Bangalore's GDP zooms ,Coimbatore grows at 7%

Bangalore's GDP zooms past other metros You may be stuck in traffic but Bangalore is not. Bangalore is the fastest metro. No we are not looking at the speedometer of your car. We are talking about economic growth. The country's IT hotbed has zoomed past the other metros with a growth rate of 10.3 percent to become the fastest growing region in terms of economic prosperity. That’s according to a study released by research firm - Indicus Analytics that calculates GDP figures at district and city-levels. Bangalore recorded the highest growth over the last 7 fiscal years. The rest of the urban regions saw a growth rate of less than nine percent. It was the highest in the south too, ahead of Hyderabad and Chennai by almost 4 percent. in fact the closest was Coimbatore which registered a growth of 7.8% The credit for Bangalore's stellar numbers goes to the i-t industry that continues to boom. " I don't think there is a parallel to the ecosystem in Bangalore. Its not roads and metro it's the entire ecosystem starting from schools to colleges to institutions its only Bangalore that can give that ecosystem that it requires" says MN Vidyashankar, IT Secretary, Karnataka. Bangalore continues to reap the benefits of an aggressive state government that has been quick to clear investments worth Rs 100000 crore in IT and ITES in the last 5 months. But it’s not all-good news. Economists in the city fear that if physical infrastructure does not improve drastically Bangalore may begin to lose out to competition and will not be able to sustain its double-digit growth. " Over the next 3-5 years if they do not act on the transport infrastructure they will lose their edge" adds Rupa Chanda, Prof-eco & social sciences, IIM (B) So the good times may not last as increasing costs of real estate and skilled manpower may make Bangalore lose its top spot. http://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/business/bangalores-gdp-zooms-past-other-metros/12/43/324385

Coimbatore Zoological Park and Conservation Center (CZPCC),

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A trek in the Anaikatty forest is a great way to get up close and personal with Nature

Dance of the peacocks

A trek in the Anaikatty forest is a great way to get up close and personal with Nature

PHOTO:K. ANANTHAN

SPOT THAT BIRD The green bee-eater is one of the many birds that can be spotted at the Anaikatty forest

"Ssssshhh... ," says naturalist P. Pramod. "Silence is important while bird watching. Now, identify the spotted dove from the laughing dove just by their sounds," he tells members of the Salim Ali Naturalist Forum (SANF). And, it works.

An early morning trek in the Anaikatty forest is a great way to get up close and personal with Nature. And, watch birds. Dancing peacocks, hummingbirds and tunnel spiders add to the experience.

We first sight a pair of owlets. Indian robins, grey jungle fowls and grey partridges... .Pramod keeps spotting them effortlessly and Nature enthusiasts accompanying him, quickly leaf through Salim Ali's History of Indian Birds for details. A pair of binoculars provides a clearer picture. "That is a tailor bird," says Pramod, pointing to a small tailed brightly coloured bird with a bright green upper part and a whitish under part. "It collects large leaves, pierces them with its sharp beak and sews together a nest. That explains its name."

We spot a couple of good singers — the beautiful female Iora, a common bird with a yellow body and a black streak; and the magpie robin, another common bird in South India.

Suddenly, it's bliss. A flock of peacocks comes out of hiding, displaying their blue-green plumage and dancing merrily. A sight to behold!

Then, the tunnel spiders catch our attention. These spiders, found under logs and rocks, have built a silken tunnel with a wide entrance that alerts the spider to the presence of potential prey.

The Anaikatty forest is also home to elephants, gaur, leopard, spotted deer and the black-necked hare.

"The marks on the trees are an indication of the presence of elephants. They rub themselves on smooth trees to clean their skin," Pramod says.

The slender, rich-hued green bee-eater, colourful hoopoe birds, brilliantly plumaged sunbirds and green sandpipers (the migratory birds from the Himalayas) and Tickell's flower pecker (the smallest bird in India) make their appearances and disappear in a flash.

"The Western Ghats and the North-Eastern Himalayas find a place in the list of 28 global bio-diversity hotspots. This is based on the diversity of flora and fauna and the endemic species," Pramod says, guiding the team along a stream.

The birdcalls

Deep inside the forest, it's absolutely still. The chirping of birds is music to the ears. As you settle down on the boulders, Pramod has another request.

"Close your eyes for 10 minutes and identify the birds by their cries." Tree pies, bulbuls, babblers, peacocks... each sound is distinct.

The SANF, functioning since 2003, is a platform for those who love Nature and want to contribute towards its conservation.

It conducts camps for school and college students, and organises bird watching camps, trekking, discussions and afforestation drives.

The Nature Education Division of the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) in Anaikatty, Coimbatore, co-ordinates this programme. For details, call: 0422 2657103-5; e-mail neosacon@gmail.com or visit www.sacon.org.

You can write to them at SACON, Anaikatty P.O., Coimbatore - 641108.

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/04/28/stories/2007042800670200.htm