"India generated 3.3 lakh tonnes of e-waste in 2007"

Bangalore (PTI): India generated 3.3 lakh tonnes of e-waste in 2007 as dumping from developed countries and informal recycling added to environmental degradation, a new study released on Thursday revealed.E-waste is expected to touch 4.7 lakh tonnes in India by 2011, according to the study unveiled by MAIT together with GTZ, the German Technical Cooperation Agency.MAIT is the apex body representing India's IT hardware, training and R&D services sectors.Electronic waste or "Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment" (WEEE), according to the WEEE directive of the European Commission, is defined as waste material consisting of any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic appliances. However, the MAIT-GTZ assessment study focussed only on the waste stream of computers, televisions and mobile handsets.The study, said to be a first-of-its kind to inventorise e-waste in the country, revealed a total of 3.3 lakh tonnes of e-waste is generated annually in India, while an additional 50,000 tonnes is illegally imported into the country.However, only 19,000 tonnes of this is recycled due to high refurbishing and reuse of electronics products in the country and also due to poor recycling infrastructure.

 

Currently, e-waste recycling, especially processing, remains concentrated in the informal sector, which due to poor processing technologies and very small capacities, contributes significantly to pollution and environmental degradation.

 

The Hindu, December 14^th 2007

 

Study: Sea lice from salmon farms sending wild fish to extinction

The more salmon that growers pack into farms near rivers and streams, the greater the harm done to wild salmon populations, new research suggests.

The problem is sea lice, natural parasites that normally attach to adult salmon with little ill effect and have little contact with vulnerable juvenile salmon.That changes when the fish farms move in, according to a study to be published Friday in the journal Science.In natural conditions, the adult salmon that carry the sea lice are not in the migration channels and rivers at the same time as young pink and chum salmon, so the little fish are rarely exposed.When fish farms move in, hundreds of thousands of adults are raised in floating net pens anchored year-round in the channels where the young wild fish migrate. The study suggested that the density of fish farms reached a tipping point in 2001 that triggered a killer sea lice infestation.Principally funded by the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the peer-reviewed study is the latest in a series by a group of scientists trying to push the Canadian government to place more strict regulations on salmon farms to control sea lice.

 

When West Coast salmon catches in the United States crashed in the 1990s, farmed salmon filled the gap in supermarket coolers. Global production has been growing ever since.Canada trails Chile, Norway and Scotland in farmed salmon production. British Columbia, in western Canada, reports 120 salmon farms in the province produced 78,000 tons in 2006, the bulk of it going to nearby U.S. markets.Based on government stream surveys, the study used a computer model to analyze pink salmon returns in 64 rivers without exposure to salmon farms and seven rivers where young fish must migrate past at least one salmon farm. The study considered returns before and after sea lice infestations were noticed in wild fish in 2001.The study found that sea lice infestations around salmon farms in British Columbia's Broughton Archipelago, north of Vancouver Island, have reached a density so high they are killing juvenile wild pink salmon at a rate fast enough to drive local runs to extinction within another four years.

 

``This is the first time scientists have had enough detailed data to actually measure the impact of sea lice on wild salmon populations,'' said Martin Krkosek, lead author of the study and a doctoral candidate at the Center for Mathematical Biology at the University of Alberta.

 

 

The Hindu, December 14^th 2007

Clues from Antarctica aid in search for water on Mars

In recent years, scientists have examined images of several sites on Mars where water appears to have flowed to the surface and left behind a trail of sediment.Those sites closely resemble places where water flows today in the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica, a new study has found. Researchers have used the Dry Valleys as an analogy for Mars for 30 years, explained Berry Lyons, professor of Earth Science a nd director of the Byrd Tolar Research Center at Ohio State University.

 

Notion bolstered

 

Lyons is the lead principal investigator for the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network. The new study bolsters the notion that liquid water could be flowing beneath the surface of Mars.And since bacteria thrive in the liquid water flowing in the Dry Valleys, the find suggests that bacterial life could possibly exist on Mars as well.Scientists have thus gathered more evidence that suggests flowing water on Mars — by comparing images of the red planet to an otherworldly landscape on Earth, according to an Ohio State University press release.One of the LTER sites is in the Dry Valleys, a polar desert in Antarctica with year-round saltwater flowing beneath the surface. With temperatures that dip as low as negative 85 degrees Fahrenheit, it's as cold as the Martian equator, and its iron-rich soil gives it a similar red colour.

 

"If you looked at pictures of both landscapes side by side, you couldn't tell them apart," Lyons said. In the new study, LTER scientists did just that — they compared images of water flows in the Dry Valleys to images of gullies on Mars that show possible evidence of recent water flow.Team member Peter Doran of the University of Illinois at Chicago presented the results Tuesday, at the American Geophysical Union meeting at San Francisco.

 

High salinity

 

The water in the Dry Valleys can be very salty — it's full of calcium chloride, the same kind of salt we sprinkle on roadways to melt ice. That's why the water doesn't freeze.

 

Natural springs form from melted ground ice or buried glacier ice, and the saltwater percolates to the surface."Even in the dead of winter, there are locations with salty water in the Dry Valleys," Lyons said."Two months a year, we even have lakes of liquid water covered in ice." But after the water reaches the surface, it evaporates, leaving behind salt and sediment. The same thing would happen on Mars, he added.

 

Close resemblance

 

Because the suspected sediment sites on Mars closely resemble known sediment sites in the Dry Valleys, Lyons and his colleagues think that liquid saltwater is likely flowing beneath the Martian surface.Lyons, who has led many expeditions to Antarctica, said that his team will continue to compare what they learn on Earth to any new evidence of water uncovered on Mars.As they walk across the Dry Valleys, they can't help but compare the two."There's just something about that landscape, about being so far from civilization, that makes you think about other worlds," he said.The scientists' conclusion: the Martian sites closely resemble sites in the Dry Valleys where water has seeped to the surface

 

The Hindu, December 13^th 2007

India expresses concern over effects of climate change

India on Tuesday asked industrialised nations to set effective timeframes for significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to deal with climate change. It also expressed "extreme concern" over climate change as developing countries will bear a "disproportionately severe" impact of the adverse effects of the phenomenon."We are extremely concerned about climate change ... as developing countries will bear a disproportionately severe impact of its adverse effects even as responsibility lies with those nations that have been emitting since industrialisation," external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee said addressing the Second Sustainability Summit: Asia-2007 here.He said the need of the hour for developing countries is adapting to the inevitability of climate change.

 

"We need to have necessary financial and technological support," Mukherjee said.India is very clear about the adherence to the principle of common differentiated responsibility to address the effects of climate change, he said.Mukherjee noted that India was home to 17% of the world's population and its greenhouse gas emissions were 4% of the total global emissions.

 

He said India's emissions will not increase beyond those of the industrialised nations in the future. Mukherjee said India was pursuing various other sources of energy, including nuclear power. "Strong efforts are being made by the government to increase the share of nuclear power in the total power generation in the country," he said.

 

New Indian Express, December 11^th 2007

Climate change could increase tensions

Even as the Nobel Peace Prize was presented to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on Monday, the U.N. agency which is the "father of the IPCC" released a new report explaining why "climate change mitigation policy is a policy for peace."

Resources shortage. Climate change could exacerbate tensions and trigger conflicts across the world by worsening food, water and land resource shortages and increasing the number of environmental refugees, according to "Climate Change as a Security Risk," a new report released by the U.N. Environment Programme and the German Advisory Council on Global Change at the ongoing conference of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bali.

 

Glacial retreat

 

The Indian subcontinent is listed as a potential hotspot, along with African regions, including the troubled Darfur area, central Asia, China and the Andes and Amazon regions of South America."Glacial retreat in the Himalayas will jeopardise the water supply for millions of people, changes to the annual monsoon will affect agriculture and sea-level rises and cyclones will threaten human settlements around the populous Bay of Bengal," said the report, pointing out that these dynamics could increase the crisis potential of a region already faced with unstable governments in Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as several cross-border conflicts."If people are displaced by sea level rise in South Asia, millions could be forced to migrate. And where will they go,?" asked UNEP executive director Achim Steiner.While recognising the devastating impact of climate change on the region, sources in the Indian delegation downplayed the linkage to conflict, pointing out that there was a world of difference between any threat to international security and the clear need for risk management.The Indian position is that there are huge risks being created, and vulnerabilities that need to be dealt with, but they would not reach the point where conflicts result.

 

Risks are huge

 

India's neighbours also feel that the risks are huge. A senior official of the Bangladesh delegation pointed out that the recent cyclonic floods that devastated his low-lying nation were proof that adaptation was critical.Entire coastal communities in the Bay of Bengal along both sides of the border are being affected by climate change impacts such as sea level rise and climate disasters, and they will be forced to migrate inland in large numbers, he said.

 

Immense pressure

 

Meanwhile, a member of Nepal's delegation said the melting of the Himalayan glaciers would put immense pressure on the Gangetic river system and expressed Kathmandu's concern that India's plans to link its rivers would aggravate problems."This is not a prediction that the world will end up in flames," clarified Mr. Steiner. "In trying to link climate change and security, we are not laying out an inevitable path, but we are trying to help countries understand the linkages and be prepared to deal with conflict situations.

DevelopmentIndia agrees that being prepared is a key to successful risk management, and feels that rapid development is essential to such preparedness.There is no doubt that in the next 20 years, we need the wherewithal to cope with these risks, said sources in the Indian delegation, pointing out that this is the reason India is arguing against any binding emission-reduction commitments that can affect its developmental goals.South Asian delegates felt that working together to achieve development throughout the region could help.

 

Declaration hailed

 

Delegates from both India and Bangladesh welcomed last week's SAARC joint declaration on climate change in New Delhi.As the U.N. Environment Programme report points out, while climate change can trigger conflicts, it can also unite global communities which recognise a common threat and work toward common goals.

 

The Hindu, December 11^th 2007

Attappady all set to tap wind energy

The tribal heartland of Attappady, the most backward area in the district which lacks infrastructure and basic amenities like roads and drinking water, is all set to produce power from wind energy.A wind farm, to produce 20 MW of power, is coming up on three hills of Attappady at Kadampara, Nallasinga and Kaundikal.In all, 33 wind turbine generators with a total capacity of 19.8 MW are under construction. Each generator will have a capacity of 600 KW. Two 33 kV transmission lines from the wind farm to the Agali substation of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is also under construction.The work on the wind farm by 'Suzlon' started in June this year. It is expected to start power generation from March next year.

 

Areas like Kottathara, Kadampara, Nallasinga, Sholayur and Kaundikal are witnessing brisk activities. Wind energy is considered a green power source. It is also the cleanest energy mode.India ranks first in Asia and fourth in the world among wind power producing countries. India added 1700 MW to the installed capacity in 2006-07 to aggregate an installed capacity of more than 7200 MW. The State has now made a beginning in tapping wind potential (assessed as around 650 MW).But, some have raised doubts about its impact on the environment. Suzlon has rubbished all such allegations. "Wind farms, by its very design do not act as a solid obstruction. Therefore, they do not induce enough vertical velocities to result in any appreciable change in precipitation," a company official said.

 

 

The Hindu, December 11^th 2007

Allnationsmustjoinclimatefight-Balidraft

All nations must do more to fight climate change, with deep cuts in greenhouse gases by rich nations to avoid the worst impacts, a draft proposal at U.N. talks said .

 

The four-page draft, written by delegates from Indonesia, Australia and South Africa as an unofficial guide for delegates at the Dec. 3-14 190-nation talks, said developing nations should at least brake rising emissions as part of a new pact.

 

It said there was "unequivocal scientific evidence" that "preventing the worst impacts of climate change will require (developed nations) to reduce emissions in a range of 25-40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020."

 

The draft is the first outline of how to launch talks on a new global deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which binds 36 developed nations to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12.

 

"Current efforts...will not deliver the required emissions reductions," according to the text, obtained by Reuters, that lays out a roadmap to averting ever more droughts, floods, heatwaves and rising seas.

 

"The challenge of climate change calls for effective participation by all countries," it said. The United States is outside the Kyoto pact and developing nations led by China and India have no 2012 goals for limiting emissions.

 

And it said global emissions of greenhouse gases would have to "peak in the next 10 to 15 years and be reduced to very low levels, well below half of levels in 2000 by 2050."

 

It lays out three options for a "roadmap" of what should happen after Bali -- ranging from non-binding talks over the next two years to a deadline for adopting a new global pact at a U.N. meeting in Copenhagen in late 2009.

 

For rich nations, it says that they should consider ways to step up efforts to curb emissions of greenhouse gase by setting "quantified national emission objectives".

 

And poor countries should take "national mitigation actions...that limit the growth of, or reduce, emissions," it says. It adds that "social development and poverty eradication are the first and overriding priorities" for poor nations.

 

Delegates will report back on Monday with reactions to the text.

High-rises threatening the Periyar

 Illegal occupation of the Periyar has become rampant thanks to the increasing number of high-rise buildings coming up on either side of the river.More than 20 private groups and real-estate developers have announced their "river-view" building projects.

Studies conducted by agencies such as the State Pollution Control Board found that the natural lifeline of the river was under threat following large-scale encroachments upon its banks. High-rise buildings are coming up violating all provisions of the Kerala River Protection Act.Revenue Department sources said a few real estate builders had violated the provision that construction activities should be taken up only 50 metres from the riverbank. Some of the projects had been set up at a distance of 10 metres from the river line.

 

Studies found that illegal occupation of the riversides had been rampant on the stretch from Vandiperiyar to the Kadamakudy panchayat area. The river had narrowed considerably from the Idukki arch dam to Karimban following unchecked encroachment. The Periyar Action Plan prepared in 1997 estimated the maximum width of the river at 405 metres in Kalady. In one of the latest cases, it was reported that several areas of the riverside from Malayatoor had been encroached upon. Encroachments had been reported at Poornakadavu in Kalady.Similar cases had been reported from Veliyathunattukara in Aluva taluk, Thadikakadavu, Varanattukadavu, Puthenchalilkadavu, Kanjirathumparambukadavu and Parambukadavu.

 

The Hindu, November 26^th 2007

Butterfly garden to be commissioned in December

The butterfly garden being set up under Thenmala ecotourism initiative, the first planned ecotourism destination in the country, at a cost of Rs.25 lakh will be thrown open to visitors by the end of the year.Housed behind the musical fountain in the cultural zone, the park is being set up on 2 hectares of forest land handed over by the government to the Thenmala Ecotourism Promotion Society.The Entomology Department of Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has been entrusted with the job of setting up of the park.

The garden is set up in such a way by the KFRI authorities that the patch of forest has been preserved intact.

In addition to seeing the colourful winged insects at close quarters, the visitors will be able to see Hornbills and other birds in the garden. Children will also be able to see the winged insects in natural habitat.The entrance to the garden is through a gate modelled on the lines of a giant Ficus tree. It will lead to the Facilitation Centre and Information Centre constructed in Kerala style.The information centre will have a souvenir shop, office and a display room.There is a 500-metre-long nature trail on either side of which appropriate butterfly host plants have been planted.An artificial stream with pebbles and water plants are to be laid to lend a natural touch.Two major phases exist in the lifecycle of a butterfly – the caterpillar phase which feeds on foliage of specific host plants and adult or butterfly stage which feeds on nectar.

 

Ixora, Clerodendrum, Mussaenda, Lantana and Cassia are nectar sources for butterflies.

Curry leaf, Citrus, Mussaenda, Cinnamom, Cherry, Ficus, Wattakakka, Tylophora and Aristolochia indica are larval host plants of specific butterfly species.The planting of the host plants is on in full swing."By introducing these host plants, we can attract and sustain butterflies," says George Mathew, scientist-in-charge (Facility) Entomology Forest Protection Division, KFRI.Hundreds of Dark Blue Tiger butterflies have started aggregating on Crotalaria plants in the garden.As many as 30 big models of butterflies with brief description and photographs, a 15-metre-long caterpillar and display boards in rocks are also being set up in the garden.In addition, three resting points and two make-shift bridges have also been created inside the garden."Spotting the butterflies in the open environment will be the added attraction at Thenmala. The works are nearing completion and the garden will be thrown open before the year end," Director, Ecotourism, T.P. Narayanankutty told The Hindu.

 

Around 40 species have been spotted in the garden at Thenmala.The Palmking butterfly, a variety rarely found in the country, was sighted at the Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary by lepidopterists in June. KFRI has already two model parks – on the KFRI campus at Peechi and on the Teak Museum campus, Nilambur.

 

The Hindu, November 26^th 2007

India sets terms for a cap on greenhouse gas emissions

 India has offered to place a "cap" on the "per-person greenhouse gas emissions" at a level equivalent to a "cap" that the developed countries would be willing to agree upon.

Conveying this to the leaders of the East Asia Summit (EAS)  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said his "first priority is India's economic growth" and climate change issues would be looked at under that prism. India's greenhouse gas emissions were now "much smaller" than those of the developed countries, especially when measured on a "per-person basis."

 

Eloquent presentations

 

India being "entitled" to the same standards as those that the developed bloc applied to itself, he would be prepared to match any commitments that might be made by the industrially advanced nations within the framework of economic growth.

 

Summing up India's stance on these lines, EAS Chairman and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said, at a post-summit press conference, that he did "not know whether that is the position which will be negotiated in an international agreement" on climate change.

 

China and India made "eloquent presentations" on why economic development was a priority for them, Mr. Lee pointed out. The leaders of the 16 EAS countries later signed a Declaration on Climate Change, Energy and the Environment. At the signing ceremony, Mr. Lee was flanked by Dr. Singh and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, as if to convey the political symbolism of the relevance of these two countries to the global discourse on climate change.

 

Mr. Lee described the EAS document on this issue as "a declaration of intent, not a negotiated treaty."

 

On the cross-linkages between economic development, energy security and climate change, Mr. Lee quoted Dr. Singh as having told his EAS colleagues that he had "no time to worry about global warming" after reading headlines suggesting that Venezuela would like crude oil prices to double from the current level of $100 a barrel.

 

The issue of civilian nuclear energy was discussed during the in-camera EAS meeting, but the United States-India agreement on this issue did not figure, according to Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath, who was with Dr. Singh during the deliberations.

 

Of some resonance to this U.S.-India issue was a comment that Mr. Lee made at his press conference while outlining the need for ratification of the new charter of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

 

He said: "Some of the legislatures do not always ratify everything which the executive puts before them."

 

The leaders of the EAS, a forum that links India with China as also Japan among others, declared their intention to cooperate for "the development and use of civilian nuclear power." This would apply to "those EAS participating countries which are interested."

 

 The Hindu, November 22^nd   2007

IPCC issues warning on global warming

The Nobel winning Inter Governmental panel on Climate Change (IPCC) group of climate scientist issued their starkest warning yet on global warning. IPCC declared that the impact of global warming could be "abrupt or irreversible" and no country would be spared. The new report is intended to act as a guide to policy makers for years to come. It summarizes three massive assessments publishes this year on the evidence for global warming its impact and the options for tackling the emissions that causes it. Retreating glaciers and loss of alpine snow, thinning arctic summer sea ice and thawing permafrost show that climate change is already on the march.

By 2100 global average surface temperature could rise by between 1.1C and 6.4C compared to 1980-99 levels. Sea level will rise by atleast18 centimeters. An earlier estimate of an upper limit of 59 centimeters does not take into account "uncertainties" about the impact of disrupted carbon cycles and melting ice-sheets in Greenland and the Antarctic, the new report says. Heat waves, rainstorms, tropical cyclones and surges in sea level are among the events expected to become more frequent, more widespread or more intense this century. "All countries" will be affected by climate change but those in the forefront are poor nations especially small island states and developing economies where hundreds of millions of people live in low-line deltas.

 

The Hindu, November 19^th  2007

Species in Western Ghats to be barcoded

 The Kerala State is set to join the global race to identify and distinguish biological species in threatened natural habitats, such as rainforests and tropical ecosystems.

 

The State Council for Science, Technology and Environment is preparing to embark on an ambitious project for DNA barcoding of life forms in the Western Ghats and Kerala.

 

Similar to the barcode that recognises an item at a supermarket, a DNA barcode is a molecular tool to identify plant and animal species. It is widely used in taxonomy research, biodiversity studies and government regulation.

 

Each of the world's estimated 1.8-million species is genetically unique — its unique identity is carried in its DNA molecules. DNA barcoding rapidly sequences the DNA from a single, standardised gene on the molecule.

Master key

 

A short DNA sequence is an abbreviated digital label for the genome of the species, and hence considered a master key to knowledge about a species. A library of digital barcodes will provide crucial reference material to identify species invading and retreating across the globe and through centuries of life on the planet.

 

Scientists describe DNA barcoding as a way of democratising the ability to identify species because it enhances public access to biological knowledge. It also obviates the need for a taxonomist to identify a named organism. In fact, few taxonomists can critically identify more than 0.01 per cent of the estimated 10-million species on earth. According to E.P. Yesodharan, Executive Vice-President of the council, the DNA barcoding initiative is one of the priority projects identified by the council for launch this year. "The rich diversity of flora and fauna in the Western Ghats made it a natural choice for us. The project involves the establishment of a barcoding centre of life for species identification and documentation. It will be developed as a centre of excellence," he says.

 
A database of DNA barcodes will allow scientists to rapidly and cheaply identify species from samples.

 
TheHindu Monday, November 19, 2007

New technology for garbage plant

In a move aimed at improving the functioning of the garbage treatment plant at Vilappilsala, the city corporation  is planning ti introduce Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) technology. The proposal involves the manufacture of compact fuel pellets from  combustible material in residual garbage. The segregation of non combustible elements ensures high calorific value of the pellets which can replace coal in thermal power plants and also be used in specially designed stoves after gasification. The proposal is a part of eth project report, prepared fro sanitation schemes, to be submitted to the central government for assistance under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The report proposes two pellatisation plants with the capacity of 500Kg an hour. Another major proposal that is expected to net funds under the JNNURM is an engineered sanitary landfill with a capacity of 24,000 cubic meters.

 

India to promote green buildings

The government agencies along with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) have decided to introduce the concept of green buildings and a three tier rating system.

According to the World council for Sustainable Development figures, 40 % of the global energy demands are from buildings. Being a rising economic power, India's energy demands are expected to overtake the energy demands of china by 2050. Green buildings are designed to minimize demand on non renewable resources and maximize utilization efficiency through reuse, recycling and use of renewable energy sources like sun, water and wind. According to the chairman of the Nobel prize winning Intergovernmental panel on Climate change (IPCC) Dr.R.K.Pachauri, who also heads Teri, energy efficient buildings and utility systems can reduce energy demands by as much as 40%. Commercial and residential buildings in India accounts for more than 30% of the countries total electricity consumption.

The Ministry of Non – Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) and Teri are expected to sign a rating system soon that would initially be implemented on a voluntary basis for upcoming building projects, especially offices, retail malls, institutions, residences and family high rise buildings.  The government is also thinking of giving sops to stakeholders, at a later stage, who conform to the green buildings standards and get good credit points.  A nodal agency comprising officials and experts from MNES, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Bureau of Indian standards, Ministry of Environment and Forest and Teri would grant the ratings after making a thorough evaluation.

 The  New Indian Express, November 1^st 2007

 

Carbon sequestration for better dryland productivity

The world rejoices over the award of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize to those who focussed on climate change, yet even simple agricultural practices can greatly help mitigate this global challenge. Climate change occurs when there is a build-up of carbon in the atmosphere. However, if carbon is collected (or sequestered) in the soil and used to increase productivity, the results are three-fold — a reduction in atmospheric carbon levels, increased crop yields, and more inc ome for farmers.Ironic as it may sound, in dryland agriculture the availability of organic carbon in the soil is the key to increasing productivity. Hence, "look down at the soil to make your agricultural productivity look up" is the new motto of agricultural scientists, especially those working with natural resource management and watershed development. This, however, calls for massive investment by developed and developing countries to support dryland agricultural research and corresponding support systems.Although there is much attention and support being given to irrigated agriculture, drylands occupy 80 per cent of agricultural land and generate 58 per cent of the world's staple foods. In fact, most of the food for the poor in the developing countries is produced in dryland and rainfed areas. More than 95 per cent of the farm land in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is rainfed. In Latin America the figure is almost 90 per cent, in South Asia about 60 per cent, in East Asia 65 per cent and in the Near East and North Africa 75 per cent. In India, 66 per cent of the 142 million hectares of arable land is rainfed.Rainfed areas are also hotspots of poverty, malnutrition, and child mortality. Of the one billion poor people in the world, India accounts for 25.9 per cent and China 16.7 per cent. The rest of the Asia-Pacific accounts for 18.3 per cent. Asia is a hub where the poor, undernourished, and the vulnerable live. This is followed by sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for 23.9 per cent.A close look at the rainfed regions shows a grim picture of water scarcity, fragile environments, drought, and land degradation caused by low rainwater use efficiency, high population pressure, poverty, poor infrastructure, and inappropriate policies. Drought and land degradation are interlinked in a cause-and-effect relationship, which in turn causes poverty. This unholy nexus among drought, poverty, and land degradation must be broken if we have to meet the Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of food-insecure poor by 2015.Added to this is the threat of climate change. It is anticipated that climate change will lead to more rainfall variability and increased frequency of extreme events, resulting in more and longer dry spells due to global warming.
Soil is the key
Innovative strategies are required to help the dryland farmer overcome these difficulties. As the world's top research centre for dryland agriculture, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Andhra Pradesh is working on increasing the organic carbon level in the soil through increased sequestration (accumulation from the environment).Soil organic carbon is the source of energy to fuel biological activities in the soil, which in turn control the availability of nutrients for plant growth as well as soil water availability — a critical yield component in tropical drylands.Long-term watershed management experiments at the ICRISAT campus at Patancheru over the last 33 years have consistently demonstrated that drylands can produce 5.1 tonnes of grain per hectare a year, supporting 21 persons as compared to 1.1 tonnes of grain per hectare a year supporting 4.8 persons in case of farmers' practice. Moreover, the system is still gaining at the rate of 78 kg of grain per hectare a year, and the new equilibrium is yet to be reached.Along with increased productivity, improved watershed management practices sequestered 330 kg of carbon per hectare a year up to a depth of 120 cm by intercropping sorghum and pigeon pea. Increased carbon sequestration not only increased nutrient supply and turnover capacity of the soil but resulted in substantial changes in the physical and biological properties of the soil, which increase water holding capacity and the ability to cope with longer dry spells during crop growth.Moreover, ICRISAT's research has shown that legumes in general and pigeon pea in particular have the ability to sequester more carbon in tropical soils. Through the adoption of improved water, soil and crop management options, carbon sequestration in legume-based systems can be improved further. If this is adopted within an integrated community watershed, the productivity of rainfed agriculture can be doubled, providing increased incomes to farmers.
Thirst and hunger
Tropical soils are not only thirsty but also hungry, particularly for micronutrients such as zinc, boron, and secondary nutrients such as sulphur, along with macronutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. ICRISAT's work has shown that by adopting integrated nutrient management after testing the soil for deficiencies and combining it with improved crop varieties and water management, rainwater use efficiency can be increased by up to 65-70 per cent along with increased productivity and improved livelihoods.ICRISAT has strengthened its research in partnership with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research under the National Agriculture Technology Project (NATP) funded by the World Bank. A study of 58 samples from 28 benchmark spots in the drylands of India revealed that black soils as well as red soils have the potential to sequester carbon by adopting suitable cropping with high-yielding varieties and legumes, along with management practices such as water management and the use of green manure. ICRISAT works with a consortium of partners including national agricultural research systems, State agricultural universities, civil society organisations and farmers' organisations. Along with accumulating carbon in the soil, our work has led to convergence, collective action and capacity building to empower dryland communities.ICRISAT's watershed development model has been widely accepted in India, China, Thailand, and Vietnam in Asia. It is also moving to Eastern Africa through South-South cooperation.
The hindu October 24
Bio-diesel plant using variety of materials as feedstock developed
A team of Pune-based entrepreneurs has developed a continuous processing bio-diesel plant against the batch-type plants presently in use. A pilot plant with a 1,200 litres per day capacity has been installed at Bhosari, and a US patent for the process has been filed for, Prof Kshitij Patukale, one of the team members says. This advantage of this new technology is that a variety of materials including acid oil, a waste product of the solvent extraction process, can be used as feedstock, says Mr Patukale.
Feedstock
"The bio-diesel industry is worried about availability of feed stock. Efforts in last several years have been concentrated on plantation of bio-diesel species such as jatropha, pongamia, simarruba, neem, etc. The Union and State Government agencies have actively promoted jatropha on thousands of hectares of land all over India. But what are the results? That jatropha is not a 'plant it, forget it' species as was believed. So one cannot depend solely on the non-edible oils as feedstock in India," he says, adding that other sources as feed stock for manufacturing of bio-diesel must be found. According to Mr Patukale, any available oil in large quality with any FFA and different chemical properties should get converted into bio-diesel."A large number of oils such as acid oil, palm oil, rice bran oil, rapeseed oil, soyabean oil, fish oil are available all over the world. Several eminent scientists are talking about castor as 90-day bio-diesel crop," he says asserting that the bio-diesel industry in India today is looking for the right technology to convert any oil into bio-diesel.
One of the major sources of bio-diesel, he points out is acid oil, 10 lakh tonnes per day of which is generated every day in the country as a result of refining of edible oils. Traditionally this is sold to the soap industry, but could be diverted for production of bio-diesel and can yield 98 per cent bio-diesel litre-on-litre. This product, if it meets the norms of the American Society for Materials and Testing, can replace diesel, and cost 10 per cent lower, Mr Patukale says. The pilot plant is presently installed at Jaypex Biofuel Processing Technologies Pvt Ltd, at Bhosari near Pune.

Business Line October 27

Oceans may be losing ability to absorb CO2

The world's oceans may be losing their ability to soak up extra carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, with the risk that this will help stoke global warming, two new studies say.Absorption of atmospheric CO2 by the North Atlantic plunged by half between the mid-1990s and 2002-5, British researchers say in a paper published in the November issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research.The data comes from sensors lowered by a container ship carrying bananas, which makes a round trip from the West Indies to Britain every month. It has generated more than 90,000 measurements of ocean CO2.The finding touches on a key aspect of the global warming question, because for decades the ocean has been absorbing much of the CO2 released into the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels.
If the sea performs less well as a carbon sponge, or "sink" according to the technical jargon, more CO2 will remain in the atmosphere, thus accelerating the greenhouse effect.Ute Schuster, who led the research with Professor Andrew Watson of the University of East Anglia's School of Environmental Sciences, admitted she was astonished by the data."Such large changes are a tremendous surprise. We expected that the uptake would change only slowly because of the ocean's great mass," Schuster was quoted by the university in a press release Monday as saying.
Research last year pointed to rising acidification of the oceans as a result of CO2 uptake, highlighting the risk of carbon saturation as well as a looming peril for biodiversity.Schuster was cautious about drawing too swift a conclusion from the new research."Perhaps this is partly a natural oscillation or perhaps it is a response to the recent rapid climate warming," she said."In either case, we now know that the sink can change quickly and we need to continue to monitor the ocean uptake."

Business Line October 22

Trees with rabbit genes accelerate cleaning of soil

Genetically modified plants that can break down pollutants may be an effective way to clean soil contaminated by industrial chemicals and explosives used by the military, say scientists.Tests on six-inch tall GM poplar cuttings which had a gene from a rabbit inserted into them showed that they could remove up to 91 per cent of a chemical called trichloroethylene from the water used in their feed. This chemical, used as an industrial degreaser and one of the most common contaminants of ground water, was broken down by the plants into harmless byproducts more than 100 times faster than by unaltered plants."In view of their large size and extensive root systems, these transgenic poplars may provide the means to effectively clean sites contaminated with a variety of pollutants at much faster rates and at lower costs than can be achieved with current conventional techniques," wrote Sharon Doty, of the University of Washington, Seattle, on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The GM poplars also broke down other common environmental pollutants such as chloroform, a byproduct of the disinfection of drinking water, the solvent carbon tetrachloride, and vinyl chloride, used to make plastics. Poplars use an enzyme called cytochrome P450 to break down contaminants. Trichloroethylene is turned into a harmless salt, water and carbon dioxide.After Dr. Doty's team inserted the gene into the tree from a rabbit they also produced P450, but at a much faster rate. Ultimately, the scientists would like to manipulate the plant's own genes to achieve the same goal.
Another study, also published in the PNAS, demonstrated a way to break down the military explosive RDX. "Widespread contamination of land and ground water has resulted from the use, manufacture, and storage of the military explosive ... RDX. This contamination has led to a requirement for a sustainable, low-cost method to remediate this problem," wrote Neil Bruce, of the University of York. "One of the biggest concerns of RDX as a pollutant is that it migrates readily through soil into the ground water and subsequently contaminates drinking water supplies." His team genetically modified Arabidopsis plants to express enzymes called XplA and XplB, which are known to break down RDX. At their best, the plants reduced RDX concentrations from soil by up to 97 per cent in one week. Though the GM plants may be an effective way to treat pollutants, Dr. Doty acknowledged that people might have concerns at the thought of forests of GM trees. In the United States and Britain, such plants can currently only be grown for research purposes. Dr. Doty added that poplars were fast-growing and could grow for several years without flowering, so there was reduced risk of their genes being transferred into wild populations of the tree. — ©Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2007

The Hindu October 17

Tsunami early warning centre dedicated to nation

India is likely to become the first country in the world to acquire capabilities of predicting the likelihood of a tsunami in seven minutes after any major earthquake in Indian Ocean soon."Now, we have systems in place to predict the likelihood of tsunami within 30 minutes after a quake in Indian Ocean system. Efforts are on to bring this down to seven minutes," Mr Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Science and Technology, said after dedicating the Tsunami Early Warning Centre set up at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) to the nation here .As per the existing system, six Bottom Pressure Recorders (BPRs) installed in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea would collect data about the intensity of a quake which would be transmitted to the ground station for further analysis. "If we could analyse the data in BPRs themselves, possibly the time could be brought down to seven minutes and we will do it," Mr Sibal explained.
More dedicated centres
The INCOIS, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, would be expanded with the addition of two more dedicated centres for study of marine mechanisms and operational oceanography, he added.
The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, said the State Government would grant 10 acres of land for expansion of INCOIS campus. Mr P.S. Goel, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, said six more BPRs would be installed in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea soon to increase the efficiency of the centre.Mr Shailesh Nayak, Director, INCOIS, said the Early Warning Centre's predictions proved to be correct and authentic in the case of a small tsunami wave in Indian Ocean on September 12, 2007.
The Early Warning Centre, set up at a cost of Rs 125 crore, receives real-time seismic data from the national seismic network of the India Meteorological Department and other international seismic networks. It detects all earthquake events of over six point magnitude occurring in the Indian Ocean while the BPRs confirm the triggering of a tsunami. On the basis of this information, the centre would generate and disseminate timely advisories to the control room of the Ministry of Home Affairs for further dissemination to the public.

Business line October 16

Environmental impact of teak plantations to be gauged

The environmental contributions of teak plantations is the new area of research related to climate change. The State Forest Department has sanctioned a Rs.12.20-lakh project to estimate the carbon sequestered by a teak plantation during its lifetime.The team of researchers led by M. Balagopal, Head of the Soil Science of the Kerala Forest Research Institute, will assess the environmental contributions, including carbon sequestration capability of the teak plantations in the Nilambur Forest Division.The other members of the research team are Mehar Singh, Chief Conservator of Forests, Working Plan and Research, and Rajan Sehgal, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Research (North).The carbon sequestration is defined as the process of plants absorbing carbon dioxide from atmosphere and storing it in its body parts. The process is of utmost importance in preventing the effects of climate change, including greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.The ozone depletion and increased presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will lead to increased atmospheric temperature and result in global warming. Scientists have estimated that annually, the global atmospheric temperature is increasing in the range of 0.5 to 1 degree Celsius. Plants play a crucial role in arresting the process and efforts were on worldwide to contain the global warming and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, Dr. Balagopal said.As part of photosynthesis, plants absorbed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stored it as sugar, starch and cellulose. Oxygen was also released into the air in the process, said Dr. Balagopal.
If it were the economic benefits that prompted the authorities to create teak plantations, now the environmental significance of the trees were also becoming a priority. Studies were on to find out which plant variety sequestrates carbon most and thereby restricted ozone depletion and control climatic changes, he said. Next year, the carbon sequestration of bamboo would be estimated. Later, the sequestration of natural forests would be assessed. The research project was an attempt to create exact data regarding the carbon sequestration capability of different plant varieties.Under the research project, scientists would attempt to produce an estimate of the carbon storage potential of teak plantations in Kerala at harvest age. The researchers also plan to develop two non-destructive indicators of teak carbon storage and biomass.

The Hindu October 15

Ministry to prepare for climate change effects

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has asked the Department of Agriculture and Food to prepare action plans to increase preparedness for management of the likely effects of climate change on agriculture.His direction came at the end of a National Conference on Climate Change and Indian Agriculture that highlighted the fact that Himalayan glaciers were receding and could cause problems of irrigation in the long term and that the increase in the intensity and frequency of drought and floods would lead to wider variability in foodgrain production. Increasing temperatures would cause lower production of crops, fish and livestock and climate changes could cause imbalance in food trade. This is expected to have a positive impact on the agriculture of Europe and North America and a negative impact.Stressing that climate change was "a reality," Mr. Pawar said there was greater consensus now that in future climatic variability would increase leading to more frequent extremes of weather. Global warming, particularly changes in rainfall and temperature, was likely to enhance the current stresses and increase vulnerability of food production and livelihoods of the farming community. "The recent Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change and a few other studies indicate a probability of 10 to 40 per cent loss in crop production with increases in temperatures by the end of the century due to global warming," he said.
Noting that the conference highlighted the "generally negative" impact of climate change on Indian agriculture, Mr. Pawar asked the organisers — the Indian Council of Agriculture Research — to cash in on the positive impacts, if any.In its recommendations, the conference called for strengthening research for effective technology development to overcome the likely effects of climate change on the farm sector. It also suggested increase in national and international collaboration and stressed on evolving national and international collaboration.Mr. Pawar assured the delegates that the government would provide all necessary support for the action plans that would be developed to implement the suggestions.

The Hindu October 15

Government to promote use of energy-saving devices in rural areas

The government is embarking on a campaign to promote the use of energy-efficient electrical devices such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in rural areas, Electricity Minister A.K. Balan said.He was inaugurating a seminar on Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC), organised by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency and the Energy Management Centre, here. The project was aimed at substituting the heavy investment on generation plants with energy conservation practices, Mr. Balan said.
"Adopting scientific conservation methods can help to substitute the generation of additional power to meet the soaring demand. We have ignored this fact for too long. But today, the government is aware of the importance of energy conservation in finding a solution to the power crisis faced by the State," he said. Mr. Balan stressed the need to popularise power-saving devices such as LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and electronic chokes and regulators. "One-fourth of the annual generation of 14,000 million units in Kerala is lost in generation and transmission. By adopting conservation techniques, consumers can help save 1,300 million units and control the evening peak load. This will also ensure quality of power."The Minister reminded local self -government institutions of their role in creating awareness of the need for conservation of energy. They could also play a key role in carbon credit trading, he said. Mr. Balan said the Energy Conservation Building Code was emerging as a valuable tool in the drive to save energy. He called for a major initiative to promote new building materials and technology to minimise wastage. EMC director K.M. Dharesan Unnithan; Sanjay Seth, energy economist, Bureau of Energy Efficiency; and Vishal Garg, Head of the Centre for IT in Buildings Science, Hyderabad; were present. Experts presented papers on the features of the Energy Conservation Building Code.

The Hindu October 13

State vulnerable to natural calamities

Studies conducted by Central government agencies have shown that the State is becoming increasingly prone to various natural calamities, including earthquake, landslips and cyclone.
According to the studies, the State is vulnerable to earthquake up to a magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale. Nearly 1,800 sq. km. area of the State is prone to landslips and more than 95 per cent of the land area is susceptible to cyclone.The findings were revealed here at an awareness campaign on 'Disaster management for schoolchildren through Edusat' organised by the Institute of Land and Disaster Management here on , World Disaster Reduction Day. The campaign titled 'Disaster risk reduction begins at schools' launched by the United Nations aims at mobilising governments, communities and individuals in making disaster risk an integral part of school curriculum, while ensuring that school buildings are built or retrofitted to withstand natural hazards. Inaugurating the campaign, Minister for Education M.A. Baby said that topics pertaining to disaster management would be introduced in the curriculum soon.
The inaugural campaign was simultaneously viewed by school students across the State through the 'Receive Only Terminals' in their respective schools."From now on we will conduct periodic awareness campaigns on various natural calamities in schools through Edusat from 1.30 p.m. to 2 p.m.," said K.G. Thara, head, disaster management faculty and member, State Disaster Management Authority.
Documentary screened
The inaugural function was followed by a magic show by ventriloquist Vinod Naranat. A five-minute documentary on earthquakes was also screened for the students.The documentary showed how earthquakes occur and what precautionary measures should be taken. The function was also attended by Nivedita P. Haran, Principal Secretary, Department of Revenue.The campaign, initiated by the United Nations, will last till the end of 2007 and will continue after that under the auspices of the U.N. decade of education for sustainable development.

The Hindu October 13

WWF: New animal, plant species found in Vietnam

Scientists have discovered 11 new species of animals and plants in a remote area in central Vietnam, conservation group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said .The species were found in the Thua Thien Hue Province - a region known as the Green Corridor. They include two butterflies and a snake, as well as five orchids and three other plants, all of which are exclusive to tropical forests in Vietnam's Annamites Mountain Range, said the Swiss-based organization in a press release. The new snake species, called the white-lipped keel back, tends to live by streams where it catches frogs and other small animals. It has a beautiful yellow-white stripe that sweeps along its head and red dots cover its body. It can reach about 80 cm in length. The butterfly species is the eighth discovered in the province since 1996. One is a skipper - a butterfly with quick, darting flight habits - from the genus Zela, another is a new genus in the subfamily of Satyrinae. Three of the newly discovered orchid species are entirely leafless, which is rare for orchids. They contain no chlorophyll and live on decaying matter, like many fungal species. According to the WWF, all these species are at risk from illegal logging, hunting, unsustainable extraction of natural resources and conflicting development interests. However, the Thua Thien Hue Province authorities - in particular the Forest Protection Department - have committed themselves to conserving and sustainably managing these valuable forests.

Business line sep 27

Biodiversity board says ‘No’to Athitrapally project

The kerala state biodiversity board has recommended to the government to reconsider the project in vie of the threat to the rich biodiversity of the Athirapally – Vazhachal area. The board met to formulates its view on the controversial project – it has been cleared by the union ministry of forest and environment subject to 19 conditions- indicated that the project is no no from the biodiversity angle.The meeting 'Considering the biodiversity values of the area' decided to recommend to the government to 'reconsider' the hydroelectric project "in totality and without disturbing the ecosystem and species". The biodiversity board a statutory body functioning under the Biological diversity act 2002, is mandated to advice that state government " on matters relating to the conservation of biodiversity sustainable use of its components and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of biodiversity resources". In its advice the board highlights in detail that biodiversity values of the Athirapally- vazhachal area. It points out that the area is species rich and that is a habitat of several newly discovered species. At the same time the area has high endemism too. It is also an important internationally recognized bird habitat. In view of the area's rich fish diversity, the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources had recommended it to be developed as a fish sanctuary. The puduchery based French institute which is an authority on the flora of Western Ghats had spotlighted the high conservation value of the area. The board points out that Athirapally Vazhachal is the only low lying riparian evergreen ecosystem in Kerala. The areas ecosystem service potential is enormous. Moreover the board says recognizing the importance of variation in the river to maintain the  ecosystem efficiency the project needed a rethink.
The Hindu, sep 2007

Environment monitoring begins

The Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) has taken up a State-wide environment monitoring programme to keep a strict tab on pollution of air, soil and water sources. The project is expected to generate data for corrective action including legislation to check pollution. The monitoring of water resources has already commenced. The first phase of the programme has been taken up in the Kabani, Periyar and Neyyar basins re presenting three distinct agro -climatic regions of the State. The project involves complete chemical and biological analysis of surface and ground water samples collected from the three regions. Test stations will be set up at the river basins for periodic monitoring. Sources at the KSCSTE headquarters here said colleges in the respective areas would be involved in the massive data generation exercise. The council will equip college laboratories with modern testing equipment for analysis of samples. Sources said the project would also provide scientific exposure to teachers and students. The Valapattanam, Kannur and Chaliyar river basins have been selected for the second phase of the exercise.
Soil monitoring
The programme to monitor soil resources is slated to take off by December this year. The council has drawn up an action plan to ensure the participation of local self-government institutions in the effort. The test sites for the pilot project will represent the northern, central and southern regions of the State. The Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), Kera la Forest Research Institute (KFRI) and the Soil Survey Department will coordinate the pilot project which aims at periodic monitoring of physical, chemical and biological parameters and the presence of pesticide residue in agricultural land.
The three coordinating institutions have been equipped with modern facilities for soil testing. Officials at the KSCSTE said the ultimate aim of the objective was to prepare GIS (Geographical Information System) survey maps on the soil and water resources in the target areas. The maps are expected to become key tools for decision-making on environmental issues. The air monitoring programme is scheduled to begin next year. The data generated by the monitoring of the three key natural resources would be included in the annual report on the State of the Environment in Kerala, published by the council.

The Hindu sep 26

Wetland facing threat

Private industries, public sector units such as Cochin Port Trust and Cochin Shipyard and Kochi city are upsetting the ecosystem of Vembanad kole wetland system by unloading huge quantities of chemical and industrial refuses and sewage into the wetland system each day.The State of Environment Report brought out by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment of the State Government has detailed the hazards faced by Vembanad, which is one of the three Ramsar sites in the State.The chemical and engineering industries located at the industrial belt of the Greater Cochin area are discharging around 260 million litres of industrial effluents into Vembanad Estuary every day. The Vembanad estuary receives effluents from chemical and engineering industries, food and drug manufacturing units and also from paper, rayon, rubber, textiles and plywood industries.Like the private industrial units, the public sector undertakings are also contributing to the pollution and environmental damage of the lake. The Cochin Shipyard and the Cochin Port are releasing sizable quantities of waste oil, paints, metal and paint scrapings into the estuary. The Vembanad wetland is the worst affected wetland in Kerala due to urbanisation and population growth, industrial development, agriculture, aquaculture, transport and tourism, the report said.
Kochi City alone generates 2,550 MLD of urban sewage that enters the Vembanad directly. Waste from slaughterhouses, markets and hospitals also reach the system through the extensive network of canals in Kochi and through the rivers. Authorised and unauthorised sand-mining is common in all areas of Vembanad wetland system. The uncontrolled mining of shells from the lake is also posing a threat to its ecosystem, warned the report.The Vembanad estuary serves as a sink for domestic and urban sewage from Kochi. The sewage from other municipalities is also directly discharged into the Vembanad Lake without any treatment. The sewage collection system of the Kochi Corporation empties its waste containing high particulate organic matter into the estuary through Padiyathukulam, Kalvathy, Rameswaram, Pulimutty and Thevara canals.
High level of pollution
Sixteen major industries discharge nearly 260 tons of organic waste into the system each day. The industries also contribute to the heavy load of ammonia in water. The effluents from industries carried heavy load of ammonia into the system. The load of ammonia was found to be ranging between 432 and 560 parts per million against the accepted lethal limit of 2 to 5 parts per million. This, along with pollutants like acids and suspended solids contribute to the extreme toxic levels in the system. It was observed that pollutants like Copper, Zinc, Lead, Nickel and Iron were highest at the effluent discharge point and decreased gradually towards the bar mouth.The threats posed by activities of the most stakeholders on the health of the Vembanad ecosystem are severe and dangerous to the levels exceeding the carrying capacity of the system. Studies on the biological process of Cochin Estuary revealed that the biodiversity of Cochin backwaters was on the decline, the study pointed out.
Shrinkage of lake
The report pointed out that the shrinkage of the Lake to 37 per cent of its original area due to land reclamation was the most important factor of environmental consequence. It is estimated that 21 per cent of the reclamation of the Lake took place during the last 15 years.
The depth of the lake has also been reduced by 40 to 50 per cent in all zones except between Aroor and Wellingdon Island and Cochin Port zone.

The Hindu , sep 24

Fine for exploitation of groundwater

Imposition of fines ranging from RS 10,000 to Rs 50,000 and imprisonment in case of repetition are the measures planned by the state government to protect groundwater resources. The Kerala groundwater (Control and Regulation) Act, 2002 will be amended to include the above penalties; Water resources Minister N.K. Premechandran told the assembly. Section 9 of act says all consumers have to register with the Kerala ground water authority by February 2, 2008 but this does not include consumers with or below 1.5 HP pumps on open wells and with or below 3 HP pumps on borewells. The act is intended to prevent over-exploitation of the state's groundwater resources.
NIE sep 21

How climate change will affect the world

The effects of climate change will be felt sooner than scientists realised and the world must learn to live with the effects, experts said.Martin Parry, a climate scientist with the Met Office, said destructive changes in temperature, rainfall and agriculture were now forecast to occur several decades earlier than thought. He said vulnerable people such as the old and poor would be the worst affected, and that world leaders had not yet accepted their countries would have to adapt to the likely consequences.The international response to the problem has failed to grasp that serious consequences such as reduced crop yields and water shortages are now inevitable, he said. Countries such as Britain need to focus on helping nations in the developing world cope with the predicted impacts, by helping them to introduce irrigation and water management technology, drought resistant crops and new building techniques.
Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the IPCC, said: "Wheat production in India is already in decline, for no other reason than climate change. Everyone thought we didn't have to worry about Indian agriculture for several decades. Now we know it's being affected now." There are signs a similar shift is under way in China, he added.The report warns that Africa and the Arctic will bear the brunt of climate impacts, along with small islands such as Fiji, and Asian river megadeltas including the Mekong.It says extreme weather events are likely to become more intense and more frequent, and the effect on ecosystems could be severe, with up to 30% of plant and animal species at risk of extinction if the average rise in global temperatures exceeds 1.5C-2.5C. The consequences of rising temperatures are already being felt on every continent, it adds.Prof Parry said it was "very unlikely" that average temperature rise could be limited to 2C, as sought by European governments. That would place 2 billion more people at risk of water shortages, and hundreds of millions more will face hunger, the report says.
The Hindu sep 20

Project to link tiger reserves in Kerala, Tamil Nadu

The World Bank is funding a comprehensive Western Ghats biodiversity conservation project which will serve to link the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve in Kerala with the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu. When completed, it will reopen (for the first time in over 100 years) a traditional migration route for large animals on the northern side of the Periyar Elephant Reserve to the Agasthyamala Biosphere and vice versa.An area of 9,993 sq km will be covered under the project. The Rs.28-crore project, 'Biodiversity Conservation and Rural Livelihood Improvement Project' or 'Landscape Project,' is to be implemented in six years through people's institutions such as Vana Samrakshana Samithies (VSS) and Eco Development Committees (EDC). The Periyar Elephant Reserve comprises a forest area stretching from Thekkady in Kerala to Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. The southern side of the reserve, which starts from Konni in Pathanamthitta district and spreads over Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts up to the forest areas of Kanyakumari district, forms the Agasthyamala Biosphere. The northern side includes the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve. But a major portion of the Agasthyamala Biosphere remains cut off from the northern side of the Periyar Elephant Reserve. According to Kerala Forest Department's Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) K.J. Varghese, it is the Aryankavu gap in Kollam district which keeps both sides separated. The gap is the result of the century-old road and rail network laid by the British connecting Kollam in Kerala and Shencotta in Tamil Nadu.
Large animals such as elephants, tigers, gaurs and leopards are unable to cross the gap because of human intervention. One of the prime aims of the Landscape Project is to create a corridor at Aryankavu for large animals, especially elephants, to cross over and roam freely on both sides. After a comprehensive survey, the ideal location for the corridor has been identified at the Murugappan Chaal near Aryankavu. Here there is a railway flyover and a road over-bridge running parallel across what used to be a traditional migration route for wild elephants. The project proposes to create a 100-metre wide elephant corridor at the Murugappan Chaal. Its length will be decided as per the requirement.Mr. Varghese says that for the realisation of the corridor, human habitation on a 90-hectare area will have to be trans-located and a forest cover created. Together with it, the road bridge will have to be replaced by a flyover. But the World Bank fund cannot be utilised for it and the road flyover will be taken up as a separate project.
The Centre will be approached for funds. Another feature of the project is that an area of 2 km on the boundary of the forest in Kerala has been included in the project. In Tamil Nadu this is 5 km. Mr. Varghese says that separate management schemes will be evolved for this land, be it plantation, habitation or agriculture land.In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the project will be implemented by the people's institutions under the supervision of separate State-level registered societies with high-power committees having representation of various departments
The Hindu sep 18

More than normal rainfall in state

  After a gap of six years Kerala received excess rainfall continuously this season following global warming and changes in energy transfer.As part of the ongoing efforts to improve the long-range forecast capabilities, experimental forecast for Have been generated using observed sea surface temperature data and using the persistence method. South west monsoon advanced over south Andaman sea on May almost days earlier than the normal date. Center for monsoon studies director C.K.Rajan said that during this monsoon season Kerala received more than the normal rainfall. The heavy rain during September is a continuation of the usual monsoon as a result of the high temperature from the northerly wind moving towards the Kerala coast.
. There are places where the monsoon is 60-70% higher than the normal rainfall. The pattern of monsoon has changed in the present circumstance with showers accompanied lightning and thunder. The lightning and thunder is due to the mixing u of high temperature from the gulf region and moisture in the atmosphere. When temperature increases there is the possibility of formation of more vapor which moulds into convective clouds. The mixing up of hot air from the gulf region is phenomena of monsoon, Rajan said. The energy transfer from the sea to results in changes in temperature on land

New Indian Express sep 15

Industrial effluents polluting near-shore waters off Veli coast

  The near-shore waters off the Veli coast are heavily polluted by industrial effluents and sewage, making them unfit for survival of marine life, the State of Environment Report-Kerala 2007 says.The report, published by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, is based on a long-term survey of the coastal and marine environment in Kerala under the Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMAPS) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.The report states that the aquatic environment in the near-shore region is endangered by the presence of heavy metals in industrial effluents.The problem has been observed in Veli and the Kochi industrial belt.
The survey notes that the Travancore Titanium Products (TTP) factory at Kochuveli is the primary source of industrial pollution in the region. The effluents containing sulphuric acid, iron, residual titanium dioxide and traces of silica are released into the sea through an open drain at the rate of 6,000 cubic metres a day.The seawater samples collected by a research vessel revealed that constant exposure to high acidity, very low dissolved oxygen and suspended particulate matter had an impact on organic life in the marine environment off Veli.The near-shore region was found to be devoid of fish species. Primary productivity of marine species showed a marked decrease. The worst pollution is up to 5 km from the coast.While acidic effluents from the TTP were evident in the near-shore areas, high domestic sewage inflow was recorded from the Aakulam lake and the Poonthura coast.The report recommends the establishment of treatment plants to handle industrial effluents and sewage.Further south at Vizhinjam, the survey recorded high sewage input from the dense human settlement on the coast.Veli and Kochi have been included as high risk regions on the basis of pollution levels.
The report observes that the pollution caused by discharge of untreated sewage into water bodies had reached an alarming situation. It is estimated that organic matter exerting a biological oxygen demand of 630 tonnes a day is finding its way into the marine environment.The survey estimates that 1,04,536 cubic metres of treated effluents are also being discharged into the backwaters or the sea in the coastal areas of the State.At Kochi, both the northern and southern arms of the Vembanad lake receive wastewater from industries. The lake is also polluted by domestic sewage, urban waste, pesticide and fertilizer residue from farms, oil spillage and effluents from Kochi refineries, Kochi port and the caprolactum plant of FACT.The other sampling stations covered under the Comaps programme include Paravur, Neendakara, Kayamkulam, Alappuzha, Ponnani, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod.
The survey shows that increased sewage dumping is a major cause for pollution of the near-shore waters of the southwest coast.The heavy traffic of fishing boats at Neendakara is responsible for the high total oil content near the harbour mouth.The concentration of heavy metals is found to be high in the Kochi region, owing to the discharge of effluents from the Eloor industrial belt. High sewage discharge is reported from the Kochi Corporation area.Very high municipal sewage discharge has been observed at Kozhikode and Kannur.
The Hindu, sep 12

Global warming to decimate polar bears: scientists

  Two-thirds of the world's polar bears will be killed off by 2050, including the entire population in Alaska, because of thinning sea ice from global warming in the Arctic, government scientists forecast.Only in northern Canada and northwestern Greenland are polar bears expected to survive through the end of the century, said the U.S. Geological Survey, which is the scientific arm of the Interior Department.USGS projects that polar bears during the next half-century will lose 42 per cent of the Arctic range they need to live in during summer in the Polar Basin when they hunt and breed.Polar bears depend on sea ice as a platform for hunting seals, which is their primary food. They rarely catch seals on land or in open water. But the sea ice is decreasing due to climate change and the latest forecasts of how much they are shrinking are, if anything, an underestimate, scientists said.Scientists do not hold out much hope that the buildup of carbon dioxide and other industrial gases blamed for heating the atmosphere like a greenhouse can be turned around in time to help the polar bears anytime soon.
Greenland and Norway have the most polar bears, while a quarter of them live mainly in Alaska and travel to Canada and Russia. The agency says their range will shrink to no longer include Alaska and other southern regions.The findings of U.S. and Canadian scientists are based on six months of new studies, during which the health of three polar bear groups and their dependency on Arctic sea ice were examined using "new and traditional models," Myers said. USGS declined to provide precise estimates of polar bear populations 50 years from now.A separate organization, the World Conservation Union, based in Gland, Switzerland, has estimated the polar bear population in the Arctic now is about 20,000 to 25,000, put at risk by melting sea ice, pollution, hunting, development and tourism.Last December, Kempthorne proposed designating polar bears as a "threatened" species deserving of federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, because of melting Arctic sea ice from global warming. That category is second to "endangered" on the government's list of species believed most likely to become extinct.
That action is in response to a lawsuit in 2005 by three environmental groups - the Center for Biological Diversity, Natural Resources Defense Council and Greenpeace - to force such a proposal from Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees endangered species.

The Hindu September 8

Full-fledged tsunami warning system to become operational by next month

The much talked about Rs.125-crore full-fledged Indian tsunami warning system, with a mechanism to forecast within an hour of a major undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean, is all set to become operational by next month.An interim warning system is functioning at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) here for more than a year and the final stage of integrating the software is underway to make the full-fledged Early Warning System for Tsunami and Storm Surges operational by next month. INCOIS director Shailesh Nayak told The Hindu here on Monday that once it started functioning, the centre would receive all data in real time from in-situ observational platforms (bottom pressure recorders) in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

 

Five such recorders had already been installed in the Bay of Bengal and two more would be deployed in the Arabian Sea later this month.The bottom pressure recorders would measure even a 3 cm change in the sea level. In the event of an impending tsunami, the changes in the sea level would be more than 3 cms, he said. The height of the waves at different places would indicate what kind of inundation can be expected

In the event of an earthquake, the first bulletin would be issued within half an hour stating whether "it is tsunamigenic or not." In the case of the former, the next warning would be given in another 30 minutes predicting the coastal region likely to be hit by a tsunami. Dr. Nayak said that apart from INCOIS, many agencies including the Indian Meteorological Department, which gets data from a network of seismic stations, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Survey of India, Indian Space Research Organization and the Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management, were involved in the project.

 

(The Hindu, 4^th September 2007)

New leap in amphibian research

The Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE) at the University of Delhi is taking up an ambitious project that can pitchfork research into the amphibian diversity of the Western Ghats onto a higher plane. The region is considered one of the hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world. The project, supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology, envisages developing DNA barcodes for the amphibian fauna of the Western Ghats, according to eminent frog scientist S.D. Biju, a reader at the CEMDE. With the development of the DNA barcode system, identification of new species of amphibians from this region will become easier, thereby opening doors to unknown information about the amphibian diversity of this region. Dr. Biju, who is the chief investigator for the project, had shot into international fame in 2003 with the discovery of Nasikabatrachus sahydrensis, a new species of frog belonging to a new family, which he and a Brussels-based evolutionary geneticist Franky Bossuyt had reported in the science journal Nature. Biologists worldwide had described that event as a "special, one-in-a-century find" because the previous discovery of a new family of frogs was way back in 1926.

One reason for the tardy progress of research in the subject in India has been the lack of initiative to develop quick and testable hypothesis-driven methods to screen species diversity and identify putative new species requiring description. The project for developing DNA barcodes for the Western Ghats amphibians, to be completed in three years with the involvement of more researchers and institutions working in the field, will help identify centres of endemism and establish the conservation status of amphibian species in the Western Ghats, Dr. Biju told The Hindu.

(The Hindu, 3^rd  September 2007)

Government to go ahead with Chamalapura power project

Despite protests by farmers and local pepople, the State Government has decided to go ahead with the thermal power project at Chamalapura in Mysore district.Minister for Energy and Public Works H.D. Revanna told presspersons on Saturday that Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL) has been asked to conduct the feasibility study on the proposed project. The Government would take the people and farmers of Chamalapura into confidence before the commencement of the work on the project conceived in 1995.

 

Unfazed by the public protests and criticism against the negative fallout of the coal-fired thermal plant, he said the State was facing severe shortage of power and there was demand for power from industrialists and farmers. The Government had decided to implement three thermal power projects of 1,000 MW each in Gulbarga, Belgaum and Chamalapura. The detailed project report of the Chamalapura project would be ready in the next two weeks, he said. However, farmers and local community of Chamalapura had launched the protest against the project to get it disbanded. About 3,000 acres of land would be required to set up the plant.

 

(The Hindu, 9^th  September 2007)