Naveen to open STPI centre in Berhampur

BERHAMPUR: The third centre of the Software Technology Park of India in Orissa is going to be inaugurated in Berhampur. According to sources it is scheduled to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the last week of February. After Bhubaneswar and Rourkela it would be the third STPI in Orissa. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Orissa government and the STPI in July 2005. Mr. Patnaik had laid its foundation stone in December 2006 during the boom period of IT sector. Ironically the centre is slated for inauguration while global recession has started to impact the IT sector.
There are expectations that due to low infrastructure cost in a city like Berhampur, IT companies would take advantage of the centre and establish their units here. At present the STPI has around 125 IT units registered with its other two units.
This centre would also provide technological incubation infrastructure facility to new small-scale IT entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs would be provided ready-to-use space at an affordable cost by the Berhampur STPI. These entrepreneurs as well as the IT units to come up in Berhampur would also be eligible to get consultancy facility from the STPI. It would have an internal engineering resource force to offer consultancy services in key aspects of IT industry. A state of the art Infopark would also be established adjacent to the STPI.

The Hindu

First of its kind in the world

A billiards match in deep sea

BERHAMPUR: Noted scuba diver Sabir Bux and Ahsan-ul-Haq, a national-level billiards player today played billiards under the deep sea at Gopalpur-on-Sea near Berhampur city in Orissa. This type of underwater sport performance is first of its kind in the world, Bux claimed.

This was a trial match and both the players would also play the final match underwater, the date of which is yet to be decided.

For this trial match, an 8 X 4 sq feet green coated iron table was prepared and installed about 20 feet deep in the water and six specialized balls were used. The match was organized by Kalinga Divers, an organization set up Bux to train students in scuba diving, and sponsored by Decalib clinic, USA. Four other underwater divers - all of them students of Kalinga Divers - assisted them in the run up to the match.

Express News

Mass nesting of Olive Ridleys begins

More turtles are awaited as nesting is to continue for some more days
Forest officials keeping watch on tourists in a bid to safeguard the nesting
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BERHAMPUR: Olive Ridleys started mass nesting on Rushikulya rookery coast in Orissa from February 17 night.
Sporadic nesting of these turtles had started on this coastline since past few days. On Saturday night around 3500 Olive Ridleys came out of the sea to lay their eggs. It hinted at the start of mass nesting of the turtles at this coast for this season. On Sunday night more than 80,000 Olive Ridleys nested on a stretch of around two-and-half kilometres near Rushikulya rookery said A.K. Jena, the Divisional Forest Officer of Berhampur who monitored the protection of these turtles during nesting.
It may be noted that this coast is one of the most preferred nesting sites of Olive Ridleys. These turtles also nest at Devi River rookery and Gahirmatha Beach in Orissa. In 2006 a unique phenomenon had occurred on this coast with mass nesting of turtles occurring twice on this coast.
According to Mr Jena this mass nesting is expected to continue for a few more days as large numbers of turtles were still in the sea near the coast waiting to lay their eggs at night. Forest department officials and wildlife experts from the WWF and Wild Life Institute of India, Dehradun are monitoring the mass nesting.The whole stretch of beach meant for nesting has been divided into 33 segments of around 100 metres length. At all these segments data regarding the arrival of Olive Ridleys reaching the coast to lay eggs is being recorded. The fishermen of the area and tourists have been directed to refrain from entering the sea as the mother turtles are waiting to come out to the coast at night. Forest officials are keeping watch on tourists so that they do not hamper the tranquil nature of the beach which is a major criterion for mass nesting. Mr Jena said they started efforts to protect the eggs of these rare marine creatures. The stretch is to be fenced off to protect entry of predators like dogs and foxes which usually dig up to eat the eggs.

The Hindu, February 17

Rushikulya gears up for Olive Ridleys

Much to the ecstasy of the turtle conservationists and researchers, the much-awaited mass nesting of the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles have started this year on the shore of river Rushikulya in Ganjam district since Sunday night, said DFO of Rushikulya, AK Jena.
About 80,000 endangered Olive Ridley turtles arrived for nesting on Sunday night on the three-km-long stretch between Purunabandha and Gokharkuda under Rushikulya for laying eggs, said the DFO. According to Jena, ‘Arribada’, the Spanish term used for mass nesting has started and it will continue at least for the next couple of days.
Female lays 120-150 eggs in one go. They arrive at the coast in night and after laying eggs go back to the deep sea water. Hatchlings emerge from these eggs after 45-60 days and find their way to the sea creating a cacophony. It is one of nature’s rare phenomena where babies grow without their mother, said the forest official. The eggs hatched in low temperatures mostly yield males. The mortality rate of the endangered species is so high that one out of every 1,000 eggs laid ultimately hatches and the hatchling survives to become an adult Olive Ridley.
In a bid to give protection to the Olive Ridley sea turtles during the ongoing mass nesting along the Orissa coasts, the forest department is taking all necessary measures. The forest officials and Coast Guard personnels have also engaged themselves in the ongoing turtle conservation programme by stepping up sea-patrolling in order to check illegal entry of trawlers in the prohibited area.
Apart from Rushikulya, the turtles also visit Gahirmatha and Devi river mouths in large numbers every year for mass nesting. Among the nesting grounds, Gahirmatha is known as the world’s largest rookery of the endangered species, said official sources.
To protect the turtles, the forest officials have effectively enforced the ban order from November 1 to May 31 under the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1982 and Orissa Marine Fishing Rules, 1983. Under the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act (OMFRA) and rules framed there under, 5 km of seaward belt in off-shore area from high tide line is exclusively reserved for traditional crafts, and fishing by mechanised vessels is strictly prohibited in the area.
Sea turtles generally nest at night. During the breeding season, males and females migrate from their feeding ground to the breeding ground and mating occurs on the offshore water. The female turtles tend to move towards the beaches in large synchronised concentration. They lay their eggs at midnight in 45 cm-deep pits which they dig with their rear flippers. After laying the eggs in the pits, the female turtles cover the nests with sand and return to the sea in a zigzag manner to confuse predators about the location of the nests.
Though every year endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles come for ‘Arribada’ to the Orissa coasts but it has remained a mystery till date whether the turtles start their annual sojourn from the Pacific Ocean or Arabian Sea before nesting. In order to ascertain the fact, the WII, with the help of State forest department has set up 30 Satellite Telemetric Transmitters on turtles in three nesting places, including Rushikulya, Gahirmatha and Devi river mouth, said Rushikulya DFO.
Scientists of Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) with the help of State forest officials have recently fitted two Platform Transmitter Terminals (PTT), commonly known as satellite telemetric transmitters, on 31st January on the carapaces of a male and a female turtle at the Rushikulya beach. Even plans are afoot by the WII scientists to fit thirty-three more PTTs on the carapaces of turtles in the ongoing turtle season at Rushikulya, Devi and Gahirmatha, informed official sources.
When contacted, DFO of Rajnagar Mangrove Forest Division PK Behera informed that as sporadic nesting of the endangered turtles has been going on in some beaches under the marine sanctuary since the last ten days, there is every possibility that mass nesting phenomenon might have occurred at any moment in the beaches of Babubali, Pentha, Agarnashi, Barunei and Nasi-I and II.a

Gopalpur Port sets record in cargo handling

BERHAMPUR: Record amount of cargo was handled in a single day on February 20,2009 at the seasonal anchorage port at Goplapur near Berhampur city on Orissa coast.
Joyous moments
It led to joyous moments at this port, which is being transformed into an all weather mega port. As per the authorities of the Gopalpur Ports Limited (GPL), on Wednesday they could handle around 10,100 metric tonnes of cargo at this anchorage port. Never before in its history had such large amount of cargo been handled at this anchorage port since its inception in 1987. A ship carrying 50,000 tonnes of fertilizer imported by Indian Potash Limited (IPL) is now anchored in sea near the Gopalpur port. Cargo from the ship is being carried to the port through large barges. The seasonal port became functional in December like earlier years. Till now it has handled around 2,60,000 tonnes of cargo. The port authorities envision that they would be able to handle about four lakh tonnes of cargo during the current season of operation, which is to end in May due to changing climatic condition. Last year this port had handled around three lakh tonnes of cargo. The port authorities said they are able to handle more cargo this year due to better infrastructure. They now have 12 large barges of which eight are self propelled. The seasonal anchorage port at Gopalpur was being managed by the Orissa government since its inception. It was taken over by the GPL three years back for its development into an all weather port with an investment of more than Rs. 1700 crores.
MoU signed
The GPL happens to be a consortium of Orissa Stevedores Ltd. (OSL), Noble Group Ltd. of Hong Kong and Sara International Ltd., which entered into an MoU with the Orissa government to take over the Gopalpur port to develop it into a major all weather port on Build-Operate-Own-Share-Transfer (BOOST) basis by 2010.
After taking over the Goplapur port, the GPL decided to restart the seasonal port which had stopped cargo operation for several years under the State government. Initially it was able to handle small cargo ships. But now the port has been able to handle cargo ships with more than 50,000 tonnes of cargo despite the fact that the cargo has to be carried by barges from the ship to the coast.

February 20, The Hindu

IG Police Range for South Orissa and Police Commissionerate system for Berhampur City

R.P.Tripathy

The present state of lawlessness in South Orissa should be a cause of concern for the State as maoist strikes, violence, murder and gang war has become common of late in this region. People here are under panic for the last few months but the administration seems to be unmoved. Till now the region has been grappling with Maoist activities and added to this the heinous murder of revered Swami Laxmananda Saraswati and other monks, the violence following that incident in Kandhamal, Gajapati and Jeypore, gang-war and day light murder in Berhampur, murder for liquor license in Ganjam District, political murder and violence in Aska, Sorada and Bhanjanagar, rising maoist violence in Rayagada and Malkangiri shows the inability of the State Government to maintain law and order in South Orissa.

This will be in the fitness of things for the State Government to take stern measures to contain the volatile situation in the region by the creation of a new police IG range at Berhampur by bringing together the DIG Southern Range, Berhampur and DIG South Western Range Sunabeda. Added to this Police Commissionerate system for Berhampur City has become inevitable in view of the deteriorating law and order situation in the Greater Berhampur Region. With the Army base, Gopalpur Port, IRE and other sensitive establishments situated in around the city which need enhanced security cover, the Police Commissionerate system has to be introduced in an expeditious manner. Further, appointing a Superintendent of Police for Railway at Berhampur has to be considered in view of the maoist threat perception on railway property and Berhampur being the transit point for criminals and maoist elements from Orissa and Andhra Pradesh needs special security arrangement including installation of CCTV cameras in the Railway Station. To overcome the present situation of violence, murder and lawlessness in South Orissa we urge your immediate intervention and affirmative action. The people of the region have seen enough of underdevelopment and deprivation and they can ill afford such a deteriorating environment arising out of complete lawlessness. The State Government should walk the talk of bringing normalcy and lasting peace in South Orissa by the creation of an IG Police Range at Berhampur, introduction of Police Commissionerate system for Berhampur city and creation of a new Railway Police District at Berhampur at the earliest.

Unitary University Status for historic Khallikote College

R.P.Tripathy

In the educationally backward and tribal dominated region of South Orissa, Khallikote College has been a great hope with its exceptional track record of over a century and half. The institution began as a high school in 1856 before becoming a full-fledged college in the year 1878. The Institution with its glorious past of more than 150 years has been one of the leading centers of learning and intellectual pursuits in Orissa. The Institution has the reputation of producing a former President of India and a host of Governors, Ministers, scientists, educationists and freedom fighters among a long list of illustrious persons since its establishment in pre-independent India.

Over the last few years owing to paucity of teaching and administrative staff, inadequate state support and overall deterioration of higher education infrastructure the Institution has failed to live up to theexpectations. This is high time that the State Government did something urgently to restore the lost glory and academic standards of the historic Institution.

In this regard, granting Unitary University Status to Khallikote College has become an imperative. Further, to ensure its expansion and to facilitate the opening of the new Departments, a new campus of the Institution should be planned on the outskirts of Berhampur city. As many Organizations of the region have suggested, this proposed Unitary University should be named as Khallikote Mardraj University in memory of Raja Ramchandra Mardraj of Khallikote who is one of the founding fathers of the modern day Odisha State.

The State Government should exhibit the same seriousness and urgency, as was the case with Ravenshaw College and University College of Engineering, to grant Unitary University Status to Khallikote College with a new campus at the earliest.