Kerala

It also deals with the efforts made by the Government of India to revolutionise sanitation services in the state of Kerala, with the aim of improving public health. Earlier experience had shown that significant governance problems had hindered water and sanitation reforms in local and national programmes in the state.

It has been dominated by reports of  a major cyclone Thane that lay centered on the the 29th December 2011 near latitude 12.30N and longitude 83.00E, about 300 km east-southeast of Chennai (Tamilnadu) and 480 km north-northeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka). Earlier reports related to the cyclone Thane indicate predictions and cyclone warnings made by the IMD for the north of Tamil Nadu and the south Andhra Pradesh coast along with possibility of heavy rains and severe winds and warnings for fishermen to refrain from going into the sea.

Later reports indicate that Cyclone Thane has hit the landfall between the Union territory of Puducherry and neighbouring Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu at about 9 am leaving behind a trail of devastation followed by later reports of weakening of the cyclone activity and predictions of heavy rainfall over Kerala, south interior Karnataka and north interior Tamil Nadu

The most affected will be Tamil Nadu followed by Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala leading to floods, overflowing of dams and damage to property. Assessments of the earthquake in Sikkim are now ready as information is finally available.

Organizers: Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment Government of Kerala (KSCSTE)
                    Rubber Board Government of India, Kottayam

Venue: Rubber Board P.O., Kottayam

The news this fortnight has been dominated by the north-east monsoon in South India, mainly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Periyar, Vagai, Krishnarajasagar, Mettur and Chemberampakkam reservoirs have either reached full capacity or are expected to in the next few days. Areas downstream of Vagai reservoir received flood warnings.

In the cities of Tamil Nadu, heavy rains and inadequate infrastructure have led to damage to life and property, with 10 people dead in two separate incidents. 

Winter precipitation has begun in Kashmir, with the higher reaches receiving snowfall. 

This report by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) and Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) on water quality monitoring in Kerala covers all its forty four river basins. This is being done under the “Environmental Monitoring Programme on Water Quality” under which samples are being collected both from surface and groundwater sources.

Groundwater sampling stations were fixed after conducting a sanitary survey in the panchayats. Water Quality Information System is being developed using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to manage the water quality from point or non-point source of pollution.

In the first phase of the project, three river basins of Kerala viz. Kabbini, Periyar and Neyyar were monitored. The network was later expanded to basins such as Chaliyar, Kadalundi, Meenachil, Karamana, Anjarakandi, Pamba, Muvattupuzha, Bharatapuzha, and Chalakudy. 

Organization: Western Ghats Hornbill Foundation (WGHF)

Venue: Sahithya Academic Hall, Thrissur

Description:
The Western Ghats Hornbill Foundation (WGHF) is organizing a two day workshop on right of the forest, river and tribe during 25^th and 26^th October 2011 at Sahithya Academic Hall, Thrissur. This is being organized as part of the inaugural session of our one year long campaign.

Organization: Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) and State Bank Of Travancore.

Venue: Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, and Calicut centres. 

The primary objective of CESS is to promote modern scientific and technological research and focus on developmental programmes relevant to the country in general and Kerala State in particular. CESS undertakes studies in tune with these objectives in the fields of geosciences, environmental sciences, marine sciences and atmospheric sciences.

This report deals with environmental assessment and environmental management framework for the World Bank supported Jalanidhi-2 programme of the Kerala Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (KRWSA), an important player in rural water supply and sanitation sector of the state.