Coimbatore civic authorities begins demolition drive
Friday, October 26, 2007

Coimbatore, Oct 23 (ANI): Civic authorities of Coimbatore today began a demolition drive of old residential buildings following a building collapse in which at least 13 people were killed.The last block of the 30-year old three-storeyed building located near Ukkadam in the heart of the city collapsed on Friday following heavy rain.In order to avoid a similar mishap, the district administration has initiated a drive to demolish around 650 remaining old, dilapidated residential buildings in and around the city."We have advised the people to vacate. We've made temporary arrangements for them to have food etc. in corporation schools. They have to make alternative arrangements for accommodation during this short period. Government has sanctioned 200,000 rupees as compensation for those who died and 25,000 rupees for those injured and 5000 rupees as relocation allowance for people in Vincent Colony," said Neeraj Mithal, District Collector, Coimbatore.While the demolition of 352 buildings has begun, notices have been issued to the residents of another 298 houses belonging to the Tamil Nadu state housing board.Twenty-four families with about 50 people lived in the building that collapsed, killing 13 and injuring several others.Tight security arrangements were also made in view of the demolition drive in the area. (ANI)

Labels: Coimbatore

Captive jumbos regd with embedded microchips

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Oct 17 (ANI): Forest officials in Tamil Nadu have initiated a drive to regularize and register captive pachyderms in the State by implanting microchips into their skin.The technique, officials said, will give the elephants a unique identification number that will help prevent manipulation of records, check elephant poaching and further domestication of wild animals.The concept will also help the forest authorities in making periodical assessments of the status of the elephants, as well as formulating policies for the protection of the captive pachyderms."In accordance with the directives of the Union Ministry and the warden's order, micro- chipping of elephants in Tamil Nadu has been taken up," said Manoharan, a forest veterinary officer in the state.Approximately 50 per cent of elephants have been embedded with the chip under this drive till now. The microchip, which is of the size of a rice grain, has a 10-digit number inscribed on it and it is inserted behind the left ear of the elephant.Home to 50,000 elephants a century ago, this population has dwindled to just 21,000 in India.Conservationists say the elephant population has fallen rapidly in recent years because of human encroachment into forest areas.The microchip embedded in the body of the animal will remain throughout the life of the animal and will not pose any health hazard."It is also a bio-compatible material which does not affect the animal at all, so there is no health hazard. Once inserted, the chip will remain embedded in the body of the elephant throughout its life time," added Manoharan.Elephants are deeply revered in India, with the elephant-headed god Ganesha being one of the most popular in the Hindu pantheon.But despite their divine status, not all are lucky and hundreds continue to be ill-treated and overworked at illegal circuses and temples where they spend 9-10 hours ferrying tourists and locals and some are also killed by poachers for ivory. (ANI)

Labels: Coimbatore, Science