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Natives of Kyonsa in Sikkim to promote pillow fighting, pole climbing

August 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kyonsa (Sikkim), Aug 27(ANI): The local residents of Kyonsa region in Sikkim gathered in huge numbers on Thursday to take part in an event to promote their age-old rural game of bamboo pole climbing and pillow fighting.

The locals shouted and cheered as the participants climbed bamboo poles and battered each other in pillow fights – reviving a practice that is slowly dying in the face of modern sports like soccer and volleyball.

“Our main aim is to preserve this old system of sports. Nowadays, we mainly focus on sports like football, archery and volleyball but our aim is to keep this traditional style of sports alive in our rural areas and entertain the public on such an occasion,” said Sonam Bhutia, General Secretary of Kyonsa Samaj Organizing Committee.

Sonam further said this was also a way of preserving their identity and by promoting this form of sport in the rural areas, the youth will learn more about their own traditions and not be swayed by modern sports such as football.

“Such rural sports encourage us and bring out the best in the all the villages who come from different areas. Here people come and gather for an occasion like this one. In this way we can preserve our age old sports which our earlier generations have been playing from a very long time,” said Anand Lepcha, a local.

The event was also marked by some spectacular dance performances. (ANI)

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2008 China earthquake destroyed 23 percent of the pandas’ habitat

July 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 28 (ANI): In a new study, scientists have shown that when the magnitude 8 Sichuan earthquake struck southern China in May 2008, more than 23 percent of the pandas’ habitat was destroyed in the area.

The Sichuan region is designated as one of 25 global hotspots for biodiversity conservation.

Home to more than 12,000 species of plants and 1122 species of vertebrates, the area includes more than half of the habitat for the Earth’s wild giant panda population, according to study lead author Weihua Xu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.

“We estimate that above 60 percent of the wild giant panda population was affected to some extent by the earthquake,” said Xu.

In an effort to develop conservation strategies for the panda’s remaining habitat, Xu and his colleagues used satellite imagery, field observations and published research to determine the pandas’ habitat loss and fragmentation in the South Minshan region, which is adjacent to the earthquake’s epicenter.

Since forests are the main vegetation type used by the pandas, the authors compared forested areas in satellite images from September 2007, before the earthquake, to images after the earthquake and its aftershocks, in July 2008.

The authors then combined results based on these satellite data with criteria that make forests suitable for pandas, including elevation, slope incline and presence of bamboo.

Their analyses revealed that more than 354 square kilometers, or about 23 percent, of the pandas’ habitat was converted to bare land.

Of the remaining habitat, the researchers found that large habitat areas had been fragmented into smaller, disconnected patches, which Xu says can be just as harmful as habitat destruction.

“It is probable that habitat fragmentation has separated the giant panda population inhabiting this region, which could be as low as 35 individuals,” said Xu.

“This kind of isolation increases their risk of extinction in the wild, due in part to a higher likelihood of inbreeding,” he added.

Xu and his colleagues propose a plan to encourage pandas to move between patches using specially protected corridors.

They also recommend areas to be protected outside of nature reserves, where the earthquake caused more than twice as much damage to panda habitat as inside reserves.

Finally, they recommend that post-earthquake relocation of affected towns takes panda habitat into consideration.

“It is vital to the survival of this species that measures are taken to protect panda habitat outside nature reserves,” Xu said. (ANI)

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Visually impaired bamboo artist enables others for self-reliance

July 15, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Gangtok, July 15 (ANI): A visually impaired bamboo artisan in Sikkim imparts training to many other disadvantaged people like him and help them gain self-reliance in life.

The 37-year-old Chandra Singh Gurung is one of the visually challenged workers offering training to enthusiastic artists under Directorate of handloom and industry in Cane and Bamboo crafts.

Gurung is a master bamboo and cane artist. He has been working in the bamboo and cane unit of the Directorate of Handicrafts and Handlooms for over a decade and has set an example of self-reliance.

The principal handicrafts of the region include basketwork, cane furniture, bamboo flower, mats and woodcarvings. The items which are made include stools, flowers, pen stands, picture frames, baskets, dust bins, beer mugs, hair clips and butterfly wall decoration.

Having learnt the art of Moda making (cane or bamboo stools) at the Kalimpong Salvation Army Institution, the Braille matriculate Gurung joined the Directorate as an artisan in 1986.

He tells that Government has opened many schemes for the people like him where they could learn the art as per their talent.

“Indian Government has opened many schemes for the people like us. I’m doing this cane and bamboo work in Sikkim. Others can go in for light engineering while still others can take up physiotherapy as per their talent,” said Gurung.

Every ‘moda’ Gurung makes sells at anything between 9.24 dollars to 10.27 dollars a piece.

Gurung is today not just a worker but a trainer as well and has trained jail inmates at the state prison in Rongyek, near Gangtok.

Namrata Thapa, directorate of Handicraft and Handloom Industry, Sikkim said that in this institute the students could earn while they learnt.

“This is the institute where we are providing employment opportunities to the physically handicapped people as far as possible not only the employment opportunities but we are giving them training in different crafts also as per their aptitude in their fields that they are interested to pursue,” said Thapa. By Tashi Pradhan(ANI)

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How Java’s seafarers built their boats in the 6th and 7th centuries

July 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Jakarta, July 11 (ANI): The recent discovery of an ancient boat in Indonesia has shed light on how Java’s seafarers in the 6th and 7th centuries built their boats.

According to a report in The Jakarta Post, the ancient boat, measuring 15.6 meters long and 4 meters wide, was found in Punjulharjo village, Rembang district, in Rembang regency.

A team from the Yogyakarta Archaeology Center made a detailed study of the site, about 200 meters inland from the Java Sea coastline, from June 17 to 26 this year.

The boat, approximately 1,200 years old, was found buried near the Central Java northern coastline, with its bow lying to the west and its stern in the east.

The ancient boat is the most complete ever found in Indonesia, according to the chairman of the Yogyakarta archaeology team, Novida Abbas.

“So far, we have only got wooden planks and other separate pieces. The discovery in Rembang is 50 percent intact,” Novida said. “We can see the actual shape of the boat and its construction technology,” he added.

Novida estimates that the boat could hold 30 people.

Its skeleton remains complete, including its sides, bottom, curved ribs (to support the sides), stringers (to fasten the ribs) and wooden pegs, as well as palm-fiber ropes to fasten the ribs to knobs on the inside of the sides. There are also rattan and bamboo items.

According to Priyatno Hadi, a team member and archaeology graduate from Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University, the main body of the boat was unbroken.

The hull was built using a very simple method that did not require any metal components.

“Planks were first arranged to form an arc and then the curved wooden ribs were placed in parallel rows from the stern to the bow. Thereafter, they were fastened and strengthened with wooden pegs,” said Hadi, showing the thumb-sized pegs.

Twelve of the boat’s 17 ribs are still joined to its flanks, with their palm-fiber ropes still partly tied in their knots.

Unusually, there are also L-shaped planks in the stern – with those in the bow probably having been lost – for reinforcement due to the palm-fiber rope holes.

Missing are the upper parts of the boat and some parts of the bow, according to Novida.

“The entire boat may have been larger than what has been found today. Its age of 12 centuries and its almost complete state provide good material for more comprehensive research,” he said.

“So, we will finally have an idea of what Indonesia’s ancient boats looked like without having to speculate much. This finding gives us a good idea,” he added. (ANI)

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Wooden ornaments of Jorhat

May 28, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Jorhat (Assam), May 28 (ANI): Fifty-year-old Jadab Mahanta in Assam’s Jorhat district is drawing attention from all over India for his skills in traditional arts, crafts and wooden ornaments.

Hailing from a small village in Assam, Mahanta carves fascinating wooden ornaments, masks and wooden craftwork at his home in Bor Alengi Village of Jorhat.

Mahanta creates facemasks for different characters of traditional dramas. By putting material like bamboo, wood, gray clay, cow dung and natural color paints to good use, he creates the wonderful masks.

Mahanta’s wooden ornaments are not just popular in India but abroad as well.

“My products are exported outside the country to Denmark, Thailand, USA. In India, it goes to Delhi, Kolkata and all over the country. I made different designs of lockets, pendants, chain, ring and bangles,” said Jadab Mahanta.

His skill and creativity in mask-making has earned him recognition by the Assam State Museum, Jorhat Museum and National Museum, New Delhi.

His work is quite popular in north eastern India and people from different districts of Assam come to him for placing their orders.

“I always help him (husband) in making mask and wooden ornaments. Though, it’s a time consuming work, lots of demands pour in from outside the state (specially wooden ornaments) and as well as from the state. For this (wooden ornaments) my husband is very popular in the region. Through this additional income, we look after the needs of our children’s studies,” said Reenu Mahanta, his wife.

“I was an unemployed youth. I realized that learning these arts would give benefits in future, so I requested him to train me. He readily agreed. Through him, my life has changed into a productive youth and now I am permanently engaged in painting and making of mask in our Satra (Vaishnavite Temple). I am regularly saving some amount from my income for my future,” says Porag Jyoti.

Mahanta says that he has used his expertise to preserve Sanchipat, a sheet made of bark from Agar tree. It was used in Assam for writing purposes, before the advent of paper.

With ‘Look East’ policy bringing the South East Asian market closer to north east; craftsmen like Mahanta will be able to find bigger markets for their products.

He is today a source of inspiration for the youth in the state who want to create a niche for themselves in the world. By Vaschipem Kamodang (ANI)

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Malaysian man takes 12 years to make a bamboo saxaphone

May 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia), May 11 (ANI): Philipus Jani, 39, had fallen in love with a brass saxophone he had borrowed from a friend, but unable to afford his own. So, he decided to make one.

“The experiment started in 1993 and, I finally perfected a saxophone made of bamboo 12 years later. I used my own calculations and measurements for placement of holes and now, it functions perfectly, ” the New Strait Times quoted Jani, as saying.

“This traditional instrument is as good as the modern one and it shows that we can improvise and make instruments of our own using resources like bamboo,” Jani added.

Jani hails from Malaysia’s Tambunan District.

Jani, who showcased the conical musical instrument at the recent Sabah Fest, has sold 35 “somporing” and is banking on more orders not just from music enthusiasts but also from those eyeing unique Sabah traditional souvenirs.

A small “somporing” fetches RM500 while larger ones go for RM1, 000 inclusive of a bamboo case.

“It takes me about four days to a week to make one “somporing” and I use the money to support my wife and six children. Sometimes, I perform traditional tunes and popular English, Chinese and Japanese songs. I have also composed a few tunes.”

Jani has also made a bamboo guitar, which he is hoping to introduce at the end of this month. (ANI)

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Bamboo cultivation popularised in a big way in India’s northeast

May 4, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Jorhat, May 3 (ANI): The Indian Government is encouraging bamboo cultivation in a big way in the country’s northeast region with the aim of improving the lives of local communities.

Several steps have been taken to enhance bamboo conservation and productivity in the region.

The Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI), Jorhat, recently organised a conference to discuss ways to promote the commercial cultivation of bamboo and its management, its use as an inter-crop and the propagation of bamboo in the region.

The Rain Forest Research Institute, Jorhat, and Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun, had jointly organised the conference.

During the conference, strategies on how to develop the northeast as a center of excellence for bamboo was discussed.

“The establishment of bamboo composite center with the collaboration of one of the institute, which is located in Bangalore and here, will be demonstrating all technological aspects which are related to utilisation of bamboo. So that the local entrepreneurs and farmers of this region could be exposed to various uses of bamboo and how they could earn some money out of this bamboo enterprises,” said Jagdish Kishwan, Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education in Dehradun.

“As a programme, our bamboo station village program, what we do that the R and D what we do here should be placed before the local people and they also understand about the bamboo propagation and application. So definitely it is going to be the exercise where the local community are involved and they are made known to the research we are doing here and how best that can help in getting additional income for them especially in bamboo and cane,” said N.K. Vasu, Director, Rain Forest research Institute in Jorhat.

Bamboo is one of the world’s most useful renewable natural resources and over 3,000 versatile uses are associated with the social, economic and cultural fabric of the north-eastern States.

Bamboo and its products can be a major potential export commodity in the northeast.

The Central Government is running a National Bamboo Mission to address issues relating to the development of bamboo and to encourage bamboo cultivation.

Farmers find bamboo cultivation quite useful.

“I took up bamboo plantation because it’s very easy, profitable and is not a time consuming job. Bamboo is used for different purposes in our region, in construction, fencing, house, manure, handicrafts etc. These days the demand of raw bamboo in the market is very high. I own 3/4 bighas of bamboo. Whenever financial need arises, I sell bamboo. I earn Rs.2-3 thousand every month. I support my family with this, ” said Jitul Gogoi, a bamboo farmer in Assam.

In northeast, bamboo is traditionally used as construction material, household articles, in handicrafts and papermaking, agriculture, fisheries, transportation and village industry.

India is home to almost 45 per cent of the world’s bamboo forest and two-third of the growing stock of bamboo in the country is available in the northeast.

136 species of bamboo are found across India, of which 89 species in north-east region only.

Bamboo cultivation and its proper utilisation are widely anticipated to benefit the local entrepreneurs and bamboo cultivators. By Vaschipem Kamodang (ANI)

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Eco-friendly Rachel McAdams urges women to buy bamboo lingerie!

May 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 1 (ANI): Rachel McAdams has urged women to opt for bamboo lingerie for the betterment of environment.

The Notebook star has become a leading celebrity green activist and she has launched a website, GreenIsSexy.org, to help raise awareness about clothing alternatives and better ways to serve the environment.

“A sexy green thing to do is to wear bamboo underwear! They sound quite painful but they’re actually quite soft. I’ve also got soy underwear!” “Our philosophy on the website is not to have green guilt necessarily; just do what you feel comfortable with and you’d be surprised how you feel the positive affects,” Contactmusic quoted Rachel, as saying.

Rachel informed people about multifarious eco-friendly things they can do to save the environment on the eve of second anniversary of her website.

“We’re coming on our two-year anniversary of GreenIsSexy.org and the environmental community has really opened up online. That’s the amazing thing about the Internet – for all the problems and concerns, the relationships you can develop with people who are on the same wavelength and deeply care about the same things is immediate and it’s vast,” she said. (ANI)

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Assam self-help group generates employment for rural women

May 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Sodial (Jorhat), Apr 28 (ANI): A self-help group (SHG) that mooted a weaving unit in Assam has facilitated a large number of women economically self sufficient by generating employment for them.his self-help group named ‘Bhogdoi’ and based at Sodial village in Jorhat region was the brainchild of Arunima Kachari in 2001.

Ever since its inception, Arunima and her other nine associates have nurtured ‘Bhogdoi’ with utmost dedication.

They started their business with just ten workers by installing only ten looms, but within a period of five years, the number of looms has increased to 45. Now after eight years, they have more than 100 weavers working wonders on 85 looms.

Hundreds of women from this village have benefited from ‘Bhogdoi’.

“I took the initiative of setting up a weaving centre for the womenfolk of my village. Then I started imparting training in weaving to unemployed women of my village. Later, we formed the ‘Bhogdoi’ self-help group. Many have benefited from this weaving business,” Kachari.

“We hardly asked for any assistance from the government. We collected money on our own and started the unit. I never thought we would reach this far. Later, in 2002, we started exhibiting our products. At these exhibitions, we sell our traditional attires like Tongali (waist cloth), Muga (handloom silk), Mekhela Sador (bridal trousseau), gamocha (towel also used to tie around the head),” Kachari added.

The enterprising Arunima motivated scores of girls and even housewives to be a part of the Bhogdoi where she taught them the rudiments of spinning and weaving.

“I am a regular worker in this self-help group. I joined the training after which I was also given a job in this unit. Now, I can send my children to a good school and can provide them good food,” said Dipali Saikia, member-worker.

Since, the products made by this SHG are of high quality and fine finishing, the demand is very high within the district and adjoining areas.

Right from day-one, ‘Bhogdoi ‘has relied only on traditional modes. The spinning wheels are made of bicycle wheel while the looms are bamboo or cane and wood-based.

‘Bhogdoi’ SHG has participated in various handloom exhibitions across the country and bagged a couple of awards conferred by the Government of Assam and also the Central Government.

There are more than 85,000 SHGs functioning in Assam, playing the role of a vital catalyst in the overall socio-economic scenario.

The main spheres in which these SHGs are active happen to be agriculture, handloom, poultry and dairy farming, food processing units in the cottage industry sector, bee keeping, cane and bamboo craft among others.

Jorhat district itself boasts of at least 7000 SHGs.

Interestingly, there are quite a few number of high school students who are members of Bhogdoi and they have experienced ‘earn while you learn’. By Apem (ANI)

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Villagers in Uttar Pradesh get employment under rural employment act

April 13, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Darshan nagar village/Madna village (Faizabad), Apr 13 (ANI): The Uttar Pradesh Government is involving villagers in digging of a sewage line and a pond to generate employment.

In Darshan Nagar village under the Purabazar province in Faizabad district, a sewage line is being dug in front of the concrete houses.

The construction work is being done under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) promoted by the Ministry of Rural Development.

“Under the banner of NREGA, in our area, ponds and roads have been constructed and currently a 300 meter long sewage line is being constructed,” said Ramkhelawan, village head, Darshan Nagar village.

The villagers are taking full advantage of this scheme by the Government.

“Earlier, I used to rush to Faizabad on a cycle for work. But now, I have got work near my home. There is no problem of food and children are also getting proper education,” said Shrichand, a labourer.

In the Madna village under the same province, a pond is being constructed in the middle of the fields. But currently, the work is at a halt as the farmers are busy in cutting the grains.

“We will be receiving all the benefits from this pond which is being constructed by us under the scheme of NREGA. We will get money to feed our family, drinking water for our cattle and water for irrigation facilities. The Government is providing us benefits in every possible way,” said Toofani, a farmer.

The NREGA, also known as National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), was implemented in all 206 villages of Kullu District in April 2008.

Union Minister for Rural Development, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh had said that 2.7 million households have already been given employment for hundred days in the first phase of the NREGA scheme.

Around 3.6 million more households benefited in the second phase and another 2.7 million households in the third phase of the implementation of the scheme.

According to data available, 49 per cent of women, 30 per cent of Scheduled Castes and 25 per cent of Scheduled Tribes have benefited from the scheme so far.

In fact, this scheme, aims to tackle the problem of rural unemployment. It has also encouraged traditional handicraft industries, like textile weaving and bamboo work.

With elections round the corner, the effort is to spread awareness among rural households about their legal right to hundred days of employment every year under the scheme. By Amit umar (ANI)

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Artist Piet Mondrian inspires Indian fashion designer

April 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Mumbai, Mar 31 (ANI): Taking inspiration from Dutch artist Piet Mondrian, Indian fashion designer Wendell Rodricks presented a collection of some eye catching casual wear for women at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week here last evening.

Using black and white predominantly, Rodricks showcased an array of attractive ensembles for his Fall/Winter collection, which stood out for their simplicity and elegance.

Rodricks used eco-friendly fabrics made from bamboo and dyed in natural colours for the collection.

“We have a wonderful line of eco-fabrics which are dyed in natural dyes. We have made a fantastic collection of jerseys. We also have cocktail dresses and some blouses in new bamboo fabric,” he said.

Lakme Fashion Week has received in all 189 applications – 88 for gen next and 44 for emerging fashion designers from 20 cities across the country. (ANI)

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Why some animals eat only one type of food

March 24, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, mar 24 (ANI): Seeing a huge restaurant menu usually makes us choose an old favourite instead of trying something new. Now, scientists have claimed that, when overloaded with information, other animals too display such behaviour.

Researchers from University of Leeds used computer modelling to examine the evolution of specialisation, and have shed light on why some animal species have evolved to eat one particular type of food.

“This is a major leap forward in our understanding of the way in which animals interact with their environment. Our computer models show the way in which neural networks operate in different environments. They have made it possible for us to see how different species make decisions, based on what’s happening – or in this case, which foods are available – around them,” said lead researcher Dr Colin Tosh from the University’s Faculty of Biological Sciences.

Till date, not much is known about such specialisation in eating habits, despite its prevalence the animal kingdom.

The study conducted at Leeds has provided strong evidence in support of the ‘neural limitations’ hypothesis put forward by academics in the 1990s.

The hypothesis, derived from human psychology, is based on the concept of information overload.

“There are several hypotheses to explain specialisation: one suggests that animals adapt to eat certain foods and this prevents them from eating other types of food,” said Tosh.

He added: “For example, cows have evolved flat teeth which allow them to chew grass but they are unable to efficiently process meat. However, the problem with these hypotheses is that they don’t apply across the board. Some species – such as many plant eating insects – have evolved to specialise even though there are many other available foods they could eat perfectly well.”

The study is the first to provide a realistic representation of neural information processing in animals and how these interact with their environment.

According to the researchers it could also have major implications for predicting the effects of environmental change.

“A good example of a struggling specialist is the giant panda, which relies on high mountain bamboo. In understanding how neural processes work, we may be able to gain an insight into how future environmental conditions – such as the dying out of particular types of plants – may affect a range of different animal species that utilise them for food,” said Tosh. (ANI)

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Night curfew along Indo-Bangladesh border ahead of general elections

March 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Bhagalpur, Mar 21 (ANI): Indian authorities have imposed night curfew along the borders with Bangladesh in Tripura and stepped up security in view of the upcoming general elections.

The vigil along the border has been stepped up to check movement of the militants and infiltration.

Night curfew has been promulgated within the radius of one-kilometer, besides banning fishing during night, movement of non-government vehicles, rickshaws and handcarts.

Authorities in two districts of the state have also banned carrying of any weapons by the locals including bamboo sticks.

“The state government will specifically issue special instructions to the Border Security Force to completely seal the border on the eve of the general elections and that sealing will continue till the entire poll process is over,” said K. Ambuli, District Magistrate, West Tripura District.

The BSF is on an all time alert as the personnel keep a strict vigil along the borders.

“Our jawans are patrolling the border round the clock. We lay ambushes, we patrol the border even during night time. And this much I can say that all 24-hours there are presence of border security force jawans at the border. We do not leave the border any time,” said A.K Singh, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), BSF, Tripura Frontier.

The BSF apprehended 42 Indian and 24 Bangladeshi nationals during past one month for illegally crossing the border and also seized weapons from their possession.

Indian authorities are also stepping up security for political leaders, fearing possible militant attacks as the general election approaches. (ANI)

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Soon, robots could have muscles stronger than steel

March 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, March 20 (ANI): Scientists have created a new material that is stronger than steel and stiffer than diamond, weighs little more than its volume in air, and could be the perfect artificial muscle for robots.

According to a report in New Scientist, scientists at the University of Texas, Dallas, US, developed the material.

“We’ve made a totally new type of artificial muscle that is able to provide performance characteristics that have not previously been obtained,” said Ray Baughman, a materials scientist at the University of Texas, and co-developer of the new muscle.

Baughman and colleagues have developed a technique to make ribbons of tangled nanotubes that expand in width by 220 percent when a voltage is applied and then return to their normal size once it is removed.

The process takes only milliseconds.

“Collections of those ribbons could act as artificial muscle fibres – for example, to move the limbs of a walking robot,” said Baughman.

The material has other impressive properties.

It is extremely stiff and strong in the “long” direction – that in which the nanotubes are aligned – but is as stretchy as rubber across its width.

It also maintains its properties over an extreme range of temperatures: from -196 degrees Celsius, at which temperature nitrogen is liquid, to 1538 degrees C, above the melting point of iron.

This means any robot equipped with the nanotube muscles could potentially keep working in some very extreme environments.

The new material has some advantages over previous artificial muscles.

Some of those work only when bathed in methanol fuel, others are capable of only very small changes in size and none of them work well at extreme temperatures.

The tangled nanotubes are constructed into a film that can be described as an aerogel, meaning it contains more air than anything else.

Ribbons of the aerogel are made by first growing “forests” of carbon nanotubes that resemble a dense thicket of bamboo stalks.

The researchers then stick a length of adhesive to the sides of those stalks and pull gently to draw out a long, thin film of the tubes, which tangle during the process.

So far, ribbons a 50th of a millimeter thick by 16 centimeters wide and several meters long have been made, but it should be possible to form larger sheets by starting with more nanotubes.

According to Electrical engineer John Madden at the University of British Columbia, resilience and low density could make it a good material for building structures in space, with its lightness keeping down the cost of sending a payload into orbit. (ANI)

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Seven new species of bamboo coral discovered in Hawaii’s deep waters

March 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, March 8 (ANI): Scientists have identified seven new species of bamboo coral in the deep waters of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, in Hawaii, US, among which six may represent an entirely new genera.

A genus is a major category in the classification of organisms, ranking above a species and below a family. Scientists expect to identify more new species as analysis of samples continues.

“These discoveries are important, because deep-sea corals support diverse seafloor ecosystems and also because these corals may be among the first marine organisms to be affected by ocean acidification,” said Richard Spinrad, NOAA’s assistant administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.

“Deep-sea bamboo corals also produce growth rings much as trees do, and can provide a much-needed view of how deep ocean conditions change through time,” he added.

Ocean acidification is a change in ocean chemistry due to excess carbon dioxide.

Researchers have seen adverse changes in marine life with calcium-carbonate shells, such as corals, because of acidified ocean water.

According to Rob Dunbar, a Stanford University scientist,”We found live, 4,000-year-old corals in the Monument – meaning 4,000 years worth of information about what has been going on in the deep ocean interior.”

“Studying these corals can help us understand how they survive for such long periods of time, as well as how they may respond to climate change in the future,” he said.

Among the other findings were a five-foot tall yellow bamboo coral tree that had never been described before, new beds of living deepwater coral and sponges, and a giant sponge scientists dubbed the “cauldron sponge,” approximately three feet tall and three feet across.

Analysis is not yet complete on the cauldron sponge, but scientists expect it will turn out to be a new species.

Scientists collected two other sponges which have not yet been analyzed, but may represent new species or genera as well.

This orange bamboo coral is another new species and new genus found in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. It is between four and five feet tall, and was found 5,745 feet below the surface. (ANI)

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Schemes empower women in a Tamil Nadu village

March 5, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Arurur (Tamil Nadu), Mar 5 (ANI): Hundreds of women residing in a village in Tamil Nadu have become self-reliant after the launch of numerous self-help groups in the area.

Women residing in Arurur village in Dharmapuri district in the state who have been involved in mat design industry, producing various types of color mats, are earning a good livelihood.

“We are making mats under the scheme organised by the local panchayat (village council). The Government of Tamil Nadu has given two lakh rupees for the development of this business. Lots of people have taken jobs under the scheme. With these self-help groups, we are now earning good income. It is very helpful to us,” said Senthamari, one of the women benefited by the project.

These self help-groups have been benefiting more than one hundred thousand women in various villages in the district.

“In our district, we have about 6,500 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) covering about 1,50,000 women. We have 17 NGO’s working with Tamil Nadu women developmental corporation. We have 12,000 SHGs in the form of NGO’s which are not affiliated with the Tamil Nadu women development corporation,” said Muthu Meenal, a project officer.

Rural job schemes introduced by the Congress, aimed at tackling the problem of rural unemployment, have also encouraged traditional handicraft industries, like textile weaving and bamboo work.

The schemes have been immensely popular among the people living below the poverty line in villages across Tamil Nadu.

Ahead of the elections, the government is making constant efforts to generate greater awareness among the rural households about their legal right of at least hundred days of employment every year under the scheme. By Jai Kumar(ANI)

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Rural employment scheme, a hit among people in Punjab

March 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kaler Khera village (Punjab), Feb 28 (ANI): The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) is a big hit among the villagers in Punjab.

The Government launched the ambitious NREGS in 2006 to provide employment to villagers.

Villagers of Kaler Khera of Punjab are making the most of it. They are enjoying the benefits of the scheme as they are gainfully employed.

They are now harnessing their productive potential to the hilt and are getting at least a hundred days of employment.

“My husband has not been keeping well and he is out of work. I am happy that the government has come up with this rural employment scheme that is helping people like me,” said Nirmala, a beneficiary of the NREGS.

Mahender Pal, the village head said that the scheme is benefiting a large number of villagers who used to waste their time aimlessly.

“A lot of people are benefiting from this scheme. These people work here for eight hours a day and earn their bread and butter. This scheme of the government has been of great help to the poor people,” said Mahender.

Further, the government proposes to reach out to more than 40 million households under its flagship programme till the end of March in the current financial year.

Recently, Union Minister for Rural Development, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh had said in the Rajya Sabha that 2.7 million households have already been given employment for hundred days in the first phase. Around 3.6 million more households benefited in the second phase and another 2.7 million households in the third phase of the implementation of the scheme.

According to a data, 49 per cent women, 30 per cent Scheduled Castes and 25 per cent Scheduled Tribes have been benefited by the scheme so far.

In fact, this scheme, aimed at tackling the problem of rural unemployment, has also encouraged traditional handicraft industries, like textile weaving and bamboo work.

Ahead of the elections, the government is making constant efforts to generate greater awareness among the rural households about their legal right of hundred days of employment every year under the scheme.By Avtar Singh Gill (ANI)

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Ministry of Panchayati Raj, KVIC sign MoC to work towards rural business hubs

February 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Feb 26 (ANI): Panchayat Raj Minister Mani Shanker Aiyar today said that the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and KVIC have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to work jointly towards the Rural Business Hubs (RBH) in rural areas by converging Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) and other schemes of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

Informing the Rajya Sabha in a written reply, Aiyar said, “It is expected that such joint working will help generate employment as well as higher and sustained income for rural producers through better marketing and convergence of schemes of KVIC with Panchayats. Joint working arrangement will be operational for a period of three years from the date of signing of the MoC.”

Under the MoC, Panchayats can propose viable projects under the PMEGP scheme of KVIC, which will be placed before the district level task force in which there will be three members representing Panchayats.

“Though this arrangement is operational in all PMEGP districts, special attention will be given in RBH focus districts. Phulbani and Koraput and Ranchi and Deoghar are the RBH focus districts in Orissa and Jharkhand respectively,” he added.

The Minister said KVIC has supported 118 clusters under their Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) scheme.

“Under the MoC, it is proposed to extend marketing linkages to these clusters. Beekeeping cluster, Chamoli (Uttrakhand), Bamboo cluster, Kalpetta (Kerala) and Bamboo cluster, Mizoram have been identified as pilot clusters for such intervention,” he said. (ANI)

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Migrating elephants scare villagers in Jharkhand

February 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Ranchi, Feb 19 (ANI): Fear grips people with bad memories of crop destruction in Jharkhand as hundreds of elephants returned to the area while on their annual migration sojourn.

With standing crops in the fields, the farmers are a worried lot. They fear arrival of elephants from the nearby forests trespassing into the fields for food.

After the monsoon, herds of wild elephants move out to the nearby forests and migrate out to Orissa, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh.

The elephants return to the region during the months of February-March in search of food and rampage the fields and entire villages en route.

“These elephants trouble us a lot. We have no option but to keep bamboo sticks in our hands when we go out in the fields. These elephants come in large groups and destroy our fields,” said Mansu Ram, a villager.

The forest officials in the region said that with the active participation of villagers, they are setting up trackers to monitor the migration route of the jumbos to minimise the destruction caused by them by straying into the villages posing a threat to life and property including standing crops.

“These elephants come through a particular corridor. We have placed trackers to guard the corridor. The trackers monitor the movement of the elephants and the route that they take. We are trying to ensure that these elephants do not cause further loss to the villagers,” said Shashi Nand Kuliar, conservator of forest, wildlife, Jharkhand.

Many people have been trampled to death and dozens of houses destroyed by elephants in the villages lining the forestland in the past. Villagers shirk from moving around freely.

Forest officials, however, maintain that elephants harm only on provocation. By Girija Shankar Ojha (ANI)

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Mawlynnong in Meghalaya- Asia’s cleanest village

February 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Mawlynnog (Shillong) Feb.10, (ANI): Resident across the country can take inspiration from the picture perfect village of Mawlynnong, which has recently earned a unique distinction of being the cleanest village in Asia.

Nestled in the pristine hills of Meghalaya, the hamlet has over 80 houses and the villagers, despite their daily schedule of farming and cultivating broomsticks, have worked hard to earn this distinction.

Residents of this village keep their surroundings clean by voluntarily performing all the civic duties such as sweeping the roads and lanes, watering the plants in public area and cleaning the drains.

A team of experts from the famous travel and tourism journal, “Discovery India” has conferred the recognition of being the cleanest village in Asia to Mawlynnong, which is 75 kilometres from the State capital Shillong.

“This village has been there for a long. It’s over hundred years old. People residing in this village have been maintaining cleanliness right from the time of our ancestors. Because of that this village is clean and at the same time, tourists come to visit to see the surroundings it exhibits as one of Asia’s cleanest village,” said Leaderfiels Khongwir, one villager, Mawlynnong

“It is the cleanest village that I’ve seen so far. The beautiful flowers, in fact it feels like a park. It doesn’t feel like you’ve come to a village. It’s like walking in a park, with beautiful flowers on both sides of the path,” said Inrani Swer, a visitor from Shillong.

Dustbins crafted from bamboo canes are placed at central points in the village and the waste from the dustbin is collected and kept in a pit, which the villagers use as manure.

Local residents here grow different flowers around their houses to complement the beauty of their tiny cottages.

Mawlynnong’s fame is now drawing an endless stream of both domestic as well as international tourists. By D. Henpilen (ANI)

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