Arulagam, an NGO involved in the conservation of nature and wildlife, is planning a workshop and human chain in Udhagamandalam next week in a bid to generate awareness of the need to conserve the Indian Vulture (Gyps Indicus) population, on the verge of becoming extinct.

S. Bharathidasan, secretary of Arulagam told The Hindu that the event will be organised to mark the just- concluded World Vulture Day celebrations. Arulagam had already organised awareness programmes at Masinagudi in the Nilgiris, where a considerable number of vultures continue to exist in the Moyar Valley that extends to Thengumarahada in Sathyamangalam of Erode district. Subsequently, a similar programme was held to put an end to the use of Diclofenac at Vayyampalayam in Coimbatore, which has a sizeable cattle population.

The recent showers in the catchment areas of Siruvani reservoir has brought an end to the city’s fear of an impending water scarcity, as the present storage will help in meeting drinking water needs of Coimbatore City and a number of way side habitations for the next two months.

After a delay leading to disappointment over South West Monsoon’s benefits for the city, a sharp spell of showers in July end helped in improving the storage considerably.

To create awareness among cattle owners to avoid drugs that are toxic

Even as the vulture (Gyps indicus) population is dwindling, Arulagam, an NGO, and Care Earth team have embarked on a mission to generate awareness among cattle owners to avoid drugs that prove to be toxic to vulture population as well as to other scavenging birds. The programme was organised with the support of Critical Eco-System Partner Fund.

Certain section of population seeks relaxation of ban on tourism; specialists are against any dilution of the scheme

The Tamil Nadu Government’s latest notifications on demarcation of core and buffer zones of three tiger reserves in the State may still require a fine-tuning to strike a balance among ecology protection, tribal welfare and tourism promotion, feel conservationists and wildlife experts. As the demand for relaxation of the ban on tourism becomes shriller in the reserve areas, the specialists are against any dilution of the scheme spelt out in the notifications.

Certain section of population seeks relaxation of ban on tourism; specialists are against any dilution of the scheme

The government’s latest notifications on the demarcation of core and buffer zones of three tiger reserves in the State may still require a fine-tuning to strike a balance among ecology protection, tribal welfare and tourism promotion, feel conservationists and wildlife experts. As the demand for relaxation of the ban on tourism becomes shriller from certain section of the local population in the reserve areas, the specialists are against any dilution of the scheme spelt out in the notifications.

The process of land acquisition for 20.5 km in six revenue villages along the Podanur – Pollachi section was derailing the pace of gauge conversion works, railway officials said.

Senior officials from the Construction Wing of Southern Railway, Chennai, led by Chief Administrative Officer K. Vijayakumar inspected the ongoing works from Podanur to Pollachi.

Green activists, on Monday, resisted an attempt to cut trees “without permission” on Bharathi Park Road in front of an upcoming building.

N.I. Jalaludeen of Nature Conservation Society (NCS) said that an earthmover was seen preparing to uproot three trees on the Bharathi Park Road. Following information, green activists Mohammed Saleem of Environment Conservation Group, Mahesh Prasanna of Osai and representatives reached the place along with Jalaludeen.

More parties and organisations extend support

With more than 31 organisations coming together, the stage seems to be set for a human chain agitation at Gandhipuram in Coimbatore on Monday to protest Kerala’s decision to construct a dam of 450m length at Chittur – Venkadal in Attappady across River Siruvani, a source of water for the Bhavani. Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko, on Sunday, had already launched a campaign sensitising the people on the effects that Kerala’s proposed dam and power house project at Pambaru would cause to the Amaravathy basin.

Power cuts leave traffic constables in the “red”

With the power cut duration stretching for nearly eight hours in the last couple of days, the City Police have asked the sponsors of all traffic signals in the city to power them with solar energy. Conversion of these signals to solar powered ones is expected to happen by the first week of March.

To prevent the pachyderms from straying into human habitations

The Forest Department has completed the work of identification of land, demarcation and removal of exotic weeds to facilitate tilling of the lands for creating fodder resource inside the reserve forest to prevent wild elephants from straying into human habitations.