Seminar on wetlands

As part of World Wetland day celebrations, the Wetland Technical unit of Kerala State Council for Science technology and Environment and the Thiruvananthapuram unit of the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management(CWRDM), will organize a one day seminar on 'Wetlands connect Us' on February 2 at Sasthra Bhavan at Pattom and the time is 10 am. For registration, contact 0471-2543701.

The New Indian Express, 29th January 2009
 

111-year-old reptile sires eleven offspring

11-year-old Tuatara, a New Zealand reptile, one of the last living descendants of the dinosaurs has proved it's never too late to sire offspring. He and his mate, 70-80 years old, have laid 12 eggs, of which 11 hatched.

The Hindu, 29th January 2009
 

Plans for Silent Valley Park’s silver jubilee

Forest Minister Ebony Viswom has said that the 25th anniversary of the setting up of the Silent Valley National Park will be observed in a way that will bring the message of the environmental issues raised during the park protection campaign to world attention. Mr. Viswom said the 25th anniversary celebrations would start from Thiruvananthapuram in November and end at Silent Valley. The programme would include international-level workshops and seminars.
The Hindu, 28th January 2009

2 held with squirrels, star tortoises

The Forest officials on Tuesday arrested two persons and seized 3 Malabar Giant Squirrels and 2 star tortoises from them at Kottayam. Based on the information received from the arrested, one more person from Moothakunnam was arrested and a tiger skin, nails, bones and teeth were seized from his possession. However, the officials have not confirmed whether the articles are genuine. The Forest officials also seized a motorcycle from them. The arrested were identified as Antony Shine, 31, of Ernakulam, K R Ranjith, 26, of Ettumanoor and Radhakrishnan, 47, of Moothakunnam.The squirrels and tortoises were seized based on a tip-off received by O P Kallar, field director, Periyar Tiger Reserve. According to the reports, the Forest officials asked Antony and Ranjith to come to a hotel near Kottayam railway station to discuss the details of the deal.The duo came with the squirrels and tortoises and agreed to sell them for Rs 26,000.The animals were brought from Ettumanoor.They were arrested by Thekkady range officer Manu Sathyan and Vallakkadav range officer N P Sajeevan.Based on the information received from them, the officials raided a house at Moothakunnam and arrested Radhakrishnan.Tiger skin and other articles were seized from his possession. The articles along with the arrested were handed over to the Athirappally range officer.

The New Indian Express, 28th January 2009
 

Geo-engineering against climate change

Massive, futuristic schemes to spur land and sea into sucking up greenhouse gases may help fight global warming but are no substitute for reducing the pollution itself, scientist claim. Once dismissed as daft or dangerous, some of these 'geo-engineering' projects can be of use in fending off the juggernaut of climate change, but only if they go hand-in-hand with cuts in carbon emissions, they warned. 'Geo-engineering' describes large-scale schemes such as erecting sunshades or mirrors in space, sowing the stratosphere with white particles or whitewashing buildings roofs to reflect sunlight, or scattering iron filings in the ocean to promote carbon  gobbling algae. Green groups, however, are suspicious of these schemes. In a paper being publishedin  the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions, researchers at Britain's University of East Anglia make the first attempt to calculate the effectiveness of the schemes."  We found that some geo engineering options could usefully complement mitigation (of emissions), and together they could cool climate ", said Tim Lenton, a professor of environmental sciences, "But geo-engineering alone cannot solve the problem".

The Hindu, 28th January 2009
 

Police seek Collector’s intervention

The city police have sent a report to the District Collector requesting urgent intervention to stop the removal, transport and sale of earth from Karuvalikunnu, a three-acre ecologically important hillock, near Mulavana junction. The report generated by Circle Inspector V. Suresh Kumar said a firm had bought the hillock for constructing luxury villas and allegedly entrusted it, through a middleman, to a gang to raze it to the ground. The gang profited immensely, often up to Rs.60,000 a day, from selling the earth removed from the hillock to those reclaiming wetlands for construction at Chakka, chiefly the new airport terminal, and Kazhakuttom. The police report said 'tipper lorries,' most of them sporting windshield stickers purportedly allowing entry into the airport construction area at all times, had removed more than 60 loads of earth from the hillock each day in violation of the order restricting the movement of such vehicles during rush hours. The gang used heavy earthmovers and bulldozers to flatten the hill. The round-the-clock operation had weakened the foundation of several houses in the area. The gang threatened residents who protested against the wanton destruction of the hill and those who raised concerns about the pollution caused by the almost continuous traffic of trucks carrying earth. Some residents told the police that several wells in the neighbourhood had dried up due to the dip in ground water level. The Barton Hill and Puthenpalam Bund colony gangs had fought each over the lucrative contract to flatten the hill and sell earth. In October last, the police raided the den of a gang leader at Puthenpalam colony and seized 35 crude bombs, six swords, short-handled axes, and one .22 air gun. The police said the gang had stocked the weapons to retaliate in the event of an attack from the Barton Hill gang. The police informed the Collector that the underworld feud over the sale of earth from Karuvalikunnu could cause serious law and order issues in the city.

The Hindu, 28th January 2009
 

IIT, CWRDM to give proposal

The Indian Institute if Technology (IIT), Mardas and the Centre for Water Resources and Development (CWRDM) will jointly submit to the State Government next month a proposal for the reconstruction of the Thanneermukkom bund as per the recommendations of the M S Swaminathab Commission. The IIT and the CWRDM are exploring a scientific way to solve the problems and sustain the ecological balance the around the bund and the Kuttanad region.Water Resources Minister N.K.Premachandran told Express that the reconstruction of the bund would be a long term project and the Government needs to modernize the operations of the bund with the help of advanced scientific techniques.
The News Indian Express, 27th January 2009.

Dead Zones loom over oceans

Global warming may create 'dead zones' in the ocean that will be devoid of fish and seafood and endure for up to two millennia, according to a study published. Its authors say deep cuts in the world's carbon emissions are needed to break a trend capable of wrecking the marine ecosystem and depriving future generations of the harvest of the seas.In a study published online by the journal Natural Geoscience, scientist in Denmark built a computer model to simulate climate change over the next 100,000 years. At the heart of their model are two well-used scenarios, which use atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas, as an indicator of temperature rise.\under the worst scenario, CO2 concentrations will rise to 1,168 parts per million (ppm) by 2100, or about triple today's level. Under the more optimistic model, CO2 will reach 549  ppm by 2100or roughly 50 percent more than today.The temperature rise that either yield depends on several factors: when the peak in carbon emissions is reached and how quickly it falls, and whether the warming unleashes natural triggers, or tripping points, that enhance or prolong the warming in turn.Taking such factors into account, the scientists predict a possible rise of around five to seven degrees Celsius over the pre-industrial times under the worst scenario, there will be warming of roughly between two to four C.Either scenario spells bad news for the ocean, said Jens Olaf Pepke Pedersen, a physicist at the Technical University of Denmark.Under the worst scenario, warmer seas and a slowdown of ice an circulation will lower marine oxygen levels, creating "dead zones" that cannot support fish, shellfish and other higher forms of marine life and may not revive for 1,500 to 2000 years if you stopped all carbon emissions, the ocean would still need hundreds of more years to cool, he said.

The News Indian Express, 26h January 2009.

Fomil to use geotextiles for sea walls

Foam Mattings (India) Ltd. (Fomil), a State government undertaking, is all set to use coir geotextiles and coir bags for the construction of eco-friendly sea walls and sea groynes instead of granite boulders. S. Ratnakumar, Managing Director of Fomil, told The Hindu here that the company had already used the products in two portions of the Vizhinjam harbour at Thiruvananthapuram. The Harbour Engineering Department (HED) had used them to construct two groynes, each 50 m long and four m wide. Mr. Ratnakumar said that satisfied with the geotextile groynes at Vizhinjam, the HED was going to use the products for the construction of the harbour road inside the Tangasseri Breakwater Complex at Kollam. The geotextile sea wall was found not only to be eco-friendly but also fishermen friendly as it did not damage their boats.The research and development committee of the State government's National Coir Research and Management Institute has sanctioned Fomil's proposal to conduct a feasibility study on the construction of sea walls in the coastal areas of Kollam. The study follows a request from Kollam Collector A. Shajahan.A pilot sea wall project has been proposed at Kazhukanthuruthu in Alapad panchayat in the district.  Mr. Ratnakumar said Fomil's coir geotextiles had been successfully used in the construction of a 1.4-km causeway at Thuravur in Alappuzha district. It had been used to strengthen the sidewalls of water harvesting ponds in various places in the State and in the yard of the 400-kV substation of the National Power Grid Corporation at Dharwad in Karnataka.

 The Hindu, 26h January 2009
 

Biotechnology research centre to begin

Source: Deshabhimani 29th January 2009

 

Science&Technology to begin

Source:Keralakaumudhi, 29th January 2009

 

21st Kerala Science Congress

Source: Mathrubhumi, 25th January 2009

 

Chinese toys banned

To protect the domestic industry from cheap imports and dumping, India on Friday banned import of toys from China. The ban, notified by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, will remain valid for six months. However, the government gave no reason for slapping the ban. China's toy industry has come under close scrutiny since millions of goods were recalled globally last year amid fears that they were made with toxic lead paints or had dangerous design flaws.

The Hindu, 23rd January 2009
 

Was Darwin’s ‘tree of life’ wrong?

Charles Darwin's "tree of life," which shows how species are related down evolutionary history, is wrong and needs to be replaced, according to leading scientists. The naturalist first sketched how species might evolve along branches of an imaginary tree in 1837, an idea that quickly came to symbolise the theory of evolution by natural selection. But modern genetics has revealed that representing evolutionary history as a tree is misleading, with scientists saying a more realistic way to represent the origins and inter-relatedness of species would be an impenetrable thicket. "We have no evidence at all that the tree of life is a reality," Eric Bapteste, an evolutionary biologist at the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris, told New Scientist magazine.

The Hindu, 23rd January 2009
 

FAO launches international year of natural fibres

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) launched the 'International Year of Natural Fibres (IYNF) 2009' in a bid to emphasise the value of fibres while helping to sustain the incomes of farmers. At a ceremony launching the IYNF, Hafez Ghanem, the FAO assistant director-general for social and economic development, said the production of animal and vegetable fibres was a major agricultural sector, worth about $40 billion annually to the world& #8217;s farmers.Fibres, Mr. Ghanem noted, could in some cases account for up to 50 per cent of a developing country's exports.  Every year, about 30 million tons of natural fibres are harvested from animals and plants around the globe from China (cotton, wool, hemp, sisal, ramie silk, etc) to the Andes (Alpaca). The biggest crop is cotton, with an annual production of about 25 million tonnes. There are about 2.2 million tonnes of wool produced every year in almost 100 countries, with Australia accounting for roughly a quarter of the production.In volume terms, jute, which comes from the skin of Corchorus plants, is the world's second biggest fibre crop (2.3 to 2.8 million tonnes) but is worth far less than wool in terms of cash. The main producers of jute are India and Bangladesh.The main objective of the IYNF is to raise the profile of fibres and to emphasise their value to consumers while helping to sustain the incomes of the farmers.

The Hindu, 23rd January 2009
 

Unseasonal rain destroys turtle eggs on Kavugoli beach

The untimely rain that lashed the Kavugoli beach, Karasagod, destroyed nearly half of the eggs laid by the Olive Ridley turtles on the shores of the beach this season. Only 311 young ones hatched out of the nearly 600 eggs laid by six mother turtles o n the sandy shores. The lucky ones swam to the safety of the sea after completing their phase of life on the beaches.The beach received unexpected rain during this nesting season and a large number of turtle eggs were decayed in the rain, said M. Rajeev, range officer of the Forest Department, Kasaragod.It's during the October-March season that the turtles come to the shore for laying eggs. Usually, 90 per cent of the eggs of the turtle hatch. Inclement weather is suspected to be the reason for the unusually high rate of mortality this season. There has also been a gap in the arrival of mother turtles to the beach for laying eggs.

The Hindu, 23rd January 2009
 

Pollution risk

 Reducing pollution produces measurable health gains, according to a new study. It found that cleaner air had lengthened life expectancy by five months in 51 U.S.cities Researchers at Brigham Young University and Harvard School of Public Health found that average life expectancy increased by three years between 1980 and 2000 in those cities, and that approximately five months of that gain owed to cleaner air.

The Hindu, 23rd January 2009
 

Clarion call against fossil fuels

A three-day workshop on the implications of global warming for Kerala, organised by the State Forest Department with the cooperation of several agencies, has recommended that each government department consider it important to include in its policy statement 'global warming and climate change' as a major issue to be tackled in this century.The workshop, which concluded on Wednesday, said that the programmes of each department should be placed in the context of what was happening to the climate and judged with a deep understanding of why and how it was happening and what its repercussions were. The programmes should mitigate the issue and not fuel its flames. Governor R.S. Gavai inaugurated the workshop's valedictory function with Forest Minister Benoy Viswom on the chair. Addressing the workshop, eminent public cause campaigner Vandana Shiva said it was time to wake up. Man was putting more burden on the earth than the earth could bear, more poison into the atmosphere than it was possible for nature's carbon cycle to heal. The delicate balance of the earth, the sun, the rains and the winds that had evolved over time was being upset by man's greed in a "fossil-driven economy." Oceans were warming up, ocean currents were shifting and winds were blowing in new directions. Climate extremes of the types visiting the globe these days were but mere portents of the dangerous days to come. Dr. Vandana Shiva said the solutions were obvious: go back to the basics. The solutions were easier for a country like India than the developed countries to implement, although it was a global issue that no single country alone could answer. Eighty per cent of the Indian population were outside the "fossil-driven economy." The solutions could be easier for India if it could withstand the pull of the other 20 per cent, she said.Mr. Viswom said the State was looking deeply into what it could do at its level to combat the dangers of global warming and, perhaps, inspire other States also to think seriously of measures to mitigate the danger.Principal Chief Conservator of Forests T.M. Manoharan presented a list of 20 recommendations the workshop had generated through deliberations in which experts and policy makers from different parts of the country attended.

The Hindu, 22nd January 2009
 

Tree –planting Green shield mooted

Minister for Housing and Forests Binoy Viswam has mooted a 'green shield' for all housing projects in the state. A required number of trees should be planted on the premises of all housing projects, including flats", the Minister said on Wednesday ay the valedictory function of the global seminar on 'Global Warming' held at Technopark here."We need to have a culture and discipline of planting trees. While constructing flats and other multi-storeyed buildings, it should be ensured that the residents get pure air to breateh", Forest Minister Binoy Viswam said.The Minister also suggested those travelling to the same place to work or for other activities from the same housing colony should, instead of going in different vehicles, share a vehicle. Binoy Viswam also said it was necessaryto have a 'green bench' in the High Court to hear cases related to the forest and environment.

The New Indian Express, 22nd January 2009
 

Action plan to combat dengue soon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy said here on Tuesday that the Health Department was planning to implement a State-level vector control programme to prevent dengue fever outbreak.  Inaugurating a city Corporation convention to discuss dengue fever prevention activities, the Minister said that a meeting of all District Medical Officers (DMO) and higher officials of the Health Department would be conducted on January 24 to formulate a State-level action plan.  Ms. Sreemathy said the situation in Thiruvananthapuram was a matter of concern as dengue fever cases had been reported from various parts of the district. "Over the last few days, different kinds of vector-borne diseases have been reported from various parts of the State. But in Thiruvananthapuram, cases of dengue fever itself are being reported. Almost 40 per cent of the dengue fever cases reported from the district are in the Corporation area," Ms. Sreemathy said.  The Minister said she had held a meeting with Corporation Health Standing Committee members and officials to evolve an action plan for vector source reduction activities. Based on this, the Corporation would be conducting a ward-level mosquito elimination and source reduction drive on January 22.  "The drive will begin at 7 a.m. on January 22, as part of which ward-level squads will be visiting individual households in a door-to-door campaign. Representatives of residents associations, 'kudumbasree' volunteers, 'anganwadi' workers and members of other volunteering organisations will be mobilised to constitute the squads," she said.  The Minister said that the source reduction campaign in the city needed to be carried out on a war-footing considering the seriousness of the situation.  Each ward had been given Rs.10,000 from the National Rural Health Mission for carrying out vector-control activities. Ms. Sreemathy said that the Health Department would provide medicines, fogging and spraying machines to the squads.  She, however, added that city residents should not wait for health workers to clear their houses and premises of water-collecting bodies as this was something every one could do.  "To keep your houses and premises clean and clear of mosquito breeding grounds is every person's responsibility. Source reduction is something each one of us can do at our own houses," she said.  Mayor C. Jayan Babu presided over the function. Mr. Jayan Babu said that mosquito elimination and source reduction was the only way to prevent dengue fever outbreak as no medicines or vaccines had been discovered so far to cure the disease.  MLAs V. Sivankutty and V. Surendran Pillai; NRHM mission director Dinesh Arora; Corporation secretary Johnson K. George; Deputy Mayor V. Jayaprakash; and Corporation health standing committee chairman G.R. Anil; health officer Dr. D. Sreekumar; representatives of residents' associations; headmasters; Kudumbasree workers; and other volunteers participated in the convention. 

The Hindu, 22nd January 2009

Large population of endangered elephants

The Wildlife Conservation Society and Malaysia's Department of Wildlife and National Parks revealed a large population of endangered Asian elephants living in a park. Their number may be the largest in Southeast Asia.

The Hindu, 22nd January 2009

Faster stability testing of soybean biodiesel

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) now has a method to accelerate stability testing of biodiesel fuel made from soybeans. It has also identified additives that enhance stability at high temperatures.

The Hindu, 22nd January 2009

Mangilikari farmers feeling the heat

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The much-hyped paddy cultivation development project initiated by the MLAs in Thiruvananthapuram, inspired by the concept `Ellarum Padathekku,' is turning out to be yet another stunt by our politicians.  The farmers of the Mangilikari paddy field near Vellayani, who have been entrusted with the task of nurturing the paddy saplings planted by the MLAs are feeling the heat as various promises made by the authorities prior to the project, including timely allotment of funds and efficient irrigation facilities, are yet to be fulfilled. The committee of farmers of the Mangilikari field had planted paddy saplings in around four hectares. They had to spent more than Rs. 60,000 till date towards the cost of paddy saplings and labour charges. But they have no idea when the amount will be refunded.  The promise by the Agriculture Department was Rs.1 lakh as expenses for five hectares of land. They vowed to give the amount in instalments but the first instalment is yet to be realised. In addition, the farmers were promised a share of the profit.  Taking a cue from the attitude of the officials, the farmers at Melancode Mangilikari field had stopped all activities.  They insist that ploughing of the land will be carried out only after ensuring uninterrupted supply of water.  ``We are not sure when will our expenses be reimbursed. Now, they say that they will pay the money only after the harvest,'' said Balakrishna Panicker, a farmer who is part of the team that cultivate paddy at Melancode.  ``Paddy cultivation would become successful here only if three basic problems are tackled. This include renovation of a canal (Karathode) through which water is brought near the paddy fields, setting up of a permanent motor pump for irrigation and increasing the depth of Kannukali Channel. We have been told  that all these would be done in due course. But the authorities are not taking any step to solve these issues,'' said Purushothaman, a traditional farmer and one of the locals who has taken up the challenge at Mangilikari to do farming on behalf of the MLAs.  ``Irrigation is crucial for paddy cultivation. Owing to the lack of irrigation facilities, paddy sapplings in certain fields have already started wilting. A lion's share of the seeds which were sowed have not germinated either. Despite our repeated pleas, no action has been taken yet,'' he said.  While forming the committees for the project, officials of the Agriculture Department assured the farmers that money wouldn't be a problem and would be given to them part by part as the work progresses. But, now even the officials are not giving them any assurances.  Two separate committees have been formed to do cultivation in five hectares of paddy fields each at Mangilikari (Kalliyoor Panchayat limits) and at Melancode-Mangilikari (City Corporation limits). The farmers started preparing these fields for cultivation, which had been left fallow for the past several years, from January 5 onwards.  During the formal inauguration, Agricultural Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran said that the revenue generated from the project would be donated to the Farmer Welfare Fund.  The Minister kept mum on the promise of awarding a share of the profit to the farmers. 


The New Indian Express, 21st January 2009

Caution sounded against GM foods and crops

Thiruvananthapuram: India is emerging as a big, attractive market for GM (Genetically Modified) crops and imported GM foods, amid increasing concern over the health hazards posed by these products, according to Jeffrey M. Smith, executive director of the U.S.-based Institute for Responsible Technology.  Dr. Smith, who was in the city on Tuesday to attend a workshop organised by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board, said genetically engineered organisms posed an unprecedented threat to agriculture, environment and human health.  "Releasing GM organisms into the environment can lead to irreversible results that even outlast the effect of radioactivity and global warming. Animals fed on GM crops are reported to have died or developed diseases."  Highlighting the demand for strict regulation on introduction of GM organisms into the country, he said studies had reported the possibility of antibiotic resistance and increase in allergies. "Human studies have proved that genes can be transferred to intestinal bacteria through GM food. GM peas developed in Australia and intended for India were found to cause dangerous reactions in mice and may have caused deadly human allergies."  Dr. Smith said 65 health risks of GM organisms had been reported all over the world. "Assessments in India are not competent to identify most."  Asked whether GM crops or GM foods were more dangerous, he said: "While importing GM foods can negatively affect the health of the population, allowing unregulated cultivation of GM crops will influence the environment and gene pool for future generations."  He said intelligent decision-making was a short-cut to regulating GM products. "However, the ultimate solution lies in educating consumers and creating a tipping point for them to reject GM products. Political leaders, the intelligentsia and academic community should also be enlisted in the campaign against GM products to ensure continuity across changing governments and policies." Obama for labelling  Dr. Smith said the new U.S. President, Barack Obama, was in favour of mandatory labelling of GM organisms. "But the presence of pro-GM officials in his team raises concern about the new government's approach to bio-safety issues."  He said nine out of ten Americans were in favour of labelling GM products and 53 per cent of them would be ready to give up these products in favour of organic substitutes.  Earlier, inaugurating the event, Minister for Agriculture Mullakara Ratnakaran highlighted the need for India to be declared a GM-free country. Kerala, he said, had already announced its opposition to GM crops.  Terming GM crops unnatural, he warned that they could affect the natural equilibrium and ultimately lead to desertification. The Minister said rapacious multinational corporations were trying to bleed the environment for profit by appropriating seeds and food resources. This, he said, represented an affront to democratic values and a threat to national sovereignty. "Research studies on the impact of GM foods are still in their infancy."  The Minister released the Indian edition of Genetic Roulette, a book authored by Dr. Smith. Chairman of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board Dr. V.S. Vijayan received the first copy of the book. Member secretary of the board Dr. R.V. Varma also spoke.

The Hindu, 21st January 2009

Warming ocean alters monsoon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: What does global warming portend for the monsoon that sweeps over India during the four-month period from June to September sustaining life in the subcontinent?  Discouraging signals have already started becoming visible, according to the former Director of India Meteorological Department (IMD) P.V. Joseph.  "A new finding is that the sea surface temperature of the equatorial Central Indian Ocean [south of Sri Lanka] has had a phenomenal increase of about 1.5 degrees Celsius during the last 50 years…This might weaken the monsoon heat engine [the vertical Monsoon Hadley Cell that drives the monsoon circulation over the subcontinent]," Dr. Joseph said at a seminar on global warming, organised by the State Forest Department, here on Tuesday.  He said that greater heating of the sea surface in Central Indian Ocean would create an area of increasing rainfall in the ocean near the equator.  Latent heat released through the condensation of moisture would heat up the atmosphere over that part of the ocean tampering with the seasonal pressure gradient that pulled the moisture-laden winds towards the subcontinent, Dr. Joseph said.  He said the number of depressions [that form over the Bay of Bengal] during the monsoon season had come down in the recent decades. Monsoon rainfall over south Kerala, the gateway of the Indian monsoon, too was on the decrease.  The strength of the low level monsoon winds over peninsular India had fallen by nearly 20 per cent over the last 50 years.  Dr. Joseph said the data for the last 100 years showed that, while rainfall in certain meteorological divisions such as Kerala was on the decreasing trend, in certain other regions such as Maharashtra it was on the increase.  Occurrences of very heavy one-day rainfall over the subcontinent and severe tropical cyclones in the seas of the region too were on the increase, he said.  Analysing meteorological data for the last 100 years, he said: "The observed change in climate has been in two ways: Changes noticeable across decades (a few decades of increasing rainfall followed by a few decades of decreasing rainfall, in a sort of multi-decadal oscillation) and long term trends indicating either increase or decrease in rainfall [in specific meteorological divisions]," Dr. Joseph said.

 The Hindu, 21st January 2009

wetland databank of Kerala

Source: Mathrubhumi 18.01.09

 

Climate change workshop held in Thiruvananthapuram

Source: Mathrubhumi, 17th January 2009

 

New approach to groundwater collection

Source: Mathrubhumi, 18.01.2009

 

Protect the wetlands

As all countries prepare to celebrate World Wetlands Day on February 2 on the theme 'Upstream-Downstream. Wetlands connnect us all'there is great expectation that India will get serious about  saving its vanishing water bodies. In just a single decade from 1991, an estimated 38 percent of freshwater wetlands have been lost. If further losses are to be prevented, the central government must quickly put in place a protection framework. India has most wetland types ranging from Himalayan lakes, riverine flood plains, and mangroves to estuaries and coastal backwaters. These national assets provide a range of services, notably livelihood support, water security, flood prevention, and sustenance of biodiversity. Yet they remain badly neglected. In a move forward, the Ministry of Environment and Forests published in July 2008 a draft notification on a Regulatory Framework for Conservation of Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2008. Several constructive suggestions have come in on the proposed rules. Kerla's State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) and research bodies have sought legal support for identification and protection of wetlands of all sizes, and their judicious use by local communities. Clear, actionable rules are vital to stop the life-sapping influx of sewage, industrial waste, pesticides, building debris, and urban soild waste into these fragile sites.Although India is party to the Ramsar Convetion on wetlands, it does not have strong domestic laws other than those governing sanctuaries and national parks. The Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History reported four years ago that close to 200 sites deserve to be listed under the Convention, among 655 notable national sites. Disappointgly, the national Ramsar sites tally stands at a mere 25. Even the listed sites do not enjoy full safeguards. A case in point is Assam's famed Deepor Beel, which suffers municipal Solid  waste dumping from Guwahati. Hope for wetlands now hinges on the availability of legal provisions, and the involvement of scientists, state governments, local bodies, and communities in conservation. The proposed rules rightly seek to prohibit the conversion of wetlands to other use, reclamation, and the dumping of waste but they do fall short in some respects. The protection of wetlands also demands making polluters, including government departments, liable for penalties without exception. The time to act is now.

 The Hindu, 19^th January 2009.

Wayanad turning a purchasing point for smugglers

Located at the most sensitive part of the Nilgiri biosphere, the district is fast turning into an eridearing purchasing point for wildlife smugglers who specialize in the pet-market, according to sources in the Forest Department.Apart from the forests of the state, living objects have been also sourced from adjacent forests of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and sold to middlemen at various centres.The items in their demand-list also are very long which starts from a variety of colourful flies. Some of the most sought after among the fauna were barn owls, star turtles, Malabar squirrel. Malabar civet and spotted dove.The owls and star tortorises are in high demand in the international market as it is delivered by various communities that the presence of these creatures at home would bring prosperity.Owl is also belived to be an essential element in black magic in the USA and Canada.In India it also caters medicinal purpose." In the Overseas market the price of an owl is around Rs.1 lakh while the middlemen pay a paltry amount to the catchers", said S.Guruvayoorappan, South India Coordinator of Wildlife Protection Society of India.Talking to 'Express', he said " though we came across a number of cases in connection witthe trade of unique wildlife, we hope that so far there exist no ntework of smugglers with international linkage". due to the rumours on high price for these varieties, in mant of the villagers have become bird catchers and hunters of such curious wildlife varieties", he said. " It is feared that in the districts located in the Nilgiri Biosphere, the knowledge of tribal communitues of wildlife has been widely misused by smugglers for sourcing rare speccies", he said.It is to be recalled that forest officials have seized star turtles and barn owls from smugllers from the district recently. Being a rare variety here, officials belive that star turtles variety here, officials believe that star turtles might have been sourced by smugglers from adjacent dry forest region, says an official.

The New Indian Exprees, 20th January 2009.

One crore saplings to be planted

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State is preparing to launch a campaign involving all citizens to plant one crore tree saplings all over the State this year and nurture them into shade trees, Forest Minister Benoy Viswom said here on Monday. The campaign will be called 'Haritha Keralam' and it will be launched on June 5, World Environment Day, Mr. Viswom said while inaugurating a national workshop on 'Global warming and implications for Kerala,' organised by the Kerala Forest Department. Scientists, naturalists and policy makers from all over the country are participating in this workshop that will conclude on Wednesday. Seeing globally and acting locally had been the philosophy of the State in the face of the threat of global warming, Mr. Viswom said. 'Tree is the answer' would be the slogan of the 'Haritha Keralam' programme. The campaign-mode programme would have local bodies as key players. Over the past eighteen months, the State had implemented three programmes and planted over 50 lakh saplings involving students and the fishermen community. The experience gained from these programmes would form the foundation of the 'Haritha Keralam' campaign, Mr. Viswom said. State Planning Board Vice-Chairman Prabhat Patnaik, who delivered the keynote address, said only lifestyle changes the world over could ward off the threat of global warming. Nature was being perceived as an entity for profitable exploitation, Dr. Patnaik said. The State should, at this juncture, be particularly worried about the decreasing trend in world cereal output, for which global warming too was a reason, he added. As a State deficient in food production, Kerala could land in trouble in the near future if it did not rework its strategies. The State needed to go back to paddy to get back on the safe rails after the shift to cash crops over the last three-four decades. The Centre could not be depended upon to supply Kerala its cereal requirement. This had already become evident, he said. V. Sivankutty, MLA, presided. Poet O.N.V. Kurup spoke, besides reciting his poem 'Bhoomikku Oru Charamageetham.'

The Hindu, 20th January 2009

Towards a market for ecosystem

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Forest Department has embarked on an initiative with the slogan that planting of saplings is the answer to global warming. It may look a bit simplistic, for deforestation can be blamed for only 20 per cent of the increase in global temperature. The rest is caused by green house gases from vehicle exhausts, thermal plants and other sources which cannot be offset by planting trees.However, Forest Minister Benoy Viswom notes that the attempt is to contribute locally to the fight against global warming. The defence against global warming is research, mitigation and adaptation. Kerala should become a model at the local level. The department has taken up a number of forestry programmes in the past two years. For more than two decades, the department had been carrying out social forestry programmes with generous funding from the World Bank. However, there is hardly any data to show that the green cover of Kerala had improved except for marginal improvement in forest cover. The survival rates of trees planted under the programmes were low.This time, the government tried to net students and trade unions. While the response from the trade unions was poor, students responded enthusiastically at some places. The survival rate of seedling is reportedly better but not very high. This raises the question whether the department should look for innovative concepts or even leave forestry to market forces.Some of the tea estates in the State, which were originally forests, have become unviable. They can be nursed back to forests. The department is already gaining control of some of them either on expiry of leases or taking them over. Carbon credit and market-based approaches can help both workers and afforestation of the estates. Market-based approaches assign economic value to ecosystem services. As a result, ecosystem markets and services are emerging.However, getting carbon credits from UN agencies involves considerable work. An official of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest said that the Ministry would not be able to undertake the paper work. Consultants would have to be appointed. The private sector could be involved in developing the market place and can be assigned to undertake planting of trees. The owners of the estates may be able to undertake their afforestation initiatives. However, appropriate laws need to be developed at the State or national level to regulate the market place.

The Hindu, 20th January 2009
 

Concern over rise in leptospirosis cases in district

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The increasing number of leptospirosis cases in the district has emerged as a cause of concern. The district health administration said 358 cases of leptospirosis had been reported from the district in 2008. In the past two weeks alone, 28 cases had been reported from the Corporation areas, Vilappil, Malayinkeezh, Vellanad, Karakulam, Vamanapuram, Vattiyoorkavu and Vizhinjam panchayats.Leptospirosis is contracted usually by people who come into contact with water contaminated by rat excreta. The leptospira bacteria enters the human body through minor cuts and abrasions. Cleaning workers, manual labourers and farm workers are vulnerable to this disease.The district health officer said directives had been issued to panchayats that workers engaged for cleaning should be given doxycycline as a prophylaxis; the area where cleaning is to be done should be sprayed with bleaching powder 24 hours before workers are allowed to work; gloves and gum boots have to be worn compulsorily and all workers have to undergo medical examination before they start cleaning operations.The public has also been cautioned to seek immediate medical care in the event of fever accompanied by bodyache, headache and redness in the eye.

The Hindu, 17th January 2009
 

Action plan to contain dengue fever

In the wake of more fever cases being reported form various parts of the State, Health Minister P.K.Sreemathi convened a high-level meeting of the officials here on Friday to chart out an action plan.More cases of dengue fever are being reported from various parts of the State, especially in the Corporation limit of Thiruvananthapuram. The meeting was attended by Dr.Kalpana Baruva, Joint Director, Union Health and Family Welfare Department and in-charge of Kerala affairs. It has been decided at the meeting to call an emergency meeting of all health officials and local self-government representatives in each district to review the cases being reported from the respective areas. In Thiruvananthapuram, it has been decided to convene a meeting of the local authorities in each blocks on January 19. To monitor the activities in each blocks, separate health officials have been given charge in the district. The ASHA volunteers will be conducting a survey in their respective areas and will report it to the block-level health authorities.On January 21, a massive campaign for waste disposal in each areas of the district will be conducted in which volunteers of NSS, ASHA, Kudumbasree and NCC will take part. The residents associations have also been asked to be a part of this campaign. All the private health care institutions have also been asked to report the dengue cases being treated in their institutions.

The New Indian Express, 17th January 2009
 

Haritha Keralam’ launch in June

Haritha Keralam, a project that envisages planting of one crore saplings in the State, will be launched in June.The project aims at planting about 10,000 saplings in each panchayat, Forest Minister Binoy Viswam told a press conference held here in connection with a national workshop on 'Global warming and its implications for Kerala', which will be held from January 19 to 21. The Forest Minister will inaugurate the workshop at Kanakakunnu Palace here on January 19.  Papers on the topic will be presented and discussion will be held at the technical session at Travancore Hall and Club Hall of Technopark on January 20. Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran will inaugurate a workshop on 'Bamboo - a global cooling agent' at Travancore Hall on January 21. Leading social activists and experts will attend the three-day event.Governor R.S. Gavai will be the chief guest of the valedictory function to be held at Travancore Hall on January 21. The workshop is being organised jointly by the Forest Department, Forest Research Institute and Bamboo Development Agency.

The New Indian Express, 17th January 2009

 

Chief Minister calls upon youth to take up farming

KOLLAM: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan laid the foundations for a hi-tech dairy farm under the Kerala Livestock Development Board at Kulathupuzha on Wednesday.In his inaugural address, the Chief Minister stressed the need for the State to become self-sufficient in food. He said that the recent lorry strike in other States had badly hit the milk and vegetable supply in the State. This happened because the State heavily depended on other States for most of its food supply. In order to overcome the situation, the cultivation of food crops should be augmented.Mr. Achuthanandan wanted farming to be made a way of life in the State. The educated youth could make valuable contributions in this sector. On its side, the government was set to launch projects worth Rs.1,300 crore on the food front, he said.In his presidential address, Food and Animal Husbandry Minister C. Divakaran said that in next budget dairy farmers could expect a subsidy on cattle feed. Steps had also been taken to prevent a price rise on cattle feed.Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran, Adoor MP Chengara Surendran, Kerala Livestock Development Board chairman K. Ramamoorthy and managing director Ani S. Das spoke.

The Hindu, 16th  January 2009

 

Weather-based insurance scheme for farmers

The Agriculture Department has introduced, for the first time in the State, a weather-based insurance scheme for paddy and mango crops in the district.The scheme will help farmers get compensation for crop loss due to changes in weather conditions. The scheme is envisaged under the National Food Security Scheme implemented in the district, according to officials of the Agriculture Department.The insurance scheme is being introduced in six blocks of the districts namely, Palakkad, Kuzhalmannam, Chittur, Kollengode, Nenmara and Alathur. These are the main paddy growing areas of the district.The premium charged for one hectare of paddy is Rs.449 and the farmer will get a cover of Rs.20,000, they said. For mango, the premium per tree will be between Rs.48 and 90. A farmer could get a compensation amount of up to Rs.750 per tree.

The Hindu, 14^th  January 2009

Call for measures to protect wetlands

The Minister for Water Resources, N. K. Premachandran, has called for
measures to protect wetlands. The steps should be initiated at the
local body level. He also mooted a central framework for conservation
of wetlands. The minister was inaugurating a seminar on 'significance
of wetlands in Kerala's development' here on Tuesday.The minister
lamented that wetlands were being destroyed or vandalised.The
situation had contributed to climate change. Ground water depletion
was causing concern. Kerala had recorded 35 per cent less rain last
year.There was heavy rain during summer season. The Electricity Board
was forced to impose power cut and a harsh summer is ahead.Wetlands
help preserve the ecology in several ways. Apart from retaining the
water table, they provide succour to flora and fauna. He urged the
Union government to consider the local environmental conditions while
implementing special schemes such as the Kuttanad package.

The Hindu, 14th January 2009

Govt. to boost paddy cultivation

Source: Keralakaumudhi, 13th January 2009

Pampa-Achancovil-Vaippar link-canal project

Source:-Mathrubhoomi, 10th January 2009

Rare animal (Nilgiri martin) in Munnar

Source:- Mathrubhumi 12th Jan 2009

Tiger observation in Wynadu, Kerala

From Malayala Manorama online accessed on Tuesday November 04 2008: URL.

Dry land hampers science centre project

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Science and Technology Museum and
Priyadarsini Planetarium here is in the process of acquiring
additional land for the proposed regional science centre in Kasaragod
as the existing land cannot meet the water requirement.The proposed
centre requires nearly 15,000 litres of water a day. But the land in
Kumbazha is 'too dry' to meet the requirement.Kasaragod is one of the
two locations of the regional science centres to be started by the
city-based museum, the other being Ambalapuzha in Alappuzha district.
"Officials of the Groundwater Department who inspected the site at
Kumbazha have informed us that the land there will not be able to
yield the quantity of water required for the functioning of the
centre," said G. Arul Jerald Prakash, Director in-charge of the museum
and planetarium."We have now contacted the local MLA and have urged
him to procure additional land, at least two cents, near the existing
plot to address the water shortage," Mr. Prakash said. The additional
land, nearly 50 metres away from the main plot, also belongs to the
district panchayat. The panchayat has to pass a resolution for the
allotment, he said.The proposed science centres, which will act as
miniature replicas of the city-based museum, will be complete with the
crowd-pulling observational telescope and planetarium. The highlight
of the centres, expected to cost Rs.9 crore each, will be an 11-inch
computerised GPS (Global Positioning System) telescope that can be
used to gaze at stars and other celestial objects. "The telescope once
aligned will automatically hunt for the planet or star you wish to
locate," Mr. Prakash said.Yet another attraction will be a mobile
planetarium that can be carried about in an airbag. The igloo-shaped
inflatable planetarium is around 10 ft in height and 20 ft in
diameter. Visitors will have to crawl into this planetarium.Some of
the other features of centres will be a science park for children,
clubs and an EDUSAT-based interactive terminal that will enable
students to talk to teachers sitting in New Delhi and clarify their
science-related queries."Once we have the basic infrastructure in
place, which includes the popular telescope and planetarium, we hope
to open it to the public by next year," Mr. Prakash said.The
constitution of district-level science centres with the objective of
inculcating a scientific temper in the minds of the rural population
has been one of the stated objectives of the memorandum of
association, a government charter, framed during the setting up of the
Thiruvananthapuram museum in 1984. "The Union government provides
financial assistance to start two regional centres at the district
level." A copy of the proposed project was handed over to Union
Minister for Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni by Education and Culture
Minister M.A. Baby last year.

The Hindu, 12th January 2009

Seminar on wetlands

Kochi: The State Land Use Board in collaboration with the Department
of Agriculture, Government of India, is organising a state-level
seminar on the 'significance of wetlands in the development of the
State' at the Town Hall here on Tuesday. Minister for Water Resources
N.K. Premachandran will inaugurate the seminar that is expected to
give fresh insights into the measures for protection of wetlands.A
report based on the study conducted by the Land Use Board on wetlands
in the district and digital maps of Panchayats will also be released
at the seminar. In the study, carried out making use of the GIS-aided
remote sensing technology, data has been collated on the disappearance
of wetlands after paddy fields got levelled for other purposes. The
report contains digital maps of land use, assets and water resources
in the district which would be of use to local self-governments while
planning and executing projects.About 300 delegates, including
scientists, government officials, representatives of local bodies,
planners, environment activists, representatives of voluntary
organisations, researchers and model farmers, will attend the seminar.

The Hindu, 12th January 2009

Robot suit for elder farmers

Japanese researchers on Friday unveiled a robot suit designed to help
reduce the heavy burden of harvesting as the nation's farm industry
faces an aging, shrinking workforce. Researchers at Tokyo University
of Agriculture and Technology demonstrated a prototype wearable
assistance machine equipped with weight motors and 16 sensors. The 25
kg device is designed who need support for their leg muscles and
joints when they keep a crouching position or lift their arms high.

The Hindu, 10th January 2009

Survey of tiger population begins

A monitoring of the tiger population began in Wayanad Wildlife
Sanctuary in the district on Monday to implement effective protection
measures."This five-month survey is aimed at getting a clear-cut
picture on the tiger population in the sanctuary and will help us
identify the exact habitat of the animal to implement special
protection measures there," V.K. Sreevalsan, Wildlife Warden, Wayanad
Wildlife Sanctuary, told The Hindu on Wednesday.Eight night vision
digital camera traps would be set at four points in the forest next
week as part of the survey. We have adopted two methods to analyse the
tiger population, he added.In the first method, forest personnel will
directly collect sighting details of the animal. They will collect the
sighting details from tourist guides and even from tourists who visit
the sanctuary."The department has directed visitors and guides to
submit the details of sightings," Mr. Sreevalsan said. "As per the
collected data, we would analyse the longitude and latitude of the
place of sighting by the help of Global Positioning System (GPS) of
the department to locate the area appropriately."In the second method,
the personnel would indirectly collect data, he said."In this method,
we rely on pugmarks, roars, remnants of kills and scratches of the
tiger on the barks of trees in its home region. A tiger has its own
territory and the home range of a tiger may vary from 8 to 10 square
km. The details will be collected on a daily basis and the
consolidated data submitted to the wildlife warden each month. In this
method, we will utilise the GPS for accuracy," Mr. Sreevalsan added.He
said in the first phase, a camera trap would be set at the Muthanga
range under the sanctuary. It would be continued at the Kurichiad,
Tholpetty and Sulthan Bathery forest rages. At the end of the survey,
the forest personnel would prepare a habitat map of the tigers."Based
on this, we can concentrate our attention on the area where the tiger
population is high and can implement better protection measures for
the animal, which faces threat from poachers."According to a vague
data of the Forest Department, the number of tigers is estimated
between 15 and 25 in the sanctuary.

The Hindu, 9th January 2009

Minister expresses concern over fall in number of marine turtles

Minister for Forests and Housing Benoy Viswom has sought the active
participation of local bodies and non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) for the conservation of marine turtles along the Kerala coast.
Inaugurating a State-level workshop on 'Marine turtle conservation'
organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF), Kerala
Forests and Wildlife Department and the Union Ministry of Forests and
Environment here on Tuesday, the Minister expressed concern over the
reduction in number of marine turtles nesting along the coast over the
years. The Minister urged the participants and organisers to develop
an action plan for the conservation of marine turtles. The workshop
called for strict enforcement and punitive measures for violators
under the Wildlife Protection Act and participation in conservation
involving local bodies, schools, colleges, and youth clubs.The other
recommendations included education and awareness programmes for the
different sections of society and possible co-ordination between the
various enforcement agencies like the Forest Department, the Coast
Guard and the Fisheries Department. Chief Wildlife Warden K.P. Ouseph,
who chaired the valedictory session, stressed the need for developing
successful models of participatory conservation.

The Hindu, 9th January 2009

14 % drop in coral growth seen in the Great Barrier Reef

The effects of global warming have shown up in a definite way in the
Great Barrier Reef of Australia. A paper in the latest issue of the
Science journal notes unprecedented effects of increased CO{-2} on the
Great Barrier Reef. Scientists found the rate at which corals were
able to build skeletons dropped by 14 per cent during the p eriod of
study — 1990 to 2005. Coral reefs are considered as the rain forests
of the ocean as they support great biodiversity. Any drop in growth of
the reefs of the Great Barrier Reef is hence worrying. What makes the
study significant is that scientists studied 328 colonies from 69
reefs, and the duration of study was 15 years. "…This study shows that
the effects are probably large-scale in extent and that the observed
changes are unprecedented within the past 400 years."The growth of
coral reefs depends on their ability to build skeletons. Skeletons are
built by calcification of calcium carbonate (CaCO{-3}). There are a
few things that may affect the calcification process. Though the
scientists note that the precise "causes of decline" in calcification
are not known, their study suggests that increased temperature stress
and increased acidity of sea water are the most likely causes. Coral
reefs are extremely sensitive to sea surface temperature. Any changes
beyond 1 degree C for extended periods of time affect the corals.
Increase in sea surface temperature affects and destroys the symbiotic
zooxanthellae algae that live on the corals. Any damage to the algae
leads to a loss of the symbionts and a rapid whitening of the coral
host (thus the term "bleaching"). Mass coral bleaching was not
documented in the scientific literature before 1979. 1998 saw a large
scale destruction of coral reefs all over the world.Since the oceans
act as sinks for carbon dioxide, increased uptake of CO{-2} by ocean
water will make them acidic. Supersaturation of tropical sea water
with calcium carbonate is crucial for reef calcification process.
Hence acidic water will compromise supersaturation. The pH of the
ocean has decreased by 0.1 unit (become acidic) since the beginning of
the industrial revolution. And this has affected the calcification
process.The researchers studied the Porites corals using X-rays and a
technique called gamma densitometry to measure annual growth and
skeletal density. Studying the skeletal density allowed them to
calculate the amount of calcification annually. They found that the
calcification rate rose 5.4 per cent between 1900 and 1970. It dropped
by 14.2 per cent between 1990 and 2005. The drop was mainly due to a
growth slowdown from 1.43 cm a year to 1.24 cm.How the sea surface
temperature and lower pH would affect the reefs and marine organisms
in the long run cannot be accurately predicted since living organisms
and ocean are dynamic."We may not see drastic changes in a short
period. And how the increased temperature, acidity and reduced
skeletal strength due to calcite erosion would affect marine life are
not known," said Dr. M. Wafar, Senior Scientist at the National
Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa. "So this only calls for a more
cautious approach."

The Hindu, 8th January 2009

Tungsten bulbs to be phased out in the EU

By 2016 the incandescent light bulb will be passe in the EU. This
month, 75W and 100W bulbs begin to disappear in the EU due to the
switch to eco-friendly, but dimmer, often expensive, bulbs.

The Hindu, 8th January 2009

Bangalore groundwater carcinogenic?

It is common knowledge that the quality of groundwater in Bangalore
is poor. But it now appears that the situation may be graver than
initially thought. A study taken up by the Bangalore University's
Department of Environmental Studies in collaboration with the Bhabha
Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, has found large quantities of radon, a
carcinogen, in groundwater. According to the study, taken up by R.K.
Somashekhar, professor and chairman of the department, Deljo Davis, K.
Shivanna and K.L. Prakash, groundwater in Bangalore has high radon
concentration, which makes the population highly vulnerable to health
risks, especially stomach cancer. Radon is a colourless, odourless,
water-soluble radioactive gas. The source of radon gas is the city's
subterranean granite rock. Prof. Somashekhar told The Hindu that the
radon concentration ranged from 11 Becquerel (Bq)/l to 1,000 Bq/l,
which is far higher than the permissible limit of 11.1 Bq/l. The study
also pointed out that Chickpet and Hebbal had the highest radon
concentration. Occurrence of radon in groundwater is often found in
areas with uranium-rich rocks and soils and granite terrain. Radon
emanates from the rocks and dissolves in groundwater easily as it is
highly soluble. Its release also depends on the porosity of the rocks
and flow intensity of water. This is perhaps why the incidence of
stomach cancer is more than other cancers, according to the cancer
registry of Bangalore. According to figures available, over the past
three years, the number of stomach cancer cases has seen an increase
of 9.29 per cent among men, and 4.3 per cent among women. Prof.
Somashekhar said that as part of the study, the team collected 90
samples from different parts of the city. "We are yet to see if
quarrying has contributed to the radon release into groundwater. If
due to quarrying cracks occur in granite rocks, then the chances of
radon emanating from them is high."The study, the first on radon
concentration in groundwater in Bangalore, has found that radon
activity is a function of depth, with higher activities at deeper
depths, with some exceptions.

The Hindu, 8th January 2009

Grazing animals help spread plant disease

Researchers have discovered that grazing animals such as deer and
rabbits are actually helping to spread plant disease. They are
encouraging an invasion of annual grasses that threaten more than 20
million acres in California.

The Hindu, 8th January 2009

Magma discovered in its ‘natural habitat’

A crew drilling on the Big Island of Hawaii has discovered magma —
never before found in its natural habitat underground — that is the
central ingredient in the evolution of planets and the lifeblood of
all volcanoes.

The Hindu, 8th January 2009

Coral reef recovery in Lakshadeep

The year 1998 saw a large scale destruction of coral reefs all over
the world. This was due to increased sea surface temperature. Coral
reefs are extremely sensitive to water temperature. Any change beyond
1 degree C for extended periods of time affects the corals.
Coral bleaching
Ten years ago saw a layer of warm water spreading from the south into
the tropical water. The warm water conditions persisted for as long as
one month in certain places.The mean maximum summer sea surface
temperature increased by 2 degree C. "About 40-50 per cent of corals
were lost in most of the reefs," said Dr. M. Wafar, Senior Scientist
at the National Oceanography Institute (NIO), Goa. "80-90 per cent of
corals in Lakshadeep were destroyed." Dr. Wafar has been involved in
coral research for nearly 25 years.
Scientists from NIO have recovered coral reef in Kavaratti island,
Lakshadeep through coral transplantation. "The recovery has been quite
good. In some places the live coral cover has increased by nearly 50
per cent," said Dr. Wafar. "The government now wants us to undertake
similar initiative in all the islands at Lakshadeep." Scientists will
soon start growing corals for transplantation work at Agatti and
Kadmat islands.
Coral transplantation
Pieces of corals broken naturally or otherwise are tied to slabs and
put in shallow water and allowed to grow. The coral are put in reefs
once they have grown well."We started the pilot exercise in Nov-Dec
2005. We used 100 coral tips, most of them belonging to fast growing
coral genera. "In 2 years' time the growth was up to 25 cm in the best
of the cases," Dr. Wafar said.
In all 4 fast growing coral species and 4-5 slow growing species were
grown and transplanted in the coral reefs in Kavaratti in 2008.
"We grew fast and slow growing coral species to offset a bias in the
natural species composition," he said. "We will do the same now as
well." Since reefs support many fishes, increased coral coverage has a
direct positive impact on fish population.

The Hindu, 8th January 2009

Pink iguanas on Galapagos Islands

A team of Ecuadorean and Italian researchers have discovered a unique species of pink land iguanas living on the Galapagos Islands. "It is surprising to have made a find of this magnitude in the 21^st century", said Washington Tapia, head of research at the Galapagos National Park.Researchers at first thought that the iguanas, which are pink with black spots, simply had skin pigmentation problems, the scientist said.The first pink iguanas were discovered in 1986, and after years of research scientists concluded that it was a unique species. "We have not yet determined the size of the population, but we estimate that it is small because we have only captured 36 pink iguanas for research up to now", Mr.tapia said.The pink species is can be up to 1.8 metres long as measured from tip to tail, and unlike the other land iguanas does not have a row of spines running up its back."It is a unique species", Mr.Tapia said. "But more research needed to better determine its unique characteristics".Made up 13 main islands, in 1978 UNESCO declared the islands Patrimony of the Humanity.

The Hindu, 7^th  January 2009

Looking for those bees

Scientists are trying to solve a mystery critical to agriculture: Why are honeybee hives failing at a disturbing high rate?Some researchers are studying whether pesticides and other chemicals used in fields and gardens might affect honeybees, as well as bumblebees and other insects that pollinate crops. Other research is focussing on building more habitat — planting trees, shrubs and flowers that pollinators prefer.Bees are vital to U.S. agriculture because they pollinate many flowering crops, including almonds, apples and blueberries. Bee pollination is responsible for $15 billion annually in crop value.Honeybees, a non-native species from Europe, are the pollinators of choice because they are easier to manage and are more plentiful — a single colony can contain 20,000 workers. By comparison, a bumblebee colony may have only a couple of hundred worker bees.The honeybees have taken a hit over the years from mites and, most recently, colony collapse disorder, in which beekeepers have found affected hives devoid of most bees. Bees that remain appear much weaker than normal.Beekeepers in 2006 began reporting losing 30 to 90 per cent of their hives. Since then the annual loss rate has been roughly 33 per cent, according to government estimates.The first case of colony collapse disorder was officially reported in Pennsylvania, and Penn State University has been spearheading research. Maryann Frazier, a senior extension associate at the school's entomology department, said researchers remain concerned about the number and combination of pesticides that have been detected in decimated hives."We realise it's much more complicated than what we thought a year ago," Ms. Frazier said. "From what we know now, it's not something we'll figure out quickly."Native pollinators also are being monitored. The National Academy of Sciences in 2006 found declining populations of several bee species, along with other native pollinators like butterflies, hummingbirds and bats.The report suggested that landowners can take small steps to make habitats more "pollinator friendly," such as by growing more native plants. And that is what scientists appear to be doing on a larger scale across the country in hopes of bringing bees back.At the Environmental Research Institute at Eastern Kentucky University, apiculturalist Tammy Horn oversees an experiment in apiforestation, a term the school describes as a "new form of reclamation focussed on planting pollinator-friendly flowers and trees."The project is in its first year. Mr. Horn is working with local coal companies to plant trees, shrubs and native wildflowers on reclaimed lands, rather than the once-typical scenario of planting only high-value hardwoods to establish a timber industry.

The Hindu, 6^th  January 2009

Ombudsman order to check river pollution

Ombudsman for Local Self-Government Institutions M.R. Hariharan Nair
ordered the Travancore Devaswom Board, the Municipal Corporation and
the Kerala Water Authority to initiate urgent steps to reduce the
pollution of the Karamana river at the religiously important bathing
ghats at the Parsurama Temple at Thiruvallam here.Mr. Nair passed the
order on the basis of a complaint filed by Eashwari Amma, a resident
of Thiruvallam. She had filed a petition stating that the pollution of
the river at Thiruvallam was posing a dire health hazard to the people
living on its banks. She said most of them drew water from the river
for household purposes and hundreds of those dwelling on its banks
used the river for bathing and washing clothes.The river was also
religiously important to followers of the Hindu faith. Thousands of
them annually thronged the bathing ghats as part of a rite to
propitiate their ancestors.The Pollution Control Board (PCB), which
studied the problem, had suggested several steps, including removal of
silt bars, for reducing river pollution at Thiruvallam. It had asked
the Kerala Water Authority to set up a modern sewage treatment plant
at the earliest to prevent the dumping of raw sewage into the
river.The PCB also suggested periodic dredging of the river (to remove
silt and prevent accumulation of solid waste on the river bed) and
setting up of a modern barrage system to prevent polluted water from
the Parvathi Puthanar from entering the river during high tide.The PCB
had asked the Devaswom authorities to ensure the scientific disposal
of the leftover of offerings made by devotees (mostly plantain leaves,
earthen pots, flowers, plastic bags and rice) to prevent accumulation
of solid waste on the banks of the river.The Ombudsman said in his
order that a newspaper report (with photograph) pointing to
accumulation of slaughter waste on the banks of the river at
Thiruvallam had also alerted him of the pollution there.Mr. Nair
visited the spot and found that the authorities concerned had not
carried out the suggestions made by the PCB and other agencies.
Overgrowth of river bank vegetation and accumulation of solid waste
were impeding the smooth flow of the river. He said the authorities
could enlist the help of residents to clean up the river. He suggested
the setting up of separate bathing ghats for women devotees.The
Ombudsman also asked the government committee formed to check river
pollution to meet at the earliest and chalk out an action plan for
cleaning up the Thiruvallam segment of the Karamana river.

The Hindu, 6th January 2009

National eco-tourism fair in April: Kodiyeri

The State Tourism Department will organise a three-day national-level
'Eco-Tourism Mela' at Sulthan Bathery in April to tap the eco-tourism
potential of Wayanad, Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said .

The Hindu, 5th January 2009

Project for planting one crore saplings

Forest Minister Benoy Viswom said that his department would plant
nearly one crore tree saplings across the State in 2009-10.The project
will be implemented in association with the grama panchayats. The
minister said that the Forest Department had planted about 52 lakh
saplings last year.Nearly 25 lakh saplings were planted in the State,
as part of the 'My Tree' campaign launched in schools.About 80 per
cent of the saplings have started growing thanks to the concerted
efforts made by the students and teachers, he said.Mr. Viswom said
that around 1.90 lakh tree saplings were planted using the services
rendered by headload workers, as part of the 'Vazhiyora thanal'
project.Tree saplings were also planted in about 776 hectares in
connection with the 'Haritha theeram' programme initiated by the
Forest Department, he said.Stating that those opposing the destruction
of trees and rivers were branded as 'anti-development', the Minister
said that development at the cost of cutting down trees and destroying
rivers could not be accepted.He said that the Forest Department was
taking on the challenge of global climatic change by planting lakhs of
tree saplings in various parts of the State.

The Hindu, 2nd January 2009

Nature study centre, watch tower opened at Mangalavanam

Nature lovers in the city got a New Year gift when the Forest
Department opened a nature study centre and bird watching tower at the
ecologically precious Mangalavanam .Considered the green lung of the
city choked by vehicular pollution, Mangalavanam is also the home of
birds even though the numbers visiting the place have come down
considerably over the past few years. The twin projects, including the
nature study centre and bird watching tower, were part of the Forest
Department's efforts to preserve the rich treasure from extinction.
Both the centres have been set up using a share of the Rs. 20-lakh
fund provided by the Union and State governments for the preservation
of Mangalavanam.The 12-metre-high bird watching tower, a total wooden
structure except the ladder, will provide a panoramic view to
visitors. The scenic beauty of the green belt could be enjoyed from
the top of the tower. The roof is thatched with reed leaves from the
Thattekkad forest.Admission to the watch tower will be free for
students during the next one month. They should produce a certificate
from the school principal to avail themselves of the benefit. A
minimal fee will be charged for entry into the watch tower after this
period.The watch tower will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students
will be given lectures on various environmental issues at the nature
study centre.

The Hindu, 2nd January 2009

Recreating the Salim Ali route

The Kerala State Biodiversity Board and the Forest Department are
organising a bird survey in specified areas of Travancore and Kochi
that was surveyed by Salim Ali 75 years ago. The survey will start
from Marayur on Saturday and end in Karuppadanna in Thrissur on
December 31.It was in 1933 that Salim Ali came to Travancore on the
invitation of the Travancore king. The survey, which covered 14
locations in Travancore and 5 locations in Kochi, lasted all the way
from January 3 to December 31 of that year. Salim Ali, was assisted by
the then Thiruvananthapuram zoo curator N.G. Pillai.The present
survey, which will be headed by expert bird-watchers in the country,
will also look into the changes in the ecosystem and the biodiversity
of the region in the last 75 years. At the end of the survey, the
findings will be compared with the book by Salim Ali titled
'Ornithology of Travancore and Kochi' and the results will be
published as a new book.The survey will conclude with a seminar at
Thattekkad.The survey will also provide the students and local body
representatives a platform for interaction with the scientists. The
Bombay Natural History Society and the Salim Ali Wild Wings Trust are
also collaborating with the project.

The New Indian Express, 1st January 2009

Call to adapt to climate change

Extreme climatic events could threaten livelihoods and increase
vulnerability to food insecurity all over the world in future.
Adaptation strategies should focus on protecting local food supplies,
assets and livelihoods, efficient management of land, water and
livestock and energy-efficient agro industrial technologies, according
to Vijay Pratap Singh of the New Delhi-based Leadership for
Environment and Development (LEAD).In a paper titled 'Climate Change
and Food Security' that was presented at a seminar held here in
connection with the Annam National Food and Agro Biodiversity
Festival, Mr. Singh called for more efforts to protect ecosystems
through using degraded or marginal lands, afforestation, protection of
watersheds and coastal areas and preservation of mangroves.In another
paper presented at the seminar, K.P. Prabhakaran Nair, former
professor, National Science Foundation, Royal Society, Belgium
stressed the need for states like Kerala to review their land use
policy in view of the food crisis. "Many years ago, the Central
government advised Kerala to concentrate on cash crops. Now, when the
State is on the fringe of a very serious food shortage, New Delhi is
reluctant to release enough rive from the central pool to meet the
needs of Kerala, thus pushing the State into a crisis".

The Hindu, 1st January 2009

More funds for paddy farming

Union Agriculture Secretary T. Nandakumar has said the Centre will
allot more funds to the district for paddy cultivation under the
National Food Security Mission (NFSM).Addressing an NFSM review
meeting at the Collectorate here, Mr. Nandakumar said intensive paddy
production scheme had been implemented in the district to increase
paddy production and to bring down the cost of production to help the
farmers.He said the programme could also utilise the funds under the
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and the National Rural Employment
Generation Scheme. Funds may also be used to intensifying
mechanisation in paddy cultivation, he added. Renovation of existing
ponds, enhancing organic matter content of soil and issuing soil
health cards could also be taken up under the programme.

The Hindu, 1st January 2009

Kuttanad package on track

Noted agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan has said that the
Rs.1,840-crore Kuttanad package is well on track despite some problems
relating to finer aspects in its implementation.Dr. Swaminathan told
reporters after a meeting with Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan that
some of the technical issues relating to implementation of the
package, particularly those connected with measures needed to check
flooding, would have to be thrashed out through discussions with the
Central government.The outer bunds of Kuttanad should be strengthened
and Kuttanad should be developed as a special agriculture zone so as
to increase paddy output from the region from the present 37 per cent
to 50 per cent in course of time, he said. He admitted that the
Kuttanad package could be implemented only with adequate availability
of funds, but was confident that once implemented, the package would
help change the very face of Kuttanad which was one of the few places
in the world where cultivation was being carried out below mean sea
level.The emphasis of the Kuttanad package was on ensuring food,
health and ecological security and an implementation committee chaired
by the Chief Minister had been formed to oversee its
implementation.Among the tasks proposed to be taken under the package
were repair of the Thottappally Spillway, renovation of the
Alappuzha-Changanasseri (AC) Canal and conservation of the Vembanad
lake the Kumarakom tourist resort. Kumarakom backwaters were
comparable to Dal Lake in Kashmir. Development and conservation of the
area would be undertaken keeping in view the ecological aspects as
well, he said.Replying to a question, Dr. Swaminathan said that as
compared to the package for Kuttanad, that for Idukki could be
implemented with relative ease as all the connected decisions could be
taken at the State level.Earlier, the Chief Minister said the
discussion with Dr. Swaminathan was held in the light of confusions
and controversies about the package, which was sanctioned by the
Centre in September, 2007. Dr. Swaminathan had offered all help and
support to the State to implement the package, which was based on the
recommendations submitted by a panel headed by him, with Central
assistance, Mr. Achuthanandan said.

The Hindu, 31st December 2008

Adopt eco-friendly agriculture: expert

India's efforts to achieve food security should focus on the revival
of agricultural biodiversity and eco-friendly farming practices,
according to noted environmental activist Vandana Shiva.In a paper
presented at a three-day seminar held in connection with the ongoing
Annam National Food and Agro Biodiversity Festival, Ms. Shiva
advocated a 'return to nature' policy as the global response to the
food crisis, the mounting debt burden and the impact of climate
change. "Biodiverse ecological agriculture provides higher nutrition
and food per acre than industrial agriculture. It reduces emissions
and mitigates the effect of climate change while also helping adapt to
it. And it frees farmers of the debt burden," she said. Ms. Shiva
said industrialised agriculture and globalised food systems were
responsible for the food crisis."Over the last one year, the price of
wheat went up by 130 per cent while the price of rice doubled during
the first three months of 2008. Globalisation has led to the
destruction of local food economies and increased control by
profit-driven multi-national corporations. Global integration of
agriculture has in effect resulted in global control of the world's
food supply," she said.Ms. Shiva said India's integration into the
global market had led to the rise in food prices. "In the early days
of globalisation, the agri-businesses that dominated trade lowered the
prices to grab markets. But once the corporations created import
dependency, they started increasing prices. Speculation through
futures trading has also driven up prices. Climate change and the
diversion of food to bio-fuels are adding to the upward pressure on
international prices," she said.Ms. Shiva said the situation warranted
the need to focus on food sovereignty. "It makes both political and
economic sense to achieve self-reliance in food and agriculture." She
said the emergence of seed monopolies and the shift to agricultural
practices based on chemicals and genetically engineered organisms had
burdened farmers with heavy debts.

The Hindu, 31st December 2008

Simulate extreme climatic changes

Many of the climatic extremes that are happening the world over, like
a sudden increase in rainfall or extreme hot or cold climate are part
of climate change, said Surabi Menon, physicist staff scientist at the
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California.Speaking to The
Hindu here while on vacation at home, Ms. Menon said the subject of
extreme climate is one of the foci of the U.S. Department of Energy in
atmospheric changes.All the greenhouse gases and the aerosols that
contribute to change in climate need to be controlled and it is not
just enough to talk about less carbon-dioxide (CO2) emission, said Ms.
Menon, who is one of the contributing authors to the Working Group I
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The chapter relates
to bio-geochemical sciences in the climate change report.Each gas and
particle is studied separately to make predictions. The dark particles
among aerosols that absorb light are also responsible for differential
distribution of light in an area.How the presence of aerosols has
affected the climate in China is evident in the laboratory as well as
in real time, she said. Changes in the atmosphere sometimes give rise
to extreme climate events, said Ms. Menon."Satellite images show
intense pollution over India and China. There has been a marked change
in climate from 1979 onwards in China".The kind of developmental
activity that is taking place in India would have a factor of four
degree decrease in rainfall by 2030, going by the current rate of
pollution."Ms. Menon simulates climate modules for China and India in
the Berkeley laboratory with the data she procures from various
agencies from the two countries. The Chinese are meticulous in keeping
their data, she said. A lot of data from over a long period had been
analysed for the country, she said.In India, data handling is rather
inconsistent. But of late, there have been some good papers on climate
and atmospheric sciences coming up from various centres of excellence,
said Ms. Menon."We can construct the Earth's climate history with
paleo-climate record. If we put in good data to simulate climate
modules, predicting climate becomes near-accurate", she said. Going by
the current rate of CO2 emission, 60 per cent of what has been
released by human activity on Earth continues to stay in the
atmosphere. Climate predictions are important to the process of
formulating government policies that would help bring down the
greenhouse effect, she said.The polluting activities would otherwise
lead to what is called the tipping point in the Earth's climate that
would happen when temperature goes up by 2 degrees centigrade. As of
now, 2100 is predicted to be the tipping point when the sea-level
rises because of the intense melting of glaciers.

The Hindu, 27th December 2008

Near-extinct frog found

BANGALORE: A purple frog with a pig-like snout, thought to be
near-extinct, has been found alive in a field close to the Kerala
Forest Research Institute at Peechi near Thrissur town in Kerala.First
reported in India eight years ago, the rare frog species is closely
linked to a similar frog found only in the island group of the
Seychelles — suggesting the affinity between the Western Ghats and the
Indian Ocean archipelago. Just over 8 cm in length and weighing 142
gm, the frog, which lives mostly under soil was found by a farm worker
planting tuber crops. The KFRI researchers brought the frog to their
campus and identified it as the species Nasikabatrachus sahyadrenis,
never before reported in the district. 'It is almost a living fossil,'
K.K. Ramachandran, head of the KFRI's Wildlife Biology Division, told
The Hindu.

The Hindu, 25th December 2008

Steps on to prevent dengue outbreak

Thiruvananthapuram: The district health administration and the City
Corporation have started taking control measures to check the
increasing incidence of dengue fever in the district. Five to 15 cases
of dengue are being reported from various parts of the district on a
daily basis now.While there has been no outbreak as such, cases are
being reported in large numbers typically from the areas within the
Corporation limits and also from Malayinkeezh and Vilappil, in
particular.The total number of dengue fever cases reported this year
in the district till Tuesday was 447. Though dengue incidence is
usually low during the months of November-December, the rain in the
first two weeks of December had led to the spurt in dengue fever,
health officials said.A disease surveillance meeting held last week
had decided to intensify fogging and spraying activities and to
encourage source reduction. In rural areas, Accredited Social Health
Activists (ASHAs) were engaged in vector-control activities while in
urban areas, people are apathetic to such activities and expect the
civic authorities to handle everything, officials said.From last year,
ward-level health and sanitation funds given by the National Rural
Health Mission (NHRM) were being distributed to the wards in the
Corporation area also. The authorities have decided to disburse the
fund again to intensify control activities.The Corporation has
launched vector-control activities utilising a new fogging machine.
The District Medical Officer said more fogging and spraying machines
were being purchased.The disease is essentially an urban phenomenon,
given the breeding nature of the vector spreading it, the Aedes
Aegypti species of mosquitoes.Aedes is a peri-domestic species and its
breeding grounds are around individual households. Health officials
pointed out that source-reduction activities should thus be focused
around households. The civic authorities can do general fogging and
spraying activities, aimed at controlling adult mosquitoes, but the
key to mosquito control is the source- reduction activities that
individuals should launch on a weekly basis in and around their
houses.Dengue fever is endemic in the district and for the past few
years, nearly 70 per cent of all dengue cases in the State are being
reported from Thiruvananthapuram, especially from Corporation areas.
Dengue cases are reported throughout the year in the district as most
urban houses have overhead water tanks, most of which might not be
lidded tightly and provide breeding grounds for the species.

The Hindu, 24th December 2008

River tourism village opened

Thrissur: The government should provide non-financial support for
small tourism projects, Opposition leader Oommen Chandy has said. He
was speaking after inaugurating 'Puzhakkal River Tourism Village'
project organised by Adatt Panchayat on Tuesday.The Rs.1 crore-project
would be finished with the help of sponsorship, the organisers said.
In the first phase, the project will have boating facility at Ambakkad
river, a kudumbasree centre and cultural events. A rope car facility
over the river, an eco-friendly restaurant and a children's park will
be added at the second phase. With such a novel project, the Adatt
panchayat has become a model for other local bodies, Mr. Chandy said.

The Hindu, 24th December 2008

Medicinal plants fight for life

Sarpagandhi, Raktha Chandan and Elephant's Foot Yam that grow in
Kerala are among the medicinal plants listed as "threatened" by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and TRAFIC, a
wildlife trading monitoring network. They have listed seven species,
including the Kerala varieties, as threatened due to exploitation.
"India is a hub of the wild-collected plant medicine industry in Asia,
but key species have declined due to over-collection to supply
domestic and foreign medicinal markets," said an IUCN communication.
The report "covered seven species of conservation concern protected
under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora."The other species that were covered included
Himalayan Yew, Kutki (Katuku Rohini in local parlance) and Jatamansi.
Desert Cistanche, a plant variety found in China and Mongolia, was
also included in the study. These "wild plant species form the
foundation of health care practices throughout Asia, particularly
traditional practices, such as Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Siddha,
Unani and Tibetan medicines," the report said. While Sarpagandhi is
used in the treatment of nervous disorders, blood pressure and as
anti-venom, the heartwood of Raktha Chandan is used to treat diabetes
and to reduce inflammation. Elephant's Foot Yam, which is used in
treating gastric diseases, also forms part of the diet of the tribals
of Wayanad, according to experts. "The reduced availability of
Himalayan Yew, Kutki and Jatamansi, found mostly in North India, has
forced the pharmaceutical firms to restrict its use," said C.
Ramankutty Warrier, Chief Medical Officer of the Publication Division
of Kotakkal Arya Vaidyasala. Though most of the threatened species are
found in Kerala, they are procured by pharma firms from places where
they grow in the wild, according to Indira Balachandran, Head of the
Centre for Medicinal Plant Research of the Vaidyasala. Dr.
Harikrishnan, chief physician of the Nagarjuna Ayurvedic Group, said
there was no organised farming of these species in Kerala. They mostly
come from markets outside India.

The Hindu, 22nd December 2008

Minister launches organic farming project

Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran has said that the State is
taking up farming in a big way. He was inaugurating an organic farming
programme under the 'Harithatheeram' project in Ward 7 of the city
Corporation on Saturday. Mr. Ratnakaran said the government's scheme
to being organic cultivation of vegetables in 1,000 villages had
evoked an enthusiastic response. The young generation had to be
educated on the joys of farming and turning our fields into productive
places, he said, adding that it was being done successfully in the
State. He reiterated the State government's commitment to organic
farming. The State also had the distinction of being the first in the
country to announce interest-free loans for paddy cultivation. G.
Nammalvar, expert in organic farming, spoke.

The Hindu, 22nd December 2008

Wetland birds vanishing

Wetland birds may vanish from Kerala in the near future considering
their declining population trend. There has been an alarming drop in
the population as revealed during the recent water bird census. The
number of wetland birds in the State has dropped to 94,516 in 2007
from 1, 41,588 of 2004, according to the Asian Water Bird Census data
for Kerala. The situation has further worsened in 2008 in kole
wetlands where the bird population has come down to 30,618 against one
lakh in 2004, said P.O. Nameer, Kerala coordinator of Asian Water Bird
Census. The wetland bird census was held in sole wetlands, Vembanad
Lake, Purathur, Kattampally, Ashtamudi Lake and Kadalundi from 2004.
These wetlands account for the 95 per cent of the total water birds
counted from Kerala. All the wetlands except Purathur and Ashtamudi
showed rapid decline in the bird population. In Purathur, the bird
population increased to 29,837 from 11,272 of 2004. A marginal
increase was also observed at Vembanad where the population was
recorded as 26,801 against 24,744 of 2004, the survey revealed. An
alarming situation prevailed in Kattampally where the bird population
plummeted to 8,440 in 2007 against the 20,087 of 2004.Of the 31 bird
species of Kerala that are considered threatened as per the
International Union for Conservation of Nature standards, eight are
wetland-dependent ones. These include Spot-billed Pelican, Oriental
Darter, Black-headed Ibis and Black-tailed Godwit, said Dr. Nameer.
Dr. B. Sreekumar, coordinator of the survey in Vembanad Lake, observed
that there had been significant reduction in the number of migratory
birds that reach the region. Sandpipers, Greenshanks and Stints could
be hardly spotted during the surveys, he said. It was also observed
that the Cormorant population was on the increase. Besides the habitat
loss, there should be other factors that resulted in the fall in
number of migratory birds reaching the area, said Dr. Sreekumar who
also heads the Kottayam Nature Society.2009 census in January. The
2009 Asian Water fowl census will be held during the first three weeks
of January. The Census, to be held under the joint auspices of the
Wetland International, Kerala State Biodiversity Board and the Kerala
Forest Department would commence at the kole wetland on January 4.
Purathur will be surveyed on January 11 and Vembanad on 18. Bird
counting would also be held at 25 other wetlands across the State. The
survey aims to "obtain, on an annual basis, information on waterbird
populations for most species, at wetlands in the region during the
non-breeding period as a basis for long term evaluation of sites and
monitoring of populations", according to Wetland International. During
the survey, the status and condition of wetlands would be monitored.
It also attempts to create "greater interest in water birds and
wetlands amongst people, and thereby promote the conservation of
wetlands and waterbirds in the region."

The Hindu, 21st December 2008

More than 1,000 species discovered in Mekong: WWF

Scientists have discovered more than 1000 species in Southeast Asia's
Greater Mekong region in the past decade, including a spider as big as
a dinner plate, the World Wildlife Fund said .A rat thought to have
become extinct 11 million years ago and cyanide-laced, shocking pink
millipede were among creatures found in what the group called a
"biological treasure trove".The species were all found in the rain
forests and wetlands along the Mekong River, which flows through
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand,Vietnam and the southern Chinese
province of Yunnan. One species of pit viper was first noted by
scientists after it was found in the rafters of a restaurant at the
headquarters of Thailand's Kho Yai national park in 2001.The new
species highlighted in the report includes 519 plants, 279 fish, 88
frogs, 88 spiders, 46 lizards, 22 snakes, 15 mammals, four birds, four
turtles, two salamanders and a toad an average of two previously
undiscovered species a week for the past 10 years. The report warned,
however, that many of the species could be at risk from development,
and called for a cross-border agreement between the countries in the
Greater Mekong area to protect it.

The Hindu, 18th December 2008