METTUPALAYAM ( Tamil Nadu ) - CHAMRAJ NAGAR ( Karnataka ) connecting NEW RAILWAY LINE project is not in the newspapers for long time.

METTUPALAYAM ( Tamil Nadu ) - CHAMRAJ NAGAR ( Karnataka ) connecting NEW RAILWAY LINE project is not in the newspapers for long time. Atleast here, NO NEWS IS NOT GOODNEWS. This project is being kept in abeyance for decades due to the just opposition from the concerned environment groups. There are even newspaper reports about the SUPREME COURT appointed environment experts committee’s opposition to this project. But it is high time to revisit this matter and rethink about the potential damages to the possible hazards to environment. Surely, any human activity, at this level, in the forests , will definitely do harm to the environment. But, on the other hand, by not taking up and implementing this railway project, we are actually and increasingly do more harm to the environment. Because, as it is NOT A NO GO ZONE, due to the lack of railway connectivity, the only mode of transportation is road, which is more damaging to the environment than the railways, in terms of fuel consumption & pollution, frequent accidents, increased man - animal conflicts etc. THE RAILWAY LINE CAN BE BUILT ALONG THE EXISTING ROAD CONNECTIVITY WITH LEAST DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT. In railway being, a central govt establishment with more than a century and half expertise, we can have better compliance with environment norms. From the experience gained from the not so past gruesome, horrible, sad fatal accidents involving the majestic elephants throughout our vast nation including southern railways, we can surely build elephant friendly modern railway lines with better safeguards and easy pathways for the animals. It is time the railway activists and the railway administration to step up the individual and collective efforts to build this railway line to protect our environment.

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS PROPAGATION - role of technical education institutions

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS PROPAGATION - role of technical education institutions We, technical education institutions , need to be proactive in the ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT KNOWLEDGE PROPAGATION and the associated SKILLS & PRACTICES DEVELOPMENT. We have the necessary organizational framework, basic technical knowledge, skilled people & interested pupils. For example, we can monitor rain fall, ambient atmospheric temperature, humidity, wind speed etc. on regular basis and record it too. What we need is a set of user friendly robust gadgets. They are readily available in the market. They can be procured and supplied by AICTE / ISTE /DIRECTORATES TECHNICAL EDUCATION / UGC and other similar bodies on cost basis. Further Bio , solar, wind energy equipments, ECO FRIENDLY TOILETS, Energy conservation systems etc. can be installed and demonstrated of their viability in the campus itself. The pupils of the host institution and the neighborhood community will become the ambassadors of these environment friendly energy resources.. What we need is an action plan to implement this ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT KNOWLEDGE & SILLS PROPAGATION programme. Obviously AICTE / ISTE /DIRECTORATES TECHNICAL EDUCATION / UGC and other similar bodies can play a catalytic role in this nation building mission. forAn Eco-friendly Solution for Human Waste Management Mr S Radhakrishnan, Director, Directorate of Industry Interface & Technology Management (DIITM), DRDO HQ, Rajaji Marg, New Delhi – 110011 • Ph No - 011-23013209 • Fax – 011-23793008 • Email- radkrishnan100@gmail.com • Col Atul Kumar Bhat, Jt Dir, DIITM • Ph No - 011-23007443, 9582705986 • Email- atulshubhra@gmail.com • Mr Nirankar Saxena, Senior Director, FICCI Federation House, Tansen Marg, New Delhi • Ph No - 09811839174 • Email- nirankar.saxena@ficci.com For SOLAR energy systems STUDENTS PLASTIC INITIATIVE We are all fed up with the discarded plastics. They spoil our mother earth. They clog our waterways. They are ugly. They cause painful death for animals both in the land and in water too. What we can do apart from cursing it? COLLECT PLASTIC ; SAVE EARTH Plastic items are so embedded in our every day life, it is practically impossible, to get rid of them in our world. Alternates are neither comfortable nor affordable. There are some ways and means to tackle this ever burgeoning problem. For example, a good amount of WASTE PLASTIC can be used in an environment friendly way if it is collected from households regularly and shred in to pieces which can be blended with hot asphalt (tar) to build better roads. And there are some more good examples in recycling them. The problem is contamination free collection of plastic waste at large volumes on a regular basis . Here comes the student power. We all know the students’ tremendous contribution in polio eradication, tree plantings, reduction of illiteracy, spreading socially necessary messages through rallies, distribution of any thing & every thing, crowd control, election booth queue regulation, blood donation, collection of new and sparsely used dresses, utensils, food items etc., for distribution to the people affected by natural calamities and many, many more. Already we have armies of well organized, nation wide student movements like NCC, NSS, YRC, SCOUTS & GUIDES, ROTRACT/ LEO/ JAYCEES CLUBS and their likes. Students can be motivated to collect ( from their own homes and from their neighbourhoods ) and bring the Plastic items to their classes periodically (say once a week ) where they can be collected enmasse, segregated scientifically, and sold for recyclers / Road builders. To keep it as an ongoing and sustainable mission, the collecting students must be recognized duly, rewarded monetarily and appreciated periodically in public. Demonstrate the benefits of ACTIVE MOBILITY ( WALKING & CYCLING ) Let us make the campus AUTOMOBILE FREE for individual students & staff too. Let us motivate them to walk and cycle with in the campus and venture outside too. In many states, students are given free laptops. (In states Tamil Nadu & Bihar , school students are given free bi-cycles ). AICTE / ISTE may recommend the governments (central & state ) to distribute bi cycles to the students. To begin with girl students, then NCC, NSS, YRC etc. can be offered free bi -cycles. Then the scheme can be extended to every one.