Centre to set up mining authority

The government decision follows suggestions from the Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee constituted to vet the proposed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill, which is likely to come up in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament.

The proposal to set up the mining regulatory authority will be included in the Bill and tabled in Parliament for its approval.

The members of the GoM, including Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily and Minister for Commerce Anand Sharma, have favoured setting up a strong regulatory mechanism to prevent plundering of mineral wealth, especially by those in power. Karnataka’s case, where three ministers from the BJP-led State government were facing charges of involvement in illegal iron ore mining, was among the examples given to press the need for a monitoring authority.

The regulatory body, to be formed by the Ministry of Mines, should oversee mining-related activities, including management of mineral wealth, by curbing illegal mining and proper auctioning of ore. The GoM also urged the Mines Ministry to probe the possibility of giving 26 per cent stake in mining companies to people whose lands had been acquired for the activity. This will ensure that the benefits of mining reach the impoverished tribal population, the panel said.

The GoM’s suggestion to share the inclusive growth in the mining sector with affected people may help decrease the influence Maoists have among the tribals of mineral-rich states, a senior Ministry official told Deccan Herald. The panel has also asked the Ministry to work out the modalities on how the stake could be given to those who lost land to mining activities.DH News Service

The proposals

*GoM headed by Pranab Mukherjee constituted to set up regulatory body*Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill likely to be introduced in Parliament*Karnataka’s mining scam taken as example for need to protect mineral wealth*Regulatory body to be formed by Ministry of Mines*GoM proposes 26 per cent stake in companies to people whose lands had been acquired for mining

Source:DeccanHerald,31-7-2010 _________________________________________________________________________________

‘India and Pakistan must use water as a tool to build trust'

NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan need to adopt a joint, cooperative approach on the Indus river waters to counter the growing water crisis that threatens not only the lives and livelihoods of the people of the region, but also relations between India and Pakistan, according to experts participating in an India-Pakistan seminar here on ‘Water is Life.'

The seminar concluded that the bilateral Indus Water Treaty of 1960 was a viable pact that had stood the test of time and even war, but both sides needed to share data and information on the Indus river to counter misperceptions. The seminar was organised jointly by Aman Ki Asha and the Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation

The delegates urged both the governments to share data, ensure transparency and make the information public. They suggested that there could be a joint-study of the factors responsible for the reported reduced flows in the western rivers (allotted to Pakistan under the treaty) and proposed joint monitoring of flows at strategic points.

Calling upon the two sides to use water as a tool to build trust and cooperation, the delegates agreed that the neighbours needed to manage their water resources internally and took note of the factors adding to water stress in the Indus basin, like climate change, glacier melt, fluctuations in precipitation patterns and increasing exploitation of water due to rising populations (increasing groundwater use, and direct withdrawals from the river).

The delegates deliberated upon the perception in Pakistan that India was diverting its share of water, which the Indian experts explained was not the case. However, it was agreed there were reduced flows of water in the rivers, related to ecological changes in the region. Delegates agreed that sharing experiences, particularly success stories, would be mutually beneficial. Participants included Khalid Mohtadullah, Zaigham Habib, Rafay Alam, Sulaiman Najib Khan and Ayub Qutub from Pakistan and Ramaswamy Iyer, R. Rangachari, Ravi Chopra, Virendra Kumar, Prem Shankar Jha and B.G. Verghese from India. Javid Shahmiri and Zubair Ahmad Dar provided perspectives from Jammu and Kashmir.

Source:The Hindu, 31-7-2010

Plan to grow mangroves in Kottuli wetlands

Kozhikode: The Social Forestry Department here has come up with a management action plan to plant mangrove saplings in the ecologically-precious Kottuli wetlands within the city. The proposal is to nurture fresh mangrove saplings in around two hectares of land.

K. Ummer, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry), said the project, expected to cost around Rs.1 lakh during its first phase of implementation, had won the approval of the State government. “The process of planting saplings will begin next month,” he added.

The department is also moving ahead with steps to promote the cultivation of mangroves in private lands. As part of the initiative, applications have already been invited from individuals to benefit from a special financial aid of Rs.10,000 sanctioned by the State government. The department would select a person from the district who devoted the largest area of land for mangrove cultivation to begin with the promotion drive.

“Although the government has invited applications from individuals, many are seemingly reluctant to apply for the aid following a misconception that the process is meant to prepare A databank of mangroves and to mark out the spot for government proceedings,” said Mr. Ummer. He added that the department would not be able to consider the applications of persons who failed to apply before July 31.

Financial aid

According to officials, a proposal given by the Social Forestry Department here recommended to the government to sanction an annual financial aid of Rs.10,000 for all persons who preserved at least one hectare of mangroves in their property. The aid could also be granted for conserving the existing mangrove fields, they said.

The Social Forestry Department will select five more sacred groves from the district this year to extend special financial aid for conservation initiatives.

For the purpose, the department is planning to invite fresh applications from people who presently own and protect such ecologically important locations.

Mr. Ummer said the department extended financial support to conserve three selected sacred groves in the district. Each of these groves would be given a fund of Rs.3 lakh, he added.According to officials, they had already directed the people who maintained these groves to label each of the rare species of plants and herbs being protected. They have also been asked to seek the support of experts from the Kerala Forest Research Institute to carry out the labelling process scientifically.

The drive to conserve the sacred groves in the district started in 2009. No fewer than 45 applications had reached the Social Forestry Department seeking the benefits of the project.

Souce:The Hindu,31-7-2010

Status check soon at Endosulfan-hit villages

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A committee constituted by the State government to study the after-effects of aerial spraying of the pesticide Endosulfan in Kasaragod district has decided to prepare a report on the current status of the environment in the affected villages.

An assessment will be done on Endosulfan residues in soil, water and human blood and the state of biodiversity. Besides, the economic, social and environmental impact stemming from past use of Endosulfan will be looked into. The report is proposed to be prepared in about three months.

A recent meeting of the committee decided to establish the protocols for periodic monitoring of the changes in the Endosulfan residues and do analysis to determine the changes at regular intervals. The committee desired to start the analysis at the earliest and enlist the laboratories of the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management and the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History to do the analysis. The Department of Chemical Oceanography of the Cochin University of Science and Technology and the Government Medical College, Kozhikode, too will be enlisted.

Though the protocols were to be ready in 10 days, its preparation is getting delayed.Blood samples of some of the victims of Endosulfan were analysed in the past for presence of Endosulfan and its degradative products. These will be compared with the results of the present study. The spraying of Endosulfan was discontinued in 2000 after about 25 years of use on the estates of the Plantation Corporation of Kerala in Kasaragod.

Since the maximum half-life of Endosulfan is nearly 800 days, only traces of the pesticide will be remaining in soil, water and living organisms now. However, higher concentrations are likely in sediments. There is also the possibility of bioaccumulation in fishes which will continue to move up the food chain.

Endosulfan or its degradative products are unlikely to be detected in flowing water now. If the pesticide has contaminated groundwater, they may be present in water drawn through “Surangams” (a special kind of tunnels cut into hillocks used for water harvesting in the area). Wells too may have residues in the mud at the bottom unless they had been cleared.

R. Ajaya Kumar Varma, Member-Secretary of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, who heads the committee, says that sampling will be done in 11 affected panchayats and any nearby areas that can have residues. Sub-groups of the committee will be in charge of different aspects of the study. They will interact with panchayats and health authorities in the district.

The members of the committee are: V.S. Vijayan (former Chairman of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board); S. Muraleedharan (eco-toxicologist, Salim Ali Centre); C. Jayakumar (director, Thanal, Thiruvananthapuram); Chandramohana Kumar (Department of Chemical Oceanography, Cochin University of Science and Technology); P. Jayakrishnan (Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Kozhikode); Purushan Eloor (Janajagratha, Eloor, Kochi); and Sukanya (Community Health Cell, Bangalore).

Source:The Hindu,31-7-2010

KSCSTE institutes awards for eco clubs

Thiruvananthapuram: As many as 42 schools across the State will compete for the district and State-level awards instituted by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) for the best eco clubs under the National Green Corps programme.
The 42 schools, three from each district, were shortlisted by the District Implementation and Monitoring Committee (DIMC) chaired by the District Collector. The schools will be invited to make a presentation on their activities at a workshop to be held at the Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) here on August 5 and 6. An evaluation committee has been set up for the purpose.
The best eco club in each district will get a cash prize of Rs.50,000, while the State-level award carries a purse of Rs.1 lakh. Each school participating in the competition will have two students and one teacher.
Forest Minister Benoy Viswom is expected to distribute the awards at the workshop. The National Green Corps is an environment education programme launched by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.
In Kerala, as many as 2,00,000 students from 3,460 schools are members of eco clubs. Each eco club consists of more than 50 students and a teacher in-charge.
The KSCSTE provides an assistance of Rs.2,500 for each school.


Source: Hindu, 30-7-2010

International Year of Biodiversity-2010

The United Nations proclaimed 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity, and people all over the world are working to safeguard this irreplaceable natural wealth and reduce biodiversity loss. This is vital for current and future human well being. We need to do more. Now is the time to act. The International Year of Biodiversity is a unique opportunity to increase understanding of the vital role that biodiversity plays in sustaining life on Earth. Biological diversity - or biodiversity - is the term given to the variety of life on Earth and the natural patterns it forms. Genetic, Species and Ecosystem diversity are the three levels of biodiversity. The biodiversity we see today is the fruit of billions of years of evolution, shaped by natural processes and, increasingly, by the influence of humans. It forms the web of life of which we are an integral part and upon which we so fully depend. Biodiversity provides a large number of goods and services that sustain our lives. Protecting biodiversity is in our self-interest. Biological resources are the pillars upon which we build civilizations. Nature's products support such diverse industries as agriculture, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, horticulture, construction and waste treatment. Habitat loss, climate change, pollution, alien species and over exploitation are the major reasons behind the high rate of biodiversity loss. The loss of biodiversity threatens our food supplies, opportunities for recreation and tourism, and sources of wood, medicines and energy. It also interferes with essential ecological functions. The United Nations proclaimed May 22 as the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. The theme of 2010 biodiversity day is Biodiversity, Development and Poverty Alleviation.

Major goals of International Year of Biodiversity 2010 include

• Establishing protected areas to conserve biological diversity while promoting environmentally sound development around these areas

• Rehabilitating and restoring degraded ecosystems and promoting the recovery of threatened species in collaboration with local residents

• Respecting, preserving and maintaining traditional knowledge of the sustainable use of biological diversity with the involvement of indigenous peoples and local communities

• Preventing the introduction of, controlling, and eradicating alien species that could threaten ecosystems, habitats or species

• Controlling the risks posed by organisms modified by biotechnology

• Promoting public participation, particularly when it comes to assessing the environmental impacts of development projects that threaten biological diversity

• Educating people and raising awareness about the importance of biological diversity and the need to conserve it

• Reporting on how each country is meeting its biodiversity goals.

Call to study climate change effects on natural rubber

KOTTAYAM: Rubber Board Chairman Sajen Peter has stressed the need for the researches in natural rubber sector to factor in the impact of climate change on production and productivity in rubber plantation sector worldwide.

Inaugurating the three-day international workshop on ‘Climate Change and natural Rubber Cultivation', organised jointly by the Rubber Research Institute of India and International Rubber Research and Development Board (IRRDB) here on Wednesday, Mr. Peter said the fall in productivity of natural rubber in the past few years could be directly linked with the effects of greenhouse gases.

The impact would have greater bearing on the natural rubber sector since majority of the holdings were of half a hectare in area and the farmer was faced with a gestation period of six to seven years for availing a regular income from his investment for the next quarter of a century.

Increasing output
Stephen V. Evans, secretary general, International Rubber Study Group (IRSG), said the normal natural rubber production would substantially increase in the coming decade on account the contribution from the nearly one million ha that has been brought under cultivation in the south-east Asian countries.

However, these projected figures would be impacted by the effects of climate change and change in land use pattern, he said. Prof. J. Srinivasan of Indian institute of Science, Bangaluru, said the global mean temperature of earth has increased by one degree Celsius during the past 150 years and the present century would witness an accelerated pace of increase in temperature if human beings continue to depend on fossil fuels.

Source:Hindu, 29-7-2010

Richer inland fish harvest in Kannur district

KANNUR: Aquaculture in the district has been showing a revival trend with the Matsya Keralam project now entering its third phase. The State government had launched the project to diversify aquaculture for a bigger harvest of fish, shrimps and mussels farmed inland.

Beneficiaries of the project in the district are expecting a good harvest in the second phase taken up during 2009-10. As the harvest of shrimp has just begun, they are confident of a better yield than last year's in the first phase.

Figures provided by the Fisheries Department officials here show that the yield in the first phase was 60 tonnes of shrimp, mussels and fin-fish. The yield is expected to increase to 80 tonnes this year under the second phase.

While the beneficiaries of the project under the first phase were 71 individuals and six groups, their number rose to 83 and 11 in the second phase. In the first phase, the total area utilised was 127.5 hectares. The area was extended to 178.48 ha in the second phase. The officials hope that an additional 100 ha can be brought under aquaculture in the third phase.

“The Matsya Keralam project has given a new lease of life to crisis-hit aquaculture activities in the district as elsewhere, as shrimp farmers have never received benefits such as free shrimp seeds, shrimp feed at subsidised rates and insurance coverage that they are now getting under the project,” says Dinesh Cheruvat, Deputy Director of Fisheries here. The total shrimp production in the district will be anywhere near 1,000 tonnes if 1,000 ha of the Kattampally wetland areas can be utilised for brackish water aquaculture, he adds.

The Matsya Keralam project, which envisages creation of new employment opportunities and increase in exports of fish products, among other things, has been received well by aquaculture farmers who have been hit by heavy losses following viral diseases that adversely affected shrimp farms in the region.

Overcoming stagnation

“The Matsya Keralam project has helped shrimp farmers in the region overcome the stagnation in the field following the diseases,” says T. Manoharan, shrimp farmer and beneficiary. Winner of the district shrimp farmer award for 2010, he says he harvested 1,360 kg of shrimps from his one-hectare farm in the Kannapuram panchayat on Tuesday. The yield is fetching a price of Rs.350-400 a kg, he says. The project gave fresh hope to shrimp farmers in the district, 70 per cent of whom had left their farms unused since the outbreak of diseases a few years ago, Mr. Manoharan says.

Chamandy Krishnan, another beneficiary at Thekkumbad in Kunhimangalam panchayat, echoes similar sentiments. His yield from freshwater aquaculture from his 0.88-ha farm was two tonnes of fin fish in the first phase and he expects an increase in the second phase as the harvest is about to begin.

The project is being implemented with the involvement of local bodies and various agencies including the Agency for Development of Aquaculture in Kerala and the Fish Farmers' Development Agency, among others.

Source: Hindu, 29-7-2010

Innovative coconut products

KOCHI: The Coconut Development Board based in Kochi has been striving to evolve new processes to retain the importance of the coconut tree, known also as a ‘kalpavriksha', a tree that gives everything one needs for living. In a bid to take the coconut to the centrestage, the board has been on a drive to produce innovative products. It has resulted in a range of new items.

Virgin coconut oil is one among the series of products. The oil, extracted from fresh coconut, without chemical processes, is rich in minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants.

Having a high content of lauric acid, it has disease-fighting abilities, according to the board.

Another innovative product being promoted by the CDB is ‘Pina Colada', a healthy beverage, a blended form of coconut milk and pineapple juice. It can be consumed as it is or may be used to make a cocktail.

Shell flour, shell charcoal and activated carbon are among the non-conventional products being promoted by the board. Shell flour is manufactured from matured coconut shells.

It is used in bakelite, plastics and other allied industries. Coconut shell flour gives a smooth and lustrous finish to moulded articles and improves their resistance to moisture and heat.

Source:Hindu, 29-7-2010

Artificial bund at Thiruvallam removed

Thiruvananthapuram: The Department of Coastal Shipping and Inland Navigation, on Wednesday, began demolition of an artificial bund at Moonnattumukku that had led to tension between people of the Poonthura fishing village on the one hand and those on the Edayar island and the mainland at Thiruvallam on the other.

The demolition work was taken up following a meeting convened by Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran last week to settle the dispute that was threatening to spin out of control.

While the people on the island and the mainland were demanding the demolition of the temporary bund, those at Poonthura wanted it to be retained as an access route to the island. The structure made of packed earth was hindering the natural tidal flushing process and aggravating the pollution of the downstream stretches of the Karamana river. It was built by a contractor entrusted with the job of desilting the waters on the western side of the island.

A police picket was posted in the area following a tense stand-off over a breach in the bund last week.

Community leaders and elected representatives who participated in the conciliatory talks convened by the Minister approved the proposal to break open the bund and desilt the canal.

An excavator was pressed into service on Wednesday for the work. Officials of the Coastal Shipping and Inland Navigation Department were present to supervise the operation.

Source: Hindu, 29-7-2010

Work on waste treatment plant at Sabarimala to begin soon

Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran on Wednesday said work on a waste treatment plant at Sabarimala would begin this festival season.

He told the Assembly during question hour that the Rs.29-crore project would come up before the next meeting of the Cabinet for administrative sanction.


Minister for Devaswom Kadannapally Ramachandran informed the House that the government was awaiting the report of a survey for the construction of a ropeway at Sabarimala.

Answering a question raised by Aisha Potti, he said the ropeway would begin at the Pamba Hilltop and end before the police mess at the Sannidhanam. He said Rs.3 crore had been sanctioned for the renovation of temples under the Malabar Devaswom.

Source: Hindu,29-7-2010

District-level panels for wetland protection soon

Replying to a submission by C.K.P. Padmanabhan (CPI-M), Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran said the panchayat-level committees to monitor unauthorised reclamation of wetlands would come up soon.

The State-level committee had been constituted and the district-level committees were about to be notified, he added.

Earlier, Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran told P.C. George (KC-M) that the government had registered 1,100 cases in connection with unauthorised reclamation of paddy and wetlands and was in the process of preparing the databank on wetlands in the State.

He also assured the member that the government would prevent the allegedly unauthorised reclamation of wetlands at Akkulam here. In Thrissur, the government had reversed the reclamation and the action was ratified by Kerala High Court, he said.

Source:Hindu,29-7-2010

Anicut across Maruthaiyar planned

PERAMBALUR: A new anicut across the Maruthaiyar in the district has been proposed by the Plan Formulation Division of the Public Works Department at a cost of about Rs.9.27 crore.

The anicut is planned to be built across the river at Nochikulam in Kunnam taluk in the district. It would help harness about 1,597 million cubic feet of surplus water flow in the river during the monsoon to stabilise irrigation for about 2,700 acres. New supply channels would be built for a distance of about 21.32 km leading up to the Vettakudi-Karaivetti tank, which is also a bird sanctuary.

Once completed, the anicut would help achieve an additional foodgrain production of 4,399 tonne a year, M.Paneerselvam, Executive Engineer, PWD Plan Formulation Division, Tiruchi, told The Hindu. Mr.Paneerselvam said Collector M.Vijayakumar had evinced keen interest in the project and a proposal would be forwarded to the government shortly for approval.

Two other projects, construction of a grade wall across the Vellar and another anicut across the Oothangal Odai, have also been planned in the district. Mr.Paneerselvam said the grade wall across Vellar was planned in Kunnam taluk to feed Athiyur and three other tanks. Irrigation would be stabilised for about 1,200 acres of ayacut area through the project, estimated to cost around Rs.2.05 crore. The anicut across the Uthangal Odai is planned at an estimated cost of Rs.46 lakh and would help stabilise irrigation in the ayacut areas of the Appavu Padaiyachi and Zameen Athur Big Tank. Proposals for the two projects would also be forwarded to the government soon for administrative sanction.

Source:Hindu,29-7-2010

Krishna water supply from September

CHENNAI: Andhra Pradesh has informed Tamil Nadu that it will start supplying Krishna water in September.

As per the 1983 agreement between the States, Andhra Pradesh is to supply water from July. But, it had expressed its inability as canal repair works were under way.

A couple of weeks ago, officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD) of Tamil Nadu visited Andhra Pradesh and pressed their counterparts to commence the supply at least from August. However, AP Irrigation officials told them that they would be able to supply the water from September.

The storage in the Kandaleru reservoir, the terminal storage point in Andhra Pradesh and from where the supply is effected for Tamil Nadu, is around 18.35 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft).

Last year too, Krishna water was supplied to Tamil Nadu from September to December in the first spell. Between September 15, 2009 and December 20, 2009, 4.145 tmc ft of water was realised. In the second spell, the State got 2.871 tmc ft during February 2-April 3, 2010.

Totally, 7.016 tmc ft was realised. [As per the agreement, Tamil Nadu is to get a net quantity of 12 tmc ft in a water year]. As on date, the combined storage of reservoirs catering to Chennai water supply – Satyamurti Sagar in Poondi, Cholavaram, Red Hills and Chembarampakkam – stood at 4.275 tmc ft, against the total combined capacity of 11.057 tmc ft.

Source:Hindu, 28-7-2010

Rs. 97 lakh to develop Edamalakudy

KATTAPPANA: The Forest Department will take the initiative to develop Edamalakudy, the first tribal grama panchayat in the State, with a Rs. 97 lakh project for developing infrastructure.

Since Edamalakudy is part of the forest area, an empowerment committee with various department officials as members will be formed to co-ordinate the utilisation of funds allotted by various departments. Explaining the features of the works to be taken up in the initial stage, Munnar Divisional Forest Officer S.G.Maheshkumar said that a major focus of the project will be on cardamom cultivation, the main cash product of the tribals.

He said that a meeting in this regard was convened by Forest Minister Benoy Viswom in Thiruvananthapuram recently and it was attended by people's representative and officials of forest department. An amount of Rs. 45 lakh will be spent for treatment of cardamom, its procurement and marketing to get maximum benefits for the tribals. The Vana Samrakshana Samithy (VSS) will procure cardamom and Rs. 12 lakh has been earmarked for constructing stores and other related facilities. The forest products collected by the tribals will be marketed through the Vanasree network and the VSS will act as a medium for collecting and marketing the product.

The Forest road connecting Munnar to Edamalakudy is nearing completion and the forest department will purchase two jeeps for conducting the services. Vehicles from outside the tribal area will not be allowed.

Source:Hindu, 28-7-2010

India a role model in space activities

Thrissur: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K. Radhakrishnan has said that India is a role model for other countries in applications of space technology.He was delivering the keynote address at a programme here on Tuesday to mark the diamond jubilee of B.Sc. Physics course and golden jubilee of the M.Sc. Physics course of the St. Thomas College.

“In many areas of space research, India ranks second or third. India is among the top six countries that build world-class satellites. With the launch of Cartosat-2B, India has 10 active remote sensing satellites in space. India has built about 30 satellites for other countries. With its technological capabilities, it has set a benchmark for other countries,” he said. He observed that the Indian space science programme was guided by the Nehruvian vision that science should be used for poverty alleviation and social welfare.“With its applications in monitoring climate and natural resources, space technology contributes to decentralised planning.” He urged universities and colleges to associate with the ISRO in student projects. “To create more space scientists, the ISRO supports space science promotion activities in select universities and colleges. Youthsat, a microsatellite to study space weather, built by students from universities in India and Moscow, will be launched in a forthcoming flight of PSLV,” he said.

He stated that Chandrayan-2 mission, scheduled for 2013, would throw light on the origin and evolution of moon using instruments on an orbiter and through an in situ analysis of samples collected by a rover put on the lunar surface. He said he was touched to be invited to lecture at a college where his father had studied. “My father studied here in the early 1930s. He grew up in this college.”

Auxiliary Bishop Mar Raphael Thattil, former college principal Devassy Panthallukkaran and P. C. Thomas, former professor with the college, also spoke.

Source: Hindu,28-7-2010

Poor monsoon hits ‘kar' paddy cultivation

TIRUNELVELI: Vast stretch of cultivable lands, which usually have green cover during the month of July with ‘Kar' paddy saplings, remain arid as the southwest monsoon has let down the district for the second consecutive year.

Though the ‘kar' paddy cultivation is taken up on 20,000 hectares of land every year under Papanasam, Manimuthar, Servalar, Gadana, Ramanadhi and Advainainar dams, the scarce rainfall during the Southwest Monsoon season has discouraged the farmers of Tirunelveli, Palayamkottai and lower regions from testing their fortunes.

During February and April, the catchment areas of Papanasam, Manimuthar and Servalar dams used to experience significant precipitation every year and hence even an average rainfall during the onset of the monsoon would enable the water managers to release water on June 1 for ‘kar' paddy cultivation.

However, the catchment areas registered only 43.08 mm rainfall this year against the normal precipitation of 131.30 mm, restricting the officials to release water only in three irrigation channels.

While the agriculturists in Ambasamudram and Cheranmahadevi regions started farming operations due to their proximity to Papanasam, Manimuthar and Servalar dams and with the water released in South Kodaimelazhagiyan, North Kodaimelazhagiyan and Nadhiyunni channels, farmers in other regions are not prepared to take the risk this year too.

Source: Hindu, 28-7-2010

Smog blankets Moscow on city's hottest day

MOSCOW: Moscow sweltered on Monday through its hottest day since records began 130 years ago, as temperatures hit 37.4 degrees Celsius (99.3 degrees Farenheit) sparking peat fires that blanketed the city in smog.

A heatwave has engulfed central parts of European Russia, and Siberia since June, destroying crops covering an area the size of Portugal. Green groups, including Greenpeace, say the temperatures are evidence of global warming.

"The all-time record has been broken, we have never recorded a day this hot before," said Gennady Yeliseyev, deputy head of Russia's state weather agency. The previous high of 36.8 degrees Celsius was recorded on August 7, 1920, he said.

"The new record could be broken by Wednesday," he said. Muscovites have struggled to deal with the heat, with most electronics retailers selling out of fans and air conditioners, and many cafes running out of ice and cold beer by early afternoon.

Women were using golf umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun on Red Square. Bloggers have begun to complain of men travelling with bare torsos on the metro.

"This summer is very hard, physically and emotionally," said accountant Marina Veselkova, trying to cool off by a fountain in front of Bolshoi Theatre after sending her children to relatives in the country.

"It's very bad," said Alexander, a courier. "I go to the beach at the weekends but it's difficult to swim because the water is so hot."

CROPS SUFFER
Russian grain prices shot up last week on advancing drought. The Agriculture Ministry said late on Friday that by July 22 drought had killed crops over 100,000 square kilometres (38,600 square miles), an area larger than Portugal.

Muscovites' discomfort was compounded on Monday by a blanket of smog, whose sharp, cinder-filled smell permeated the city and crept into offices, homes and restaurants via windows and doors.

The emergencies ministry said 34 peat fires and 26 forest fires were blazing on Monday in the area surrounding Moscow, covering 59 hectares (145 acres).

"Muscovites will have to inhale smoke for another two to two and a half months," said Alexei Yaroshenko, head of the forest programme at Greenpeace Russia. He said the smoke could eclipse the worst smog registered in Moscow, in 1872 and 1837.

Airports serving Moscow were unaffected by the smoke. "This is awful. It is going to damage people's health," said telephone engineer Davit Manukov, 25, standing by the Kremlin where black clouds of smoke enveloped its golden onion domes.

The Moscow government agency overseeing air pollution, Mosekomonitoring, told Reuters the amount of harmful impurities in Moscow's air exceeded the norm by 5-8 times.

The elderly and those suffering from heart disease should try and avoid contact with the smog, said its chief specialist Alexei Popikov, adding that the levels of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide were high.

Source: Times Of India

Snails fast becoming a threat

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Giant African snails are invading agriculture land and homes in several localities of Kerala, posing a serious problem.

A native of East Africa, the land snail ( Achatina fulica) is a pest that attacks nearly 500 plant species, including those bearing fruits and vegetables and even rubber and coffee.

Attacks by the species have been reported from Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode cities, Konni in Pathanamthitta district and Palakkad. It multiplies in large numbers during the rainy season and destroys vegetables, papaya, banana and other crops. In some parts of Kollam district, it has invaded coconut trees and local people are planning a drive against them. In Konni, people have destroyed thousands of snails through application of common salt.
Many people have reacted to the pest with revulsion as it enters the kitchens and other parts of their homes, especially at night. They even feed on the walls of homes as they require calcium, which is found in concrete and lime, for development of their shells.

They, however, cannot stand heat and sunlight. It is easily killed by spraying of salt or copper sulphate. But control is difficult once it multiplies into large populations under congenial climate.
How the snail arrived in Kerala is a matter of conjecture. It was reportedly introduced in the then Calcutta as back as in 1847. Proliferation of the species has since been reported from Karnataka, Orissa and Bihar. The snail would have reached Kerala years ago, but may have found an environment suitable for its gregarious multiplication only now.

It is possible that the multiplication of the snails is another symptom of serious disturbance to Kerala's environment. Farmers from some parts of the State have reported seeing unfamiliar insects. They say that the insects had arrived from Tamil Nadu with chicken droppings brought for use as fertilizer. It can also be the result of environmental changes that favour their multiplication.

Many molluscs and insects had been destroyed in the past because of intense use of pesticides in farms and paddy fields. It is possible that it also led to decline in numbers of their predators. Thus, devoid of competitors and predators, the African snail could have found an opportunity to multiply. And a worrisome factor is that it is not just the snails that are spreading in Kerala now. The list includes influenza viruses, mosquitoes and mites.

Source:The Hindu 26 July 2010

Where Are The Wetlands?

Some years ago, this was done under the cover of darkness. Now, brazenly in daylight. Large chunks of the protected wetlands on either side of Eastern Metropolitan Bypass are being filled up and taken over by unscrupulous realtors with Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the administration turning a blind eye.

A year-long effort of locals in Chowbhaga to protect an 18-bigha waterbody has gone in vain. Almost the entire jheel has been filled up, turned it into a marshland. The area is located in Ward 108 of KMC, which was in Left hands till this year (under CPM's Amal Majumdar) and is now with Trinamool Congress' Partha Roy Chowdhury.

Another encroachment has been detected less than a kilometre away. A 30-bigha bheri (waterbody) is being slowly filled up despite protests from local residents. In this case, the needle of suspicion points to an academic institute located close to the jheel. A third of the waterbody has already been filled up.

What makes the encroachments all the more shocking is that the waterbodies lie within the precincts of the East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW), a protected Ramsar site. According to the rules, no permission is granted for any activities that may endanger the wetland.

In KMC records, the 18-bigha site under Nonadanga Mouza is clearly marked as a wetland. But a spot visit on Friday revealed that the character of the site had been surreptitiously altered beyond recognition. There is no water any more. All that remains is marshes. And the telltale signs of deliberate destruction.

According to locals, over the past 12 months, trucks have made hundreds of trips to the site and dumped earth and fly ash to cover the waterbody, gradually reducing it to marshland. No one knows who is behind the encroachment but attempts to block it by the locals have found no support from the administration.

"Letters and appeals to district administration and civic officials have yielded no response. This is theft in broad daylight," alleged resident Bablu Mondal.

In the complaint sent to KMC a year ago, residents alleged that despite their opposition, a company which has an office in Salt Lake began filling up the waterbody. Locals lodged a complaint with Tiljala police station. But no action was taken to protect it.

Mondal's and scores of other families were dependent on the jheel for pisciculture and fought tooth and nail to protect it, as most the inhabitants of the East Kolkata Wetlands do. Environment activists have acknowledged the contribution of the local community in preserving the fragile ecology, pointing out that each is sustained by the other.

Yet, authorities remain blind to encroachments like the one at Chowbhaga as real estate sharks gobble up wetlands. "We were all dependent on the jheel for livelihood. Since it has been filled up, we have become jobless," rued local resident Sasanka Mondal.

With a new board at the helm in KMC, the civic body has finally responded to the helpless appeals by Sasanka and others. KMC chairman Satchidananda Banerjee visited the spot on Friday with local Trinamool councillor Partha Roychowdhury, KMC director-general (buildings) Debasish Kar and other senior officials.

"We will investigate how a waterbody in EKW was allowed to be filled up without permission. No construction activity will be allowed till the probe is completed and ownership of the land settled," Banerjee said. He has asked the KMC building department not to sanction any building plans on the filled up' site before scrutinizing the validity and authenticity of all documents.

The KMC chairman on Friday assured the locals that they would not allow the 30-bigha bheri to be filled up any further. "We have been told that an academic institution is filling up the bheri to expand its business. We will not allow it," Banerjee said, adding: "I was shocked to see how an 18-bigha jheel could be filled up and converted into land for business purpose. We will take strong action. I have asked KMC officials not to sanction any commercial project in the filled up site."

Source: The Times of India 24 July 2010

183 species of butterfly identified at Namdhapa National Park

ITANAGAR: Butterfly lovers identified and photo documented 183 species of 'flying beauties' in the buffer area of the Namdhapa national park in Arunachal Pradesh during the five-day 13th Butterfly India Meet (BMI-2010) which concluded on Friday.

Due to rain the participants from various parts of the country could not venture into the core area of the national
park, said Ariff Siddiqui, an eminent nature photographer and one of the organisers of the meet.

However, the exploration was highly encouraging for the participants as they believe more species are to be found in the core areas of the forests which they like to explore soon.

The 30 participants also identified in numerous moths apart from the sightings of some glittering beetles like 'Golden Tortoise'.

This was an encouraging indicator for existence of many other species of the butterflies in the core area in Namdhapa and beyond that when type of forests and profile of hill changes, if count touches a figure of 183 in the buffer area" explained Dr Alfred, former director, Zoological Survey of India.

"The event was held for the thirteenth time at the various locations of India and this is the second time we have
got the opportunity to explore Arunachal Pradesh in North East" said Butterfly India Group Moderator Vijay Barve in a speech at the end of the meet.

Colonel Sandeep Choudhury of 18 Assam Rifles, Jairampur and S J Jongsam, Namdapha national park field director, lauded the participants for their enthusiasm in identifying so many species despite bad weather condition.

Source: The Times of India 24 July 2010

Amazon deforestation in dramatic decline

Large-scale deforestation in the Amazon rainforest fell dramatically last year, according to official figures released on Friday.
Data from satellite sensors making fortnightly detections of only larger areas of forest destruction (greater than 25 hectares) was 1,500 km {+2} between August 2009 and May 2010, compared with 3,000 km {+2} in the same period a year earlier. The Brazilian environment agency, Ibama, which is responsible for protecting the forests against illegal logging, said the drop was due to the increased use of satellite data to spot the felling of trees and new tactics to deter loggers, including ending their ability to hide under cloud cover.

The full figures for the year and all deforestation will be published on July 31. The areas of forest destruction are expected to be 5,000 —6,000 km {+2} , down from 7,500 km {+2} the previous year, and from 27,000 km {+2} in 2004.

“We are winning another victory over deforestation in the world's largest and most important biome,” Luciano Evaristo, director of environmental protection, told this reporter, who had been flown to Brazil by the Brazilian government for the announcement. “Before [satellite data] we were looking blindly. But in 2010, all 244 actions were based on smart geo-processed data.” But Evaristo agreed with critics of the government that Ibama remains understaffed, with 700—800 enforcement officers on the ground at any one time across the vast country, which is nearly four times the size of western Europe. “I wish we had 4,000,” he said, adding that the satellite data was making the work of officers more effective.

The reasons

The ecologist Philip Fearnside, at the National Research Institute for the Amazon in Manaus, said the decline is partly due to control measures, but also due to a drop in demand as soy and beef consumption fell and the appreciation of the Brazilian real against the U.S. dollar made export more expensive to foreign markets. “Deforestation is not under control,” he said. “Prices of commodities will go up after the global recession. When that happens you discover you do not have control.” Evaristo rejected that argument: “The figures for 2010 show high commodity prices do not lead to an increase in deforestation.” The environment minister, Izabella Teixeira, said: “I think several factors can explain [the drop]. We now share the responsibility with 17 ministries.” Ibama has adopted new tactics in the fight against deforestation. Only 0.32 per cent of the 250,000 fines issued by Ibama over the last 20 years have been paid. “It is true, thanks to the Brazilian legal system,” said Evarista, blaming three different appeal systems.
Ibama seizes the tools and equipment of suspected illegal loggers while the legal process plays out, and also blocks their access to government credit, which is proving highly effective.
The ranchers can no longer hide under clouds either. Until recently, only visible light satellite images were taken. “The ranchers knew Ibama was much less active on the ground during the cloudy season,” said the satellite data manager George Ferreira. Now, radar surveillance means the felling of trees can be spotted from space, rain or shine, day or night.
Raquel Taitson, an armed enforcement officer who has been attacked with an axe and had to escape being run down by a car, said she is driven by the desire to protect the forest. “My father is usually more scared than me, so usually I don't tell him. But we need more officers. We also have other tasks, such as controlling animal trafficking and illegal fishing.” A study published last week by the influential Chatham House think tank said illegal logging dropped by between 50 and 75 per cent across Cameroon, Indonesia and the Brazilian Amazon over the last decade. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2010

Source: The Hindu 24 July 2010

Three Gorges Dam faces a tough test

BEIJING:Seven years ago, the massive Three Gorges Dam was hailed by China's official media as being able “to withstand a once in 10,000 year flood.”

But as China's south was ravaged by floods this week — the worst in a decade — the multi-billion dollar dam's actual capacity to deliver has become a subject of much debate for the media and environmental groups here.

More than 273 people have died in this month's flooding, which has also destroyed 330,000 homes and dislocated tens of thousands of residents. This is the worst flooding in China since the devastating 1998 floods, which claimed 4,150 lives.

On Friday, the water-level of the Three Gorges Dam reached its peak for this year, to 13.86 metres above its reservoir's water-releasing level. The water-level has now risen to 158.86 metres, only 16.17 metres short of its maximum capacity.

The dam's construction, which as of 2008 had cost $26.5 billion and displaced more than one million people, has been justified by the government as an essential solution to the Yangtze river's recurring flooding problems.

The dam faced its toughest test yet since it opened in 2008 on Friday, with peak flows forecast to touch 70,000 cubic metres a second.

With the Yangtze's upper reaches continuing to swell, huge waves of water were released from the dam at 40,000 cubic metres per second, prompting concerns that opening the sluice-gates would cause further damage downstream.

Source:The Hindu 24 July 2010

Farm Fresh

Nearly 400 households in Palakkad municipal area in Kerala enjoy a special relationship with their morning cup of tea. A code printed on the milk bottles delivered to their doorstep identifies not just the farmer but even the cow providing their daily supply of milk.

In a departure from the modus operandi of mammoth milk co-operatives which source milk from rural areas and supply in far-flung cities after processing, Kannadi village panchayat in Palakkad district has embarked on a white revolution of its own. The Kannadi nature fresh milk (KNFM) initiative is a refined, larger version of the next-door milk vendor.

Started in 2008 with 55 members of self-help groups formed by BPL families, Kannadi dairy farmers supply 400 litres of fresh milk every day. The grassroots-level venture, mainly aimed at providing employment to women, has been given shape by the State Animal Husbandry Department, the local bodies and the Kudumbasree poverty eradication mission of the state government.

Source:Times of India 23 July 2010

ISRO engaged in satellite mapping of wetlands New Delhi, July 22 (IANS)

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is engaged in the satellite mapping of the country's wetlands and will complete the project by the end of August, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said Thursday.

"It is for the first time that all wetlands in the country will be mapped. ISRO will provide us with an upto date inventory of wetlands, estimated at around 7-10 million hectares, by the end of August," said Ramesh while speaking at the launch of a course on "Appreciation Programme on Sustainable Management of Wetlands" at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) here.

Stressing on the need to protect aquatic assets, he said: "They are valuable ecological niches and the concept of sustainable development should be for future generations, including today's generations."

He said the ministry will soon formulate a regulation on wetlands to prevent encroachment of precious biodiversity.

Source:Decan Herald 23 July 2010

ISRO engaged in satellite mapping of wetlands New Delhi, July 22 (IANS)

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is engaged in the satellite mapping of the country's wetlands and will complete the project by the end of August, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said Thursday.

"It is for the first time that all wetlands in the country will be mapped. ISRO will provide us with an upto date inventory of wetlands, estimated at around 7-10 million hectares, by the end of August," said Ramesh while speaking at the launch of a course on "Appreciation Programme on Sustainable Management of Wetlands" at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) here.

Stressing on the need to protect aquatic assets, he said: "They are valuable ecological niches and the concept of sustainable development should be for future generations, including today's generations."

He said the ministry will soon formulate a regulation on wetlands to prevent encroachment of precious biodiversity.

Source:Decan Herald 23 July 2010

‘No-plastics' day in Guruvayur

Thrissur: The Guruvayur Municipality is observing a ‘no-plastics day' on Saturday and all vehicles entering the town will be checked for plastic bags.

The initiative is part of the civic body's efforts to free the town from the menace of plastics. An anti-plastics rally will also be taken out on the day.

Municipal chairperson Geetha Gopi said here on Thursday that all vehicles entering the town on Saturday would be checked for plastic bags. Cloth bags will be supplied to the passengers to replace the plastic bags.

The ‘plastics raid' would be conducted in collaboration with the police and the Motor Vehicles Department, in addition to volunteers of Scouts, Guides and NCC, Ms. Gopi told reporters.
The Guruvayur Municipality had banned the use of disposable plastic shopping bags effective from July 1.
“Guruvayur Municipality with an area of 7.48 square km has a population of 22,000. But nearly 3.5 crore people visit Guruvayur every year. This makes enforcement of the plastic ban difficult,” she said.

It is not an easy task to change the practice of using plastic bags as they had become an inevitable part of modern life, she said. So the municipality decided to take a reformative path than a regulatory one to implement the ban.

“We conducted sustained campaigns to sensitise people on the ill-effects of using non-degradable plastic products, before banning them.”

Kudumbasree units were entrusted with the responsibility of producing paper and cloth bags to replace the plastic bags.

“Now 20 days into the ban, people have slowly started getting into the mood of using carry bags made of paper and cloth. Almost 90 per cent of the traders in the town have stopped using plastic bags. Health officials are keeping a close vigil on the shops and business establishments.”
The Guruvayur Sreekrishna Temple stopped using plastic bags for supplying ‘prasadam' and instead started using cloth bags.

Billboards had been placed in offices, banks, bus stands, railway stations and national highways. Stickers were pasted on buses and other public vehicles.
“If the municipality's efforts become fruitful, the temple town will soon become a plastic-free zone,” she said.

Source:The Hindu 23 July 2010

Trees tell tales of rain, drought

Thrissur: Dead trees tell tales. In the past six months, tree-ring researchers at the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) have hauled teak discs from Thrissur forests to the College of Forestry's wood science laboratory for a dendroclimatological study on teak, claimed to be the first ever in the State.

Dendrochronologists (scientists who study tree rings) are piecing together facts stored in teak about past climates.

“Tree rings record history. They tell us about climate changes or cultural influences during a particular period in a particular region. Dendrochronologists are time-travellers. Studying tree rings, they tell you about fires, frosts and floods of the past,” said E.V. Anoop, Associate Professor and Head of Department of Wood Science, who leads the study.

He and his team have identified 10 study sites and collected about 100 samples from 75-year-old plantations.

“In the next phase, we will collect samples from all forest divisions that will afford a complete picture of past climatic conditions in the State, including monsoon variations. The KAU plans to submit a proposal to the Ministry of Environment and Forests seeking funds for the study,” he added.

A tree adds a new layer of wood to its trunk every growth season. The number of growth rings in a tree reveals its age. Each ring has a wide, light area and a narrow, dark area. Wide rings indicate favourable conditions for growth — water, sunshine and plenty of nutrients. Narrow rings denote less favourable conditions such as drought, insect attacks, coldness, disease and lack of nutrients.

Why did the dendrochronologists choose to study the rings of teak trees? “Teak being ring-porous [early wood-late wood differences being very large] and long-lived, it is sought-after in tree-ring studies. The only other species in our region that is ring porous and ideal for such studies is ‘Toona ciliata' (called Chandanavempu in Malayalam), but it is found scattered in natural forests.”

Dendrochronologists date the samples and measure the ring width using an increment measuring machine. They fathom the vessel area of early wood and late wood through image analysis. They use Mean Vessel Area of the dated tree ring sequences to analyse any relationship between climate and vessel area. To remove non-climatic signals, appropriate filters such as cubic spline, negative exponential or linear regression are used. The findings of the study will help formulate crop management protocols. “Everything has been favourable to us so far. The study is progressing well,” he said.

Source:The Hindu 23 July 2010

Key to tropical biodiversity

The tropics owe their stunning biodiversity to consistent year-round temperatures, not higher temperatures or more sunlight, according to a novel survey of insect diversity at different latitudes and at different points in the planet's history.

The finding, presented this week in the journal Paleobiology by researchers from Harvard University, Simon Fraser University, and Brandon University, may finally answer a question that has dogged scientists for centuries.

It also suggests, intriguingly, that the world is likely far less diverse today than it was tens of millions of years ago, when the entire Earth had consistent year-round temperatures, much like the modern tropics.

“The latitudinal diversity gradient has been recognized as one of the most general observations in nature, and has produced more explanatory hypotheses than nearly any other observation,” says co-author Brian D. Farrell, professor of biology at Harvard. “We show that when most of today's organisms were diversifying, up through the Eocene, the world lacked pronounced seasonality, more like today's tropics, even in areas where the temperature was low.”
“It appears it's not the heat of the tropics that promotes diversity; it's the newer seasons of the temperate zone that depress diversity.”

So far the focus has been on greater heat and light found closer to the equator, and to a lesser extent the low seasonality of the tropics to explain tropical biodiversity.

This explains the scientists' discovery that the ancient Canadian site's insect diversity mirrors that of the modern Costa Rican jungle, despite a marked difference in latitude.

Source:The Hindu 22 July 2010

25 lakh seedlings to be distributed in State

Thiruvananthapuram: Agriculture Minister Mullakara Ratnakaran said here on Wednesday that 25 lakh vegetable seedlings would be distributed free-of-cost across the State through the Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Kerala (VFPCK).

Speaking after inaugurating the distribution of seedlings at a function held at the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club, he said the project was conceived with the objective of reducing Kerala's dependence on neighbouring States for vegetables.

“Many of the States are finding it difficult to meet their domestic demand. This is bound to impact the quantum of their exports. The resultant crisis for Kerala can be resolved only by stepping up local production,” he said.

The Minister said homestead cultivation was one way to address the situation.
Director of Agriculture G.Surendran, Press Club secretary Biju Chandrasekhar and VFPCK chief executive officer N. Vijayan were present on the occasion.

The project involved distribution of high-yielding saplings through residents associations.
Seeds and saplings of cold climate vegetables like cabbage will also be sold at concessional price by VFPCK.

Source:The Hindu 22 July 2010

What causes delayed monsoon onset over Kerala

The monsoon's onset over the Kerala (MOK) coast has been the subject of many studies by meteorologists and ocean-atmosphere scientists. Now the relative roles of El Nino and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events in influencing the monsoon onset date are analysed in a recent paper in the journal Theoretical and Applied Climatology by Dr. M.R. Ramesh Kumar.

Dr. Ramesh Kumar is Scientist G, Deputy Director, Physical Oceanography Division of National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa and the lead author.

After considering various parameters such as sea surface temperatures, winds, convection etc., the researchers concluded after statistical analyses that The El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), La Nina, Positive Indian Ocean Dipole (PIOD) and Negative Indian Ocean Dipole (NIOD) play an important role in determining the MOK date.

El Nino is an ocean-atmosphere phenomenon originating just south of the equator in the Pacific Ocean and responsible for warm, wet conditions in Northern Peru and Ecuador in December-January accompanied by dry, drought like conditions in Australia and Indonesia.
La Nina is also an ocean-atmosphere phenomenon, at the same regions, but producing opposite effects to that of El Nino. The atmospheric component of El Nino and La Nina is called the Southern Oscillation.

The recently discovered IOD is effective all over the Indian Ocean and is responsible for sea surface temperature and wind anomalies occurring on inter-annual time scales.

One phase of the IOD (also called Positive IOD or PIOD) causes a cooling of sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Indian Ocean (off Java Island), bringing droughts in the Indonesian and Australian region, while the western tropical Indian Ocean (off the east coast of Africa) tends to experience a warming of sea surface temperatures, which activates atmospheric convection and brings increased rainfall.

The other phase

The other phase (negative phase of IOD — NIOD) in contrast, involves high sea surface temperatures in the eastern Indian Ocean and low in the west, bringing more rain to the Indonesian and Australian region and less to the East African countries.
IOD exerts a major impact on seasonal climatic conditions in the countries of the Indian Ocean region.
The tropical Indian Ocean gradually warms during an ENSO year reaching a maximum during January–March, about one season after the sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean have peaked.

The region of maximum convection, the tropical convective maximum over Indonesia and the western Pacific during the spring season (March to May) plays an important role in the monsoon onset over India.

The monsoon onset over Kerala is associated with a gradual moisture build-up over the Arabian Sea followed by a rapid intensification of the Arabian Sea winds. The whole process of monsoon onset thus requires about 2 to 3 weeks of pre-conditioning by the atmosphere over the Arabian Sea.

Using statistical models based on those years which could be classified to a high degree of certainty as El Nino, La Nina and positive or negative IOD the researchers determined that in EL Nino and PIOD and concurrent EL Nino-PIOD years, the sea surface temperatures in the pre-monsoon season (March to May) were cooler leading to a delayed monsoon onset. On the other hand, in La Nina, NIOD and concurrent La Nina-NIOD years, the sea surface temperatures were warmer, leading to an early monsoon onset over Kerala.
If the SST is high in the North Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, in particular during the pre- monsoon season, then these conditions are conducive for developing low pressure over the area, thus creating a greater inter-hemispheric pressure gradient and strong cross-equatorial flow, all of which are conducive for early monsoon onset over Kerala.

An analysis

An analysis of convective activity similar to that described earlier for sea surface temperatures based on the same years and pre-monsoon season (March, April, May months) shows that there is very little convection during the pre-monsoon months in the Arabian Sea in the El Nino, PIOD and concurrent El Nino-PIOD years causing a delay in monsoon onset whereas the convection is much greater and predominant in La Nina, NIOD and concurrent La Nina-NIOD years, resulting in an early onset highlighting the role of these phenomena in Arabian Sea convection and monsoon onset date over Kerala.

Source:The Hindu 22 July 2010

Water on moon is widespread

Researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, are once again turning what scientists thought they knew about the moon on its head.

Last fall, researchers, including Larry Taylor, a distinguished professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, discovered “lunar dew” on the moon's surface - absorbed “water” in the uppermost layers of lunar soil. This discovery of water debunked beliefs held since the return of the first Apollo rocks that the moon was bone-dry.

Now, scientists, including Taylor and Yang Liu, research assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, have discovered that water on the moon is more widespread — on the outside and inside of the moon — with some similarities to water in volcanic systems on Earth.

Their research is published today (July 22) in Nature.

Unlike lunar dew which is believed to come from an outside source such as solar wind which brings hydrogen into contact with the Moon's oxygen, the water discovered by Taylor and Liu is internal, arising from an entirely different origin. How it got there is not yet known. The water may have been added by impacting comets, which contain ice, during or after the formation of the moon and Earth.
Volcanoes

The existence of volcanoes on the moon more than 4 billion years ago gave the researchers a clue that water might exist inside the body, since the dynamics of volcanoes on Earth are mostly driven by water. Therefore, the scientists made their novel discovery by examining a lunar basalt brought back from the 1971 Apollo 14 mission. Scientists determined volatile elements in a calcium phosphate mineral are very similar in the same mineral found on Earth.
The scientists said this provides “robust evidence for the presence of water in the interior of the moon from where some lunar rocks were derived. This demonstrates a closer chemical and geologic relationship between the Earth and moon than previously known.” The finding of volatiles on the moon has deep implications for how it, and the Earth, formed. It is generally believed that the moon was created when the early Earth was hit by a Mars-sized proto-planet called Theia, melting and vaporizing itself and a large chunk of the Earth. The cloud of particles created by the impact later congealed to form the moon, which supposedly was devoid of highly volatile elements such as hydrogen and chlorine. However, the researchers' discovery of these volatiles challenges this theory.

“If water in the Moon was residue water kept during the giant impact, it is surprising that water survived the impact at all because less volatile elements, such as sodium and potassium, are strongly depleted. The details of the impact theory need to be re-examined,” Liu said.

Source:The Hindu 22 July 2010

Palamel calls a halt to reckless mining

(PALAMEL) ALAPPUZHA: Ever felt the ground slip away from under your feet? If not, visit Palamel, a picturesque, hilly hamlet cosily nestled between the districts of Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta.

People of Palamel, for the last several years, have seen not just the earth beneath their feet, but around them too, moving —courtesy illegal and indiscriminate mining activities. They have seen several hillocks, tonnes of sand, clay and laterite disappear from the village in tipper lorries that have also crushed several lives, including those of children, as reckless drivers raced to clock more trips and earn more.

The perils

The devilish impact of mining still lingers, particularly when rains lash the region. A family, fast asleep, barely escaped death when their house came crashing down last month when its foundations, weakened on all sides due to mining, gave way after prolonged rains. Sinking of wells, disappearance of precious biodiversity and rare water bodies, illegal reclamation of paddy fields, accidents when mining workers met death underneath crumbling hills – these were everyday stories for Palamel.

Court orders study

But the villagers are a relieved lot now. The mining, at least for the time being, has stopped, thanks to a courageous struggle spearheaded by the panchayat, which was aided by a Court-ordered study conducted by the Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS), Thiruvananthapuram. The study chronicled the deterioration of environment and its consequences in areas including Adikkattukulangara, Mettupuram, Pulikunnu, Kadamankulam, Nooranad, Vallikunnu, Chunakara, Thazhakara and Thamarakulam.
The panchayat, according to its president S. Saji, had filed a petition before the Kerala High Court against indiscriminate mining of earth, sand, clay and laterite in the area, which led to the study. With the Court asking the government to take policy decision on regulating mining, there is a halt to the dangerous activity, which Mr. Saji alleges had the clandestine support of a few Revenue officials.

First victory

The panchayat has resolved to give permission to move sand, gravel or clay, only if it is of utmost necessity for construction of houses by the common man.
The fight against mining, Mr. Saji says, actually began with the panchayat's effort to prevent the reclamation of 250 acres of the 600-acre Karingalchal Puncha paddy field by a private party, purportedly to construct a medical college. The panchayat won, and the entire 600-acre expanse is now under paddy cultivation.

Source:The Hindu 21 July 2010

Panel visits mangrove park

KANNUR: A team of experts, constituted by the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority, on Tuesday, visited the controversial mangrove theme park on the northern bank of the Valapattanam river to assess the damage caused by the park to the ecologically fragile mangrove plot there.

The expert committee, headed by authority member B. Madhusoodhana Kurup, reached the park in the morning a day after it was closed down. On Monday, the park was served by the district administration a copy of the order of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests that steps be taken to stop all activities at the park which, it found, was established in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules.

The seven-member team was constituted by authority chairman C.T. Sivasankaran Nair following a directive from the Union Ministry on July 14 that the authority form a committee to assess the damage caused to the mangrove ecology in the area and submit a report by July 24. The closure of the park run by the Communist Party of India(Marxist)-controlled Pappinissery Eco-Tourism Society on Monday followed the delivery of the instruction to the authority, along with a copy of the Ministry direction to stop the functioning of the park, to the secretary of the society. The team members spoke to the office-bearers of the society inside the park. Society vice-president A.V. Ajayakumar explained the society's side in the issue.

Mr. Kurup told presspersons that the report would be submitted by July 24. The team would examine all aspects of the issue before submitting the report, he said. It would also hear representatives of political parties and environmental groups. The team members also visited a nearby place where mangrove plants were destroyed.

The park, inaugurated by film star Suresh Gopi on April 4 last, was beset by controversies as environmental activists and the Opposition UDF alleged that the park was set up in violation of the CRZ rules. The opposition to the park received an impetus after the Union Ministry ordered that the park be closed as it was established in violation of the CRZ rules.

Source:The Hindu 21 July 2010

Genetic map of how plant, fungus live 'created'

WASHINGTON: For the first time, scientists claim to have made a genetic map of how a plant and a fungus live in a symbiotic relationship - and also found how fragile this relationship is.
An international team, led by Massey University, has uncovered the complete set of gene messages which define the symbiotic interaction between a fungal endophyte and its grass host, a finding that may have implications for future research into understanding plant disease and pasture growth.

They looked at perennial ryegrass, which has a fungus living inside it in a symbiotic relationship.
"We focused on a particular gene in the fungus responsible for signal transduction. We knocked out that gene and reintroduced the modified fungus into the plant, and the results were dramatic," lead scientist Prof Barry Scott said.

The plant's whole development was altered. "It was seriously stunted; it didn't grow very well. At the base of the grass there's usually a band of red pigments, but they were gone, and the fungus just grew out of control; the symbiosis had completely broken down," Professor Scott

said. Source : Time of India

Green is the right answer

COPENHAGEN: Public skepticism about global warming may be growing, but the scientific consensus is as solid as ever: man-made climate change is real, and we ignore it at our peril. But if that issue is settled (and it should be), there is an equally large and important question that remains wide open: what should we do about it?

One prescription that is bandied about with increasing frequency certainly sounds sensible: the world should drastically cut the amount of greenhouse gases that it pumps into the atmosphere each day. Specifically, we are told, the goal should be a 50 per cent reduction in global carbon-dioxide emissions by the middle of the century. Even its backers concede that achieving this target won’t be easy — and they are right. In fact, they are so right that they are wrong. Allow me to explain.

Our dependency on carbon-emitting fuels is more than enormous. It is overwhelming. For all the talk about solar, wind, and other hyped green-energy sources, they make up only 0.6 per cent of global energy consumption. Renewable energy overwhelmingly comes from often-unsustainable burning of wood and biomass by people in the Third World. Fossil fuels account for more than four-fifths of the world’s energy diet. So, in order to cut global carbon emissions in half by the middle of the century, we would obviously have to start getting a lot more of our energy from sources that don’t emit carbon.

Can we do this? According to the International Energy Agency, here’s what it would take to achieve the goal of cutting emissions by 50 per cent between now and mid-century : 30 new nuclear plants; 17,000 windmills; 400 biomass power plants; Two hydroelectric facilities the size of China’s massive Three Gorges Dam; and 42 coal and gas power plants with yet-to-be-developed carbon-capture technology . Now consider this: this list does not describe what we would have to build between now and 2050, but what we would have to build each and every year until then!

One more thing: even if we managed to do all this (which we obviously cannot), the impact on global temperatures would be hardly noticeable by 2050. According to the best-known climate-economic model, this vast undertaking would likely wind up reducing global temperatures by just one-tenth of one degree centigrade, while holding back sealevel rises by only one centimetre.

That’s not a lot of bang for the buck. Indeed, the projected costs of this approach — some $5 trillion annually by mid-century — are so much greater than its likely benefits that it makes no sense to call it a solution at all. Fortunately , there is a better, smarter way to deal with global warming . What if, instead of spending trillions of dollars trying to build an impossible number of power plants — or, more likely, condemning billions of people around the world to continued poverty by trying to make carbon-emitting fuels too expensive to use — we devoted ourselves to making green energy cheaper?

Right now, solar panels are so expensive that only wellheeled, well-meaning (and, usually, well-subsidised ) Westerners can afford to install them. But think where we’d be if we could improve the efficiency of solar cells by a factor of ten — in other words, if we could make them cheaper than fossil fuels. We wouldn’t have to force anyone to stop burning coal and oil. Everyone, including the Chinese and the Indians, would shift to the cheaper and cleaner alternatives, — and global emission targets would automatically be met.

Can we achieve this technological miracle over the next 20 to 40 years? In a word, yes. The price of solar energy has been dropping steadily for 30 years — by about 50 per cent every decade — and we could likely accelerate that decline further with sufficiently large investments in research and development.

How large? If we were willing to devote just 0.2 per cent of global GDP (roughly $100 billion a year) to green-energy R&D , I believe that we could bring about game-changing breakthroughs not just for solar power, but also for a wide variety of other alternative-energy technologies.
Forget about subsidising inefficient technologies or making fossil fuels too expensive to use. Instead, let’s fund the basic research that will make green energy too cheap and easy to resist.

Source : Time of India

Hope springs anew in the farms of Sooranad North

SOORANAD NORTH (KOLLAM): A sense of robust anticipation is very much in the air as one travels through this panchayat. Paddy, in different stages of ripeness, is awaiting harvest. Farmers are engrossed in de-weeding and a team of women workers are busy putting geo-textile cover to the embankments of the narrow watercourses that criss-cross the panchayat. Sooranad North is getting ready for yet another harvest season that promises unprecedented yields from its paddy fields and vegetable gardens.

Over the past four years, the grama panchayat has been engaged in a collective mission to revive agriculture in this part of the Onattukara paddy belt, a mission in which almost every household in the panchayat is involved in some way or the other. It all began with the preparation of a comprehensive wetland master plan four years ago. With the agricultural activity being fine-tuned as delineated in the master plan and the panchayat deciding on large-scale mechanisation, some farmers were able to produce more than 5.5 tonnes of paddy from one hectare area and earn a profit of Rs.30,000, says panchayat president Madathil Reghu.

Working according to the master plan, the panchayat has succeeded in bringing more than 400 acres of fallow land under paddy, thereby taking paddy farming to almost the entire 1,100 acres of traditional paddy land in the panchayat. More importantly, the panchayat has gone in for full mechanisation in 100 acres out of the 400 acres where paddy farming has been revived. Ten group farming committees in the panchayat have gone in for full mechanisation and efforts are on to bring more samithies into the fold, says Mr. Reghu, who also points out that Sooranad North has been included in the Upper Kuttanad Development Scheme.

A key component of the panchayat's farm development strategy has been the wide use of geo-textiles for the protection of its watercourses. Women have been engaged in giving geo-textile cover to the embankments of the watercourses under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The geo-textile protection has given a new lease of life to the wetlands, says Reghu, who is himself a successful farmer and winner of last year's Best Paddy Farmer Award of the Kollam District Cooperative Bank. C.M. Ravi, another farmer in the panchayat, had won last year's State-level Harita Mithra Award and the Nediyapara Group Farming Samithy last year's State-level best Group Farming Samithy award.

Come Onam and the panchayat would be the market with its own brand of ‘genuine organic vegetables' and it would commission its own rice mill at an estimated outlay of Rs.2 crore. The unit would provide direct employment to around 100 people and indirect employment to over 500 others. The unit would have the capacity to process 4,000 kg paddy and produce 1,000 kg value-added rice products a day.

A team of scientists led by K.P. Sudhir, professor at the Thavannur College of Agricultural Engineering, Malappuram, under the Kerala Agricultural University, is providing technical consultancy support for the project.

With its efforts to revive paddy showing encouraging results, Sooranad North has become the highest producer of paddy in the district and is in the last round among three panchayats in the State competing for the prestigious Nelkathir Award.

According to Mr. Reghu, the panchayat is currently working on the formation of a ‘Labour Bank'.
Sooranad North is also marching towards full coverage in drinking water and power supply.
It has already provided potable water to 90 per cent of the population and given electricity connections to 7,700 out of 8,000 families. It has also constructed 50 houses under the EMS Housing Scheme and provided 20 out of the 27 anganwadis in the panchayat with their own land and building.

Source:The Hindu 19 July 2010

UN report rues biodiversity loss

Thiruvananthapuram: The world is heading towards environmental disaster as countries fail to achieve the target for a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.

Natural systems that support economies, lives and livelihoods across the planet are at risk of rapid degradation and collapse, unless there is swift, radical and creative action to conserve and sustainably use the variety of life on Earth.

That is the principal conclusion of the third edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-3), a major new assessment of the current state of biodiversity and the implications of its continued loss for human well-being.

The India release of the report produced by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) of the United Nations is scheduled to take place here on Monday. Forest Minister Benoy Viswom would release the book at a function organised by the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, at the Press Club, Thiruvananthapuram.

The book will be received by K. Jayakumar, Additional Chief Secretary. K.A. Hashim, Registrar, University of Kerala, will preside over the meeting.

The outlook warns that massive further loss of biodiversity is becoming increasingly likely, and with it, a severe reduction of many essential services to human societies, as several “tipping points” are approached, in which ecosystems shift to alternative, less productive states from which it may be difficult or impossible to recover.

The potential tipping points analysed in GBO-3 include the dieback of large areas of the Amazon forest, shift of many freshwater lakes and other inland water bodies to eutrophic or algae-dominated states and multiple collapses of coral reef ecosystems.

The document notes that the linked challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change must be addressed by policymakers with equal priority.

Source:The Hindu 19 July 2010

VS to inaugurate garbage plant in Kollam

KOLLAM: The much-awaited solid waste management plant for Kollam city at Kureepuzha will be commissioned by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan on July 29.

The Rs.13-crore plant has been constructed by the Jamshedpur Utility and Services Company Ltd., a Tata enterprise. Kollam Corporation Health standing committee chairperson Prasanna Earnest told The Hindu that the plant would have the capacity to treat 40 tonnes of waste a day.
As part of the garbage disposal programme, the Corporation has purchased 57 tipper autorickshaws to be deployed for collection of garbage. These autorickshaws, to be driven by women, were bought at a cost of Rs.1.11 crore under the Asian Development Bank-aided Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project.

The Corporation has 52 divisions and each division will be served by an autorickshaw. The remaining five will be kept as standby. Sixty-five women have been trained to drive the vehicles and the licences for the same have been provided to them.

Source:The Hindu 17 July 2010

Edavaka leverages MGNREGS to grab national attention

EDAVAKA (KALPETTA): For a district which was reeling under a crippling agrarian crisis just over five years ago, Wayanad has come a long way. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), which was supposed to provide succour to the pauperised thousands, failed to do so in its original avatar as its norms were out of sync with the ground reality. But change in the norms and some innovative application of the norms by the State administration and, more importantly, the local self-government institutions, have brought about a wholesome change in the lives of the people.

Leading the pack was the Edavaka grama panchayat which emerged second best among the panchayats in the country in the matter of MGNREGS implementation during 2009-'10. The panchayat deployed as much as Rs.4.33 crore during the year to ensure that its people, regardless of their age, sex and even physical condition, got employment for a minimum number of days. Its interventions came with catchy tags such as ‘Kathirjyothy,' ‘Ente Thanal' and ‘Thanal.' Under ‘Kathirjyothy,' a project aimed at reviving paddy cultivation, the panchayat was able to bring around 1,000 acres of land, used for cultivating plantain, back to paddy.

In its bid to make paddy cultivation remunerative, the panchayat gave the farmers subsidy at the rate of Rs.2,500 a hectare. It also brought another 50 acres under ‘karanellu' (dry land paddy).

Under ‘Ente Thanal,' saplings of five fruit-bearing trees were provided to each child in the panchayat.
Caring the elderly
The panchayat's real innovation was ‘Thanal' which sought to bring the elderly into the MGNREGS framework. Panchayat president Justin Baby said it was conceived when the panchayat found that the elderly were not taking up work under the MGNREGS for fear that they would be outdone by the youngsters. Started as a pilot project during 2008-'09, the project helped the panchayat give employment to 600 senior citizens, including 250 tribal men and 10 physically challenged persons in 15 nurseries.

“I have got 100 days of work,” 80-year-old Kembi, a tribal woman of the Agraharam Paniya colony, told The Hindu with pride.

Seventy-five-year-old Patta concurred. “I had got the job card two years ago, but did not go for work because youngsters were better at it. But now I too earn a good income working at the nursery,” she said.
Each nursery has raised 10,000 to 25,000 saplings. “Now we are engaged in transplanting the saplings to homesteads free of cost,” said panchayat vice-president K.R. Jayaprakash.
The panchayat, which had won the Swaraj Trophy in 2008-'09, has been trying to address the problems of the aged by other means as well. It has started an old age clinic attached to the local primary health centre where all consultation and drugs are provided free of cost every Thursday. The panchayat spent Rs.3 lakh for the project last year besides creating a medical treatment fund for the benefit of the abject poor, said panchayat health standing committee chairman Manu Kuzhivelil.

Source:The Hindu 17 July 2010

Kochi experiments with dry-land paddy farming

KOCHI: Paddy farming is returning to Kochi.

A few city dwellers have come forward to take up dry land paddy farming in the city in response to a campaign launched by the State Agriculture department. The formal launch of the programme was held at Eda Kochi North in which people's representatives including Mayor Mercy Williams participated.

Kochi had a greener past when a large portion of the present city centre was wetland. Till a few decades ago, these wetlands were used for paddy farming. But they eventually yielded to the pressures of urbanisation and were reclaimed for concrete jungles.

Good response

The bustling city areas of Panampilly Nagar and Vyttila were once paddy fields where the only mode of navigation was country craft. Canals separated the vast extent of green fields, remembered a senior councillor.

The attempt to popularise dry land paddy farming in the city has received a good response, said A. Sati, Agriculture Field Officer of the department. Many people have come forward to try their luck in paddy farming from areas like Palluruthy, Edapally, Vennala and Eda Kochi, she said. People with holdings ranging between 3 cents and 50 cents have approached the department seeking support for farming and seeds were distributed to them, she said.

Source:The Hindu 16 July 2010

Stress on professional waste management

KOCHI: Only a professional way of managing waste and water conservation could save the State from various ills like communicable diseases and water scarcity and for this, the State should take the initiative and should not hesitate to go for a loan from the World Bank, if necessary.

This was conveyed by George Kulangara, chairman of the World Malayali Council, India Region, at a press meet here. The issue of waste management should be tackled with the highest priority and local self-governments should take the initiative. The State should learn from the methods adopted by developed countries.

The attitude of the people is most important in such endeavours, he said. Waste generated in one's home is not something that can be thrown into another's compound or rivers.
A study conducted by the World Malayali Council has found that all the 44 rivers of the State are polluted.

Even the government has found that 80 per cent of the wells and ponds in the State have e.coli bacteria besides high levels of chemicals like ammonia, nitrates, carbonates, he said.

Source:The Hindu 16 July 2010

35 water projects to be commissioned

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thirty-five major drinking-water projects, which will benefit 35 lakh people, will be commissioned this year, Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran has said.

Mr. Premachandran, while replying to questions in the Assembly on Thursday, said 43 lift irrigation projects would be revamped at a cost of Rs.108 crore this year.

He said about 80 per cent of the wells in the State were polluted. Steps had been taken to frame legislation for protecting river basins and forming an authority for conserving wetlands. A permanent mechanism has been envisaged preventing pollution of the 44 rivers in the State.
He said a water card system would be introduced and mobile laboratories launched for testing and maintaining the quality of drinking water. The cards would have details of the quality of drinking water in each locality. The pilot project would be launched in Kozhikode.

Formalities for setting up a State river basin authority and six river basin boards with statutory powers under the authority were in the final stage. Health and Social Welfare Minister P.K. Sreemathy said that considering the job opportunities in the paramedical sector, the government had decided to give permission for setting up colleges which had infrastructure and meet the norms.
Industries Minister Elamaram Karim said the Kerala State Industries Development Corporation and Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd. would enter into a joint venture for setting up a trade and convention centre on 12 hectares of land owned by the latter. The corporation was preparing a feasibility report for the project.

Grace marks

Sports and Youth Welfare Minister M. Vijayakumar said the government would constitute a youth welfare commission on the lines of the Women's Commission with statutory powers. The manual of Keralotsavam would be revised. A proposal for giving grace marks to the winners in Keralotsavam was being considered.

Source:The Hindu 16 July 2010

Building houses using straw?

Think of a straw-bale house and you might imagine a tumbledown shack that leaks, creaks, and slumps.

But step into BaleHaus, a startlingly contemporary looking prototype home that has been built on the Bath campus, and there's nary a wisp of straw to be seen.

The straw bales are all packed tightly inside a series of prefabricated rectangular wooden wall frames, which are then lime-rendered, dried and finally slotted together like giant Lego pieces, called ModCell panels.

The benefits of straw, points out Professor Peter Walker, director of the University of Bath's BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials, are that “it's cheap, widely available and a good insulator. It's been used in building houses for hundreds of years”.
Unlike conventional building materils, straw offers a welcome solution to housing's greenhouse gas emissions.

The results now being published. The researchers spent the last 18 months testing the BaleHaus against an exhaustive list of risk factors that could rot it, burn it or blow it down, so far seem to be reassuring.

The ModCell unit was strapped to a fiery furnace with temperatures of over 1000 degrees C but it did not end up as ashes.

It took an hour-and-a-half of being in direct contact with the flames, says Dr. Katherine Beadle, a research partner, before the lime render began to drop off, “and then the straw did start to burn back, but because it's so compacted it suffered more charring than actual disintegration.”
Hydraulic jacks were placed against the walls to replicate wind forces pushing against the bales — the ModCell panels moved a few millimetres, but stayed within the tolerances allowed for by the computer modelling carried out prior to its construction.

“It means the house is stiffer than it needs to be, so we now have the option of taking away some of that stiffness — ie, reduce its internal timber — and that could reduce the cost,” says Dr. Walker.
In the airtightness test that was carried out, BaleHaus came in way under the building regulations threshold.

In the flood test the researchers are going to stand a panel in a metre of water, gauge how long it takes to dry and assess whether industrial driers cause damage to the straw. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2010

Source:The Hindu 15 July 2010