Category Archives: Nature

‘It had always been my dream to be a fighter pilot’

Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology

Pune:

For academy cadet captain G Dayakar Reddy, it had always been a dream to be a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force. And he gave everything it took to realize the dream.

Reddy, who bagged the President’s gold medal for standing first in the overall order of merit of the 122nd course at the National Defence Academy (NDA), is now set to join the Air Force Officers Academy at Hyderabad from July 7.

Son of a pharmacist from Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh, Reddy had no one in the family to look to for inspiration in his pursuit of a career in the armed forces. His first association with a regimented life came when he joined the Sainik School at Korukunda in Vizianagaram.

“I always wanted to be a fighter pilot and I am looking forward to my training at the finishing academy,” said Reddy. He belongs to the ‘Oscar’ squadron, which has bagged the champion squadron banner at the NDA for the third successive year.

Battalion cadet captain Sashbind Singh Pal, who stood second in the overall order of merit to bag the President’s silver medal, comes from a family with a military background. “My father, Subhedar S M Singh, is posted at the Ordnance Depot at Talegaon near Pune,” he said.

Pal, who hails from Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, did his schooling at the Military School in Belgaon, Karnataka prior to joining the NDA. He belongs to the ‘Echo’ squadron of the academy.

“I was not so good in studies but I was good at sports,” he said. “Right from childhood I wanted to have a career in the armed forces. “I want to join the infantry.”

Battalion cadet adjutant J S Aswal also belongs to a family with a military background. “My father, Rajinder Singh Aswal, is a subedar in the army. He inspired me and wanted me to become an officer in the armed forces,” said Aswal.

“It’s an altogether different feeling to be part of the NDA and I am eagerly looking forward to my training at the officers academy,” said Aswal, who hails from Garwhal in Uttarakhand region. “I got to learn a lot of things during my life at the NDA,” he added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Pune / TNN / May 31st, 2012

 

Antarvedi water tank is home to rare sea fish

Business & Economy, Nature, Science & Technology

Antervedi (East Godavari):

The famous pilgrim town of Antervedi in East Godavari district, is all set to secure a berth on the global map, not for any religious reasons, but for production of ‘Silver Pampano’, a rare marine white fish, in salt water tanks.

Silver Pampano is available only in seas abutting countries like East Africa, New Zealand, North Japan and South Australia.

Vadapalli Srinivasa Raju, an aquaculturist from Palacole, produced the rare fish in his one acre saline water tank in Antervedi. Raju, who had released 3,400 fingerlings into the tank some six months ago, harvested one-and-half tonne of catch here on Tuesday.

The pilot project taken up by the Central Marine Research Fish Institute (CMRFI), Cochin in association with Raju, has resulted in a good yield. The institute has been experimenting with the project for several years but has tasted success only after tying up with Raju.

Speaking to Express, Raju said that the CMRFI provided the fingerlings and feed and helped in pumping salt water into his one acre tank from the sea.

“I wanted to set an example for the aquaculturists along the coastline in the state. My success will inspire them to take up the fish culture as a serious venture,” he said.

The Silver Pampano (Trachinotus blochii) can be cultivated twice in a year. Aquaculturists can get a production up to 20 metric tonnes every year by releasing 40,000 fingerlings in 10 acres of salt tank and earn up to `40 lakh, said the Palacole aquaculturist. The salt density should be between 5 PPT and 30 PPT for good growth of the fish.

Each fish weighs about one to two kg and is sold for 10 US dollars per kg in the international market. The white fish is in demand for its high nutritious value, he added.

source: http://www.ibnlive.in.com / South> Southern News> Andhra Pradesh / by S S Chary / The New Indian Express / April 18th, 2012

 

Puttaparthi girl from Oz gets sponsorship for water project

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

Saideepa Kumar grew up in the little town of Puttaparthi in the Anantapur district in the Rayalaseema region of the state, where water is very scarce. Ten years later, studying for a Master’s in water management in Australia, Ms Kumar has decided to do her research in the same region, where farmers face a constant water crisis. She gave up her career in IT to follow her heart and apply the knowledge gained in Australia to help farmers in her home district.

“After having worked in the IT sector, I quit my job and enrolled for a Master’s course in water management and undertook my research project in India,” she says, adding that her research study is a joint venture between the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Hyderabad and the University of Melbourne.

Ms Kumar’ research has been funded by the Australian Prime Minister’s Australia Asia Award. Australia has also witnessed severe drought-like conditions in the past one decade which led them to develop innovative ways to manage scarce water resources. “The study suggest solutions for efficient water use of canal system to address both drought and water logging situations by uniform distribution of water,” said an official.

The study focuses on the Srisailam Right Branch Canal (SRBC) commissioned in 2004 to provide canal water to drought-prone areas around Nandyal in the Rayalaseema region, which has scanty rain and over-exploitation of ground water. Though the canal system initially helped farmers, it also threw up new problems, as the study shows.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Channels> Cities> Hyderabad / DC / January 23rd, 2012

 

Rashtrapati Nilayam to be opened for Public Viewing from January 07th to 12th

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nature

03-01-2012 : Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi

The garden of Rashtrpati Nilayam, Bollaram, Secunderabad, will be opened for public viewing from January 7th to 12th this year. The garden will be open to the public from 1000 hrs to 1700 hrs. and visitors at the entry point will be allowed upto 1600 hrs. Entry will be through Gate No. 2

The premises of Rashtrapati Nilayam have been developed as an eco-friendly complex, which mainly comprises a landscaped garden, beautiful road scaping, different seasonal flowering plants and display of potted plants around the main building, a natural cascading water fall and seven different types of Nutrition Gardens of Mango, Sapota, Pomegranate, Guava, Amla, Coconut and Cheeku. In addition to this, a Herbal Garden has been developed which is intended to bring in awareness about our rich heritage and diversity of Medicinal Plants. This is also to preserve and promote the medicinal values of various plants that grow widely in our surroundings, whose properties are beneficial to human beings and maintain a balance between man and nature.

The Herbal Garden has 116 species of medicinal and aromatic plants like Sarpgandha, Kalabandha, Citronella, Lemon Grass, Khus, Geranium, Coriander, Sandalwood, Tuber Rose, Jasmine, Kalmegh, Tulsi, Isbgol, etc. These plants can be used for natural home remedial cure for a variety of diseases. The Garden is located in an area of about 7000 sq. mtrs. The Garden has also developed annuals, perennials, creepers and shrubs.

In addition to this, several measures have been taken for conservation of rain water in Rashtrapati Nilayam during the last two years to improve ground water sustainability. A percolation pond, made with the available stones, has been developed where the rain water is collected and then gets percolated into the subsoil.

Three rainwater harvesting pits have also been made for storage and percolation to the ground via filter media. Earlier, the rainwater was used to flow out of the Nilayam premises, which is now collected and conserved, resulting in substantial rise in ground water level. New water sources like borewells have been developed and existing open wells have been developed for efficient water irrigation and drip irrigation system in the complex.

The Premises of Rashtrapati Nilayam were opened for the common people for the first time in 2011.

source: http://www.PresidentofIndia.nic.in / Home> Press Releases / January 03rd, 2012

This release issued at 1710 hrs.