Jayshree Chemicals to source salt locally

BERHAMPUR: Caustic soda producer Jayshree Chemicals Limited (JCL), an S K Bangur Group company, has agreed to procure locally produced salt from Bahuda Salt Production and Sales Cooperative Society (BSPSCS) based in Ganjam district. JCL was mainly sourcing salt from Gujarat owing to inferior quality of the local salt. Initially, the company will procure 1,000 tonnes of salt from the cooperative society on an experimental basis. If the salt is found to be suitable to run the plant, some 40 km from here, the company will go for further procurement. This was decided at a meeting between the officials of JCL, BCPSCS and the district officials, presided over by Ganjam collector Krishan Kumar.

Source: Business Standard

Sparrow conservationists of Ganjam invited to help in sparrow conservation efforts in mining areas

Sparrow conservationists of Ganjam district in Odisha have been invited to help in sparrow conservation efforts initiated in a mining area at Tensa in Sundergarh district.

Rabindranath Sahu of Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee (RSTPC), Ganjam and Lingaraj Panda, who played a major role in the successful sparrow conservation project at Purunabandha village in Ganjam district, have visited the area in Tensa. The authorities of the Jindal Steel and Power Limited has invited them for tips regarding sparrow conservation.

The mining colony, which has been recently adopted as home by the sparrows, is a part of the Tentra-Raikela-Bandal (TRB) mines of Jindal Steel and Power Limited. Company senior general manager Mahesh Raheja has said around 150 families stay in the mining colony which was established in 1992. A few years ago, all of a sudden a few sparrows were found at the colony. Sparrows are a rarity in this mining area located in the middle of dense jungle.

Number increased

According to Mr. Sahu, a few sparrows may have reached this human habitat by the trucks that ply to the area carrying essential goods like food grains. The inhabitants of this mining colony through their small efforts protected the sparrows. And now their number has increased many folds. Arun Kumar Kumar Mishra, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Banai, has also taken personal interest to enthuse the inhabitants of the colony to continue the sparrow conservation efforts. Mr. Mishra and Mr. Raheja have taken the tactical support from the team that had become successful in sparrow conservation at Purunabandha. The special artificial earthen pots, which the sparrows are adopting as their nests in Purunabandha in Ganjam district, have also been put at the mining colony.Mr. Sahu has said sparrows have started to stay in some of the artificial nests put at the mining colony. At present the sparrow population at the mining colony is around 300. If the conservation efforts continue, then their number will surely increase many folds, says Mr. Panda.

Source: The Hindu

Migratory birds arrive at Chilika

At least 6 lakh migratory birds from places as far as Siberia and Ukraine have arrived at Chilika lake, officials said. "About 3 lakh of them have been sighted in Nalabana, an island inside the lake," told ssistant forest conservator (wildlife) BK Mohapatra .

Spread across the districts of Puri, Khordha and Ganjam along the east coast, and about 100 km from state capital Bhubaneswar and 50 km from the commercial city Berhampur, Chilika is known for its immaculate scenic beauty and rich bio-diversity. Every year about a million migratory birds from places like Siberia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Himalayas come to the lake in October and return in March.

The most attractive birds sighted in the lake are flamingos, grey and purple herons, egrets, spoonbills, storks and white ibis. "We have set up at least 21 camps around the lake and deployed nearly a hundred officials and villagers to ensure that none of the birds are killed by poachers," he said. Five people were arrested recently for killing birds in the lake, he added.

Last year over 8 lakh birds belonging to 168 species were counted in the lake. This year the bird census in the lake would be held for two days starting from 11 January, Mohapatra said. Chilika was declared one of the six wetlands of international importance for Arctic and Central Asian waterfowl by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

Source: The Statesman