Project to generate power from waste in Coimbatore city likely

Coimbatore Corporation is going to replicate a Singapore power project that utilises domestic waste to generate electricity.

Mayor S.M. Velusamy told journalists here on Thursday that half the 800 tonnes of waste generated every day in the city was disposed of through landfills at Vellalore, and the rest could be used to generate electricity.

Official visit

A three-member team from the civic body comprising Mr. Velusamy, Corporation Commissioner G. Latha and S. Baskar, Coordinator of IC Centre for Governance — the anchor non-governmental organisation that oversaw Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) projects — undertook an official visit to Singapore from May 26 to 31 as part of a delegation comprising representatives from 11 cities across India.

The trip was undertaken after an invitation from the Government of Singapore.

Officials from various departments explained to the Indian delegates how the infrastructure was developed in Singapore and the execution of different projects.

The Mayor said that the visit proved useful in studying the reasons that powered the extraordinary growth of Singapore from a colony of the erstwhile British emprise to a global economic power house.

Another initiative that would be adopted here was increasing the number of trees as Singapore had nearly 40 per cent green cover.

In the first phase, saplings would be planted at ideal locations on Avinashi Road and Tiruchi Road.

Mr. Velusamy said that in order to make the city completely free from garbage, non-governmental organisations would be given the task of creating awareness among the public on proper waste disposal.

Survey

The civic body was also contemplating the launch of a survey with feedback forms distributed to the residents of the city on the ongoing projects and ascertain future requirements.

A plan was also afoot to completely revamp VOC Park and add more recreational facilities. Non-governmental organisations would be given the task of maintaining other parks, he added.

Dipping ground Water: Coimbatore nearing drought

There is further bad news on the water front. A weak south west monsoon has left the land parched and the rivers and lakes dry. Now, evidence suggests that ground water level is falling in many parts of Coimbatore and Tirupur.

A senior official with the ground water section in the public works department said water table has depleted by nearly 3 metres to 4.5 meters in several areas in the two districts, as per data collected from monitoring wells. There are 276 monitoring wells in Coimbatore and some parts of the Tirupur. In safe areas, water is generally found at a depth of 4 metres, while in critical or over-exploited areas water level has dipped to at least 15 metres.

"However, these estimates are as per measurements made in during a good monsoon. However, due to low rainfall this year water levels have gone down by at least 4.5 metres in almost all areas," the official said. Rain this season is 56 per cent less compared to the total rainfall in 2011.

Among the areas that face a serious water crisis are Sultanpettai in Sulur block, Madukkarai, Kattampatti, Andipallayam and parts of Avinashi. These places have been over-exploited to the extent that water, which used to be found at a depth of 7 to 8 metres, is not available even at a depth of 700 feet. Indiscriminate digging of bore wells to exploit the ground water is said to have caused for the crisis.

The official said a proposal has been send to the government to have more wells to monitor the situation better.

As per the latest ground water resource assessment by a state department, 142 of 385 blocks in Tamil Nadu are over-exploited, 33 blocks critical and 57 blocks are in a semi-critical state. Many areas across the state underlain by hard rock aquifers having limited storage potentials are facing acute problems of over-exploitation and depletion of ground water. Fluoride contamination of ground water is also prevalent in many parts of the state.

Valakuparai Balu, president, Tamil Nadu Vyavasayi Sangam, said poor rainfall has destroyed agriculture during this season. The situation has worsened due to the depletion in ground water level. Horticulture in Thondamuthur, Pollachi, Kinathakadavu and Madukkarai has been affected as people can't find water despite digging bores to a depth of 500feet, Balu said.

Around 600 plant species in Coimbatore: Scientist

There are around 600 plant species in the forests of Coimbatore. Among them, 20 to 23 face the threat of extinction, says R Gopalan, a former scientist at the Botanical Survey of India. He was speaking on the 'Plant Diversity of Coimbatore' at a programme organised by OSAI, a city based environmental organisation.

"There are around 600 plant species in the forest regions between Walayar to the Sirumugai area and among them 2 are only in Coimbatore," he said. The 2 wild plant species, Strodilanthes Bolampattiames and Proteroceros Holpumii can be seen only in the forests of Coimbatore, he said.

Apart from these 2, there are more than 20 varieties in the regional forests which are under threat of extinction, Gopalan said. Some steps have been taken by researchers and other agencies for their conservation.

Many of these species, including region-specific ones do not have any medicinal value. Therefore, interest in preserving them is restricted to academicians, he indicated.

Kovai gets its own batgirl as local girl champions bats

 

Imagine a bat suddenly whizzing past your head, barely missing you just because it can detect ultrasonic waves from you! Most people freak out, imagine horrific Dracula-esque scenes, scream and run for their lives.

But Shriranjani Iyer from Coimbatore welcomes them with open arms — bats are her best friends.

The 12th grader from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan School has made it her mission to care for these winged nocturnal creatures; a passion that has seen her work on a project for Pterocount — the South Asian Bat Monitoring programme for environmentalists and biologists that aims to create awareness on bat conservation.

Says Shriranjani, “I contributed data on bat population and their dietary patterns to Pterocount. My research predominantly focused on the Indian Flying Fox (Pteropus giganteus).

Sanjay Moulur, the Director of the Zoo Outreach Organisation helped me a lot. I explored roosts all over the city's parks, and ones along the Mettupalayam, Avinashi and Karur routes as well.

” She goes on, “Bats have always fascinated me, right from when I was a kid. Everybody believes silly myths about them and gets frightened, no one cares enough to actually observe how wondrous they are!”

So what about bats is so interesting? “Well, for a start, they are of great help in seed dispersal, aiding in 90% of pollination. Being insectivorous, they help with pest riddance in fields.

Also, contrary to popular belief, they groom themselves perfectly and are not unclean or poisonous. Some even think they're blind- that's ridiculous as they have great vision which helps their nocturnal nature.

They are mysterious mammals though, and not too much more is known about them, that makes me even more curious!”, she quips.

Shriranjani did have a chance to get up close and personal with her favourite mammal once. “I was once asked to take care of an injured infant bat left in the zoo without its mother.

I fed and cleaned it, contacted several vets to help me, did all I could .. but unfortunately couldn't save its life. It was an emotional experience. It got me attached even more to this cause.”

An avid-birdwatcher as well, Shriranjani is part of the Salim Ali Ornithology Centre Nature Forum and is frequents spotted around the city with her binoculars, hoping to get a glimpse of some exotic species.

She signs off saying, “I spend a lot of time watching programs on Nat Geo and Discovery, reading online journals or interacting with like-minded community members on Facebook all over the world. I hope to continue my research and aid in wildlife conservation after school as well.”