Environment

  Critics of organic agriculture claim it is too low-yieldingto be a viable alternative to conventional agriculture. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that poor performance is not an intrinsic property oforganic production, but rather the result of growing poorly adapted varieties.It is estimated that over 95% of organic agriculture is based on conventionally adapted varieties, even though the production environments found in organic vs. conventional farming systems are vastly different due to their distinctive management practices. Most notably, organic farmers have…

When Sulphur, Copper and organo metallic pesticides were replaced by systemic fungicides and pesticides it was a great breakthrough. Cash crops like cotton attract maximum use of pesticides. In a popular TV show in India, advice was given not to use pesticides and go for organic farming. Most of the villagers in earlier times were engaged in organic farming alone as they had no access to pesticides or fertilizers due to remoteness, lack of knowledge or paucity of funds. No doubt the government of India has spread the knowledge about agriculture to villages and now its quite common that…

There is debate on whether global warming is taking place or not ? On World Environment day CHEC India organised valuable national seminar under leadership of President Professor H. S. Sharma. It is a matter of great concern that temperatures in India now range from 47.9  to even 48  or almost touching 49 degrees Centigrade not in Jaisalmer or Barmer but also in areas where such temperatures were not recorded earlier.  Day before yesterday I was in hill station Kasauli and it was not much different . Hills stations face the fury of winds from plains as the vegetation…

 A visit to Punjab made any one happy . The prime reason has always been  to see canals, good roads, hardworking people, basic cleanliness. Chandigarh  a  Union Territory  represents all of Punjab, Haryana and even HP . While waiting for a flight at Chandigarh I saw the news paper report about Punjab. Experts of PAU have reported (Daily Post Monday 4th June) ground water table is being lowered in the last one and half years at an alarming rate and state is facing acute shortage of water now. “Level of ground water has reached at alarming level in 115 out of 142 blocks…

Are Pine trees major source of forest fires ? Its people who burn trees. Recently I had a chance to visit Solan and read a local news paper. A news item in The Tribune Chandigarh date June 3rd 2012 reported a statement of forest official that Pine trees are responsible for forest fires. According to the Conservator of Forest Dharamshala circle Pine trees are major source of forest fires. According to him and some of his “ experts” the Governmane should ban future plantation of pine trees in the mid Himalayan region. This would reduce the percentage of Pine forest. What a solution to this…

Groundwater is a valuable natural resource for various human activities (Prasad and Narayana, 2004). Natural contaminants such as fluoride, nitrate, and chloride salts are increasing in ground water of Rajasthan making it unfit for drinking and posing risk to health. Apart from the problem of water shortage, the huge amount of wastewaters discharged in the environment by the ever-growing industrial activities of the last century, has raised serious environmental concerns about water pollution. In light of this, the recycle of properly treated industrial effluents at the “end of pipe” would be…

India is reeling under heat wave. Nagpur temperatures cross 47 degree C while half of India is above45 degree or so. It is effect of making 6 way highways cutting all trees on roadsides, poor farmers selling their trees , forests getting diminished, millions of ha of forest land being encroached or converted for mining lease or simply forests get drying due to disease , termites. This is happening because plant live in associations. Ramgarh lake which supplied to the entire city of Jaipur is totally dry and part of it is colonized. Times of India  (28th May 2012) has reported that…

Rajasthan Patrika a Hindi daily (22nd May 2012); has pointed out that 1500 sq. km area of forests in and around Jaipur has been encroached upon. Out of this 700 sq. km has now illegal housing or mining activities. The temperatures of entire India are running above 40 degrees.Sometimes temperatures of Middle East countries are lower. North eastern states are recording average temperature increase which is much more than expected. Multiple roads 4 lanes or 6 lanes have caused removal of hundreds of years old trees which covered the roads for miles and provided cool temperatures to travelers.…

The following, scary pictures are making it around the net at present: And here separating the fresh water: If we were to do similar with the air we breathe, say putting the earth’s atmosphere into a little ball that is throughout at normal standard pressure, looking at it would make you literally choke. But is this more than scaremongering? What do these pictures tell us? Let me first criticize this visual framing and then add a thought about how perhaps one may recover some justification for visualizing water resources like that. The pictures are supposed to scare us about the…

I have seen Mansagar Lake drying for several years. I have seen it stinking for several years. It was also used as place for immersion of idols after the festival season.  I have seen encroachments taking place on its banks. I have seen it being given on lease for raising wheat crop in winter season as early as 1969. I have seen it being filled with water Hyacinth Terror of Bengal plant.  I have seen it being used as an open toilet system by inhabitants of the area. Then there was a talk to give it on lease or RTDC will develop it as a  tourist spot.  Over the years it…