Pathanamthitta: Projects & Developments

[adarshpta]

Central government's approval; 50 lakhs for Pathanamthitta Catholicate college

[azadsky]

Originally Posted by adarshpta

Central government's approval; 50 lakhs for Pathanamthitta Catholicate college

Enthina 50 lakhs?

[adarshpta]

For the developmental activities of science dept in the college

[Kiru_PTA]

1.72 Crores for Pandalam Hanging Bridge

Devaswom Board deposited money to acquire land near Pandalam temple

[Kiru_PTA]

Kochandy check-post closed till April 15

To check outbreak of wildfire in forests

The Forest Department has closed the Angamozhi-Kochandy check-post in the Ranni forest division till April 15 as a precautionary measure against outbreak of fires in the forest.

No private vehicle will be permitted to enter the forest road, R. Kamalahar, Divisional Forest Officer, said.

Mr. Kamalahar told The Hindu here on Tuesday that the decision was taken in the wake of the increasing instances of wildfire outbreaks in the region in the recent past.

Mr Kamalahar said the number of tourists passing through the Ranni-Gavi forest route had gone up in the past two months. The department, he said, planned to regulate the flow of tourists through the forest route, which cut across the tiger habitat that had been included in the Periyar Tiger Reserve a few months ago.

The Forest Department has included 148 sq km of forest land coming under the Plappally and Pachakkanam forest stations in the Ranni forest division in the Periyar Tiger Reserve from January 31. With this, the ecologically sensitive forest tracts of Ponnambalamedu, Gavi, Pachakkanam, Anathode, Meenar, Chenthamarakkokka, Kochu Pampa, and Varayadinmotta, regarded as places of tourist attraction, have been brought under the tiger reserve.

Mr. Kamalahar said regulating the entry of tourists through the forest road had become necessary to minimise human intervention.

KSRTC service to ply

However, the closure of the check-post would not affect the Pathanamthitta-Gavi-Pathanamthitta daily service of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Mr. Kamalahar said.

Government vehicles on duty would also be permitted to enter the forest road, he said.

The closure of the check-post would, however, affect the functioning of the eco-tourism project of the Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) Ltd. at Kochu Pampa, near Gavi.

KSRTC's Pathanamthitta-Gavi daily service will ply

Government vehicles on duty will be allowed


http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...cle3279307.ece

[RajeshVR]

Master Plan for Pathanamthitta General Hospital

The Minister said a comprehensive master plan would be prepared soon for the overall development of the Pathanamthitta General Hospital.

The Public Works Department would prepare the master plan and it would be implemented in a time-bound fashion itself.

He said the new hospital block that has been lying unutilised since the past one year owing to certain legal disputes over construction of a septic tank close by an adjoining residential building would be opened soon for the patients.

He said a 10-bed dialysis centre would be set at the new block at an estimate cost of Rs 1 crore.

Five of the 10 dialysis units would be donated by the Dr K.P. Hussein Charitable Trust as part of its charity programme to donate five dialysis units each to the Government hospitals at all 14 district headquarters in the State, he said.

STP to be set up
Mr Prakash said a sewage treatment plant (STP) would also be set up at the General Hospital in the next one year.

The Kerala State Pollution Control Board has already sanctioned fund worth Rs 25 lakhs for the proposed STP project and the remaining fund for the Rs 69-crore project would be borne by the hospital development committee and the Government.

The Minister said the Health department would augment treatment facility for lifestyle diseases at the General Hospital.

He said a Rs 6.5 crore project for setting up advanced treatment facility for various lifestyle diseases would be implemented at the General Hospital and the work on the Rs 25-lakh Cardiac Care Unit has been completed

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/...cle3296959.ece

[Kiru_PTA]

Paddlers get an academy in Thiruvalla


The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Thiruvalla has started the first table tennis academy in the district, with support from the Pathanamthitta District Table Tennis Association.

Maria Rony, international-level paddler, inaugurated the YMCA Table Tennis Academy at a function at the YMCA Hall in Thiruvalla.

An interactive session between a group of schoolchildren and Ms. Rony, who was part of the Asian table tennis team that won the world championship in the ITTF Global Challenge in San Juan, Puerto Rico, recently, was held as part of the inaugural function.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...cle3338292.ece

[Kiru_PTA]

A mega project planned for tribal uplift, pilgrim amenity centre


An artistic impression of the Sabari Saranashramam coming up at Koonamkara on the Perinad-Pampa main trunk road leading to Sabarimala. Photo: Special Arrangement.


A mega rehabilitation project for tribal children and pilgrim amenity centre is coming up at Koonamkara on the Perinad-Pampa main trunk road leading to Sabarimala under the auspices of the Sabari Saranashramam Trust attached to Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajom (SASS).

The multi crore tribal upliftment and rehabilitation project is part of the welfare project planned for the tribals wandering in the sacred grove (Poonkavanam) of Lord Ayyappa, says Mr Kummanam Rajashekharan, SASS general secretary.

Talking to The Hindu, Mr Rajashekharan said official records show that as many as 3,650 tribal people belonging to nearly 350 families were residing in the tribal hamlets of Sayippinkudi, Chalakkayam, Siffan, Attathode, Perumbanmoozhi, Vimmaram and Gavi. SASS project is aimed at providing better healthcare, food, education and social status to the tribal children, thereby bringing them to the social mainstream in a systematic manner, he said.

He said these tribal people were quite unfamiliar with the modern educated community, Anganwady, balavady, ration shops, medical centres, electricity, etc. SASS has prepared a mega Sabari Saranashram project for tribal upliftment in the Poonkavanam area.

The Rs 30-crore Sabari Saranashram is a well-planned centre coming up on an 18-acre hill on the boundaries of the Sabarimala Poonkavanam.

The design has been prepared by Manoj S. Nair, renowned Vasthu expert; Karinkunnam Ramachandran Nair, engineer, and Ernakulam-based architect, Gopakumar.

Mankanta Gurukulam

“The tribal people in the Sabarimala Poonkavanam are decendants of Sabari Mata, the mythical saint who lived in the sacred grove. It is also a fact that now these tribal people live in utter misery, despite various welfare schemes launched by the Government. Upliftment of these hapless tribal brethren is the duty of every Ayyappa devotee and hence SASS has given top priority to the Manikanta Gurukulam project, ’’ says Mr Rajashekharan.

Mr Rajashekharan said the proposed Gurukulam would provide proper accommodation, food and education facilities for tribal children.

Infusing national spirit and native culture among tribal children was the need of the hour in order to bring the tribal folk to the national and social mainstream, he added.

Children will be taught the needs, means and importance of environment conservation, protection of forests and wild life, while providing them with primary education in science, technology, climatology, hydrology, livelihood, sheltering, empowerment of women and youngsters, childcare, food security rules and regulations, empowerment of women, cultural heritage and national resurgence, says Mr Rajashekharan.

Initially, the Gurukulam would house a play school and a primary school and SASS would also establish a Sabari Institute of Higher Learning, later, he said. Empowerment of women and adults too has been envisaged as a key project.

Annadana Kendra

SASS has been carrying out free feeding (Annadanam) of Ayyappa devotees at its Annadana Kendra set up at the Sabari Saranashramam since the past two years.

As many as 3,000 to 5,000 people attend the Annadanam on a daily basis during the two-month long Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, says Mr Rajashekharan.

A hospital, an Ayyappa museum, Gosaala for rearing of cows, and a temple atop the hill were the other major projects planned at the Sabari Saranashram, he said.

Mr Rajashekharan said many cows offered by devotees to the Lord Ayyappa Temple were found to have been stranded in the forests and they would be protected at the proposed Gosaala.

A pharmacy to produce medicines from Panchagavya (urine, dung, milk, ghee and butter) obtained from cow would also be attached to the proposed Gosaala, he added.

Construction of the Manikanda Gurukulam is fast progressing at Koonamkara so as to open it during the forthcoming Sabarimala pilgrim season itself, he said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/...cle3349123.ece

[Kiru_PTA]

[Kiru_PTA]

Restrictions on tourists at Gavi


The Forest Department has imposed restrictions on tourists visiting Gavi, an ecotourism destination coming under the Ranni forest division in Pathanamthitta district.

Chief Wildlife Warden V. Gopinathan told The Hindu on Monday that the restrictions would come into force with immediate effect.

Mr. Gopinathan said the unrestricted flow of visitors to Gavi through the Angamuzhi-Vallakadavu road caused other environmental problems to the forest, falling under the core area of the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR).

Plastic waste

He said, in addition to noise pollution, visitors dumped plastic waste and liquor bottles in the forest area and even engaged in cooking by the roadside. The road starts from the recently added 148-sq km buffer zone of the tiger reserve.

In view of the situation, entry to Gavi from Angamuzhi has been banned. But 100 visitors per day will be permitted to go up to Anathodu from Angamuzhi on the condition that they come back to Angamuzhi from the forest area. Entry to Gavi will be under the strict control of the Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) through a tour package.

Such tourists will be allowed to proceed to Gavi only through the Vandiperiyar-Vallakadavu road. In the wake of these restrictions, tourists who wanted to visit Gavi should contact the Vallakadavu forest range office (phone: 04869-252515 or 8547603010), Mr. Gopinathan said. The KFDC's ecotourism office at Gavi could be contacted over phone (8547809270).

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/...cle3371094.ece

[Kiru_PTA]

Engineering students' Hybrid Bike delivers twin benefits


The Hybrid Bike developed by six final-year mechanical engineering students of Caarmel Engineering College, Perunad, in Pathanamthitta.


With fuel prices showing no signs of coming down, private transport is increasingly becoming unviable for the common man. A team from Caarmel Engineering College, Perunad, in Pathanamthitta has come up with an innovation which could offer a solution.

The Hybrid Bike, developed by six final-year mechanical engineering students of the college, helps two-wheeler users save fuel and money, while delivering a more powerful ride.

College students R. Padmarajan, Ciby Thomas, Anoop B. Sam, K.J. Amal Lal, Jithin Varghese, and S. Shehin developed the ‘two-wheel-drive' bike, which runs on both engine and motor, as part of their final-year project work. They were guided by their teacher Pramod George and senior Midhun Kumar.

Two-wheel drive

“While the regular two-wheeler has only back wheel drive, Hybrid Bike has both front wheel and back wheel drive. This was achieved by attaching a separate battery-connected hub motor to the front wheel,” said Padmarajan.

“This is a new technology in automobile industry. By activating this two wheel drive system we can attain more power than in ordinary bikes,” he said.

The students modified a second hand CD-100 gear into Hybrid Bike by attaching 550 W battery and hub motor. Since the weight of the bike increased by only around 40 kg, its speed was not affected, Mr. Padmarajan said.

The driver will have the option of using either battery-run front wheel drive or engine-run back wheel drive, or both at the same time.

“When both engine and battery are used together, the bike is given a lot more power. Climbing slopes or driving in rough terrains will be easier,” he said.

Speed

The bike can achieve a speed of around 85 km per hour in double power mode, while in the battery mode alone it will have a speed of around 60 kmph.

Another major advantage of the bike is its fuel efficiency. The fully charged battery can run for 6.5 hours, using of three units of power at a cost of just Rs.10.

Since an alternator is meshed with the bike chain, it also enables automatic charging of the battery while on the run.

“Fuel consumption of two-wheelers increases when you are driving in by-lanes, slopes or in heavy traffic where you need to use lower gears or have to change the gear repeatedly. If you switch over to battery mode in these road conditions, this problem can be overcome,” Mr. Padmarajan said.

He added that the group was now planning to apply for patent for their innovation.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/...cle3373263.ece

[amalmohan]

this is my college....

[amalmohan]

Article on Aranmula Airport
http://veekshanam.com/content/view/16555/1/

[amalmohan]

[sajith]

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF has given the green signal to the controversial Aranmula Airport project in Pathanamthitta district.
A meeting of the UDF constituents here on Thursday has given its policy agreement on the proposal, which is facing massive protest from the people of the heritage village.The UDF has also entrusted the Additional Secretary of Industries to inquire into the activities of the airport project till date.
The meeting held at the KPCC headquarters here also decided not to attach any more land in the name of the airport.

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/thiruv...rt/388375.html

[psanthosh]

Vasthu Vidya Gurukulam at Aranmula, a State-run institution attached to the Cultural Affairs Ministry for promotion of traditional architecture and mural painting, has invited applications for its one-year diploma course (correspondence) in traditional architecture.

In an official statement issued here on Saturday, the Gurukulam Executive Director, P.N.Suresh, said candidates with a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university are eligible to apply for the course. Diploma-holders in architecture and civil engineering can also apply for the course.

The total number of seats is 300 and the fee fixed for the one-year course (including service tax) Rs 7,500.

Applications are available at the Gurukulam office at Aranmula on payment of Rs 100 towards registration fee as postal order or money order, favouring Executive Director, Vasthu Vidya Gurukulam, Aranmula-689533, (Ph.0468-2319740) payable at Aranmula Post Office.

The application form can also be downloaded from the website www.vastuvidyagurukulam.com. Duly filled applications should reach the Gurukulam office on or before July 20, the official release said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/...cle3428943.ece

[TVM2020]

A special meeting of the state cabinet will be held on May 24 to discuss issues related to land acquisition for major infrastructure projects. Sources said the meeting was likely to discuss an amendment to the Kerala Conservation of Paddy land and Wetland Act - 2008, which the UDF feels is restraining major development works.

"Land issues are a major hurdle in dealing with infrastructure projects. Unavailability of suitable land is the major hindrance in realizing garbage treatment plants in cities. Projects like Metro rail have also been facing this issue. The special cabinet meeting will discuss how to deal with such issues," said chief minister Oommen Chandy.

Sources in the government said the cabinet had given priority to discussing land issues because it wanted speedy clearance for the Aranmula airport project. The Greenfield airport project at Aranmula was cleared by the previous LDF government by violating a number of rules including the Paddy land and Wet land Act. The UDF had ordered a vigilance inquiry into the project, and the environment subcommittee of the Assembly headed by Congress legislator C P Mohammed is examining the allegations against the project. Government chief whip P C George had even demanded a CBI inquiry into the issue. But a meeting of the UDF high power committee on May 3, decided to give in-principle nod for the project. The KGS group, which came up with the Rs 2,000 crore project, has been asked to construct the airport in the 500 acres of land already acquired. The UDF has asked the group not to evict anyone for the project, and to use the entire land only for the purpose of the airport.

The UDF meeting, attended by all constituent leaders, also decided to withdraw the notification granting industrial zone status to the area surrounding the project site.

Sources said the government wants to sell the Aranmula airport project in the Emerging Kerala business meet in September. "A few clauses in the Paddy land and Wetland Act will prove a headache for the project as there is every chance of environmentalists approaching the court against it. Hence, amendments need to be made," said a UDF leader who is aware of the recent developments.

The special cabinet meeting is also likely to discuss the proposal of issuing infrastructure bonds in lieu of land handed over for development purposes.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/13241279.cms

[Kiru_PTA]

Kidangannoor school walks the green talk

ARANMULA: Banana plantation, herbal garden, rainwater harvesting project, butterfly garden, facility for bird watching, nature club...you name it, and the school has it.

The Sree Vijayananda Gurukula Vidyapeedom Higher Secondary School (SVGVHSS) campus at Kidangannoor here is more like a botanical garden than an educational institution. The concerted effort of the students and the teachers here has turned this campus into a green hub.

Now the school is reaping the fruits of its green initiative with awards and recognitions pouring in: the latest was the state Bio-diversity Board's award for the best 'Green School.'

Recently, the school also bagged the 'Vishishta Haritha Vidyalayam' (Best Green School) award instituted by Mathrubhumi daily.

"Our environment and bio-diversity is under severe threat. If we make the younger generation aware of this, there is a chance of retaining the green canopy we now have. Awareness should start from schools. Keeping this in mind, we encouraged our students to take part in environmental activities," said Jyothish Babu, a political science faculty. He was instrumental in forming the nature club, 'Thanal', in the school a decade ago, and it marked the beginning of the environmental activities there.

Though the green activities are not part of the curriculum, students actively take part in them. "Initially, it was just another leisure time activity. But now we know how important nature is for mankind, and we are proud we are doing our bit towards preserving it," said Shyam Krishnan, a Plus Two computer science student who is the president of 'Thanal'.

The herbal garden in the school, 'Thulaseevanam', has variegated medicinal plants; and in 'Kadaleevanam,' there are banana saplings. Students have also set up a green fence of hibiscus and such other flower plants around the banana plantation.

The butterfly garden in the school is a natural habitat for butterflies to live and breed. Students have recorded at least 14 varieties of butterflies in it. The fruit garden has over 50 varieties of fruit trees and plants, ranging from jackfruit to orange. Spices like clove, nutmeg, etc too are being grown here. The eight-acre campus also has as many as 125 gooseberry plants and almost the same number of coconut saplings.

In 2009, the school joined the 'Mathrubhumi Seed' project, which bolstered its green run. As part of this, a 'Love Plastic' initiative and a soap production unit was launched in the school. Students are being trained in soap production and the product is distributed among students and teachers.

The school organizes 'Harithotsavam', an agriculture interaction programme, every year in liaison with Koipram panchayat. The latest programme the school has implemented is the 'Green Walk' to promote the habit of walking among students. As part of this, students staying within 5-km radius of the school, walk to the school on the first Monday of every month.

Now, with the aim of reaching out to masses, the school is looking forward to joining hands with mainstream environmental activists. The school also maintains a blog (svgvseed.blogspot.com) and updates its activities.


Link

[Kiru_PTA]

Moment of pride for Adoor KV
Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

In a first for the district of Pathanamthitta, the 19-year-old Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) at Adoor has fetched national attention by producing a topper at national level in this year's Class12 examinations conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

Though the institution had won ranks ranging from six to ten in the past, the third rank at the national level in the Science stream, achieved by Joseph Samuel of Kaippallil House at Kulanada near Pandalam by scoring 493 marks out of 500, has been rightfully recognised as an exceptional feat.

The KV at Adoor was inaugurated in 1993 by K.R. Narayanan, who was the Vice President of India at the time.

The KV started functioning with just 200 students and five teachers up to Class 5, catering to the educational needs of the wards of the Central and State government employees in the region. C.V. Viswanatha Pai, the then Principal of the Kendriya Vidyalaya ‘Dronacharya' in Kochi, had given additional charge of the Adoor KV.

The first batch of Class 12 came out with flying colours in the board examinations held in 2004 and, since then, the school never had to look back.

School Principal P. Reghunathan told The Hindu that the student strength had increased manifold in the years that followed, forcing the KV authorities to introduce shift system to accommodate the maximum possible number of students. The KVs at Adoor and Pattom in Thiruvananthapuram were the two schools coming under the Chennai region that still followed the shift system for want of sufficient space, he added.

Though a total of five acres of land adjoining the Government Boys' High School near High School Junction at Adoor was allotted to the KV, the Central school could get only three acres. However, the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghathan (KVS) has provided all facilities to the school.

The KV has now got 2,600 students in two shifts (7 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 12.30 p.m. to 6 p.m.) and 80 permanent teachers and 30 teachers on ad-hoc arrangement. The school houses fully air-conditioned audio-visual rooms, computer lab, mathematics lab, art room, and an excellent library. The KV is planning to introduce smart classrooms from this year, the Principal said.

The school does not have a playground and the State government has agreed to allot land that belongs to the Kallada Irrigation Project, nearly 500 m from the campus, for setting up a playground.

The KVS has also sanctioned Rs.6 crore for constructing a new block on the school premises.

According to Elias P. Joseph, a teacher working at Adoor KV since its inception, a majority of the students were the wards of military personnel from Pathanamthitta and the adjoining districts. Students from Adoor, Pandalam, Pathanamthitta, Kayamkulam, Karunagappally, Omalloor, Thamarakkulam, and even from Sasthamkottah in Kollam district had been studying in the school, which did not have hostel facility, the Principal said.

The KV also offers scholastic and co-scholastic subjects for all the classes with vocational subjects such as dance, music, art, and craft.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...cle3475355.ece

[Kiru_PTA]

ANERT told to set up 500 solar power plants in Pathanamthitta
Staff Reporter

The District Panchayat president, Babu George, said the district-level advisory committee of the Agency for Non-conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT) has decided to request the ANERT director to set up 500 off-the-grid solar energy plants of 1 kw capacity each in the district, by including the same in its annual plan project.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, Mr George said the district-level advisory committee meeting held here on Saturday has decided to ask the ANERT director to set up bio-gas plants as part of the ongoing waste disposal mission in the district.

He said ANERT should also provide as many as 1,000 smokeless kitchens to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe sections of the society in the district as part of the ongoing energy conservation drive.

The District Panchayat president has further called upon the ANERT to sanction a 10 kw solar power plant too for the public sector establishments in the district this year.

He said the meeting the Panchayat would ask ANERT to prepare a detailed project report on the proposed small hydro-electric project at Kokkathode.

K.G. Chandramohan, ANERT district programme manager, and C.K. Chandrabose, State technical director, also attended the meeting.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/...cle3486832.ece