank, built during the rule of Mohammad Adil Shah in 1651, has not seen such water levels for the past five decades. But under an ambitious project of the Water Resources Ministry to rejuvenate and replenish tanks, water from the Krishna river has been drawn to fill the tank and recharge ground water. Over the past year, a 50 km pipeline was laid from the river to the tank. The tank was among seven revived in the district at a cost of Rs 190 crore.

Crucial water source

According to historian Abdulghani Imaratwale, Adil Shah built the tank in the name of one his queens; Jahan Begum. The construction was supervised his commander Afzal Khan to provide drinking water to Bijapur city which then had the population of around nine lakh.

Dr. Imaratwale said the water was not only used for the palaces or prominent places of the kingdom, but also for public consumption as the city did not have other drinking water sources.

The tank, located on the southern part of the city, used to supply water through the earthen pipes to many ganjs (overhead stone tanks). It was the second major water source for the city after the Ramalinga tank. Unfortunately the ganjs and the old pipes have fallen into disrepair,

Expressing elation over the government decision to refill the tank, Dr Imaratwale termed the project a significant step in restoring the history of the city.

“ It is heartening to know that Water Resources Ministry led by M. B. Patil is showing concern to restore and revive the ancient tank which had once served a major water source. The tank still has the same capacity if the water is stored and used,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Firoz Rozindar / Vijayapura, October 10th, 2016

F.M.Khan, controversial former MP hailing from Coorg, passes away

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Kodagu, KARNATAKA :

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F.M. Khan (82), former Rajya Sabha member, and a controversial politician hailing from Coorg, passed away on Thursday at his Balayatrie estate near Madikeri in Kodagu.

Fiaz Mohammed Khan, popularly known as F.M. Khan, was a close associate of former Karnataka chief minister, Gundu Rao who affectionately referred to his mentor as ‘Father Mother Khan’.

Khan was part of the Sanjay Gandhi brigade during the Emergency and was allegedly involved in several unsavoury incidents. But Gundu Rao always went to his rescue.

He was the general secretary of the state Youth Congress and was a member of the Legislative Council from 1974 to 1976.  Khan was elected to the Rajya Sabha twice in 1976 and 1982. He was also associated with various organisations connected with sports. He was vice-president of the Indian Olympic Association.

The former Rajya Sabha member was known for his love for gardens and won accolades for maintaining the best garden in Delhi in his MP bungalow. Back in Kodagu after his controversial political innings, Khan had been nurturing his garden and has been holding annual private flower show since 1998.

Khan was married to a Kodavathi. He leaves behind his wife and three daughters. The funeral will be held at Rasulpur in Guddehosur in Kodagu on Friday.

source: http://www.coorgnews.in / CoorgNews.in / Home> General News / July 21st, 2016

F.M. Khan passes away

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Kodagu, KARNATAKA :

Faiz Mohammed Khan, popularly known as F.M. Khan, former Rajya Sabha member and Congress leader, died in his Balayatrie Estate in Somwarpet taluk of Kodagu on Thursday.

A close associate of the former Chief Minister R. Gundu Rao, Mr. Khan (82) leaves behind his wife and three daughters.

Family sources said Mr. Khan passed away around 11.30 a.m. on Thursday.

The funeral will be held on Friday at 10 a.m. at Rasulpur in Guddehosur in Kodagu, according his niece Gazala Khan.

Mr. Khan was involved in the anti-Hindi agitation and later joined the Congress. He became the general secretary of State Youth Congress before becoming a member of the Legislative Council in 1974.

Mr. Khan was elected to the Rajya Sabha first in 1976 and for the second time in 1982. Mr. Khan was also a former vice-president of the Indian Olympic Association. Having been away from politics for more than two decades, Mr. Khan used to hold an annual flower show at his estate.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – July 22nd, 2016

F.M. Khan dead

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Leaders, Travel & Tourism, , , , , , ,

Kodagu, KARNATAKA :

Former Rajya Sabha member and Congress leader Faiz Mohammed Khan, popularly known as F.M. Khan, died in his Balayatrie estate in Kodagu on Thursday. A close associate of former Chief Minister R. Gundu Rao, he leaves behind his wife and three daughters.

Family sources said Mr. Khan (82) died at around 11.30 a.m. on Thursday. The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. at Rasulpur in Guddehosur in Kodagu on Friday, according his niece, Gazala Khan.

Mr. Khan entered politics in the mid-Sixties during the anti-Hindi agitation, and then joined the Congress led by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He became the General Secretary of State Youth Congress before becoming a member of the Legislative Council in 1974. Mr. Khan was a two-time Rajya Sabha MP, elected in 1976 and in 1982. He was also a former Vice-President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

He had been away from politics for more than two decades. He was holding an annual flower show at his Balayatri estate in Somwarpet taluk.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / Special Correspondent / Mysuru – June 21st, 2016

In defence of Kashmir’s unpopular poplars

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Science & Technology, , , , , ,

JAMMU & KASHMIR  :

A horse-drawn cart goes past poplars on a highway at Narbal, 15 km north of Srinagar.
A horse-drawn cart goes past poplars on a highway at Narbal, 15 km north of Srinagar.

Srinagar :

Mathematician Fozia Qazi has undertaken a campaign to protect the trees that are in danger of being axed in large numbers in the valley.

With around 16 million poplar trees facing the axe in Kashmir Valley following a High Court order, noted mathematician Fozia S. Qazi has started a campaign to “dispel the myths” that led to the systematic felling of the trees synonymous with the Valley landscape for decades.

In 2014, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court first banned the sale, purchase and plantation of female Russian poplars (Populus deltoides) following a public outcry and medical warnings that their cotton shedding laden with pollen, during late spring was the main cause of allergies in Srinagar.

Chopped down

Thereafter, lakhs of poplar trees were cut down across the Valley. A compliance report submitted to the court by the Deputy Commissioners of Kulgam and Pulwama district in June this year claimed that it targeted felling of six lakh poplars.

Dr. Qazi, Associate Professor of Actuarial Mathematics at Islamic University of Science and Technology, believes that the High Court’s decision to fell poplars is not only an “exceptional exercise but also a misinformed decision.”

Dr. Qazi, who is filing a petition before the court against the felling, has organised a meet of experts to collate scientific data on the subject and create mass awareness.

Backing Dr. Qazi’s contention that poplars are not the main cause of allergy in Kashmir during April and May, Dr. Dr. Naveed Nazir Shah, Consultant and Assistant Professor at the Department of Chest Medicine of the Government Medical College, Srinagar, said: “Poplar-induced allergy stands at number six as a cause of allergy. While dust remains the main cause, it is followed by lawn grass, deodar, kikaarand chinar pollen.

“Also, the size of its cotton is big enough to enter human body. There is no connection to prove that the poplar was the main cause of the allergies.”

Instead of felling the trees, Dr. Sajad Gangoo, an expert from Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Agricultural Sciences, argues that pruning these trees during autumn would cut down cotton circulation by 80 per cent in spring.

Key to rural economy

Dr. Qazi, a doctorate from the Syracuse University in the U.S., argues that poplar trees are central to rural economy here.

“The tree grows faster [than the local species]. It’s a source of livelihood for many because fruit boxes are made of it,” she pointed out and said that while “it consumes water, purifies it more than any other tree and could be helpful for water bodies too.”

Poplars live up to 40 years and mature in just three years. They attain height up to 20-30 feet.

“Given its height, poplars stand distinctly in the landscape of Kashmir and dot most highways, forming a mesmerising canopy and fast becoming a tourist attraction too,” Ms. Qazi said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Other States / Peerzada Ashiq / Srinagar – June 24th, 2016

Engineers come forward to support distressed farmers

Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Green Products, , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

The quartet who are part of the start-up Toe-Up | Express Photo
The quartet who are part of the start-up Toe-Up | Express Photo

Hyderabad :

Concerned over the plight of farmers, whose fortunes depend on the vagaries of weather, four engineers have shouldered the task of developing an app to help them out.

S Saquibuddin, Shaik Mukheet, Neha Bandari and Asma Fatima, working at the T-hub in Hyderabad are in the process of developing ‘Niyantran’, an app to provide crop related information to the farmers and help them seek help of experts for better yield.

“Initially we wanted to create an identity for ourselves and decided to take the startup route instead of a waiting for a job. As agriculture is the most neglected sector in spite of being the most important one, we decided to concentrate on this area. As we came to know about the plight of farmers, who land in debt-trap due to vagaries of weather, we decided to develop an app for the farming community,” said S Saquibuddin, CEO and co-founder of the startup christened ‘Toe-Up’.

Saquibuddin, Mukheet and Neha have graduated from Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, Dundigal and being aeronautical engineers they have experimented the use of drones to monitor crops. But as it proved unviable due to practical difficulties and cost factor, they have decided to come up with a more convenient and easy tool for farmers.

“After downloading the ‘Niyantran’ app, farmers can seek expert opinion regarding the problems they face in farming. They can click the picture of the plant or crop affected by pest or other problems and send it to the experts. He will immediately receive guidance from experts regarding pest control. They can even record their voice and send it like in WhatsApp for information and guidance,” explained Neha.

The quartet has been working on the app for the past eight months and it will be ready for launch in a month.

While these youngsters are not keen about financial returns through this app, they are ambitious about building a profile to catch the attention of venture capitalists and investors. The start up received a shot in the arm as NASA selected it to conduct its space app challenge in Hyderabad.

“Besides being selected for T-Hub we are also part of Collab House, co-working space launched by Mozilla in Hyderabad. This has given us good mentors and exposure. Our focus is on developing apps that will bring out a positive change and Niyantran is part of that effort. Once we add value and bring in a positive change, we believe that success will follow,” stated Saquibuddin.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by J. Deepti Nandan Reddy / Express News Service / June 16th, 2016