Dear Friends,

This month, we shall talk about Stratospheric Ozone Depletion. This is a success story for mankind that shows that we do have at our command, ways and means to tackle at a global scale, the environmental challenges we face. Ultra-violate rays from the sun has harmful effects on plants, animals and humans (causing skin cancer, particularly in white skinned persons having low melanin levels). The ozone layer in the stratosphere (10 to 50 kms above) helps to absorb most of the harmful UV-B rays and protects us.

Large trees; height about 30 m; bark 10-15 mm thick, surface grey-brown, irregularly cracked and shallowly fissured, subverrucose, lenticellate; blaze creamy yellow, outer layer thin, corky, inner layer brittle; latex milky white; branch-lets whorled. Leaves simple, whorled, estipulate; petiole 5-12 mm long, stout, glabrous; lamina 5-20 x 3-7 cm, obovate, oblanceolate or obovate-oblong; base cuneate or attenuate; apex obtuse or emarginate; margin entire, glabrous, subcoriaceous; lateral nerves many, slender, prominent, glabrous, parallel, looped near the margin forming intra-marginal nerves; inter-costae reticulate, obscure. Flower bisexual, 10-12 mm long, greenish-white in terminal umbellate cymes; calyx cupular, lobes 5, ovate, unequal, obtuse, puberulous, glandular; corolla salver shaped, 4 mm across, lobes 5, obovate to orbicular, creamy yellow, spreading; stamens 5, included; anthers narrowly cordate; disc obscure; carpels 2, free, ovules many; style filiform; stigma obconic. Fruit of two linear, narrow, pendulous follicular mericarps, green, 30-40 cm long; seeds 5-6 mm long, flat, comate at both ends (India Biodiversity Portal.com).

Atri Maharshi was in need of money for holding yajna. He goes to Kubera at Kubera Patnam to get the money. Though Kubera was having tons of money, he refused to pay to Atri maharshi. The enraged maharshi curses him to lose all his wealth and become a beggar.

The curse had gradual effect on him and Kubera went on losing his wealth. He borrowed the money from Goddess Laksmi but even that borrowed money was also lost because of the curse. Then Kubera comes down to earth and starts begging. .

Around 8.00 Am Indian Navy at Rameswaram organized a training programme as a mark of International Yoga Day. Shri.Hegde of Vivekananda Kendra was the resource person. 35 Cadets participated in the event.