Urban News

Source : The Hindu Date : 21.06.2009

Waste dumping a threat to migrant birds of Kadalundi

Abdul Latheef Naha

MALAPPURAM: Indiscriminate waste dumping in and around Kadalundi estuary is posing a threat to migrant birds of Kadalundi. Scavengers like crows and kites attracted by the waste dumped in the mangroves as well as in the river are driving away the migrant birds that visit Kadalundi in flocks.

Although Kadalundi was declared a community reserve some months ago, no effort has been made to stop the routine dumping of house waste and animal waste in the river and canals.

The aerial roots of the mangroves in Kadalundi are the second most important feeding ground for migratory shore birds. When the mudflats, the primary feeding ground of Kadalundi estuary, are covered during high tides and in the monsoon, migrant birds depend heavily on the mangrove roots.

Waste and garbage thrown carelessly into the river are often trapped in the mangrove roots, attracting scavengers. Omnivorous scavengers like house crows, jungle crows, brahminy kites and black kites are attracted to the waste, particularly animal waste, trapped in mangrove roots.

“Many a time have I seen the crows attacking migrants in Kadalundi,” said K.M. Arif, a young ornithologist who has been studying the birds of Kadalundi for several years.

Mr. Arif, who identified 110 species of birds in Kadalundi during his study, said that the presence of brahminy kitesin Kadalundi would shoo away migrants. According to Mr. Arif, if the civic authorities fail to prevent the dumping of waste the in the river, the number of winged visitors to Kadalundi will drastically fall.

Source : The Hindu Date : 21.06.2009

NSS budget: focus on women empowerment

Staff Reporter

Photo: By Special Arrangement

Financial plan: NSS general secretary P.K. Narayana Panicker presenting the budget for the year 2009-10 at Perunna on Saturday. —

KOTTAYAM: The annual budget of the Nair Service Society (NSS) for the year 2009-2010 presented by general secretary P.K. Narayana Panicker envisages an income and expenditure of Rs.63.50 crore. The budget with an over all stress on social welfare measures, gives special stress to women empowerment.

Presenting the budget, Mr. Panicker said the budget for the year 2008-09 which envisaged an income and expenditure of Rs.54 crore had been revised with the income being put at Rs.38.56 crore and actual expenditure of Rs.38.15 crore.

The budget which laid special emphasis on women empowerment through micro credits disbursed through the self-help groups (SHGs) hoped to form 6,500 women SHGs during the year in focus. This would empower three-lakh women from the community, he said.

According to Mr. Panicker, the recently formed social welfare department of the NSS had been functioning effectively for the formation of SHGs and micro credit programme. So far, 8,627 SHGs had been formed and through these, 1,53,360 women members had been brought into the micro credit net. The cumulative savings of these SHG members had touched Rs.25.56 crore mark. In addition, they had availed themselves of Rs.67 crore through linkage loans and Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana (PMRY).

New projects

The projects envisaged this year included formation of 200 mini dairy units under the High Range taluk Mannam Social Service Society. The Rs.2.5-crore project would be implemented with the active cooperation of Ernakulam regional office of MILMA and Dhanalakshmi bank, he said.

Another project under consideration was the Rs.1.5-crore milk chilling unit by the Adoor taluk Mannam Social Service Society. The budget hoped to commence the functioning of a Mannam Centre for research and training in Changanassery. The institution would impart training to those involved with the SHGs, he said.

The NSS general secretary said the leadership had submitted a 10-point charter of demands before the government stressing the interests of the community. However, there had been no positive response from the authorities concerned so far and as such the NSS would move ahead with the campaign in this regard.

Later, the general assembly adopted two resolutions, one demanding the scrapping of the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions (Amendment) Bill 2009 and another calling for introduction of reservation for the economically backward among the non-reserved categories in government employment and educational institutions.

The general assembly re-elected P.V. Neelakanta Pillai for another term as president. It also elected nine members to the director board. They are: M. Sasikumar, Karthikapalli; P.N. Rajendraprasad, Eranad; N. Kesava Pillai, Kunnathur; Harikumar Koickel, Changanassery; M.S. Mohan, Ponkunnam; R. Ramachandran Nair, Ambalappuzha; P.V. Haridas, Ottappalam; M.M. Govindankutty, Kanayannur and K. Unnikrishnan, Alathur. Mr. Neelakanta Pillai presided over the assembly.