Kadapa Collector Ch. Hari Kiran inspecting the water flowing into Telugu Ganga Canal from Srisailam project near Chinnavangali at Kadapa-Kurnool district border on Friday.
‘Reservoirs will be filled on a priority’
Water released from Srisailam project entered Kadapa district through the Telugu Ganga Project (TGP) canal on Friday. The entry was observed at the 96th km point at Chinnavangali (Kurnool district) at the inter-district border.
Collector Ch. Hari Kiran observed the flow of Krishna water at the regulator, monitored the escape and water levels. TGP Superintending Engineer Sarada explained to him details such as the water flow rate at 1,224 cusecs and the quantity stored at various locations.
The Collector pointed out that water should be released to Kadapa immediately after fulfilling Kurnool district’s requirements, instead of storing excess water in canals and sluices. “Filling Pothuluri Veerabrahmendra Sagar will benefit farmers of Mydukur and Badvel constituencies,” he said, while announcing to fill up SVBR, Sarvaraya Sagar, Gandikota, Mylavaram and Vamikonda reservoirs etc on a priority basis. EE Prabhakar Rao and DE Nagi Reddy were present.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Kadapa – September 15th, 2018
A golden jackal in search of prey outside its habitat in the Bandar Reserve Forest area. | Photo Credit: T_APPALANAIDU
Destruction of mangrove cover in Bandar Reserve Forest may trigger man-animal conflict
Destruction of mangrove cover in the Bandar Reserve Forest is forcing the golden jackal (Canis aureus) out of its habitat, triggering a conflict with the local communities.
Recently, The Hindu documented how a young golden jackal was swimming in the brackish waters out of its habitat for prey near the Palletummalapalem village in Machilipatnam mandal in Krishna district.
“We have recorded several golden jackals in the BRF through camera traps. The sighting out of its habitat is a sign of its destruction,” said A. Appa Rao, an expert engaged in the restoration of the mangrove cover.
Aqua ponds
The conservation status of the animal is the ‘least concern’ and it preys on wild crab and fish.
Amid uproar over the aqua ponds, the Vigilance authorities in 2017 recommended to the State government to hand over the 24,363 acres under the BRF and the BRF extension (I to IV) to the Forest department for protection.
Since 1970 (G.O.No. 2204), the BRF has been in the hands of the Revenue department as the final notification to de-reserve the forest land (25,259 acres) was still pending owing to various reasons.
The Revenue authorities, on the other hand, are helpless in preventing the encroachment of the mangrove along the Machilipatnam coastline.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by T. Appala Naidu / Machilipatnam – July 16th, 2018
Reliance Foundation is bringing all the stakeholders of primary sector on one platform by using technology. | Photo Credit: SPECIALARRANGEMENT
Reliance Foundation’s ICT initiative makes visible impact in East Godavari
Bridging the gaps among the stakeholders of the primary sector by making better use of the available Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is what the Reliance Foundation has been doing for the last six years.
From mere double digit, the number of its stakeholders has now touched the one million mark spreading in about 3,500 villages and hamlets. Launched as a pilot project in East Godavari district in 2012, the services of the foundation have now expanded to all the 13 districts of the State.
Weather updates
“We have been serving farmers and fisherfolk by making use of ICT. From providing weather updates and the satellite data pertaining to the potential fishing zones in the Bay of Bengal to arranging interactive sessions with scientists and subject experts in the video conferencing mode are the free services we are providing to the end users now,” says Chittibabu Nagulapalli, senior manager at the foundation.
Be it choosing the right time for plantation and harvest to the advice on the quantity of fertilizer and pesticide to be used, farmers are depending on the foundation’s call centre without any hesitation. Nearly 20% of the beneficiaries are from East Godavari district.
Video interaction
“Video interaction with the veterinary doctors is best among the services being provided by the foundation. Otherwise, it would be very difficult for us to cart the ailing cattle to the doctor and wait for our turn in the queue by postponing the day’s work,” explains Jalligampala Rambabu, who runs a mini-dairy at Kapavaram.
For fishermen, advance information about the potential zones is the major advantage. “It saves time and fuel as well. At the end of the day, we are able to get significant returns from fishing,” says Dooda Masenu, motorboat owner from Uppada. Information collected from the INCOIS is being disseminated to the stakeholders on their mobile phones. “We can also take the help of the call centre during the sudden climate change when we are in the sea,” he points out.
“All we are doing is to ensure coordination among the departments concerned and making better use of the available technology. Officials and scientists too are evincing interest in taking part in the virtual interactive sessions. We are playing the role of the facilitator,” explains Mr. Chitti Babu.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by K N Murali Sankar / Kakinada – July 03rd, 2018
The point where jasmine is traded at Chandragudem of Mylavaram mandal in Krishna district. | Photo Credit: BYARRANGEMENT
It’s big business with turnover touching IRs. 20 crore every year in Mylavaram mandal of Krishna district
The delicate and elegant flower of blissful fragrance from the tiny mandal of Mylavaram in Krishna district is spreading its scent in faraway places.
Jasmine (jasminum sambac or Bondu Malle in Telugu), and Andhra Pradesh State’s official flower, has become the centre-piece of the agri-economy bouquet of this small mandal as its exports are blooming.
Consider this. According to estimates, the jasmine business exceeds a whopping ₹20 crore during the season – January to September. “Jasmines contribute a significant share in the agriculture economy in Mylavaram mandal, where over 1,000 farmers are directly engaged in its cultivation. Annual turnover has crossed ₹20 crore, given the extent of land under cultivation,” Suresh Vesam told The Hindu.
Mr. Vesam is Director of Nestham, an NGO working on jasmine cultivation and marketing facilities in rural Krishna district.
According to estimates, over 200 acres in the mandal are under its cultivation.
Blooming grace
Realizing the huge demand for this small and graceful flower of fragrance, local farmers have been growing jasmines in big land parcels – up to four to five acres – basketing large quantities in key villages such as Pulluru, Chandragudem and Kothagudem.
On the land, “A majority of the farmers are going for the drip irrigation method which results in a bumper yield. Mylavaram farmers have learnt the technique from Tamil Nadu farmers by adopting best farming techniques,” Horticulture Department Assistant Director N. Sujatha told The Hindu.
“We want our farmers to take every opportunity that is available in the market. We are now witnessing that many traders in Hyderabad would wait for the arrival of jasmines from Mylavaram,” added Ms. Sujatha. Hyderabad is the prime market destination of the Mylavaram farmers, who transport their produce daily by road.
Going places
Looking beyond neighbouring Hyderabad,
“Plans are afoot to export jasmines directly to Singapore from next year through farmers producers’ associations from the Mylavaram area.
“Being Andhra Pradesh State’s official flower will help to tap marketing prospects in other states and abroad,” said Mr. Suersh Vesam.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by T. Appala Naidu / Machilipatnam – July 02nd, 2018
ZBNF is considered ‘zero budget’ because costs of raising the main crop are offset by the income that farmers earn from intercrops.
Photo: Sayantan Bera/Mint
Vijaywada/New Delhi:
About three years ago, Pawan Kumar, working as an IT professional at Hyderabad, decided to quit his job and return to his village to become a farmer. His father, a small farmer in West Godavari district, tried to discourage him but Kumar who had read about a new method of “natural farming” would not listen.
“My mother cried a lot… they told me no girl would marry a farmer but I am happy I came back. My father was initially reluctant to let me farm even an acre, but now he has allowed me to convert all five acres to natural farming,” says Kumar, 26.
Kumar is among 163,034 farmers in Andhra Pradesh practising zero-budget natural farming or ZBNF, where chemical fertilizers and pesticides make way for locally available cow dung and cow urine, jaggery and pulse flour. These are used to make a fermented culture which stimulates microbial activity in the soil, promoting better plant growth and protect crops against pest attacks.
Mulching, or covering the top soil with crop residues to increase water retention and supply the soil with essential nutrients; and intercropping, say coconut farms with cocoa or banana plantations with yams and pulses are also integral to ZBNF. The method was pioneered by Subhash Palekar, an agriculturalist from Maharashtra and a Padma Shri awardee from 2016.
On 2 June, the Andhra Pradesh government launched an ambitious scale-up of the ZBNF programme to take it to 6 million farmers by 2024. The programme will be promoted by a specialized wing of the government called Rythu Swadhikara Samstha. An interesting innovation here is that the agency has recruited over 100 natural farming fellows—agriculture graduates who are paid ₹30,000 a month to demonstrate the benefits of ZBNF by taking up farming in rented plots and staying in villages to answer farmers’ queries.
The programme will be financially assisted by the Sustainable India Finance Facility (SIFF)—set up jointly by the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Agroforestry Centre and BNP Paribas—with targeted investments of ₹16,000 crore over the next six years.
“Our core objective is to scale investments in sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture that are transformative at many levels… we believe the target set by Andhra Pradesh is achievable, but this will require creation of a ‘natural farming’ brand to help market the produce and earn a better value for farmers,” said Satya Tripathi, chair of SIFF.
Driven by the promise of ZBNF, N. Satya Narayana, a farmer from Dommeru Village in West Godavari district converted all of his six acres of banana farm to natural farming last year. “Last month when a hailstorm flattened other farms, mine was unaffected as the plants were strong,” Narayana said, pointing to a bunch of bananas which looked fatter than those grown with chemical inputs. However, some farmers Mint spoke to also said that for field crops like paddy, there is an initial drop in yield which they managed to overcome by selling the produce locally at higher prices.
“Costs come down drastically under ZBNF, but some of the savings are used up by the rise in labour costs to prepare Jeevamrutham (fermented microbial culture which is used as the base fertilizer) and other inputs,” said V. Venkataraman, another farmer.
Crop-cutting experiments, which are conducted to assess yields, showed that ZBNF groundnut farmers’ yields from 2017 were 23% higher than non-ZBNF plots, while for paddy, yields were 6% higher, noted a 2018 brief prepared by the Delhi-based Council on Energy, Environment and Water.
“ZBNF is considered ‘zero budget’ because costs of (raising) the main crop are offset by the income that farmers earn from intercrops,” the brief said, adding, “once implemented across all farmlands, ZBNF can have considerable health benefits for over 50 million consumers in the state, who would be able to avoid exposure to inorganic chemicals present in crops.”
“ZBNF makes nutrients locked up in the soil bioavailable.. so consumers find food from natural farming sources to be tastier… studies have shown presence of vitamin B12 in bottle gourd, something the vegetable is never associated with,” said T. Vijay Kumar, adviser, agriculture to the state government and the chief architect of the programme.
But how is natural farming different from organic farming? “In organic and traditional agriculture, cow dung is used as a fertilizer, in ZBNF it is an inoculum… so, dung from one cow is adequate for up to 30 acres,” Kumar adds.
source: http://www.livemint.com / Home> Politics / by Sayantan Beera / June 12th, 2018
A pair of parakeets perched atop the branch of a tree. | Photo Credit: V_RAJU
Conservationists, culture aficionados spar over State bird
The rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula Krameri), known as the ‘Ramachilaka’, is very popular with poets and lyricists. Ideal couples are compared to a pair of parakeets. The male is distinguished by a rose-pink collar. The quintessential female is ‘chilaka’.
‘Chilaka Joshyam’, where a parakeet foretells the stars, is also very popular in the Telugu States.
Though there was general appreciation when the State government had announced the dimorphic bird as the State bird recently, it has also triggered a debate. For ornithologists and conservationists, it is a wrong choice but a right one for those rooted in Telugu culture.
None other than birdman of India, Salim Ali, has something unpleasant to say about them. In his The Book of Indian Birds, he describes it as “highly destructive at all times to crops and orchard fruit, gnawing and wasting far more than it actually eats”. Britain officially declared it as a pest in 2009 and seriously considered culling them in 2016 for displacing the local birds.
The conservationists feel that the new State has lost a great opportunity to project Jerdon’s Courser, which is found only in the State and is highly endangered. It’s locally called ‘Adavi Uthatitti’ meaning ‘jungle empty purse’. Declared extinct in 1900, it emerged eight and half decades later in January 1986. Subsequently, the Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary was created to protect it, said former Assistant Conservator or Forest P Gracious. A great message could have been sent by selecting it, he said.
On the other side, there are those like Banaras Hindu University professor Bhudathi Venkateswarlu who contends that the parakeet has a very significant place in the Telugu culture. “Chiluka is the vahana of Manmadha (Indian Cupid). Sweet and pleasant words (chiluka palukulu) are compared to the chattering of the parakeets and finally the fruit half eaten by these birds is considered very sweet,” he says. Activist of Telugu language movement G V Purnachand says though the choice is okay, rooster which ‘reflects Telugu pride’, would have been better.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by G. Venkataramana Rao / Vijayawada – June 08th, 2018
The new frog species – ‘Fejervarya kalinaga’, the new frog species discovered in the Eastern Ghats. | Photo Credit: arranged pic
They are indicators of healthy ecosystem and live in wide habitat ranges
In a significant discovery, two species of frogs have been recorded in the Indian peninsular — Fejervarya kalinaga from the Eastern Ghats and Fejervarya krishnan from the Western Ghats. “The Eastern Ghats species of Fejervarya kalinga attains significance since it is endemic to moist high altitude forest of the region. Its type locality is from Mahendragiri in Odisha (west of Srikakulam). In Andhra Pradesh it is found in high elevation region of Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam (Araku, Chintapalli, Sileru) and Papikonda National Park of East Godavari district. It is one of the very few species of herpetofauna endemic to the Eastern Ghats,” said Prudhvi Raj, post doctoral research fellow of the WildlifeInstitute of India and the lead author of the paper for the latest findings.
Mr. Raj has been working on various aspects of amphibians for the past five years. The discovery is a collaborative effort of institutions like the Wildlife Institute of India, the Zoological Survey of India and the North Orissa University. “These new species are habitat specialists, living in perennial hill streams and have been unnoticed due to their secretive habit and morphological similarities with similar looking species of cricket frogs,” Mr. Raj told The Hindu.
‘Fejervarya krishnan’, the new frog species that discovered in the Western Ghats. | Photo Credit: arranged pic
The species from the Eastern Ghats is widely distributed in the hilly mountains and named after the ancient kingdom of Kalinga — the historical region comprising Odisha and part of Andhra Pradesh that is north of River Godavari. The Fejervarya krishnan, found near the Jog Falls in Shimoga district of Karnataka, is named after the eminent biologist the late KS Krishnan for his colossal contribution in the field of biological sciences. Krishnan was professor emeritus at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bangalore and was one of the key persons in embarking the School in Herpetology sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology.
The Kalinga cricket frog was first spotted from various localities of the Eastern Ghats by Prof. Sushil Kumar Dutta, a renowned herpetologist and former professor at the North Orissa University, and the Krishnan cricket frog by Mr. Raj from a single locality near the Jog Falls.
‘Largest species’
Sharing details, Mr. Raj said: “The Kalinga cricket frog is one of the largest of its group and grows up to 6.5 cm, whereas the other has an average size of 2 cm.” Cricket frogs are indicators of healthy ecosystem and live in wide habitat ranges in agricultural fields, streams, swamps and wetlands.
Others who worked on the paper include KP Dinesh (scientist at the Zoological Survey of India, Pune), Abhijit Das (scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun), Niladri B. Kar (post-doctoral research scholar at the North Orissa University) and Pratyush P. Mohapatra (scientist at the Zoological Survey of India, Jabalpur).
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Nivedita Ganguly / Visakhapatnam – June 06th, 2018
Learning curve: A life-size statue of Olive Ridley turtle at the Turtle Interpretation Centre in Visakhapatnam. | Photo Credit: K_R_DEEPAK
Interpretation centres in Vizag, Vizianagaram highlight their ecological significance
After more than a decade of Olive Ridley turtle conservation programme in the State, the Forest Department has set up first-of-its-kind turtle interpretation centres in the State in Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram to boost the conservation of the sea turtle species, listed as “threatened” by The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The centre in Visakhapatnam is developed at the pagoda-type cottage structure located at the R.K. Beach. It was earlier an Environment Education Centre launched in 2000 but was closed in 2007 due to criticism over maintenance. In its new look and with special features, the centre is expected to be a major draw for visitors.
Lively ambience
Sharing details with The Hindu, Chief Conservator of Forest Rahul Pandey said: “A lot of thought and planning has gone into making it lively and provide an enhanced visitor experience. From big-sized images of the types of sea turtles seen along the coastal belt of Andhra Pradesh to a presentation of the fascinating life cycle of Olive Ridleys and giving information like the number of hatcheries, the centre will play an important role in spreading awareness about them.” The centre in Visakhapatnam is developed at the cost of ₹25 lakh while the one in Vizianagaram is coming up in collaboration with the Chennai-based organisation Tree Foundation at the cost of ₹10 lakh. The centres will be thrown open to the public from May 10.
The external walls of the centre don a refreshing look with art work on the theme of sea turtles by artist Ravi. As one enters, the first thing to catch the attention is a life-sized structure of an Olive Ridley, moving its head and opening its mouth. The huge images on the walls of the well-lit room effectively highlight the criticality of the need to save sea turtles and the ecological significance of the flippered visitors. “We will charge a nominal entry fee to meet the maintenance cost. A team of four people will be working towards managing the centre,” Mr Pandey said.
Eggs collection
Incidentally, Visakhapatnam recorded a significant increase in the number of eggs collected from the coast that rose from 1,82,124 in 2017 to 1,95,000 eggs this year. The Forest Department in association with the Visakha Society for Care and Protection of Animals has set up 31 hatcheries in the coastal belts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam. While last year 18,000 hatchlings were released into the sea, the department expects the number to nearly double this year. “We released 12,000 hatchlings last month and are expecting another 15,000 in the coming few days,” Mr. Pandey added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Nivedita Ganguly / Visakhapatnam – April 28th, 2018
Ch. Srinivasa Rao planting saplings along with his family in a road that connects Jegurupadu and Rajavolu. | Photo Credit: S_RAMBABU
‘Planting saplings is my passion’
Chilukuri Srinivasa Rao, a government primary school teacher at Kadiyam in East Godavari district, has been tirelessly promoting greenery by planting saplings for over two decades. Mr. Srinivasa Rao is also motivating others to take up the cause. He says he is very upset when people fell trees.
This teacher bought a Tata Nano car to which he had attached a small tray to accommodate some saplings, crowbar, spade and water can. Wherever he spots a stretch without trees, he stops by and plants one. He urges people nearby to water them.
“I use to get plants with the support of Palla Venkanna nursery and the Forest Department and planted them in several schools in the district under ‘Badi Thota’ programme. I use to spend 20% of my salary to purchase saplings and for its protection every year. This became a habit for me,” he added.
Many awards
Mr. Rao got many awards and rewards from various quarters. He says receiving ‘Paryavarana Mithra’ puraskaram during the International Bio-Diversity meet in Hyderabad in 2012 from former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was his memorable moment. He has also received an award from the State Biodiversity Council for his unrelenting efforts to improve green cover. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu honoured him with Ugadi puruskaram.
Family support
His wife and two sons also help him. On Sundays and vacation days, his family along with pet dog ‘Mythri’ moved around in the car to plant saplings.
“We trained Mythri to dig one foot to plant a sapling,” he said. Mr. Srinivasa Rao also distributes saplings at functions. His writings on environment were made part of syllabi for IV Class students of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Besides penning stories and poems stressing the need for planting more saplings, he took part in many conferences, rallies and workshops. He wrote about 40 articles in A.P. government’s official magazine `Andhra Pradesh’ on biodiversity.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by B.V.S Bhaskar / Kadiyam (East Godavari) / April 26th, 2018
A ‘Farm Radio’ that was launched to give insights and tips to farmers has met with enormous success in the district.
Developed by scientists of Anakapalle Regional Agriculture Station (ARAS), the Farm Radio app sees hundreds of farmers tuning into it everyday through their smartphones.
The success of the app has prompted ARAS to try to get All India Radio’s Vizag and Vijayawada stations broadcast Farm Radio in order to reach out to a larger audience.
ARAS officials said they have are extending support to farmers in the form of information through toll-free numbers as well as a special app. “Farm Radio offers tips on maintaining crops, weather forecast, market information and related tips as well as success stories of various farmers,” said an ARAS official.
“Farm Radio is nothing but an internet radio. Any farmer who has a smartphone and internet connectivity can easily access Farm Radio. The response from farmers is great and they are asking us for more information on methods to protect their crops,” senior scientist of crop production K Tejeswara Rao told TOI.
“This radio is different from other FM radios as this radio has no boundaries because it is connected to the internet. Farmers can listen to the radio round-the-clock and can also choose whatever topic they want to listen to. We are planning to add more topics and other aspects,” Rao said.
After witnessing the response, ARAS is now trying to sign an MoU with All India Radio, because they have more topics as they have already been transmitting ‘Palle Seemalu and Grama Darsini’ programmes. They have more than 160 topics and ARAS wishes to upload all these topics to provide the information to farmers through Farm Radio.
Rao said farmers are seeking information according to the season. Nowadays, they are asking about mango and cashew orchids, besides sugarcane plantation. Anyone can access the radio by logging into www.farmradio.in . This radio was developed by a group of scientists of ARAS – Pradeep Kumar, Dr Moshe, Dr Chittibabu, Dr Vijayabhinandana, Dr Dhanasri and others.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Visakhapatnam News / by Siva G. / March 25th, 2018
