Indian Traffic

Do you know that the news item cites a report by the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, one of India’s most respected research centers, that found that around 70% of Calcutta’s 18 million inhabitants suffers from respiratory problems, such as asthma, lung cancer, and breathing difficulties, much of it caused by pollution from the cities chaotic transport sector.

Traditionally used in hospitals by sick patients undergoing medical treatment, the oxygen devices will now be deployed at the cities 11 traffic offices, where traffic officers who have performed an eight hour stint on Calcutta’s contaminated streets will be able to use them for up to 20 minutes.

The article notes that one of the largest polluters on India’s roads are the auto rickshaws that are powered by a “deadly concoction of kerosene and petrol.”

Burj Al Arab Hotel Dubai,World's only 7 star hotel

Burj Al Arab Hotel Dubai, the worlds only 7 Star Hotel. Luxury to the fullest with Mercedes SLR limo service, a Helli port and rooms that are beyond luxury imagination. It cost US$70 just to enter the gates. Award winning dining experiences and all sorts of fun activities are available.

Designed to resemble a billowing sail, the hotel soars to a height of 321 metres, dominating the Dubai coastline. At night, it offers an unforgettable sight, surrounded by choreographed colour sculptures of water and fire. This all-suite hotel reflects the finest that the world has to offer. With your chauffeur driven Rolls Royce, discreet in-suite check in, private reception desk on every floor and a brigade of highly trained butlers who provide around-the-clock attention, you can be assured of a highly personalised service throughout your stay. (burj-al-arab)

ILLAYA THALAPATHY,Vijay

When it comes to taking care of people who work for him, Illaya Thalapathy Vijay always goes the extra mile.

The actor who usually meets his fans at his Saligramam residence has decided on a change of venue. He has shifted his office out of the place and moved it over to his marriage. hall. Now the palatial house is separated into smaller compartments and has been given over to his support team. His driver, his personal make-up man and his favorite cook stay there free of cost.

His fans too are happy to meet him at the kalyana mandapam, since it is bigger place and can hold more people. Vijay has two marriage halls, one at Vadapalani and Saligramam each, and is building a third one near Ambatur.

Perhaps this is Illaya Thalapathy style of saying thanks to not just his fans but those who work closely with him.

India's Land's End - Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari is unique in being surrounded by three seas, the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian sea, and the confluence is called 'Thriveni Sangamam'. Here one can get a breath-taking view of the Sunrise and Sunset at their best. The multicoloured sand is yet another unique feature of the beach here. Kanyakumari is a famous pilgrim centre, too.
The southern tip of India, Kanyakumari is a tourist and pilgrimage centre named for the goddess Kanya Kumari ("Youthful Virgin"), whose love for Shiva was never consummated. The tsunami of Dec 2004 claimed over a thousand human lives in this district. On a rocky island just off the coast is a monument for Swami Vivekananda built in 1970. Another island has a giant statue of Thiruvalluvar, a Tamil poet-saint and author of the Tirukkural ("Sacred Couplets"), often compared to the Bible, John Milton's Paradise Lost, and the works of Plato. Little is known about his life except that he lived in Mylapore, India, no later than the 4th century CE. He was probably a Jain ascetic who worked as a weaver. Both Buddhists and Shaivites, however, claim him as their own; he is especially revered by those of low caste. Aphoristic in nature, many ideas in the Tirukkural were bold for his time. He dismissed the caste system: "One is not great because of one's birth in a noble family; one is not low because of one's low birth." Goodness is its own reward, not a mere means to a comfortable afterlife.

Longest Road Train, Australia

Australia has the largest and heaviest road-legal vehicles in the world, with some configurations topping out at close to 200 tonnes. The majority are between 80 and 120 tonnes. Two-trailer road trains are allowed in rural areas of most of the Australian states. Three trailer road trains (triples) operate in western New South Wales, western Queensland , South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, with the last three states also allowing AB-Quads (3.5 trailers). Darwin, NT, is the only capital city in the world that will allow triples and quads to within 1km of the central Business district.
Overtaking a road train can be quite difficult. Patience, assistance from the driver, and large amounts of clear road are required. Many road train drivers help by blinking their right-turn indicators a couple of times to indicate that the road ahead is clear.
When the flat-top trailers of a road train need to be transported empty, it is common practice to stack them. This is commonly referred to as "doubled-up" or "doubling-up". Sometimes, if many trailers are required to be moved at the one time, they will be tripled stacked, or "tripled-up", as shown in the photo.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

The Andaman group of islands comprises of islands such as North Andaman, Middle Andaman, South Andaman, Baratang, and Little Andaman. It is a group of big and small picturesque islands in the form of a narrow broken chain which forms a north-south arc. It is located at 16oN and 14oN latitude and 92oE and 94oE longitude. It covers the geographical area of 6408 sq km.

The main attraction of the Andamans is the crystal clear seas, white sandy beaches and shallow coral reefs. Andamans has immense potential as a tourist place. The hot tourist places of Andaman are:

Neil Island (36 kms. from Port Blair)

Long Island (82 kms. from Port Blair)

Rangat (170 kms. by road and 90 kms. by sea)

Cutbert Bay beach ( a turtle nesting ground)

Mayabunder (242 kms. by road/136 kms. by sea)

Diglipur (290 kms by road/180 kms. by sea)

Little Andaman Island (120 kms. by sea)

National Memorial(a three storeyed prison, reminiscent of Indian freedom fighters)

Anthropological Museum( describes the life of the Paleolithic Islanders)

Fisheries Museum (exhibits the species of marine life found in the Andaman islands )

Samudrika (Naval Marine Museum, depicting the various aspects of oceanic environment )

Zoological Survey of India Museum

Forest Museum

The rainforests make the Andamans rich in timber, which is one one of its major source of income. The people of Andaman are engaged in agriculture and grow paddy as the main crop with other field crops namely pulses, oilseeds and vegetables. Spices like cloves, nutmeg , pepper, and cinnamon rubber, red oil, palm and cashew are also grown by the people. Tourism and fishery are its other sources of income.

The important industries in Andamans are Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) consisting pipes and fittings, fiberglass, paints and varnishes, steel furniture, soft drinks and beverages. By the initiative of the Government the industrial scenario is changing at a very rapid pace, but due to its fragile eco system major industrialization is not possible. Over the last few years there is a substantial growth in the field of education in Andaman. There are many renowned educational institutions for higher studies viz.

• Regional Medical Research Centre, Port Blair (ICMR)
• Central Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair
• Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar Government Polytechnic
• Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya
• Government Teachers Training Institute, Andaman
• Tagore Government College of Education