The ups and downs of a science city
During the Raj, science flourished in Calcutta. But the city"s fortunes changed drastically because of warped policies
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Science of the Common people
A recent congress highlighted the relevance of people oriented science and technology such as the management of water, forests and agriculture.
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Panchayats Working women
Slowly but steadly, women elected to panchayats are asserting themselves and, in the process, giving a new thrust to grassroot governance
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The closing of the gates
A controversy boiled over when the construction sluices were closed abruptly and affected scores of people
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When alienation ruins
Sandalwood smuggling, epitomised by Veerappan, has become a collective phenomenon involving entire villages, which even the ban on sandalwood exports has been unable to curb. Deregulation of the sandal tree, currently under state control, is now being deb
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Four Engineers and A manager
We are at the gateway of the Indian Thar desert. Domes dot the sandy fields of the village of Lahsedi in district Churu, Rajasthan. At the edge of each dome are little holes, surrounded by a clean
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On the trail of the hungry herd
A stray herd of elephants in West Bengal was hounded by villagers and government officials, who feared destruction of their crop. The incident brought to the fore the tension between the animals and the villagers.
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The great experimenter
For ages, Indian farmers have practised ecofriendly farming by using local resources to improve soil fertility and control pests and diseases. However, with the Green Revolution, along with the high-yielding varieties, synthetic fertilisers and pesticides
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Paying for environmental abuse
Warer cess assessment and collection have proved to be inadequate in getting local bodies and highly industrialised states like Maharashtra to pay their dues.
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Partners in prosperity
Sukhomajr, a village in Haryana, has come to symbolise how community efforts at natural regeneration can improve both the forests and the people's standard of living.
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Caught between boars and bureaucracy
Authorities of a wildlife sanctuary propose to curb the menace of rampaging wild boars by providing affected villagers with, among other things, volleyball and television sets.
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Not merely a numbers game
Although the recently held world population summit emphasised population control in the developing countries as the main block in the path to development, some delegates held the consumption patterns of the developed countries responsible for the problems
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A little common sense
Recycling water and chemicals has resulted in drastic reduction of effluents from Surat's textile units.
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Clothing the desert
A sturdy mountain tree could transform chilly deserts into lush fields
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A question of industry
The recent Supreme Court orders against polluting industries have merely kicked off an arduous process of cleaning up the Capital
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Hell Hole
Gujarat industrialists are building a site to dump toxic wastes in Nandesari. The plans of the landfill, however, are severely flawed and it could soon lead to a major ecological disaster in the state. MANISH TIWARi reports from Vacloclara
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The power-tiller: An agent of change in agriculture
Spring is not far away and the villagers of Gatana, Paro know it well. But the farmers are not in a hurry - they know they will finish their work well in time. With the sound of few power-tillers echoing from the hills, that enclose the village located below Dzongdaka monastery, Gatana farmers say that what they did in a week's time in the past can now be done in a day. Behind all their confidence is the power-tiller, what many farmers call the farmer's norbu (precious jewel). What was once considered a status symbol has become a practical necessity to farmers all over the country. It is, in the words of one of the first power-tiller owners in Paro, Tshering Pem, an "agent of change' in Bhutanese farming. Tshering Pem, 68, recalls the first day when her late husband, a former gup brought home a power-tiller in 1981. "All my neighbours came with tea and khadar to celebrate the occasion. I didn't know why then,' she said with a contented smile. "I do now. It became so significant in my life,' added the successful farmer. A multipurpose machine - from fetching water to ploughing fields to ferrying people About a kilometre below Tshering Pem's house, the Agriculture Machinery Centre is hosting another significant function. The Japanese government is handing over 179 power-tillers to the centre under the KRII grant, which will travel to various dzongkhags to make a difference in the lives of farmers. "Nothing can beat the power-tiller,' says farmer Lhamu in Lobesa. "From fetching water to ploughing fields to ferrying people, it can do it all,' says Lhamu. "Without it, farming would be difficult or, at least, different.' Many farmers like Lhamu feel that farming would indeed be difficult without power tillers. One of the immediate benefits, according to farmer Thanka, was that it solved the problem of labour shortage. "With every parent knowing the value of education, there were no hands left to help on the farm,' said the former gup. "Power-tillers came as a blessing. It can do both men's and women's work. Moreover, it can do 20 men's work in a day.' Aum Tshering Pem recalls how her neighbors relied on her power-tiller to help them. "It was like magic as it tilled terrace after terrace within minutes,' she says. "Many people stopped their work and watched it for hours.' A prosperous farmer, Aum Tshering Pem says the power-tiller is more valuable than her Toyota land cruiser. Farmers run short of adjectives when asked how power-tillers changed their lives. According to one of the early owners in Paro, Gup Dep Dorji in Shari, for many farmers, they are valued more than their parents. "There are no words to describe how it helped Bhutanese farmers,' he says. Dorji bought his tiller in 1987 and boasts that it still works fine. "The greatest thing the tiller brought to farmers was that it relieved both men and women of their drudgery,' he says. "It's a multipurpose machine. I'd prefer it to a truck.' Dorji has a long list of what the tiller can do, and says that it enhanced farmer's income from cash and food crops and made many self sufficient. "From the same area of land, yields are almost doubled when a tiller is used,' he says. AMC officials say that a power-tiller can till 1 to 1.5 acres of land in a day. "That would be the work of four pairs of bulls,' said the official. A power tiller can plough, transplant rice, thresh paddy, and pump water, besides doing many other domestic work. Aum Tshering Pem's village, with about 30 households, has now about 15 power-tillers. AMC's administrative officer, Wangchuk, who served with the centre since its inception in 1984, says that he has witnessed a sea-change since the machine's intervention in Bhutanese farming. "It has helped farmers improve yield, save cost, and lessened drudgery,' he says. "Today, it has become indispensable in farming.' The tillers from the KRII grant are sold at a subsidized rate to farmers. However, the cost of one has gone up from Nu 19,500 in 1983 to about Nu 112,000 now. Wangchuk said that the centre tied up with Bhutan Development Finance Corporation to lend farmers money to purchase the machines. "Today, farmers buy, even paying cash down,' he says. According to the centre's engineer, Kinga Norbu, because of the demand, distribution is done to ensure that every dzongkhag gets the machine. He said that Paro, Punakha, Wangduephodrang have the highest demand, but preference is given to farmers' groups. The demand for power-tillers is so high that a few private firms have started importing them from China and India. Paro has the highest number of power tillers at 458, followed by Punakha with 241, and Wangdue with 221. Remote dzongkhags like Zhemgang have 40 and Gasa 34. Yesterday, at the handing-over ceremony, the programme director of the centre, Chetem Wangchen, said that the popularity of the tiller has become evident with a huge surge in demand. More than 800 farmers have already applied for tillers since last year. From 30 sold in the first lot in 1983, AMC has distributed 2,180 to date. Meanwhile, the list of the KRII grant, the 20th instalment, was handed over to the agriculture secretary, Sherub Gyeltshen, by Mr Keizo Takewaka, minister, Japanese Embassy in New Delhi, India. At the ceremony, the minister commended the agriculture ministry for their policy in mechanizing agriculture and said that the Japanese government was happy to see their assistance put to best use in Bhutan. "We're happy to see that our assistance is helping the development of agriculture and rural farmers,' said Mr Keizo Takewaka. The agriculture secretary, Sherub Gyeltshen said that the KRII grant is an unprecedented and unique grant from the Japanese government in achieving Bhutan's food self sufficiency policy and developing agriculture. "The grant has benefitted Bhutanese farmers, especially when most are dependent on agriculture, farmlands are located in difficult terrain and when there is an acute shortage of farm labour,' he said. Back in Gatana, two men are taking their power-tiller home after a day's work. "I've made Nu 3,000 from hiring out my tiller today,' says the proud owner of the tiller. "It will be enough for my daughter's shopping when she goes back to school.' By Ugyen Penjore ugyenpen@kuensel.com.bt
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Bagmati River
<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Bagmati River</strong></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/country/nepal/bagmati_hl.jpg" style="border-width: 2px; border-style: solid;" /></p> <p>The Bagmati Action Plan is the latest attempt to heal the river system, from its origins in the Shivapuri hills to Chouva where it leaves the valley. It was launched in 2008 for the period 2009-14, and proposes a budget of close to 15 billion Nepalese rupees spread over five years (in comparison, in 2008 – 2009, the total allocated for the Bagmati and its tributaries was Rs. 1,394.24 million).</p>
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Dirty RIVER blues
Children of Delhi rediscover Yamuna. And see how everything is being done to reduce it to a drain
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Murder in the sanctuary
The killing of tigers and of forest guards in Ranthambore is the result of a conservation strategy that took away the rights of the local people and made them willing allies of poachers.