An early warning system for epidemics

A team of experts has suggested that an Early Warning and Automated Response System (EWARS) should be implemented in the State for preventing spread of diseases such as chikungunya, the vector-borne viral infection that has become a serious public health issue in the last two years. In a paper that was presented during the Kerala Science Congress in January this year, Ajit N. Babu, principal investigator and professor of medicine and director of Centre for Digital Health, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, along with Engelbert Niehaus, member, United Nations Action Team from Germany; S. Sabesan, deputy director, Vector Control and Research Centre (VCRC), Puducherry; and P.G. Diwakar, Director, Regional Remote Sensing Service Centre, ISRO, Bangalore, had said that the scientific data generated by the system would help the Health service in risk evaluation and allocation of resources according to the risk factors.According to the proposal, remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) data would be obtained from existing databases with the ISRO, VCRC and other governmental sources; initially for two defined areas in Ernakulam district, where adequate data from the field exists. Temperature, humidity, rainfall, vegetation (especially rubber plantations), stagnant water, inappropriate disposal of solid wastes, and urbanisation parameters are some of the variables that would be used to map the risk.

An automated risk score would then be generated that would indicate the geographic area with the greatest public health threat. The proposal says that by optimising use of existing resources, EWARS can be implemented without substantial new investments in human resources, equipment or additional infrastructure. It says that if the pilot project for chikungunya assessment is successful, the method can be adapted for use against other communicable diseases, particularly dengue as it shares the same vector. The experts point out that the use of remote sensing and GIS in developing a warning system for diseases is not a new concept. However, the demonstration projects and models for diseases like filariasis, Japanese encephalitis and malaria have not been used on a large scale to make a meaningful and sustained contribution to improvement of public health. The major challenges to the project as envisaged by the experts are identifying funding and garnering governmental support.

The Hindu, March 24,  2003

 

River basin authority soon

The kerala irrigation and watrer conservation act will be amended to incorporate the setting up of a River basin and Wetland Conservation Authority and the Paqmba River Basin Authority will be taken up as a pilot project under this for immedi8ate implementation of Pamaba Actiopn Plan.water resource minister N K Premachandran announced this at a workshop held in connection with the World Water Day at Sasthrabhavan, pattom.

New Indian Express, March 23, 2008

New wildlife sanctuary soon

A new wild life sanctuary would be set up in Kozhicode with kakkayam as its centre, forwest minister said.th eprocedures for seeting up the proposed "Malabar Wild Life Sanctuary' was expected to be completed within a year.

New Indian Express, March 23, 2008

Nearly 70 lakh open wells in state

In a first ever census on the wells in kerala it has been found that there are nearly 70 lakh open wells with a yearly increase of 3.31 percent in their numbers. This was revealed in a study conducted by a team of experts headed by M.Nazimuddin, head of the Ground water department of the centre for water resources Development and Managemnt, Kozhicode. The finding sof this study could be an excellent database when regulations on water withdrawel have to be brought in ona later stage. The average well density of the state have been found to be 298 wells per sqkm. But in several urban areas, such as the kazhakkoottam are on Thiruvananthapuram district there are as many as 1000 wells in one sq.km. on an average there are 500 wells per sq.km in coastal area, 277 in midland and 117 in highland. However the study hasw also founfdthat E.coli an indicator organism of feacla pollution was found to be present in over 83 percentage of wells in rural kerala. A major reason attributed for this is the fragmentation of land holdings and the reducing distances between the wells an dthe septic tanks or sewerage lines.

New Indian Express, March 22, 2008

Declare Pampa a biological hot spot’

The Pampa Parirakshana Samithy, a Kozhencherry-based eco-group campaigning for the conservation of River Pampa, has asked the government to declare Pampa 'a boiologcal hot spot' and evolve a long-term plan for the conservation of the flora and fauna in the river basin.The PPS recently conducted a resource information study on the Pampa in association with the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment. The study found destruction of the feeding and breeding grounds of fishes and lowering of the riverbed at an alarming rate mainly due to indiscriminate sand-quarrying over the past two decades. Pollution due to domestic and urban sewage as well as run-off from agriculture fields had led to severe water quality deterioration and destruction of fish habitats, it found.

The report submitted to the government by PPS general secretary N.K. Sukumaran Nair stressed the need to implement the much sought-after Centrally sponsored Pampa Action Plan without delay. The PAP, estimated at Rs. 320 crore, was supposed to be implemented in three phases for pollution control from Pampa in the foothills of Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta district to Thakazhi in Kuttanad in Alappuzha district.The 176-km long river Pampa, regarded as the lifeline of Central Travancore, is the third longest river system in the State that flows through the densely populated areas of Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts.Deforestation in the catchment areas, unscientific sand-mining, pollution during the Sabarimala pilgrim season and waste from hospitals, slaughter houses, chicken corners, rubber factories, markets, etc., and illegal fishing methods like use of poison, dynamites, etc., have been identified as the major causes of the degradation of the river system.According to Mr. Sukumaran Nair, indiscriminate sand-mining has hastened the death of the river system. The riverbed has been lowered by four to five metres during 1984 to 2004 and it has gone down even three metres below mean sea level at Edayaranmula, leading to salinity intrusion.

The hydraulic gradient increases alarmingly when the river sand, which acts as a natural check dam, is removed, badly affecting the ground water recharging capacity even in the river basin, says Mr. Nair.Drinking water scarcity is severe in Pampa river basin due to the lowered riverbed and unscientific sand quarrying. Salinity intrusion was reported up to Edayaranmula and tidal effect up to Aranmula, about 50 km upstream of the salt water front, due to thinning of fresh water flow in Pampa.The PPS has called for sand auditing in Pampa by the Centre for Earth Science Studies in every three years and sand removal should be permitted on the basis of the CESS report

The Hindu, March 22, 2008

KAU to provide climate warning mechanism to state’s farmers

Kerala Agricultural University is opening a centre in Thrissur to study the whys and hows of climate variability.this aside KAU is teaming up with the ISRO and the Centre for Monsoon Studies, CUSAT to provide better cover against abrupt climate jumps. KAU's centre for Climate change will be opened under t5he Department of Agricultural Meteorlogy on April 1, focusing its activites on large and small-scale changes occurring in climate, department head G.S.L.H.V Prasada Rao said.

New Indian Express, March 21, 2008

Recognition for two rice varieties

Two unique rice varieties in the district, 'Palakkadan matta' and the medicinal 'Navara rice,' have received the Geographical Indication Registry of Intellectual Property India right under the Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

This is the first time that two rice varieties of the State have received Geographical Indication Registry. As per the certificate (No.40 dated November 20, 2007), the registration for Navara rice was obtained by the Navara Rice Farmers Society, Karukamanikalam, near Chittur. The certificate of registry issued by V. Ravi, Registrar of Geographical Indications, Chennai, says "the Navara Rice Farmers Society, Chittur, Kerala, is the registered proprietor of G.I. Navara Rice."

Two varieties of Navara, the medicinal rice used in Ayurveda treatment, have secured registration. They are: black glumed and golden yellow glumed Navara rice varieties, which are cultivated in parts of Palakkad district.

The popular rice variety of 'Palakkadan matta' has also secured registration. Palakkad Matta Farmers Producer Company Ltd. has become the registered proprietor of the G.I. Palakkad matta rice. Under the registry, there are 10 varieties of Palakkadan matta, which will now be considered as the popular Palakkadan matta rice variety. They are: Aryan, Aruvakkari, Chitteni, Chenkazhama, Chettadi, Thavalakanna, Eruppu, Poochamban, Vattan Jyothy, and Kunjukunj. The Palakkaddan matta is described as bold red rice with a unique taste because of its special geographical area and peculiar weather of Eastern wind. Only these 10 rice varieties cultivated in Palakkad will be considered as 'Palakkadan matta.' However, more rice varieties with matta properties cultivated in Palakkad can be added to this list after detailed examinations, Narayanan Unni of Palakkadan Matta Farmers Producer Company Ltd said.He said after getting the registration, matta rice produced outside Palakkad cannot be marketed as 'Palakkadan matta.'Likewise, the organically cultivated Navara rice also can be grown only by farmers of Palakkad after getting its registry by the Navara Rice Farmers Society, Chittur.Thus the registry will help both the farmers and the consumers. The consumer can now get genuine products of Palakkadan Matta and the medicinal Navara rice.

The Hindu, March 17, 2008

Government told to ensure care for captive elephants

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday expressed the hope that the government would take effective steps to implement the provisions of the Kerala Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules 2003, in its letter and spirit.

The Bench comprising Chief Justice H. L. Dattu and Justice K.T. Sankaran made the observation while disposing of two writ petitions seeking to prevent parading of elephants under the scorching sun and to ensure that trained mahouts are employed for proper care of the animals.

When the petition came up, the government informed the Bench about the constitution of a committee headed by the District Collectors for monitoring the implementation of the rules. Besides, circulars containing the guidelines, such as employing trained mahouts and spraying water on the animals while taking them out in the scorching heat, had been sent to Forest Officers and District Collectors. Closing the petitions, the court said that the petitioners could approach the District Collectors if there was any violation of circulars.

The Hindu, March 15, 2008

Mapping kerala’s resources

The decentralised development planning process in Kerala is set to receive a boost with the release of a resource atlas and digital database for the State. Developed by the Centre for Earth Science Studies and the Kerala State Remote Sensing and Environment Centre with funding from ISRO, the atlas and database are designed to provide key inputs for micro-level resource management and planning by local self-government institutions. The project utilizes high resolution data from the Indian Remote sensing (IRS) P6 Resource sat satellite and GIS to develop the atlas. The state planning board coordinated the project form inputs from the ISRO and the Regional Remote sensing Service centre, Bangalore. The digital database will supply panchayaths with accurate information on terrain characteristics and socio economic conditions in the target areas.

The Hindu, March 13, 2008

Stronger evidence of global warming

With more recent data on the Himalayan glaciers from the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites, scientists of the Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisaation (ISRO) at Ahmedabad now have much stronger evidence of the finger print of global warming in the observed alarming retreat of these glaciers. The new results were presented at the ongoing National Space Science Symposium (NSSS-2008) here by Dr. Anil V. Kulkarni of SAC. In 2004 Dr. Kulkarni and his colleagues investigated the spatial extent of 466 glaciers in the basins of Chenab, Parbati and Baspa using remote sensed data and compared them with the 1962 topographic data of the Survey of India.They found an overall reduction of 21 per cent in the glacial surface area. They had also found that the process of deglaciation had led to the fragmentation of large glaciers resulting in the reduction in the mean surface area of glacial extent from 1 sq. km. to 0.32 sq. km. during 1962-2004.

The new data pertains to two additional basins of Warwan and Bhut comprising 253 and 189 glaciers respectively. Together with the earlier data on 466 glaciers, the cumulative area of these 908 Himalayan glaciers has been found to have reduced from 3391 sq. km. to 2721 sq. km., implying a total area reduction of 20 per cent. Another new finding is that the snow line — altitude above which there is no snowmelt had significantly increased in the Himalayan basins since 1970. Snow line essentially is the line of zero mass balance, where snow accumulation equals ablation or melting. For example, studying 30 glaciers in the Baspa basin, the scientists found that the snow line had increased from 4900 m in 1970 to 5300 m in 2006. More quantitatively, the scientists found that the percentage area of the 30 glaciers below the snow line was only 25 per cent between up to 1990. This means that only 25 per cent of the glacial area had negative mass balance. In 2006, this fraction increased to 70 per cent. The scientists predict that by 2050, this fraction would be a high 90 per cent.One of the significant changes due to warming that Dr. Kulkarni and his associates had seen even in the earlier work was that the winter run off had increased by as much as 75 per cent between 1966 and 1995. Now they have more quantitative glacier-wise data, which shows the snow accumulation having a wavelike pattern, instead of a flat profile of accumulated snow during peak winter.This shows that between snow storms or heavy snow falls the warming is resulting in significant melt. So, even the episodes of heavy snowfalls in the north during the most recent winter should not be taken to imply that warming has not significantly affected the Himalayan snow and glacier formation, Dr. Kulkarni said. Far less accumulation is occurring in glaciers today than before and this is a clear imprint of warming, he added.

The Hindu February 28, 2008

Vazhachal forest second largest habitat of hornbill

Vazhachal Division of the Forest from Malakkappara to Athirappilly is found to be the second largest habitat of hornbills after the Periyar Tiger Reserves in Kerala during a bird survey conducted jointly by the volunteers of `Nest' and officials of Vazhachal Forest Division recently.Talking to this website's newspaper, consultant of Hornbill Conservation Project of Vazhachal Division K. H. Amita Bachan said that during the survey, the volunteers found ten great-pied hornbill, nine Malabar- pied hornbill and over 150 Malabar grey hornbill. He said that this forest division is the only area where three different species of hornbills are found together. The other rare species of birds found during the survey include black stork and long tailed minivet.
Black stork, which is not included in Salim Ali's Birds of Kerala, was found in Valayar reservoir recently. Later, a single black stork was found in Kole fields near Thrissur.

He said that this is for the first time that the long tailed minivet is found in South India.During the survey the volunteers found in all 190 different species of birds.

New Indian Express, February 28, 2008

More protein in organic Njavara: study

Research conducted on differential nutritional status in Njavara under organic farming has found "increased levels of protein and amino acids in organically grown seeds."The three-year research was conducted by D. Lavanya of the Postgraduate Department of Botany, Government Victoria College for the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment on the 'Collection and evaluation of medicinal rices, landraces Kerala.' Comparative studies on protein, starch, carbohydrate and amino acids showed an increased accumulation in organically grown seeds. The amount of protein in different cultivation practices showed major variations. The maximum amount of protein was recorded in organic cultivation during the season of February 2007 at 33.43 mgg and minimum in inorganic cultivation during the season in September 2004 at 25.90 mgg. The study also found that that it had more "carbohydrate content when organically cultivated." The amount of total free amino acid obtained in six samples of Njavara rice along with three different cultivation practices varied.

The maximum amount of free amino acid was 0.79 mgg in organic cultivation during the season of February 2007 and minimum amount 0.7 mgg in inorganic cultivation in September 2004.It said "the accumulation of harmful chemicals in the food products caused serious deleterious effects in human health. In this context, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the difference in the primary metabolites in organic cultivation in the staple food of the State, rice."In order to compare the differential accumulation of the metabolites, a medicinal-cum-food rice was selected. Njavara landrace is widely used in Kerala as medicinal rice as well, as this is consumed raw and with other medicinal herbs during the Malayalam month of 'Karkidakam.' This landrace was selected due to its growing popularity and relevance in the medical field. Organic cultivation practices with minimal or no application of inorganic synthetic chemicals and fertilizers are gaining popularity throughout the world. The study said organic farming was a specialised form of diversified agriculture, wherein problems of farming were managed using local resources. The term organic does not explicitly mean the type of inputs used; rather it refers to the concept of farm as an organism.

The Hindu, February 25, 2008

 

Ecotourism facilities at Chinnar and Eravikulam

Forest Minister Benoy Viswom will open five ecotourism and other facilities at Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and Eravikulam National Park on Saturday.These will include new buildings for forest stations at Karimutti in the Chinnar sanctuary and Chattamunnar in the National Park. An eco-shop and a cafeteria will be opened at Chattamunnar, and an amenity centre near the Munnar Udumanpetta high way passing through Chinnar sanctuary. The centre, funded by Idukki district panchayat, will have a dormitory and cafeteria. The Minister will also lay the foundation stone for an interpretation centre at the entrance of the Mathikettan National Park at Pethotti.

The Hindu, February 22, 2008

Baffling giants in the ocean depths

Scientists investigating the icy waters of Antarctica said on Tuesday they had collected mysterious creatures including giant sea spiders and huge worms in the murky depths.Australian experts taking part in an international programme to take a census of marine life in the ocean at the far south of the world collected specimens from up to 2,000 m beneath the surface, and said many may of them have never been seen before. Some of the animals far under the sea grow to unusually large sizes, a phenomenon called gigantism that scientists still do not fully understand. "Gigantism is very common in Antarctic waters," Martin Riddle, the Australian Antarctic Division scientist who led the expedition, said in a statement. "We have collected huge worms, giant crustaceans and sea spiders the size of dinner plates." The specimens were being sent to universities and museums around the world for identification, tissue sampling and DNA studies. The expedition is part of an international effort to map life forms in the Antarctic Ocean, also known as the Southern Ocean, and to study the impact of forces such as climate change on the undersea environment. Three ships — Aurora Australis from Australia, France's L'Astrolabe and Japan's Umitaka Maru — returned recently from two months in the region as part of the Collaborative East Antarctic Marine Census. The work is part of a larger project to map the biodiversity of the world's oceans.

French and Japanese ships sought specimens from the mid- and upper-level environment. The Australian ship plumbed deeper waters with remote-controlled cameras. "In some places every inch of the sea floor is covered in life," Mr. Riddle said. "In other places we can see deep scars and gouges where icebergs scour the sea floor as they pass by." Among the bizarre-looking creatures spotted were tunicates, plankton-eating animals that resemble slender glass structures up to a metre tall "standing in fields like poppies," Mr. Riddle said. Others were equally baffling. "They had fins in various places, they had funny dangly bits around their mouths," said Mr. Riddle. "They were all bottom dwellers so they were all evolved in different ways to live down on the sea bed in the dark.

The Hindu, February 20, 2008

Hot spot for winged beauties

Asia's first butterfly safari park will be inaugurated at Thenmala by Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on February 22. The park is an artificially created 3.5-hectare expanse that simulates a natural habitat for various species of butterflies. The park is already teeming with the winged beauties.The park, designed by the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), has been set up by the Thenmala Eco-Tourism Promotion Society at a cost of Rs.25 lakh. The fund has been allocated by the Tourism Department. KFRI scientist George Mathew, who is the prime architect of the park, says 125 different species of butterflies have been sighted in the park and its periphery. Even the rare and endemic 'Autumn leaf butterfly' has been sighted there. The park has a wide variety of plants suited to various species of butterflies. Shrubs and trees have been chosen to form suitable micro-habitats, with plants and trees that facilitate butterflies to feed and breed, Dr. Mathew says. It has roosting plants, nectar providing plants, host plants that provide the right leafy meal to caterpillar species and plants with leaves which butterflies depend on for their alkaloid requirements. The park has been planted with such shrubs and trees. The trees are mainly for canopy butterflies. Water sprinklers and artificial ponds and puddles have been created to provide the humidity necessary for breeding of butterflies. The water bodies will also facilitate mud-puddling, a phenomenon through which butterflies obtain their requirement of salt and amino acids from wet soil and mud.

Visitors to the park will get an insight into the lifecycle of various species of butterflies. Dr. Mathew says that through the park, a campaign would be undertaken to create mini-butterfly parks at every house. Such parks would make a big contribution towards butterfly conservation, he says

The Hindu, February 18, 2008

Hope for sandpipers

The discovery of 84 spoon-billed sandpipers on a coastal stretch of Myanmar offers fresh hope for the birds. This comes only months after Russian researchers reported that numbers of the tiny birds — with their speckled brow feathers and a distinctive spoon-shaped bill — had dropped 70 per cent in the past few years in their breeding sites in Siberia and that none had been seen this year in their traditional wintering sites in Bangladesh, the conservation group BirdLife International said on Thursday. The World Conservation Union lists it as endangered: only 200 to 300 pairs are left in the wild. The discovery of 84 birds wintering in Myanmar earlier this year — only one of which appears to have come from Siberia — raises the prospect of breeding grounds elsewhere. The birds' migration route takes them from Siberia down through Japan, North Korea, South Korea, mainland China and Taiwan, to their main wintering grounds in South Asia. Spoon-billed sandpipers face many threats because of their complicated migration routes. Gathering historical records, satellite data and reports of sightings, researchers set out three years ago to search for other winter grounds for the shorebird in South Asia. After finding none in India and only a handful of birds in Bangladesh, they had finally turned to Myanmar.

The Hindu, February 15, 2008

Zero-waste Kovalam sets a model

Inspired by the zero-waste concept that was kick-started in Kovalam to tackle the vexed garbage issue at the beach resort, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has adopted the concept to address waste management in select cities.Being taken up under the UNDP's endogenous tourism project, Samode in Rajasthan, Pranpur in Madhya Pradesh, Naggar in Himachal Pradesh, Nepura in Bihar, Pochampally in Andhra Pradesh, Lachen in Sikkim, Jyotisar in Haryana, Banavasi in Karnataka and the Spice Circuit spread over Kerala and Tamil Nadu are the cities selected for implementing the concept. Spiti in the snow-clad Himachal Pradesh is also joining hands with the authorities to tackle waste management.

A five-day training programme was organised by the city-based Thanal, which spearheaded the Zero Waste Kovalam project, in the beach resort for representatives of the NGOs and communities from these places. A draft action plan to tackle waste was prepared at the workshop. The draft was presented before a panel comprising Director, Ecotourism, T.P. Narayanan Kutty and project officer, Endogenous Tourism, UNDP, R.K. Anil, among others.

The action plan addresses the issues locally to achieve the concept of zero waste. The plan will be finalised by the community in consultation with the other stakeholders by March. The UNDP's new initiative 'Endogenous Tourism Culture and Craft-based Ecotourism for Sustainable Livelihoods and Integrated Rural Development' seeks to promote local culture and craft for creating livelihood opportunities as well as projecting these as local attractions for domestic and international tourists.

The Hindu, February 15, 2008

Vetiver technology: rooting out soil erosion problem

Soil erosion is a serious problem which if left unchecked can have disastrous consequences on our environment. But the problem though important has been little publicized. Every year millions of tonnes of sand and top soil are washed away into the rivers and sea by erosion. There is no way we can replace this soil. If we wait for the natural processes to do the job, it would take centuries. Yet, because it is a silent problem, few give it the attention it deserves. Though there are many soil conservation measures, the most outstanding of these is the use of Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT), that is cheap, replicable, sustainable and fully effective in stopping erosive degradation and increasing crop yield.

Commenly called as Khus Khus grass, it has been used for soil and water conservation in agricultural lands for many years but its related impact on land stabilization, soil erosion and sediment control only started in the late 1980s following its promotion by the World Bank. Vetiver belongs to the grass family. It also called as Ilami chamver, Vettiver in Tamil, Ramacham in Malayalam, Vattiveeru in Kannada, Bala, Bena, Khas and Panni in Hindi. When applied correctly, the technology is very effective on slopes. A well established grass hedge will slow down rainfall run off, spreading it out evenly, and will trap runoff sediments to create natural terraces," said Mr. P. Haridas, Coordinator, India Vetiver Network, Malappuram, Kerala.When planted, the grass quickly forms a dense, permanent hedge which will reduce water flow velocity. Its strong fibrous root system penetrates and binds the soil to a depth of 3 meters and can withstand the effects of tunnelling and cracking. It is perennial and requires minimal maintenance.It will not compete with the crop plants it is used to protect. It has stiff and erect stems which can stand up to relatively deep water flow. Its sharp leaves and aromatic roots repel rodents, snakes and similar pests. Once established, it is generally unpalatable to livestock. It can withstand drought, flood and long periods of water logging. It will grow in all types of soil and is highly tolerant to toxic levels in the soil, according to Mr. B.C. Vitoo Aiyamma, former Tata tea planter and member India Vetiver Network.

The Hindu, February 14, 2008

Government constitutes paddy board

The government has constituted the proposed State Paddy Board with Minister for Agriculture as chairperson.Agriculture Production Commissioner and Director of Agriculture will be the vice-chairman and secretary, respectively, of the Board.The Board will oversee activities of various agencies in the promotion of paddy production and take care of supply of various inputs and subsidies to farmers. It will attend to irrigation and mechanisation of paddy production. The Board will prepare long-term plans for increasing paddy production, issue directives for implementation of schemes and review of the working of seed authority and paddy development agencies. It will have the secretaries of Irrigation, Revenue, Finance and Agriculture, Vice-Chancellor of Kerala Agriculture University, Head of the Pattambi Rice Research Station, three district panchayat presidents, chairman and vice-chairman of paddy development agency, Principal Agriculture Officers of Alappuzha, Thrissur and Palakkad and three representatives of farmers as its members.

The Hindu, February 14, 2008

Over half of tigers lost in 5 years: census

India has lost more than 50 per cent of its tiger population in the past five years with the numbers dwindling to 1,411 from 3,642 in 2001-02, according to the latest tiger census report. The "State of tiger, co-predators and prey in India" report, released here on Tuesday, said there had been an overall decrease in the tiger population except in Tamil Nadu where the numbers have gone up substantially from 60 in 2001-02 to 76. The counting could not be carried out in the Indravati Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh and Palamau Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand due to inaccessibility because of naxalite problem while estimation is on in the massive Sunderbans area in West Bengal. However, based on available data in Palamau Tiger Reserve, the report indicates a low density of tiger in the area ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 per 100 sq.km.

Adopting a 17.43 per cent coefficient of variation in the figures estimated with the latest GIS technology instead of the pugmark methodology, the report, however, says that the status of its co-predators, prey and habitat has not adversely changed in the reserves and protected area; the decline has been in the outside areas. The assessment has shown that the tiger has suffered due to direct poaching, loss of quality habitat and its prey.The State-wise analysis has shown that Andhra Pradesh has 95 tigers (as against 192 in 2001-02), Chhattisgarh 26 (227), Madhya Pradesh 300 (710), Maharashtra 103 (238), Orissa 45 (173), Rajasthan 32 (58). Sariska has no tigers left.In the Western Ghats, Karnataka has 290 (401), Kerala 46 (71) and Tamil Nadu 76 (60). In the North East Hills and Brahmaputra Plains, Assam has only 70 tigers against 354 in the previous census. Arunachal Pradesh has 14 tigers against 61, Mizoram only 6 (28) and North West Bengal 10 against 349 earlier, though figures from the Sunderbans regions are yet to be compiled. The north-eastern region is a heavy rainfall area and does not support high tiger populations.

The Hindu, February 13,2008

'Fish rain' takes Kerala villagers by surprise

Residents of Kandanassery village near here were quite surprised when small fish started raining down towards the end of a sudden downpour on Monday night.The phenomenon was first noticed by two persons when the little slimy things started pattering on their body while they were returning home late in the night.According to N.G.K.Pillai director of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi there was no scientific explanation for teh incident. They might have com efrom the earth consequent on the rainwater drenching the earth. He said the freshwater fish species like Gobids can hibernate in land without water for quite some time and when the land is drenched consequent on rain, they come out of hibernation.Dean of Kerala Agricultural University's College of Fisheries at Pananagad, Ernakulam, K.S.Purushan while agreeing to pillai's explanation, pointed out another possibility. He said that at times heavy wind over teh sea would carry small fish and water from the sea and when the force of the wind recedes they would be dropped to earth.

He said that depending on the force the wind could carry them many miles. He said that the fish so carried would be able to survive in the water being carried by the wind. This could be the cause of the reported 'fish rain' here.

New Indian Express, February 13, 2008

Scientists create 'see-through' fish

Scientists have created ghostly transparent fish to make human biology clearer. The feat has been achieved with zebrafish are genetically similar to humans and are already in widespread use as models for human biology and disease.The new see through fish allows scientists to directly view its internal organs, and observe processes like the spread of tumours and blood production after bone-marrow transplant in a living organism, say researchers at Children's Hospital Boston. The fish, described in the journal Cell Stem Cell as created by Dr Richard White, with others in the laboratory of Prof Leonard Zon. He created the transparent fish by mating two existing breeds. Zebrafish have three pigments in their skin-reflective, black, and yellow. Dr White mated a breed that lacks reflective pigment, called "roy orbison", with one that lacks black pigment, called "nacre". The offspring had only yellow pigment in their skin, essentially looking clear. White named the new breed "casper", after the ghost.

His first experiment on the zebrafish examined how a cancer spreads. White created a fluorescent melanoma - skin cancer - tumour in the transparent fish's abdominal cavity.Viewing the fish under a microscope, White saw the cancer cells begin to spread within five days. He even saw individual cells spread, something that has not been observed, so readily and in real-time, in a living organism.The fish may also answer questions about stem cell transplants. While transplants of blood-forming stem cells help cancer patients rebuild healthy blood, some transplants don't "take," for reasons that are unknown. Scientists have lacked a full understanding what steps blood stem cells must take to do their job, says White.The fish's brain, heart, and digestive tract are also visible, allowing researchers to study genetic defects of these organs from early embryonic development through adulthood. White hopes this tool will provide insight into how mutated genes cause diseases ranging from Alzheimer's disease to inflammatory bowel disease.The feat follows the creation of see-through frogs for research where the internal organs and blood vessels can be observed without dissecting the animal, in work by Professor Masayuki Sumida, at Hiroshima University.

New Indian Express, February 10, ൨൦൦൮

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