KERALA

Earlier, the flowering of neelakurinji (strobilanthes Kunthiana) was also spotted at theAlumkappara hillsnear Moolamattam in Thodupuzha. The area lies along the border between Kottayam-Idukki districts and close to Elaveezhapoonchira.

Alunkapara is at an altitude of 900 metres high and it can be accessed through difficult terrain from Choondikulam Nirappu on Mechal route from Chakkikavu.

In the past year Pushpakandam Anakkara Mettu hills in the Western Ghats borderingTamil Naduand Puttady near Munnar have witnessed isolated flowering of neelakurinji.

The collaboration ofASAP Keralawith Autodesk will offer an authorized curriculum in product design and manufacturing that will enable students to stay up-to-date with the rapidly evolving requirements. ASAP always focused on providing skill programmes required by the industry to the youth of Kerala, to enhance their employability. The hands-on experience will help students understand the technologys theoretical and practical applications.

Kerala government has proposed to have its very own over-the-top (OTT) platform. The kingdom authorities have decided to launch it by November 1. The State governments proposed foray into the online content material streaming area with the launch of an over-the-top (OTT) platform is a cultural intervention, as an alternative than some thing caused via the market or revenues.

Highlights:

OTT gamers like Netflix and Amazon have been displaying more interest in Malayalam cinema. But they are generally limited to films from which they can get revenue.

In the remaining one year, much less than 15 Malayalam films, providing large stars, have taken up these platforms.

Furthermore, smaller & Home-grown OTT systems such as New Stream and Mainstream TV no longer have plenty of finance to shape better players.

Thus, the proposed this OTT platform which will ensure space and make some kind of revenue share for lower finances & independent movies that are struggling to discover areas among the public.

Inaugurating theK-FONproject, Vijayan said that K-FON is also an alternative to provide relief to people from exploitation of private players. “Compared to other service providers, K-FON Services will be cheaper. Irrespective of villages or towns, K-FON services will be provided with high speed and quality,” he said. Vijayan said that as the world is changing, Internet should be available to all to move ahead with it. “Through K-FON, we are setting the basic for converting the state as a knowledge Society. Through K-FON we are linking the state with the global information highway, he said.

Presently, 17,412 government organizations have been provided with K-FON connection. “Optical fibre cables have been laid to provide connections to more than 9,000 households, and 2,105 households have been provided connections. In houses and offices where K-FON connection has been provided, internet service is available,” he said.

A State Government is providing internet connections to all in a country where more than 700 internet shutdowns were reported in the last 10 years, Vijayan said. “In the post Covid-19 era, a new Work culture of work from Home and work near home has developed in the state. To effectively harness such a culture among our youngsters, internet service should be available everywhere. K-FON is a tool for that,” he said.

Thegovernmentwould ensure thatKeralas shoreline will be protected fromsea erosionwithin the next five years, said CM PinarayiVijayanin the assembly. The project to protect the shoreline to be implemented viaKIIFBhas begun.

While finding a permanent solution to sea erosion, the government will implement programmes that will ensure the participation of the fishermen community.

Power minister K Krishnankutty, who spoke on behalf of Resources“>Water Resources minister Roshy Augustine, said the government is preparing projects worth Rs 5,000 crore for coast protection.

The has given administrative sanction to establish a robotic surgery system at Regional Cancer Care Centre (RCC) at a cost of Rs 30 crore. The government has directed the department of Health and family welfare to ensure that the specification of equipment, instruments and related accessories procured in connection with the project are at par with global standards.

Procurement shall be done through global or international tendering, the order issued by the planning and economic affairs said. The robotic surgery system will also be established at Malabar Cancer Centre, Thalassery.

The estimated cost of the robotic surgery system with accessories and instruments is Rs 30 crore per unit, and the total cost for establishing it in both RCC and MCC will be Rs 60 crore.

The project will be executed under the Rebuild Kerala initiative. The proposal submitted by the department of health and family welfare shows that premier institutes like Aiims-New Delhi, TMH-Mumbai, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology- Bangalore, Adayar Cancer Centre- Chennai and GCRI- Ahmedabad have facilities for robotic surgery.

Theerraticbehaviour of twomonsoonsin 2020 has affected thegroundwater levelsin the state. According to a report by the state groundwater department, 80% of themonitoring wellsshowed afalling trendin November 2020 compared to the previous year.

The report points out that 81 % of observation dug wells, 84 % of bore wells and 72% of tube wells recorded a falling trend compared to the previous year which had recorded a slight rise in levels.

The report is based on the monthly recordings of selected wells in the state. The main recordings were conducted during the pre-monsoon period in April and the post-monsoon period in November.

While on paper, the state did not record high monsoon deficiency, it did not see the trend of heavy rains in June and July. Moreover, the rains tapered off off in August and September.

As drinking water shortage hits the district amid soaring mercury, theKerala Water Authority(KWA) has started a water audit to identify points where people receive more water and where supply is less. The Auditing is expected to complete in a week. The move is to examine the water distribution system in the district which experiences water scarcity every summer.

The water authority is also looking into the quantity of water being distributed from the main water treatment Plants like the one at Maradu to each area through the main pipelines.

Water scarcity has been reported more in the outskirts of the city. As the main pump houses of KWA and commercial establishments are situated in the heart of the city, the latter get more water and residential areas in the peripheral areas do not get adequate water.
Nearly 170 to 180 MLD water is being distributed through KWA pipelines, public taps and tanker trucks to the corporation limit.

A time-series analysis study on the eroding shorelines from 1973-2021 shows that erosion is dominant in nearly 39.12% of the entire coastal length inKerala. The eroding length is highest in theNorthernregion at 44.04 percent followed by 38.67 per cent in the central and 33.8 percent in the south.

The study by researchers at the department of Resources“>Water Resources engineering,NIT Karnatakaled by MMParvathyand officials of the state Irrigation department, points out that unlike pre-2000, the results indicate that the past two decades have undergone a drastic transformation, which can be attributed to anthropogenic interventions and global climatic changes.

A time-series analysis study on the eroding shorelines from 1973-2021 shows that erosion is dominant in nearly 39.12% of the entire coastal length inKerala. The eroding length is highest in theNorthernregion at 44.04 percent followed by 38.67 per cent in the central and 33.8 percent in the south.

The study by researchers at the department of water resources engineering,NIT Karnatakaled by MMParvathyand officials of the state irrigation department, points out that unlike pre-2000, the results indicate that the past two decades have undergone a drastic transformation, which can be attributed to anthropogenic interventions and global climatic changes.

Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting, a part of Wipro Enterprises, announced the acquisition of Nirapara, a Kerala-based packaged rice powder and spice mixes brand.

The move comes a few months after Wipro announced its plans to foray into the packaged foods business. Nirapara was launched in 1976 and is owned by KKR Group of Companies. It is best known for its blended spices and ready-to-cook rice powder products. It has an annualised revenue of Rs 100 crore.

About 63% of its revenue comes from Kerala, while the bulk of the rest comes from GCC countries that have a strong diaspora Population from Kerala, said Wipro Consumer Care CEO Vineet Agrawal. Nirapara is our 13th acquisition and gives us a clear foothold in the spices and ready-to-cook segment, he added.