Archive for November, 2010
Hirakud waits for migratory birds
Following is a report by expressbuzz.com:
SAMBALPUR: Unlike previous years, there has been a delay in arrival of migratory birds to the Hirakud dam reservoir (HDR) this winter.
As winter sets in, migratory birds come down to HDR in large numbers.
Thousands of birds of different varieties migrate to this reservoir and stay for four months till February-end before flying back in the first week of March.
The winged guests from far-flung areas including the Caspian Sea, Biakal Lake, the Aral Sea, Mongolia, Central and South East Asia and Himalayan region flock to the reservoir in the first week of November every year for the winter sojourn.
The reservoir is the largest artificial lake in Asia with an area of 746 sq km and a shoreline of over 640 km.
Contrary to the trend in previous years, sufficient number of migratory birds are yet to descend on the reservoir this time.
Only a few migratory birds have come down to the HDR in the third week of this month much to the dismay of wildlife officials and bird lovers.
As per reports, over 21,000 migratory birds of about 27 varieties had flown into HDR last year whereas only a few birds of at least two varieties have reportedly been seen till date during the current year.
Nearly 20-25 species of birds are seen in the reservoir and common among them are Common Pochard, Red Crusted Pochard, Great Duck Bill, Spot Bill (Grey Duck), Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Pond Heron, Painted Stork, Whiskered Tern, Indian River Tern, Gadwall and Red Wattled Lapwing and Black Winged Stilt.
Normally, the winged guests ensconce in Zero Point in Burla, Pitapali, Rampela, Budakanta, Launch Station, Balbaspur in Sambalpur district, Ubuda, Marang, Bhatlikanta, Desar, Ganakhulia, Unneishkhanda Mauza in Jharsuguda and Tamdei Rengali, Govindpur, Barduma in Ambhabhona block of Bargarh district.
On the declining trend, Assistant Conservator of Forest (wildlife) Samir Mitra said the cold is yet to completely set in the region which might be one of the reasons behind the delay.
More and more birds are likely to descend on the reservoir in the next 15 to 20 days, he added.
Will industries suck Hirakud dry?; Report by expressbuzz
Following report is from http://expressbuzz.com:
SAMBALPUR: Will Hirakud dam dry up? With a number of power plants coming up in the upstream along the Mahanadi river in Chhattisgarh, water wars between Orissa and Chhattisgarh may become a reality. The Orissa Government seems to be unmindful of the way the thermal power plants, which would be mainly depending on the Mahanadi river, are coming up. And if that happens, thousands of acres of land in Orissa will become barren throwing up a host of other problems.
Using Hirakud dam for controlling flood will become a thing of the past.If reports are to be believed, work on many thermal power plants is underway and many are in the pipeline in Raigarh, Jangjir and Champa districts in Chhattisgarh. Most of these plants in their project reports have made it clear that they would be drawing water from the Mahanadi river. And if these projects are approved, it will not take long when water will stop flowing into Hirakud dam reservoir, making it useless.
NTPC is coming up with a 4,000 MW thermal power plant, AES Chhattisgarh projects will set up 1,440 MW plant, Green Infrastructure (1,200 MW unit), Wardha Power Company (3,600 MW plant), Essar Power Chhattisgarh Limited, SKS Ispat and Power have proposals (1,200 MW plant each), Jindal India Thermal Power (1,320 MW), Visa Power (1,200 MW plant), Patni Power Project and Mahavir Global Coal (540 MW plant each). All these projects are located in villages across Raigarh district and are at various stages of commissioning. Similarly, DB Power and Videocon Industries has proposed to generate 1,320 MW thermal power while Ispat Industries, GMR Energies, Athena Chhattisgarh Power, Chambal Infrastructure Ventures and Jain Energy have proposal to produce 1,200 MW of thermal power each.
This apart, Bhusan Power and Steel proposes to generate 1,000 MW, Sona Power, Ind Barath, Suryachakra Power Corporation and Korba West Power Company have proposed to generate 600 MW thermal power each and BEC Power has submitted a proposal to produce 500 MW of thermal power.
Proposal to use the Rourkela steel plant and Jharsuguda airstrip
Following is a report from http://www.telegraphindia.com:
Bhubaneswar, Nov. 22: A private airline today submitted a proposal to the state government to start a daily air service between Rourkela and Calcutta. The company initially proposes to operate an 18-seater aircraft.
The company, which has done a preliminary survey, intends to use the airstrip of Rourkela steel plant but it has urged the government to provide another 64 acres to develop the airstrip. In the second phase, it plans to start anther flight from Rourkela to Bhubaneswar via Jharsuguda. The proposal is under consideration, said sources. Representatives of the airline met the chief secretary Bijay Patnaik and submitted their proposal today.
In a separate development today, the single-window clearance committee of the state government, cleared five proposals worth Rs 1,340 crore. Industries secretary T. Ramchandru said that Orissa-based Konark Kranti Energy would set up a petroleum complex at Paradip and a petroleum storage facility at Dhamra port. “The company will invest Rs 300 crore,” he said.
Britania Industries Limited would also set up a plant at Khurda with an investment of Rs 51 crore.
Around 700 people will be employed by the firm. Everest Industry would set up a corrugated asbestos plant at Somanthpur in Balasore with an investment of Rs 69 crore, Chariot Steel and Power would expand its cement plant at Sundergarh and invest Rs 320 crore while Nababharat Ventures Limited would set up a power plant with an investment of Rs 600 crore, he added.
New drinking water project for Balangir
Following report is from http://www.telegraphindia.com:
Balangir, Nov. 19: The state government has initiated the process to have a second drinking water project for Balangir town that has been facing acute drinking water shortage throughout the year. Minister for planning and coordination Ananga Udaya Singhdeo is personallymonitoring the proposed scheme.
The new project would make provisions for drawing water from Tel river, 30km from Balangir.
The project includes creation of underground water reservoirs and overhead water tanks in several localities of the town including Hatpadapada and Malpada.
Bhakta Kavi Das, executive engineer of Balangir PHD division, said that the project, which was estimated to cost Rs 55 crore, would help solve water problems of the town. “Since water will be drawn from the perennial river Tel unlike Mahanadi, there will be no scarcity of water even in the summer months,” Das said.
Das said that the project would take at least three years to complete. “Ductile iron pipe will be used instead of concrete ones which will minimise leakage. In the second stage of the project, five overhead tanks will be constructed for better distribution of water in the town,” he said.
“At present, about 10 manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) water is supplied to the town which is sufficient. But the distribution is unequal as some areas don’t have enough pipe connections,” he added.
According to government sources, 9.62 MLD water is supplied to the town. Only 3,527 households have been connected to the supply network.
The town has an additional 298 public taps and 427 government tube wells. PHD officials maintain that with a supply capacity of 9.62 MLD, it is able to provide 100 litres per capita per day (LPCD) to its consumers.
However, local residents disagreed with the authorities’ claims. “Pipe water comes once or twice in a week and that too for just an hour or so. They don’t stick to a fixed time for a particular area,” Sarat Mishra, a local resident said.
At presently, pipe water is being supplied to the town from Mahanadi near Sonepur, 50km from Balangir.
Pramod Mishra of the United Action Committee, a local organisation, said that the new project would not solve the drinking water problem as it is no different from the existing project.
“Efforts should be made to revive the old pond system,” Mishra said.
Gangadhar Meher College, Sambalpur to get unitary varsity status
Following is a report from the expressbuzz.com:
BERHAMPUR: The State Government has decided to elevate Khallikote Autonomous College here and Gangadhar Meher College at Sambalpur to unitary university status, said Higher Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra here today.
A government appointed task force on higher education reforms had suggested upgrading these two premier autonomous colleges to university status, the Minister said while addressing a function of the Students’ Union of Khallikote College.
Mishra however stressed the need to develop necessary infrastructure facilities before the second oldest college of the State was declared a unitary university.
While at least 50 acre was required, Khallikote Autonomous College had only 16.74 acres of land in its possession.
“There is a proposal to get another 2.50 acres from transport departments garage adjoining the college”, he said.
The Minister asked the local MLAs to locate another 50 acres in the town for the college’s expansion. He also assured the students to fill up the vacant posts soon. Around 50 out of 90 posts of teaching staff are vacant in the 132-yearold college, where over 3,600 students are pursuing studies in 19 different departments, 15 of them having post-graduate departments.
The proposal for a foot bridge from KKC to Junior college is under consideration and funds have been released for renovation of Jhansirani ladies hostel, Swami Vivekananda boys hostel of the college.
Among others, Berhampur MP Sidhant Mohapatra, MLAs EC Choupatnaik, P Panigrahy, BMC Mayor SS Dash and BDA chairman Kailash Rana spoke.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee says wagon factories in underdeveloped areas like Kalahandi will bring industrial boom in India
Following is a report by IANS taken from http://sify.com:
Kolkata: Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday said the railways will usher in an industrial boom in the country as her ministry is to set up 20 new industries in the next one year.
‘We will set up 20 more heavy industries like wagon factories in underdeveloped areas of the country like Kalahandi in Orrisa, in Telangana (in Andhra Pradesh) and in Junglemahal (Maoists affected area),’ said Banerjee, while addressing a function to commence the work for the Dedicated Eastern freight Corridor at Dankuni.
She also urged the industrialists to come and join hands with the railways and make new initiatives in private-public-partnership mode.
‘Railways have land and we want investment. If you come, it will not be a problem. We have business and package ready in our hands,’ said Banerjee.
‘Recently, we have changed our policy and made IT industrialist friendly. So if any person is interested, he will not have to invest a single paisa on survey or for preparing project reports. We have railway engineers and the investor will have his share on his investment,’ said Banerjee.
She said the Eastern Corridor will connect Ludhiana to Sonnagar via Ambala, Saharanpur, Khurja, Shahjahanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Mughalsarai and Dankuni near Kolkata where there will be a new freight terminal.
‘Eastern Freight Corridor will usher in a new era in industrialisation and Dankuni will be turned into an industrial town in future as two industries and a professional training institute will come up in the area,’ said the railway minister.
Kosli Meghaduta by Dr.Harekrishna Meher
Following image is taken from the blog of Dr. Meher:
Following report is from http://www.museindia.com:
Under the auspices of Swabhava-Kavi Gangadhara Meher Smruti Samiti, Barpali, Orissa, and Balangir Bhulia Meher Samaj, Balangir, the 149th birthday of poet Gangadhara Meher was celebrated with pomp and ceremony in Town Hall, Balangir on the sacred day of Sravana Purnima, 24 August 2010.
Several important persons spoke on the occasion. Dr. Harekrishna Meher, Sr.Reader and Head of the Department of Sanskrit, Government Autonomous College of Bhawanipatna delivered his speech as Chief Speaker on the life and literary works of Gangadhara Meher (1862-1924), well known as Prakriti-Kavi.
On the same day, World Sanskrit Day and Raksha Bandhan were also observed. On this occasion, “Koshali Meghaduta” (lyrical translation of Kalidasa’s Meghadutam in Koshali language) authored by Dr. Harekrishna Meher was released by the honourable Chief Guest Prof. Dr. Dhrubaraj Naik and it was appreciated by the learned audience. This book is the first Koshali translation of Meghaduta.
Kosal Discussion and Development Forum 