Expressions - July 2011

ExpressionS JULY

2

ISSUE

2011

2

featuring articles by

photo stories by

HASEEB SHEIKH

CHRISTINA BUSH & PRAMOD PEDNEKAR

winged wonders by DR.CAESAR SENGUPTA ecosystem - economic evaluation by SURBHI ARORA secret garden by COL. ASHWIN BAINDUR sultanpur bird sanctuary by SUNNY YADAV sustainable designs by RINI TARAFDER

icare

INDIA bringing people together 1 JULY 2011 ExpressionS

www.expressions.icareindia.co.in

subscribers’ copy. not for sale

VOLUME

B H E E M TA A L Uttarakhand

photograph by

2

ExpressionS JULY 2011

A K S H AY M A D A N JULY 2011

ExpressionS

3

the readers’ expressions Congratulations Yudhishter and the entire team of icare for celebrating your first anniversary! I’m sure its only the first of the many more to come...

Kudos to the entire team of icare - it is a very commendable effort on the part of the young team to be doing so much in terms of spreading awareness, and making people care... and the energy and enthusiasm can be felt in your ezine too... your June issue was a treat... the photographs are stunning and the articles are very informative and interesting at the same time... I would like to wish you guys all the success in the world!!! well done you lot!!!

Kanchan Mahli I saw the milestone issue... probably,its th best ever!! everything is so well placed and nicely formatted.. pics ..articles ..info.. all r superb..the mag is getting better n soon to becum th best soon!!!! congrats for succesfully completing 1 year... many more to come!!! :) Vineeta Bhardwaj Congratulations Yudhishter and the entire team of Icare!!! I am sure you will go a long way .The website looks fantastic .

The future of our earth depends on our ability to take action . A million dollar question “Do we care “ .

Yes “Icare”, you do care !!! And with your efforts everyone around you will also care . I must congratulate this bunch of youth who has taken this task and are doing such a wonderful job by spreading awareness in our society through Expressions. Surely we all have a responsibility to leave for future generations a planet which is healthy and inhabitable by all . Expressions definately will leave an impact on its readers and motivate them to donate thoughts,create awreness and act as responsible care takers of mother earth !!!

Rashmi Kakrania Vaid Gone through the latest edition. Again stunning photographs and thought provoking articles. Keep up the good work....and wait I shall be sending my article shortly.

Ashok Sengupta Expression is the best way to increase awareness of the current environmental crisis. To motivate talents and new age people . Restoration, conservation and lots of such issue have been discussed extensively in Expressions. Wishing all the stake-holders at Expressions all the very best. Keep up the good work.

Saptarshi Bhattacharyya

from the editor’s desk As the monsoons – the most eagerly awaited season in India – envelop us, there suddenly seems to be no dearth of water.

The summer season this year has been a surprisingly short one – even half-burnt cities like Delhi have breathed easier than in the years past. There has, however, been the usual scrimmage for water. That is why the monsoons are greeted with huge sighs of relief not just from India’s poor farmers who tend parched lands but the general populace as well. India, despite its richness of vast, varied and worshipped rivers, remains a water-poor country for all practical purposes.

Even though the monsoons are greeted with celebratory roars, within a couple of days the roars subside to cries of anguish.

Even marginally strong showers clog drains and entire cities become water-logged. The great metropolis of Mumbai as well as the much-ignored (but more severely affected) plains of Bihar and Bengal are subject to the pains of flooding almost every year. All this seems to contradict the pictures we grow used to over the summer: people lining up to get their one bucket of water a day; dry taps; empty reservoirs; parched farm-lands. Yet, both are true.

What can be done? India, by all accounts, has (and gets) enough water to provide for its huge population. The extremes – shortage and floods – that we’ve become accustomed, and perhaps indifferent, to, are not insurmountable. Especially since most of these problems can be overcome by better planning and restricting human rapacity. If indiscriminate, and unplanned construction at the cost of natural vegetation were to cease, we’d see a stellar improvement in the water-logging problem. As for providing water to our farmers and water-starved population, better irrigation and water-management systems and less government apathy could alleviate the pain of the “common man”.

There is much talk of trade-offs these days. Development, it is claimed, comes at a cost. Trees must be cut. Houses must be built for our ever-increasing populace. We do not ask for development to stop. We wish for better development. It is difficult, but not impossible. And who wouldn’t want to live in a better developed world?

Best

Shubhodeep Pal

Copy and Desk Editor, Expressions

4

ExpressionS JULY 2011

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

5

ExpressionS

the CREATORS Pooja Bhatt

the expressions INSIDE

Forest Guards - It ’s Time w took care of them Yudhishter Puran Singh

SENIOR EDITOR

8

12 Winged Wonders - Bird Photography couldn’t have been simpler than this…

Dr. Caeser Sengupta

16

E2 - Ecosystem - Economic Evaluation Mrs. Surbhi Arora

18

20

Ways to Photographing Doon 8 Sandip Puran Singh

O R G ANIZ ATIO NAL UPDATES

Shubhodeep Pal

26 Corbett GramVikas S amiti 50 I ndian Youth Climate Netw o r k 58

22 Pramod Pednekar40

The Butterfly Diaries - My Secret Garden!

Col. Ashwin Baindur

46

Sultanpur Bird Sanctuar y Sunny Yadav

52

56

Sustainable Design equals Unsustainable plastics Rini Tarafder In The News

62

6 ExpressionS JULY 2011

FEATURES EDITOR

Chetna Gurung

27 71

28

BOOK REVI EW A S K THE EX PERT S

34

Green Corporate - Green Initiaitives by Toyota Naman Khanduri Leopard Census Haseeb Sheikh

COPY & DESK EDITOR

Karishma Gulati

Photo Stor y Christina Bush

World View - our circle of compassion Isabelle Richaud

FOUNDER & EDITOR

CREATIVE EDITOR & DESIGNER

icare, Dehradun Chapter

Renewable Energy - Going Nuclear* Gunajit Brahma

Yudhishter Puran Singh

Akshay Madan

UTTARAKHAND

ADVERTISING Rohit Bedi

cover design AKSHAY MADAN cover photo CHRISTINA BUSH

REST OF INDIA

44 Harshit Singh

EXP R ES S IO NS CH O O L Survival of the fittest Swaraj Bose

33

Waste being Wasted Anirudh Khanna Flying with birds Harshit Singh

icare

NEWS EDITOR

38

54

Arpanjot Singh

SUBSCRIPTION TEAM

Sandip Puran Singh

PERMISSIONS For permissions to copy or reuse material from EXPRESSIONS, write to expressions@icareindia.co.in SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES For subscription queries, write to expressions@icareindia.co.in or call +918979741752 ALL EDITORIAL QUERIES MUST BE DIRECTED TO The Editor, Expressions, 51-A Subhash Road, Dehradun 248140, Uttarakhand, India M: +919411114921, Fax: 011-66173614

PHOTO EDITOR INDIA

bringing people together

Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Expressions., its publisher and/or editors. We at Expressions do our best to verify the information published but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

7

it’s time we

took

“

One such person that I would like to dedicate my article to would be Phoolchand Ji.

I

remember not so long back while doing my regular research online I came across a small article wherein the writer had brought forward the plight of the forest guards in India. I am no wildlife expert but you don’t have to be one to realize the state of affairs in the current govt. system when it comes to forest and wildlife management.

Have you ever thought to yourself how important a role a forest guard has to play when it comes to wildlife conservation? Have you?

A forest guard today is primarily engaged in serving officers in the IFS rather than concentrating on his primary duties of tiger conservation. Getting newspapers, repairing fans, even cleaning toilet seats are among the chores expected of the lower level forest staff.

It’s a known fact that when it comes to recruitment of forest guards, foresters and reserve forest officers there are hardly any importance given to ensure we get the finest people to guard our national forests. You would be surprised to know that the no. of lower-level forest personnel are exactly what they were almost 2 decades back. There has been little or no recruitment in the last 10 years for these posts. The average age of the forest guard in sanctuaries is over 55 years. All these facts are scary to say the least.

Add to this all this while, the number of high ranking officers are increasing. There have been continuous efforts to ensure posts are

8

ExpressionS JULY 2011

care of them created at the top most level. This has finally led to a situation wherein our forest department has become top heavy—there are more managers than workers.

In the course of my study I came across a few more startling facts. As an IFS officer you are offered the same quantum of salary across the country along with the various perks equivalent to that of an IPS or IAS officer, but what about the forest guards? I will put forward a simple question – Who is eventually re-

sponsible when it comes to protecting the tigers? Is it the minister sitting in a lav-

ish bungalow or is it the forest beat officer or forest guard. When any mishap happens the State concerned is quick to pass on the buck to the forest guard. How easy I must say? I believe the person who is responsible should be made accountable provided he is well equipped to tackle the hardships which come as part of the job.

A forest guard is expected to live in the forest where he is not even provided with even the basic amenities. We all are very well aware where most of the funds for maintenance are diverted to. So, it does amaze me one bit why our wildlife sanctuaries are poorly manned.

There have been instances in the past wherein the vacant beats are allotted to existing staff as additional duties without any sort of extra remuneration, thus resulting in a situation where-in each forest guard is made responsible to protect three or four beats cov-

Yudhishter Puran Singh 22 year old graduate from Mumbai University, a young entrepreneur who loves to devote whatever time he can towards creating awareness about the need for preserving environment. Presently he leads the icare team and is also the editor of expressions

feature

feature

forestguards

ering over 30-40 sq km. Worst being the guards have no vehicles at their disposal either and are expected to patrol on foot with nothing more than a cane stick.

A friend to photographers and film-makers, instrumental in helping them capture stunning wildlife moments that Ranthambhore is famous for.

A forest guard on condition of anonymity adds, "I am amazed that the tiger has not gone extinct in spite of all efforts of the forest department and the public. Officers of the forest department are supposed to be custodians of forests, but then, you have to understand their plight.'

Today, as he battles diabetes, high BP and some unknown disease that has left his hand paralyzed. He finds himself alone with limited support from the forest department and friends he is devoid of all resources for his treatment.

One such person that I would like to dedicate my article to would be Phoolchand Ji. Anyone who is a regular at Ranthambhore National Park knows Phoolchand ji as a dedicated guard, wildlife tracker & above all a wonderful human being. Once favorite of all visiting VIP's, his presence in vehicle was something to write home about. He tracked the legendary ‘Machhali’ for years and was severely attacked by villagers for trying to resist illegal grazing in the park.

This article is an effort to provide him financial assistance for his treatment and to remind all wildlife stakeholders that it is imperative for us to come forward and support the cause of those people who helped conserve our wildlife.

If you happen to know him or not, it is time we did something to show our gratitude towards Phoolchand, who has left no stone unturned in his own humble way to protect the forest and its denizens for us and our children.

Financial assistance can be made directly to Phoolchand ji through account payee cheques/ NEFT transfers/ demand drafts.

Details are as follows for NEFT (online transfer): Account number : 51029339474 with SBBJ Sawai Madhopur, Collectorate branch IFSC code : SBBJ0010826 Note: All cheques are to be made ONLY in the name of Mr. Phoolchand.

Sawai Madhopur town has only two private banks HDFC & Axis, you can send your payable at par cheques of these banks as well. For any assistance and information contact Rohit Bedi +918979741752 or mail us at expressions@icareindia.co.in

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

9

10

ExpressionS JULY 2011

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

11

Hence, when I was asked to write a regular column for Expressions, I was overjoyed to share with the readers whatever I learnt through my journey so far.

Bird Photography couldn’t have been simpler than this…

‘Expressions’ will feature a regular column on birds, bird watching and bird photography, written by Dr Sengupta. He will be sharing his views, tips and tricks, advises and guidelines for all who have a keen interest in this very exciting world of birds.

Dr Caesar Sengupta MD

the General Manager and Head Laboratory Operations of Thyrocare Technologies Ltd. He has been passionate about photography since he was a child of 12 years. He still manages to take out time to nurture his passion of wildlife photography amidst his busy schedules of corporate professionalism. He has traveled extensively across the country and his work has been acknowledged and appreciated in various media, publication houses, forums and organisations throughout India.

“I am a wildlife lover first and then a photographer. Since my childhood, the call of the wild had always posed a subtle magnetism, making me feel I belong in a surreal world. The bookshelf I used to possess for stacking my story books used to be filled with travel, adventure and hunting stories such as those of Corbett or Kenneth Anderson. As I grew up, I realized that a camera is a wonderful tool to capture wonderful moments of life forever; photography became a passion and thus started the journey…”

I

have been passionate about photography since I was 12 years old. Alone or with friends, in the backyard garden or in unknown terrains, up difficult mountains or under the scorching desert sun, I have travelled far and wide across the country I belong to.

I have been learning from my mistakes and I believe every day is a learning experience for me. It has been a wonderful journey so far.

12

ExpressionS JULY 2011

I am not here to give text-book information about birds but certain basic information is necessary before we get going.

winged wonders

regular feature

Winged Wonders

Geographical distribution There are approximately 8650 species of birds in the world and 1200 out of these 8650 species are found in India only. This is mainly because of the massive geography of the Indian subcontinent and a spectrum of climatic conditions across the country.

We have the mountains of the Himalayas, the oceans beyond the country borders, the scorching deserts of Rajasthan, the pouring rainfall of Cherrapunji, the evergreen forests of the sub-Himalayan terrains and the dense rain forests of the North East. We have almost everything in this country and hence we have a number of biodiversity hot spots.

We can quickly divide the country into 6 biogeographic realms 1. Northern most – the Himalayas – spread through 2500 km across the top of the sub continent can again be divided into three parts – (1) The foothills or the Shivalik (2) Himachal or the sub Himalayan belt and (3) the Himadri or the high Himalayas.

Situated at an altitude of 5300 meters is the Ladakh plateau.

2. North West India – includes the arid and semi arid plains of Rajasthan and the flat plains of Punjab. These areas face very little rainfall throughout the year and form a typical low rainfall, scrub land bird habitat.

3. North India - the Gangetic plains, highly fertile, enriched by the alluvial deposits

brought the river Ganga – spread across the breadth, from Arabian sea to the Bay of Bengal and spreading in the north up to the Terai region.

4. Peninsular India – surrounded by the Arabian sea in the west, Bay of Bengal in the east, Vindhya mountains in the north and Aravallis in the north West. This is the largest bio-geographic realm of India.

A big portion of the Peninsular India is the Deccan plateau and our so very well known Western Ghats.

5. Further South West – though the Nilgiris fall in Peninsular India, they are distinct from the rest of the peninsula, due to the height of the hills and humid climate, characterized by extensive tea plantations and eucalyptus. This area has a lot of ornithologically important hotspots, particularly in the Annamalai and Wynad 6. North East India – the mighty Brahmaputra flows through its hundreds of tributaries and has rich sand banks, mudflats, mangrove swamps and richly populated rain forests.

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

13

Habitats

photos by dr. caesar sengupta

Breeding depends on the abundance of food.

Breeding seasons are quite long in areas where there is no scarcity of food, whereas breeding is very short spanned in areas with less food. Breeding is interrelated with nesting. Birds nest only to lay eggs. They leave the nests as soon as the small ones grow a little independent.

There are a few birds that exhibit amazing architectural skills while nesting. One such nest is that of the Baya Weaver. Woodpeckers or Hornbills don’t make nests. Rather they find tree holes and make those as places to lay eggs. Vultures and a few big birds find shelters on top portions of hills. A few coastal birds lay their eggs after digging holes in ground.

The distribution of the birds can also be divided according to their habitats.

There are 5 major categorized habitats: 1. Suburban birds – seen frequently in and around human habitats in towns and cities. I am not talking about crows and sparrows only. There are many birds that are seen in localities around human dwellings. The only resident crane of India, Saras – is most commonly seen near the paddy fields. Peacocks are most commonly seen in and around the temples.

Sunbirds, Mynas, Babblers are few of the most commonly found birds in suburban regions.

2. As we move a bit towards the outskirts, we can see the water birds around the ponds and lakes of the villages. Egrets,

14

ExpressionS JULY 2011

Jacanas, ducks, storks and herons are few of the most commonly found water birds around the villages and city outskirts.

3. Next are the grassland birds. They are found in wide open areas with small shrubs and bushes making the typical grassland or the scrubland habitat 4. Few birds are found only along the coastal regions. These birds are found in high numbers along all three coasts of India.

Seagulls, Curlews, Red shanks, Green Shanks, Sand Pipers, Plovers are some of the very well know coastal birds.

5. Fifth in the list are the Woodland birds.

They are found in dense forests, sometimes in the canopies, sometimes in the tree holes and sometimes hidden behind the branches of the trees. However, these birds are a bird watchers’ delight due to their beautiful colours and habits.

winged wonders

regular feature

Breeding

Big birds of prey breed between September to March. Storks, Cormorants, Egrets, Ibis etc breed during the monsoon. A few more birds can be seen breeding during the monsoons, like weavers and Munia. Many birds breed between February to May. A few hilly species breed towards later part of the year.

Migration

Science has still not been able to identify the correct facts behind migration. The fact that the Siberian Cranes migrate across thousands of miles to reach the same locations years after years, is a mystery and a matter of exten-

Male birds sing to attract the females. Bird song is not synonymous with bird calls. Birds use their call for many purposes: to scare, to warn, to look for food – but a bird sings for only one purpose – to attract the female for mating.

Birds exhibit one more unique quality. Birds display their feathers beautifully to attract the females during their courtship: this is called courtship display. Many have seen the courtship display of peacocks. If you get a chance to witness the courtship display of Saras cranes, think yourself lucky.

sive research for the entire scientific community. Whether it is geographical magnetism or the location of the stars – nothing is known correctly till date.

However, what we do know for sure is that the world of birds is truly amazing!

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

15

environment & economics

regular feature

ECOSYSTEM economicevaluation Mrs. Surbhi Arora

a UGC NET qualified faculty member, with around fourteen years of experience in industry and academics. She is a graduate in Commerce and Law. Presently she is pursuing PhD from UPES in the area of Oil & Gas Management. Her research interests include Petro Economics, Micro Economics and Interactional Dimensions of Law & Economics. She believes that our thoughts lead to actions and actions to results. According to her, hard work and consistency have to be the two pillars supporting one’s achievement.

Within economics, value is generally defined as the amount of alternate goods a person is willing to give up in order to get one “additional unit” of the good in ques-

1. Welfare economists - believe that the existence of externalities is sufficient justification for government intervention, typically involving taxes.

I

2. Market economists - tend to advocate the use of incentives to reduce environmental externalities, rather than commandand- control approaches, because incen-

n a modern competitive world, suppliers know how much the consumers value a particular product by the amount the consumers are willing to pay for it. But when natural resources are involved in the production of that particular product, other factors like scarcity, generation of pollution etc. may not be included in the cost of production. These factors are external to the market price of the product. If these costs were to be included in the cost of production, then the market price for them would become higher. The resources that are open and accessible to all, such as the seas or the atmosphere, would be used less if people had to pay to use them, which isn’t the case- leading to their overuse and increased degradation.

which policymakers assign a value - monetary or otherwise - to environmental resourc-

ExpressionS JULY 2011

es or to the outputs and/or services provided by those resources. For example, a mountain forest may provide environmental services by preventing downstream flooding. Environmental resources services are particularly hard to quantify due to their intangible benefits and multiple value options. It is almost impossible to attach a specific value to some of the experiences we have in nature, such as viewing a beautiful sunset or flowers or birds.

Resources also have alternative uses. For example, a tree is valued differently when it is used for flood control andwhen it is used for building a house. Thus, resources have to be valued keeping in mind their use.

The quantity of a resource must also be taken into consideration because value can change depending on how much of a resource is available. An example of this might be - pre-

tion – what we term as ‘opportunity cost’.

An individual’s preference for certain goods may either be stated or revealed. In the case of stated preferences, the amount of money a person is willing to pay for a good determines the value because that money could otherwise be used to purchase other goods.

Alternatively, value may also be determined by simply ranking the alternatives according to the amount of benefit each will produce.

Revealed preferences can be measured by examining a person’s behavior when it is not possible to use market pricing.

There are three general schools of thought associated with reducing or eliminating environmental externalities:

“The amount of sun energythat hits the Earth’s surface every minute is greater than the total amount of energy that the world’s human population consumes in a year!”

Home Power Magazine

Ecosystem valuation is the process by

16

venting the first “unit” of pollution if we have a pristine air environment. Preventing the first unit of pollution is not valued very highly because the environment can easily recover. However, if the pollution continues until the air is becoming toxic to its surroundings; the value of preserving clean air by preventing additional pollution is going to consistently increase.

environment & economics

E

2

tives allow flexibility in responding to problems rather than forcing a singular approach on all individuals.

3. Free- market economists - focus on eliminating obstacles that prevent the market from functioning freely, which they believe would lead to an optimal level of environmental protection and resource use.

The key objective of environmental valuation can be a useful tool that aids in evaluating different options that a natural resource manager might face. Our ecological resources and services are so varied in their composition, that it is often difficult to examine them on the same level. However, if they are assigned a value, then an environmental resource or service can then be compared to any other item with a respective value.

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

17

renewable energy

to Doomsday!

Gunajit Brahma

an environmentalist, social worker, volunteer and a poet. He is also an entrepreneur working in the area of renewable energy and plans to make it accessible to every individual in this world. He is one of the Partner at Renewable Bazaar (http://renewablebazaar.com/) and is doing PGDM (2010-12) at IIM Indore. He enjoys being closure to nature and likes to trek and cycle with friends.” * here nuclear energy generally refers to nuclear energy derived from fission mode, unless specified.

I

n my last article (A Letter to my Friends, Expression - June 2011), I told you how energy is the making or breaking point of any civilisation. A civilisation’s survival key lays in the type of energy its people use in their day-to-day activities. Cleaner the energy we use, healthier our civilisation would be in the longer run.

But then, few of us presume that going nuclear to meet the energy need of a developing economy is the next best thing. But we must also realise that going nuclear is a very dangerous proposition. It’s like giving a child a grenade and telling him to play with it safely.

There are good chances that the kid will blow himself up. I am not trying to be a sadist, but a realist.

The recent nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan is just one example of how we don’t have the power to control such events in the future. If one of the most developed nations in the world was incapable of avoiding the disaster, will we be capable of handling such things? I know there are arguments against this thought process as well. And they (the pro-nuclear think tank) ridicule it by saying that it’s just one such incident, and there was “Nature” against them (read due to Tsunami and Earthquake). My counter argument to it would be - learn from others. It’s better than learning from one’s own mistake.

Most of you might be aware about the half-life concept. Uranium’s half-life is about 6-7 human genera-

tions! That’s a long time! So if a disaster happens today (God forbid), the after-effects of it will remain for these many generations to come.

Apart from a nuclear disaster (which might be highly unlikely), other key factors need considerations. The amount of money required to set-up a nuclear reactor (fission mode) can be somewhere between $3-10 billion and might take up to 10 years to build. This makes the overnight cost of nuclear power plants to be about $4,000/kWe. This amount of tax-payer’s money will be used to make a harmful and dangerous energy creating power plant. There are other external costs too, like the cost of security of the power plant, cost of raw materials, transportation costs, etc.

That’s not all. Threat from global terrorism will cause the cost of security for these power plants to increase, and due to recent nuclear disasters, cost of construction of nuclear power plants will increase (due to newer safety norms). And a country like India cannot take its chances with nuclear energy based power plants, when half of its population is hungry.

Electricity has become a commodity, as everyone requires it. The demand and supply gap for electricity is growing, and to keep up with the pace of growth that India is undergoing, it needs the energy. The world is moving towards cleaner sources of energy, and India too should do the same. Renewable energy was the “in thing” 1000 years ago, it still is, and will continue to be so even in the future.

With clean sources of energy fuelling our economic growth, the growth will be sustainable. And with a sustainable economic growth, quality of live will improve and be long term. The most important thing to do today is support, promote and use cleaner sources of energy – for us, our children and their children.

Note: Nuclear energy (fusion mode) is something to look forward to, but it will be another 15-20years before we see improvement in the technologies used to control it today.

Another argument against nuclear energy would be that it will still not solve the grid connectivity problem that Indian villages are facing. There are

The figure for the exhaustion of the Uranium reserves of the world is 2050. So, a nuclear reactor, built with so much of public money will run dry post 2050. Then what happens to the power plants? There will be a no-habitation zone within a radius of 30 kms of the power plant, where no human will be allowed to settle, chiefly because of pollution and possible radiation. Also, the nuclear waste cannot be disposed of properly, so either the Earth will be dug up to bury the nuclear waste containers or the waste will simply find shelter in the seas and oceans. And if these containers leak, the whole ocean will get contaminated, and pose a threat to the marine ecosystem.

Interesting read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economics_of_new_nuclear_power_plants http://www.worldwatch.org/end-nuclear http://www.worldwatch.org/system/files/WorldNuclearIndustryStatusReport2011_%20FINAL.pdf

18

ExpressionS JULY 2011

renewable energy

regular feature

and sealing ourfate

The figure for the exhaustion of the Uranium reserves of the world is 2050. So, a nuclear reactor, built with so much of public money will run dry post 2050. Then what happens to the power plants?

about 10000 villages in India which don’t have any grid connection to supply them electricity. The solution for them would be a de-centralised source of energy; micro-grids, or better still, if every village or household could manufacture its own electricity.

JULY 2011

sketch & edit by akshay madan

Goingnuclear

*

ExpressionS

19

Sandip Puran Singh

Founder of SUSWA, an NGO working along the northern boundary of Rajaji National Park. He’s also an avid bird watcher and an amateur aturalist working on the Doon valley.

were both close to the borders of the image. I set a small aperture to ensure enough depth of field and used a polarizing filter to make the sky a richer and darker blue.

I have to confess that where humankind has made his or her mark it becomes easier to make photographs. I suppose the ultimate man-made landscape is a garden but even just the presence of a building, wall, track or cultivated field can make it easier to create a pleasing composition with a focus of interest. We tend to impose a sense of order and organization when we take over the landscape, creating shapes, patterns and textures which would not otherwise be there.

photographing doon

regular feature

photograph doon 8 ways to

gave rich shades of golden yellow. I used a wide- angle lens almost with a birds eye view and the bordering copse of trees gave prominence and framed the image so that the terraces and the surroundings mountain side

DRY STONE WALL

MAN-MADE LANDSCAPES I have a liking for what you might call unspoiled countryside, places which have not yet been violated by human kind. Given half a chance, I would like to go to almost any of Doon valley’s remaining wilderness areas. This is in the full knowledge that they’re fiendishly difficult to photograph.

CHAKRATA TERRACES

This shot was taken in the Chakrata region, of the north western edge of the Doon valley, almost at the beginning of autumn when the farmers were just about to harvest paddy.

20

ExpressionS JULY 2011

photos by SANDIP PURAN SINGH

Although it was well into the morning but the light was soft with an over-cast sky and the colors were rich after a early morning shower. The diffused light had created a rich texture on the paddy terraces and I was lucky that the ripening paddy

I’m fascinated by the use of local stones and wood in our part of the Himalayas. This particular image was also shot in Chakrata inspired as a composition of an effective sort of still life, one which has been there for good many years and probably remain there for many more. Many regions of Doon valley are patterned by dry stone walls and

so why shall this one in particular appeal to me? The wall itself was very pleasing to my eye because of the mix of coloured stone and the way in which the blue stone was distributed. The lighting was near perfect, sharp and angled enough to reveal strong texture, but not so much as to create too much contrast.

A standard 50 mm lens was used with a wide aperture as little depth of field was required.

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

21

t EYE OF TH E SP OTTED LEAP ORD

TH E u S POTTED LE AP ORD

22

photo stor y

t

ExpressionS JULY 2011

B A BY PA N DA B EA R

u

GR IZZLY B EA R

photo stor y

christinabush

TH E A F R ICA N LION

u

t TH E DWA RF L I O N

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

23

photo stor y

photo stor y

Christina Bush

has been featured by National Geographic, Animal Planet, ABC’s Extreme Home Makeovers, The International Anti-Fur Coalition, The Paw Project and many other organizations around the globe. A lifetime supporter of animal protection and education, she works with groups all over the world using her imagery to help save and improve the lives of animals everywhere, both in the wild and in captivity. This is a very rewarding way for her to turn tremendous value into her passion for wildlife, photography and art. Visit her photogallery at - http://www.christinabush.com

t GIBBON AP E

TU F T EA R N ED MA R MOS ET u

t OLIV E B ABO O N

CAPUC HIN MO NKEY u

24

ExpressionS JULY 2011

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

25

update

icare dehradun chapter

bookreview

April - May 2011

Win-win ecology: how the earth’s species can survive in the midst of human enterprise Michael L. Rosenzweig

Ankit Srivastava Ankit is a final year law student studying in University of Petroleum and Energy Studies. When he came to Dehradun, he fell in love with the beautiful landscapes of the Garhwal region and has ever since anted to work for the conservation of the same. He started working with icare with this aim and soon became the Divisonal President of icare - Dehradun chapter.

I

t gives me immense pleasure in announcing that the Dehradun Chapter of icare has been able to put its best foot forward by delivering what its members had promised not so long ago. It was in February, 2011 when the core group of members sat together, formed a team and took the initiative under the guidance of Yudhishter Puran Singh to do something for the betterment of the society.

Keeping that in mind, icare, Dehradun Chapter has taken a stand to work in two important areas, which we feel need to be addressed today, they being Environment and Education. We, via this chapter, wish to protect the Doon valley from any imminent danger to its natural resources and therefore will be

working determinedly in the field of Environment Protection.

The Dehradun Chapter of icare has carried out several Environment Awareness Programmes across different schools and colleges of Dehradun. The practice of the Right to Information Act was a flagship programme of this Chapter, wherein the RTI Event to spread knowledge about this Act amongst children was held in schools across the valley. Team icare taught students of the Doon International and Touchwood schools about the application of the Right to Information Act, 2005 by providing RTI modules to students and teaching with the aim that by the end of the session, they could file the RTI Application whenever they wanted

to, on their own. We realized the importance of RTI as being a social engineering tool available to many, but used only by a few. Keeping this in mind, team icare and its members have so far filed more than 50 RTI Applications not only in the state of Uttrakhand, but also others such as Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

Applications have been filed requesting information from even the Central Government of India. It further adds to my pleasure to announce that the number of RTI Applications filed is bound to increase by threefold during the months of June and July since the students of the schools where we had carried out the event are filing Right to Information Applications every day under our guidance.

icare-Dehradun Chapter has started off with new programmes already and there are many more events which we are working on and are going to come up in the near future.

26

ExpressionS JULY 2011

new

Organizational Update

Edition Publisher ISBN Length Price

As humanity presses down inexorably on the natural world, people debate the extent to which we can save the Earth’s millions of different species without sacrificing human economic welfare. But is this argument wise? Must the human and natural worlds be adversaries? In this book, ecologist Michael Rosenzweig finds that ecological science actually rejects such polarization.

Instead it suggests that, to be successful, conservation must discover how we can blend a rich natural world into the world of economic activity. This revolutionary, common ground between development and conservation is called reconciliation ecology: creating and maintaining species-friendly

Illustrated Oxford University Press, 2003 0195156048, 9780195156041 211 pages 575 (Hardcover)

habitats in the very places where people live, work, or play. The book offers many inspiring examples of the good results already achieved. The Nature Conservancy, for instance, has a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense, with more than 200 conservation projects taking place on more than 170 bases in 41 states. In places such as Elgin Air Force Base, the human uses-testing munitions, profitable timbering and recreation--continue, but populations of several threatened species on the base, such as the long-leaf pine and the red-cockaded woodpecker, have been greatly improved.

The Safe Harbor strategy of the Fish and Wildlife Service encourages private landown-

ers to improve their property for endangered species, thus overcoming the unintended negative aspects of the Endangered Species Act. And Golden Gate Park, which began as a system of sand dunes, has become, through human effort, a world of ponds and shrubs, waterfowl and trees. Rosenzweig shows that reconciliation ecology is the missing tool of conservation, the practical, scientifically based approach that, when added to the rest, will solve the problem of preserving Earth’s species.

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

27

a serving army officer who has a great love for Dehradun having been an alumnus of the Indian Military Academy in 1983-84 and the Wildlife Institute of India at its very inception in the FRI in 1985. The author has trekked extensively with his high point being a visit to the Inner Sanctuary of Nandadevi during an army ecological expedition in 1993. He edits Wikipedia extensively on topics dealing with Indian Natural History.

I

As gardens go, it was a slip of one, hardly 20 yards by 25 yards, just large enough to form the facade of the small tworoomed bungalow in the desert of Jaisalmer where I lived.

Indeed it had only a single tree, a patch of grass, some creepers on the fence and a few potted plants but it was peopled by creatures who gave me small glimpses of their lives.

My Secret garden

t was a childhood wish of mine to have a secret garden all to myself. I did realise the dream when I was much older and the garden I had then was not quite secret; no garden of a commanding officer’s house can ever be so, no matter how small. Despite this, it contained a secret world which was invis-

ible to all who passed through or passed by but was always available to me whenever I wanted to place the cares of office behind and was ever a source of delight and fascination.

28

ExpressionS JULY 2011

My day begins early, the ploonk plink of bulbuls and the caw caw caw of the crows is infinitely preferable to waking up with the help of an alarm clock. It is just after dawn, the sky is still grey as the sun has not risen over the dunes at the horizon and the breeze which blows cross the sand is still cold.

The last vestiges of night-life can occasionally still be seen.

Today, a flicker of movement at the corner of my eye causes me to turn my head, just in time to catch a last glimpse of the tail of the large desert monitor (Varanus griseus) who lives behind my bungalow in a hole amidst a tangle of barbed wire. He has a regular nocturnal beat at this time of the year which takes him through the matchbox-sized gardens of the three bungalows side-by-side, then around the large storehouse, into the transport yard, across the bordering dune, and back along it on the far side till he rounds the dune, crosses a road and is back into the tiny gardens.

Sometimes, late at night I find a large, prickly and wicked looking arthropod, the solifuge, who patrols my garden each night for insects and small life.

Of him, I have written elsewhere.

About him and the Varanus,

the hedgehog does not know or care, for about once a fortnight, he pays me a visit.

It is always dark when he comes for a sip of water from the squirrel-bowl. He easily finds his way in but for some reason stumbles on his way out and so I notice him. He scrambles between the bowl and fence but there is no exit there. He tries the jird’s hole but I lift him and place him on the road outside my bungalow free to go where he wills.

He is easily trapped, and since taking a good picture is difficult, so one day, I catch him and keep him till day-time when I photograph him.

Night too leaves behind a few small villains, who now appear or can be found where they were not present the previous evening. I am referring, of course, to the scorpions who have the knack of turning up where you never expected to find it – on the outside of the ‘macchar-dani’ (mosquito net), in the folds of the towel on the rack, three feet above the ground or in your boots, the one day you forget to check. Then, its a ”EEYOWW’ followed by the immediate,abrupt and merciless extinction of the perpetrator and later on a local anaesthetic and some salve. A few bites later, you realise it was the fright and unexpectedness which raced your heart more than the pain and it was your ego that required the balm more than the sting.

Fortunately, I have never found, horror of horrors, the arch-villain, in my shoes or garden – the saw-scaled viper. I’m sure he must be there for my garden is fenced with old

duck-boards standing upright, but I never saw him. Nearby yes, but never in my garden.

But lets put these night-time experiences away, for the sun has peeped over the dunes.

At this time, strangely, it is not the birds that draw you but the bees. For my garden boasted two hives of bees.

They appeared almost together one year after the winter had passed. The largest was in the tree and belonged to Apis florea, the Dwarf Honey Bee. The second hive in the thatch of my garden fence behind a bamboo ‘patti’ screen was the hive of Apis cerana, the Asiatic honeybee. For a brief period these hives flourished, each oblivious of the other, and just as suddenly died out in the autumn.

But while they were there, the humming of bees around the sunlit portulacas gave an almost-ethereal feeling to me drowsing in my plastic gardenchair under the tree.

the butterfly diaries

Col Ashwin Baindur

The hedgehog creeps by night!

mysecretgarden

Curses! Discovered Again

regular feautre

the Butterfly Diaries

Hedgehogs are difficult to identify and my guides are not quite comprehensive and the descriptions not specific enough, so, like a lot of amateur naturalists, I call it an Indian Hedgehog and leave it at that.

The authorities pipe water twice a day, once in the early morning and once ofter dark. So in between these times, you are dependent on water in the roof tanks and stored water in the bathroom buckets. Water is life in the deserts. The pipeline supplying the garden has a small leak at the place where it bends around the garden corner and there it leaks. Each morning, the garden creatures are treated for an hour or so to a thin lamellar flow across a patch of cemented pavement. I have forbidden its repair so that the creatures can get their small but just desserts!

The bees buzz here across the garden from the hive , and like teenagers wearing many pocketed jeans, they pick up water

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

29

in the small cups or satchels on their legs and take off for the hive. I imagine this water is used to keep the queen and the larvae air-conditioned through the summer. The bees drink greedily of this water and long after it has stopped they crowd the fence, pipe, wet gravel and moist soil with an unquenchable appetite.

Seeing this and the fact that their presence kept some small creatures away I added two more sources of water. A pot of water hung from a tree branch for the birds and bees and a earthen water-bowl for the squirrels, jirds and other creatures at ground level. Since I was watering them, I decided to feed them, so I added a small wooden feeding tray. The carpenter was so gratified at being asked to do so noble a Its not just humans who store water each day!

(Apis cerana)

30

ExpressionS JULY 2011

The hive in the thatch.

(Apis cerana)

The abandoned thatch hive exposed.

Never imagined it to be so large!

task that of his own he added a bird-house to the tray. I did’nt have the heart to put him right but gave him an extra shabash!

Anyway, the bees now started raiding the water-pot in the mid-morning and afternoons too!

The white-eared bulbuls (Pycnonotus leucotis) who wake me are not the bulbuls one meets elsewhere in India but are of the white-cheeked variety but without the pointed crests that their cousins from the hills sport. Earlier considered a subspecies, I am told they have been promoted to the rank of a separate species.

They fly around, peck at things, warble in the bushes, or on the fence and provide a running commentary on all that’s happening throughout the day.

The bees crawl everywhere to get at the water.

(Apis cerana)

They, along with the squirrels and jirds are my constant companions and I love them dearly. Indeed, one pair did try to nest in the thatch fence but they abandoned the attempt due to a unseasonal heatwave.

I pamper them with choicest grains and by shooing away the ‘Bharadwaj’ (Greater Coucal) bird when he calls upon me. They reward me with their melodious calls and assume coquettish postures for my amusement.

The other residents of my garden include sunbirds, sparrows, doves and crows. The sparrows nest in the eaves, the doves in the storehouse rafters, the crows somewhere in the ad hoc repairs of the roof in my backyard and the sunbirds I know not where.

Bees besiege the suspended matka

The handsome bulbul of the desert!

It is during the hot hours of the day when I find my most interesting guests. Sometimes it is a Roller perched on a branch under the tree enjoying the coolness just under the canopy where the loo cannot reach directly. On other occasions its a Whitebrowed Fantail, about whom I am constantly admonished by birdwatchers not to refer as a flycatcher any more. Let him catch the two-winged insects, but he must NOT be named as such, declares one soul who fixes me with a glare as if I had just used the much-abhorred ‘n_’ word in a congregation of politically correct citizens.

During the hot hours of the garden, the creatures are to be found in the shadiest, coolest places. Some, for no conceivable reason why, try

Ok, first lets try a belly flop with legs clear of the sand.

The feisty little purple sunbird.

Mrs Sparrow comes to call on!

other methods. The squirrel who lives in my garden is one such. At this time the birds cling to the shade but off the ground, the jirds are deep underground while Wally the squirrel, so named because he scarfed walnut kernels from her one day, insists on remaining on the sandy floor in the dappled shade below the tree. So to remain in that spot, he resorts to all kinds of tricks. Sometimes, he is on his belly with four hot feet off the ground. Sometimes he grasps the tree trunk while standing on his hind-feet.

Intent on his cooling tricks, he fails to notice the bucket of water I send halfway across the garden. Suddenly sodden, he is shocked for an instant before taking off up the tree but I do hope I have helped him remain cool.

One doesn’t quite expect to find butterflies in the desert but they were present alright.

The common danaids were present since their foodplant the Aak or Calotropis was present. In my garden. Every day I saw tiny blues which I discovered to be the Dark Grass Blue Zizeeria lysimon.

There was also a Pioneer which stayed awhile and moved on. Insect life must exist in greater variety than one expects small pockets in the desert as I also saw a wasp meticulously scour the garden presumably for caterpillars.

Maybe hugging the tree is a better idea.

Back to the good old hide in the shadow routine!

the butterfly diaries

regular feautre

The hive in the tree!

(Apis florea)

The star of the garden is, of course, the jird. Most people call him ‘gerbille’ or ‘kangaroo mouse’; he is neither. His short, rounded ears, chubby body, long thinly haired tail with dark tassel, and shorter

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

31

survival of the fittest a truth in today’s context The Dark Grass Blue

The wasp on the hunt!

legs than one would expect of a mouse looking like a miniature kangaroo, he is the cutest of desert creatures in my garden.

was certain danger had passed.

Then he would resume with renewed vigour. Sometimes his head was not seen as it was buried deep but the rear part of his body and his feet were rapidly jerking upwards above the ground level ejecting a constant stream of sand from the hole.

Finally, the burrow was done but it was becoming dark.

The Toadar Mals One day he turned up in my newly developed garden strolling in as if he owned the place. This was followed by a detailed reconnaissance on his part which culminated with the selection of a spot by the gate where there was adequate shade available. He then proceeded to dig as swiftly, continuously and urgently as he could, realising the risk he faced of being without a bolt-hole. Every few minutes or so, whenever he felt unsafe or uneasy, he would pause and sit upright, facing this way and later that, till he

32

ExpressionS JULY 2011

Slaking its thirst before bossing us around!

Tired but satisfied, he went to have a sip in the newly installed water-bowl but instead sat up at the edge and shrieked angrily. Peering to see what was the problem, I espied Mr and Mrs Todarmal stolidly sitting in the water. Only after I had driven off the indignant toads and changed the water, and also hidden myself in the verandah, would the jird take his sip of water.

Now, master of all he surveys, he shows himself during the day only when it is not too hot.

Then he emerges from his burrow, does his personal grooming and then clambers up the side of the bowl to drink his water. Thirst satisfied, he seeks to satisfy his palate. This he does by raiding the bird-seed spilled over the edge of the feeder

Meet the jird! tray or by nibbling pieces of grass sitting outside his burrow. Should another jird enter the garden, there is a thorough free-for-all until he has vanquished the interloper.

One day I saw another slightly smaller jird and realised he had a mate. But alas, I was not fortunate enough to see their progeny as the military authorities cottoned onto the fact that I was enjoying myself thoroughly and decided to remedy the fact by posting me to the North East.

The honeymooners

SWARAJ BOSE When the world was created, God expected it to be a safe and happy dwelling for all His beloved creations. He thought all the species would be guaranteed with suitable living space. But he never expected that one day his most amazing creations would clash and fight for their survival on this planet. But that is what today’s scenario is. The world is more of a battlefield where the species are competing for their survival.

There has been a drastic increase in the instances of man animal conflict in the last few years. When on one hand, wildlife is under threat due to human activities, on the other hand, human life too has become prone to wildlife attacks that occur in retaliation.

To cite an example of the mismatch of interest between man and wildlife, we can refer to the leopard census in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which has seen a decline of more than 50% in the last two decades. The suspected reasons for such decline are hunting and poaching in this region that has caused more than 10 premature deaths of these big cats.

Though I am no longer physically present in the desert, in my mind’s eye I can still return to enjoy those pleasurable moments that were once my good fortune to experience.

photos by COL. ASHWIN BAINDUR

special feature

regular feautre

ExpressionSchool

The seriousness of this concern can be highlighted by the recent train accident in Jalpaiguri District of West Bengal where a train ran over seven elephants killing all of them- a case of human callousness leading to loss of precious wildlife resource. But when this incident is thoroughly investigated, it is found to be an instance of conflicting man-wildlife interests. This part of the country is home to many wild elephants and the train route

through this region poses a greater threat to the security of these animals. They need their home. We need transportation. Since the 1970s, over 100 elephants have been killed in train accidents nationwide, the reasons being similar.

Human beings have also incurred losses in the form of life and property as a result of such unusual clashes. As we go through some statistics, we find that in the state of Madhya Pradesh, that is the state with the largest area under permanent forests, there have been 30-35 cases of human killings in the past one year. To account for more, there have been 700-800 cases of human injuries and 250300 cases of domestic cattle fatalities in the state as a result of wildlife attacks.

Recently in Karniaghat, a man was found dead and pugmarks were spotted all around the places were his body was lying. Though the body was not harmed by the big cat, the casualty was suspected to have resulted as a result of some defensive response by the tiger.

The end of these problems lies in the fact“Man and Wildlife need to survive together.”

That is how the natural arrangements had been made and they are expected to be maintained till we see our doom’s day. Compromise on our part is the need of the moment. Because only human can understand compromise. And it shall be beneficial to realise it as soon as possible.

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

33

regular feautre

our cirlce of commpassion Isabelle Richaud

A 30-year-old French citizen, Isablle Richaud, is avegetarian, and works in Antwerp, Belgium for the European branch of TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute, based in New Delhi). She is professionally and personally committed to making this world a better place.

If you are reading this magazine, chances are that you care for the environment. And this means a lot. This means you care for the survival and well-being of humanity as a whole, from yourself, your family, friends and neighbours, to those you just never met and will never meet – your grand grandchildren, your human fellows and their own grand grandchildren.

But that also means you care for the other species on Earth.

That means you care for our wonderful planet and its amazing capacity to harbour the most precious, and yet so tiny and fragile element of our Universe: LIFE. Protecting life is not only trying to maintain life in its diversity. Most

34

ExpressionS JULY 2011

importantly, this is about ensuring that every form of life is respected for its own value and enjoys appropriate living conditions. Ecology is all about non-violence in its philosophical and ethical meaning.

Asian culture and religions, and particularly Hinduism and Buddhism, have brought a major contribution in conceptualising and promoting ahimsa (non-violence). These religions have defined nonviolence as a philosophy of compassion towards all creatures, whether human or nonhuman. Many species other than human beings have the capacity to feel empathy and compassion, namely the capacity to understand and

share the other being’s feelings, in particular suffering, and to instinctively feel the need to make that suffering cease. But we, human beings, have developed this capacity to the extent of making it a central element of our lives and societies. Our social organisation is so resilient and so advanced because it is mainly based on fraternity and cooperation, which would not be possible if compassion was not a central feature of our inner identity.

But compassion is not only felt towards our fellow human beings. We also have that capacity to understand and share the feelings of the other sentient species, namely those with the capac-

ity to feel pleasure and pain.

If we wish to be more in tune with our inner identity, or in other words, wish to be more human, we must extend our circle of compassion and fraternity to all other species on Earth.

Unfortunately, this vision of a truly non-violent humanity remains a distant dream. The animals are not only excluded from our circle of fraternity, but their capacity to feel emotions and pain is also merely ignored as these animals are exploited for human comfort and profit, as if they were sheer merchandise.

Take the food industry, to start with. Although it is quite hard to imagine while looking at a neatly packaged piece of meat, or while picking up eggs or yoghurt, producing these food stuffs requires animals to be killed, exploited and most of the time, to endure continuous psychological and physical suffering.

According to the Worldwatch Institute, 43 percent of the beef, 68 percent of the eggs and 74 percent of the poultry we eat globally comes from industrial farming systems, where livestock is raised in unnatural conditions for the only purpose of producing meat, eggs and dairy products at the cheapest price.

In industrial farming, the social behaviour of animals is constantly upset, which inev-

itably results in heightened stress and pathologies. Cows, for example, instinctively form strong maternal bonds with their calves, whereas on dairy farms and cattle ranches, they are separated from their offspring after a couple of days of giving birth itself.

Mother cows have been reported to frantically call and search for their young ones even several days after their separation.

Modern farming methods force animals to live either in extreme overcrowding or in complete isolation in confined spaces, which can translate in both cases, to continuous stress and the development of pathologies and abnormal behaviour, like cannibalism or repetitive, uncontrolled actions like sham chewing. Chickens raised for their flesh (broilers) are literally crammed in filthy sheds. Hens raised for their eggs (laying hens) are locked in cages (batteries) too tiny to prevent them from even standing up or spreading their wings. The birds have part of their sensitive beaks cut off so that they will not peck each other as a result of the frustration created by the unnatural confinement, and this “de-beaking” causes severe, chronic pain and suffering. When their egg production drops because their body is exhausted, the hens are flung from the battery to the transport cages

by their wings, legs, head, feet, or whatever is grabbed.

Many of them suffer from broken bones as a result of that harsh treatment, and their emaciated bodies are so damaged that their flesh can then be used only for chicken soup, as pet food, or as canned meat.

Such intense over-exploitation of the animals’ body leads to dramatic consequences for their health.

Hens will naturally live for 6 or more years, but in the conditions described above, the hens’ bodies are exhausted after only 12 months. Broilers, pigs, turkeys and calves are forced to grow so large so quickly that these animals frequently suffer from deformities and heart attacks.

To produce milk, cows are repeatedly impregnated. While cows can live for twenty years or more, high yielding dairy cows will last for only around a quarter of that time, if they are not culled after three lactations because they are chronically lame or infertile.

world view

World View

It’s not only in farms that animals are the innocent victims of human abuse. Laboratories are other well-known places of unimaginable suffering for them. Hundreds of millions of various animals – from insects to birds, mice, dogs, cats and primates – are used as guinea-pigs for scientific research purposes, for in-

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

35

regular feautre

animal testing (or vivisection) has undeniably contributed to important scientific progress, But, on a more disturbing note, researchers most likely underestimate the actual facts and figures on the agony and pain being imposed on laboratory animals, andmany voices question the legitimacy and necessity of this cruelty. stance in the fields of genetics or behavioural studies, and to help assess the effects on the human body of human-made substances, like pesticides, drugs and cosmetics.

On the bright side, animal testing (or vivisection) has undeniably contributed to important scientific progress, particularly in the medical field, and the major part of animal testing does not imply severe pain in the animals used. But, on a more disturbing note, researchers most likely underestimate the actual facts and figures on the agony and pain being imposed on laboratory animals, and many voices question the legitimacy and necessity of this cruelty. Laboratory animals are purposely shocked, poisoned, burnt and cut open, and in many cases all this is neither necessary (as other forms of scientific analysis could have been conducted), nor commensurate with the superficial benefit drawn

36

ExpressionS JULY 2011

from it (some new face cream that will enrich a cosmetic company more than it will keep its promise to erase it user’s wrinkles).

What happens behind the closed doors of farms, slaughterhouses and laboratories is purposely hidden by the concerned industries.

These industries perfectly know how damaging that would be for their reputation and business to disclose the agony and distress contained in their products, because they know about their human consumers’ inherent propensity for compassion.

The issue of animal welfare remains marginal – not to say ignored – in current debates, including in the ecologists’ discourse. But while we are concerned about the longterms effects of greenhouse gases on the biosphere, the life that we are eager to protect is being slaughtered and injured in extreme violence. Every day we eat this

violence or spread it on our face without even thinking about it. On this issue, just like on the other great ecological issues of our time, we, as consumers, are guilty of compliance.

Thankfully, awareness and practices are slowly moving towards non-violence. Earlier in human history, cannibalism was common practice and, more recently, slavery was at the heart of the social and economic organisation of most societies. Yesterday, these practices were considered as normal by the vast majority. Today, they inspire repulsion and outrage in any of us. Our circle of compassion and fraternity is slowly getting larger. At the earliest time of human history, a human’s circle of compassion did not go beyond his own person, as the fight for survival necessitated strong individualism. As he became a social creature, the human being started to care for his family members, then for all those he knew, and then for all the people he thought looked like him: his co-citizens, his ethnic group, and finally his human fellows.

in that direction is being led

by Europe. In a historical step, the European Union voted in 1999 the ban of production of battery eggs, which will be in effect in all EU countries by 2012. Europe’s retail giants Carrefour, Intermarché (France), Cora, Match (Belgium), Rewe, Aldi (Germany), Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Co-op, Sainsbury (UK), and all the supermarket chains in the Netherlands and Switzerland announced recently that they have stopped selling battery eggs. An increasing number of municipalities in Europe and now throughout

the world have adopted the concept of a weekly vegetarian day, following the example of the Belgian city of Ghent. Finally, a regulation of major ecological importance, REACH, which aims at evaluating and restricting the chemical substances used in various industries in Europe, also aims at protecting animals against the abuses of chemical experimentation and promoting alternative methods to animal testing.

As comfortable it may be for the producers to continue business as usual and ignore animal

suffering, and as tempting as it may be for consumers to indulge in a cheap piece of meat, our inner sense of ethics keeps making itself heard and is leading to what might be one of the most significant steps in the moral and spiritual advancement of the human species: the actual inclusion of non-human animals in our circle of fraternity; the realisation of what Leonardo Da Vinci prophesised- “the time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men.”

The time is coming for the livestock, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries to be penetrated by this progressive extension of the human circle of compassion.

On many issues, progress JULY 2011

ExpressionS

37

fruitful&productivewaste beingWASTED ANIRUDH KHANNA

F

or most of us,the thought of waste would be limited to the dustbin or the roadside municipality garbage bin.Ever thought of what process the municipality has to undergo with regard to this waste?

Obviously,who would care about the fate of the softdrink can or the packet of Lays that we simply consume and discard? The consumers would perhaps think that their job is to simply dump it into the bin,which is right on their part but the tough job lies ahead. I wish it were as simple as the existence of a waste-vanishing elf to carry out this job,or one which could transform an object to something totally new, but I’m afraid it takes a lot to put intopractice something even close to what the elf would have done. To face the reality,waste management has emerged as the new high and has become a necessity considering today’s ever-increasing waste production.

Effective waste management strategies contribute to the creation of a cleaner,less wasteful and more sustainable society.

These also assist in minimizing or avoiding adverse impacts on the environment and human health, while allowing economic development and improvement in the quality of life.To begin with, consider how thecommon man contributes to the amount of waste produced daily through discarded materials like polythene bags,vegetable remains,food wastes,tinned cans,empty

38

ExpressionS JULY 2011

bottlesand so on. Apart from these household wastes,other kinds include mining wastes,radioactive debris,construction and demolition wastes,energy and water treatment wastes,and also commercial wastes. While ‘getting rid’ of these,what we don’t realise is that these very cast-offs are hazardous to the environment and also have a hidden potential to be transformed to productive materials which could prove both useful and help cutting down our expenses in the long run-we are actually wasting what wethink is waste! On the contrary,waste management involves the monitoring,collection,transport,process ing and disposal of waste material,thus ensuring that ‘waste’isn’t simply wasted.

Fortunately,initiatives have been and are being taken across the globe to deal with the various hazards that improper waste disposal can pose.National Solid WasteAssociation of India (NSWAI) is the only leading professional non-profit organization in the field of Solid Waste Management including Toxic and Hazardous Waste andalso Biomedical Waste in India.It collects information related to solid waste management from the municipalities of the urban cities,and distributes it to the websites linked to national and international organisations.Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation(CSIRO),A ustralia,provides waste management solu-

tionsto various industries.It helps manage industrial emissions,urban wastes and agricultural discharges,develops cleaner processes and remediation techniques,andunderstands waste stocks and flows.CSIRO is also in collaboration with the Australian Government’s Department of Environment and Heritage.Information on waste quantitiesand composition are collected in the database to monitor the achievement of waste reduction targets and objectives in Australia.

It is comforting to hear about such organisations doing a tremendous work with respect to management of waste, but we as individuals too can do our bit to contribute. I’ve noticed huge smoke often in my own locality and it’s a shame to see my fellow neighbours carelessly burn the trash from their houses.

People need to realise that wastes on burning often emit toxic gases into the atmosphere which are the causes of innumerable health hazards. The waste has to be converted to a form which is suitablefor burning,and thus instead of simply ‘igniting the fire’ we should dispose it off at a proper garbage bin from where it can be transported for further processing andsuitable disposal to landfills or incinerators.I’m sure it wouldn’t be pleasant to your distant relatives visiting home to see your vicinity littered with garbage andgiving out even more unpleasant odours,

The pressure on natural resources for raw materials is drastically reduced as they are obtained by processing used products, and new products are made out of them.

so it’s important not to dirty the surroundings.It’s high time we implement the Three R’s-reduce, reuse and recycle at our personal level.We surely need to put our greed aside and consume only as much as we actually require.Also,there are items which can be used over and over again,empty cans and bottles, for instance.Therefore,we need to spot the right areas and things shall start falling in place subsequently!

expressions school

special feature

ExpressionSchool

Last but not the least, the aspect of waste management which certainly proves highly beneficial is the third R-recycling. The pressure on natural resources for raw materials is drastically reduced as they are obtained by processing used products, and new products are made out of them. Another positive side to recycling is that it requires less energy to recycle a product than to make a new one. Similarly,recycling causes less pollution than that caused during manufacture of a new product, therebyalso reducing the amount of waste produced.Attero recycling is a Noida-based e-waste recycling company doing complete processing of e-waste with zero landfill.Greenobin collects waste paper and gets all collected paper to be recycled.

Greenobin provides a complete range of independent recycling and waste management facilitiesto both industrial and commercial customers as well as local authorities whilst reducing volume of waste going to landfill.I forsee an era where nothing goes wasted,infacta smarter lifestyle which extracts the best out of everything. It’s just a matter of being aware of these issues and taking initiatives, which I’m sure would lead toa flurry of gains in many fields, and we probably wouldn’t require the elf to do it for us.

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

39

photo stor y

t PIER ROT MAT IN G

t MIRROR MONKEY

photo stor y

pramodpednekar

K ELOT IS H U N T p

CO MMO N S ILVE RLINE

H ORNBILL EYELIT

u

R E D P I E R ROT q

TAILED J AY q

SWOR DTAIL MATING

q

t THE S POT TED LE AP ORD

MON ITOR LIZA R D p

F LIGH T IB IS p

40

ExpressionS JULY 2011

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

41

photo stor y

photo stor y

WAT ER H OLE S A MB H A R p

K H AT I V I LLAG E IN UTTAR A K HAND

T I G E R WA L K q

p

Pramod Pednekar

is a graduate from Mumbai university, is currently working with E-Emphasys Technologies. He is a passionate about photography and loves clicking wild animals, insects, butterflies etc. He can be contacted at pramodpednekar@gmail.com

M YSTIC MORNIN G p

42

ExpressionS JULY 2011

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

43

Naman Khanduri

15 years old studying in St. Josephs Academy, Dehradun. With writing as his passion, he utilizes it for his concerns towards the environment and can be reached at NK.NamanKhanduri@facebook.com

Toyota established its first “Toyota Environmental Action Plan” in 1993, as a means to implement concrete initiatives that reflect the policy expressed in the Toyota Earth Charter. The Toyota Environmental Action Plan contains specific initiatives and targets in a variety of endeavors, and is currently undergoing its third revision. Among other initia-

ExpressionS JULY 2011

tives, the current Action Plan specifies that Toyota will endeavor to work more closely with suppliers and further promote green procurement and green purchasing on a global scale.

Toyota has also established a Toyota Environment Committee with the aim of promoting the policies of the Toyota Earth Charter on a companywide basis. The Committee is chaired by the President of Toyota Motor Corporation, and is assisted by separate committees related to product design, production and recycling, thereby covering the entire spectrum of activities ranging from the development of automobiles, to their disposal.

Toyota Motor Corporation works with many suppliers to procure vehicle parts and raw materials such as steel.

The cost of procuring vehicle parts and raw materials accounts for 70% of the manufacturing cost of Toyota’s

automobiles. Consequently, Toyota is committed to working closely with its suppliers in order to effectively promote its environmental initiatives throughout the lifecycle of its automobiles, with the aim of reducing environmental impact and implementing environmental risk avoidance.

At Toyota, environmentally hazardous substances are categorized into one of two categories: (1) Chemical substances that have an environmental impact through release into the atmosphere or water during their use at plants, and (2) chemical substances that have an environmental impact when disposed of as part of an automobile. Toyota actively promotes green procurement by using raw materials that have a low environmental impact. It also practices entryway management of chemical substances by asking its suppliers to report the contents of substances

Toyota has created its own database to promote chemical substance control, which also led to the establishment of the firm’s Eco Research subsidiary in 2001. Eco Research was created in order to provide PRTR-related material composition data for firms seeking to comply with Japan’s Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Law, and it is also intended to support Toyota’s suppliers in the broader sense.

Toyota recognizes that the production activities of its plants have a major impact on the environment, and therefore places great emphasis on the principle of strict prevention of environmental pollution. In 1984, Toyota established its “Prior Assessment System for Environmental Preservation” in order to improve its production activities and to allow it to assess the environmental impact of its product during chemical substance management, and at the time of equipment deployment.

By assessing various factors such as air quality, water quality and odors, Toyota is able to make necessary improvements in its production activities.

In 1994, Toyota created a system that allows it to identify the process and quantity in which designated control substances are being used. In 2000, Toyota expanded its chemical substance control list to include approximately 3,400 control substances, of which approximately 460 substances are prohibited from use. The system was also changed to prevent Toyota from procuring products that contain substances prohibited from use, as well as products for which suppliers have failed to submit composition data.

Toyota made the conversion to green products by asking its suppliers to propose green products any time that a supplier revised the pricing of a non-green product. The green products proposed by its supplier are then evaluated based on various factors such as the performance and cost of the product, in accordance with Toyota’s policies for green purchasing.

In particular, Toyota placed special emphasis on the following considerations: (1) To retain the same features or performance while reducing the number of product categories, in order to decrease costs by increasing the purchasing volume per category, and minimizing the frequency of single purchases.

(2) To assess the energy consumption of office equipment during use and when idle, and to further assess the inclusion of any unnecessary features or unnecessary construction.

Consequently, Toyota was able to reduce the number of office supplies items used in its offices to approximately 1,300 categories, from a previous list of 2,000 items. In March 2002, Toyota achieved its goal of 100% green purchasing for approximately 1,300 office supply items and 300 types of office equipment.

green corporate

regular feature

greenprocurement initiatives by

Toyota Motor Corporation adopted its Guiding Principles in 1992, which describe the firm’s commitment to “Dedicate ourselves to providing clean and safe products and to enhancing the quality of life everywhere through our activities.” The firm’s Guiding Principles serve as the basis for the “Toyota Earth Charter,” which contains its basic policy for global environmental preservation, as well as its action guidelines and organizational framework, both keeping in mind the environment again.

44

that concern the environment and it does not include prohibited substances in the purchase.

Toyota is also switching to clean energy vehicles for its own use. Toyota currently utilizes 360 clean energy vehicles such as hybrid vehicles and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, which account for 20% of its corporate fleet. In addition, Toyota decided to adopt company uniforms that use materials made from recycled PET bottles beginning from April of 2003, and plans to expand its green purchasing initiatives to include new items such as lighting equipment and office furniture such as desks and chairs.

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

45

leopardcensus T

o begin with, it was a matter of pride to have been invited by the Forest Department, Baroda to participate in the Leopard census held in the Jambughoda Range, roughly 80 Kms from Baroda city. I reached the ‘Kada Dam’ forest bungalow at 4.30 pm on the 26th of May this year.

Mr. Vadasola, a forest officer who was expecting me, later introduced me to the D.F.O., Mr. Tipre and there I was informed of the ‘point’ where the adventure was to begin, located near the ‘Vav’ village of Jambughoda. The ride to Vav was 10kms from the bungalow and there I was received by resident forest ranger Mr. S.G. Patel. Soon it was dusk and we were riding towards the ‘point’ which was 3 Kms from Vav, in fading daylight and into a dense forest with high hills all around.

At about 7.45 pm we reached our ‘point’ where I met two local men, Ranchod and Kanchan, on a ‘machan’ (machdo in gujarati), which they had built for us. The machan was about 15 feet from the base of a ‘Neem’ tree, on a small hill. It was a platform made from thick branches of the Neem tree, roughly 10 feet long, fastened with coir ropes and covered with huge, round leaves of the ‘Khakra’ tree which were spread on the platform to make it comfortable for about 3 people to sit. A 15 feet tall, sturdy branch of Neem tree was vertically fastened to the platform and it was carved on its sides alternately so as to be used as a ladder to climb into the machan. I noticed a check-dam tank

46

ExpressionS JULY 2011

down the hill, about 12 meters from the base of the tree. The tank was 20 feet long, 5 feet broad and was filled with water meant to quench the thirst of wild animals in the scorching summer heat. I was told that there were 5 such tanks in the area and we were to keep vigil on this particular one all night long.

On climbing into the machan, I was overwhelmed to see the picturesque view around me. It was almost a full moon and the shimmering bright moonlight added to the beauty of the thick forest, abundant with the tall Neem, Khakra, Timru and Mahuda trees on the slopes of the high hills surrounding us on all sides. Despite adding up to our comfort the heavy breeze swayed the tall trees and made scary noises as the tree trunks creaked, the green leaves whistled and dry leaves blew themselves down the hills and on to the forest floor. Time and again I could listen to the movement of the trees from far and the sound would get louder as the breeze approached us and again fade as it would continue on its directional flow away from us, a unique acoustic experience that I had never had before. The background was filled with shrill whistles of a small tree top dwelling bird called ‘Tahudi’ by the locals.

is a wildlife enthusiast who works as a Graphic Designer in Baroda (Gujarat). He is a numismatist and pursues Arabic and Urdu calligraphy as serious hobbies.

I poked my utility knife into the tree trunk and kept my camera and binoculars within reach as we whispered to each other, so as to not be noticed by any leopard and discourage it from coming to the water tank as leopards are solitary and skeptical of any movements or sounds that they are not used to seeing or listening. It was then when we were suddenly hushed to silence by Kanchan, the local, as he drew our attention to a roaring sound of a leopard at some distance in the North, uphill. We froze and stared in the direction of the noise. Silence followed for about 5mins, when we heard the roars again, this time louder, advocating the slow approach of the beast towards us. This was followed by a faint leopard roar from the South this time. After 20 minutes of optimism we heard a ‘langur’ call out loudly from a nearby tree. This was an ‘alarm call’ that the big cat had arrived and was within visible distance. The adrenalin was now pumping in my body. We were hushed to silence again, this time by Ranchod, who to my surprise stood on a lower branch of the neem tree, easily within the reach of the leopard, fearless. Both the locals and the ranger saw it as it approached, but it took some time for me to sight it as the tall trees filtered the bright moonlight, the big cat being a master at camouflaging. And then I saw it. This incident occurred at 9.20 pm late in the evening, followed by the entry of the forest office jeep to distribute food packets for the census staff- an activity that scared the beautiful animal away and brought an early end to the amazing feeling that I was enjoying. This was followed by a lot of wild roaring, chirping and squeaking throughout the night.

photo by CHRISTINA

feature

feature

Haseeb Shaikh

BUSH

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

47

feature

“

Probably, my entire life hasn’t taught me as much as that one night did. Having read Jim Corbett, F.W. Champion, Stanley Jepson and Salim Ali my entire life, I now realised how difficult it must have been for them to give up their entire ‘civil’ lives to spend them on such machans, for a cause.

The most unforgettable part of the day was that late in the night at around 1.00 am the two local men who accompanied us decided that they needed some sleep and to my worst nightmare they decided to walk about 20 meters away from the tree and take a nap on a mere 3 feet high parapet wall that divided two farmlands. I was witnessing this unbelievable act of bravery, extremely overwhelmed by the dangers of the wild at that time.

Shocked and flabbergasted, I was watching these men walk on the forest floor in the middle of the night with wild animals as ferocious as leopards loitering around in the vicinity, and the ease with which they dozed off on the parapet partition with their axe and sickles beside was awe inspiring.

I could not get any sleep that the night as curiosity did not let the adrenalin rush die down in my body. Keeping a tight vigil around, I was listening to the scary noises of various animals, birds and insects in the vicinity. At about 5.30 am daylight broke and yet again, I enjoyed the beauty of the early morning sunrise from behind the hills. In about 20 minutes Mother Nature showed this amazing transition of night into day as darkness gave way to light. It’s funny how daylight can make a timid person bold. The same person can be skeptical of his surroundings in the dark and feel confident about them when accompanied with the sun! We climbed down the machan and began to look for the ‘pug marks’ of the leopards. We found the ‘pug marks’ of three different leopards including a female, all varying in sizes. Selecting the best 5 ‘pug marks,

48

ExpressionS JULY 2011

we decided to take the ‘plaster casts’. With the commendable skill of the two local men, in about half an hour we had the casts ready with the visible pug marks.

Probably, my entire life hasn’t taught me as much as that one night did. Having read Jim Corbett, F.W. Champion, Stanley Jepson and Salim Ali my entire life, I now realised how difficult it must have been for them to give up their entire ‘civil’ lives to spend them on such machans, for a cause. Locals from the jungle demonstrated that they could do happily without gadgets – things that we call the basic necessities of life. I was left feeling like a fool when I was calculating the chances of a leopard climbing into the machan only to see the locals doze off on the forest floor with a leopard about 30 feet from them.

Expressions has a readership of approximately 15,000 people from all walks of life, and is delivered online to public libraries and is also easily accessible to general population who cares for the environment. Expressions is also sent to consulates, govt. organization in India to help provide information to the people who really matter i.e., policy makers. Our research shows that the vast majority of our readers regularly read the advertising pages, and respond well to adverts for products, courses and services.

Expressions online e-magazine that enables you to market products and services to a select audience. The quality and consistency of Expressions ensures a longer shelf life, maximizing the number of times each issue is read and your advertisements are viewed.

Sponsorship of Expressions magazine gives your organization an excellent opportunity to both reach this desirable audience and be recognized as a supporter of ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, thus helping in building your social image as well.

For Advertising rates, visit us at www.expressions.icareindia.co.in or call +919411114921, or send an email to advertise@icareindia.co.in

onScost. 49 JULY 2011 atExpressi Advertisers can also advertise, with a link to their website, on our website a nominal

Corbettgram VikasSamiti History

In 2001, the Wildlife Institute of India initiated research on Jim Corbett’s legacy and organized meetings with the villagers of Corbett’s Village - Chhoti Haldwani. During this project, interaction with villagers increased, Jim Corbett being the central theme. Villagers narrated their association with Jim Corbett and various other events related to him. In 2002, a refresher course on Interpretation of Jim Corbett’s legacy was organized. In 2003, a book on the various places and trails, somehow related to Jim Corbett was published with the support of REACH (a Dehradun based NGO) and titled as “Walking with Corbett”.

As a result of research on Jim Corbett’s legacy, a few places related to Jim Corbett were identified and planning started for the renovation of these places. Identification of Moti House, Chaupal, Single Barrel Muzzle Loader Gun and the stone wall around Corbett’s Village were highlights of this progress. A Community Based Tourism plan on Corbett’s Village was presented by the Wildlife Institute of India and LEAD India after several village-level meetings. It was a part of the Corbett-Binsar-Nainital Ecotourism Initiative. In 2002, some villagers of Corbett’s village formed a committee for conservation of Jim Corbett’s legacy and named it “Corbett Dharohar Prabandh Samiti”, which was renamed “Corbett Gram Vikas Samiti” in 2003 and eventually registered as a Non Governmental Organization

50

ExpressionS JULY 2011

in 2004 under Societies Registration Act, 860.

Events & Activities

Jim Corbett’s birth anniversary was first celebrated in the year 2002 in his village.

Ever since that day, it has been celebrated with much pomp every year by the villagers and members of Corbett Gram Vikas Samiti on 25th July. Celebration of days like World Environment Day, Ozone Day and World Tourism Day etc. are also a part of the Samiti’s activities. It also organizes awareness campaigns on various environmental conservation related issues and encourages tree plantation during monsoon season.

The Samiti has also set up an eco-club for local students under its initiative. Members of this nature club are trained by the Samiti members on various wildlife conservation and management issues to spread awareness amongst the villagers.

Capacity Building

In the year 2003, villagers of Corbett’s village participated in a workshop on “Product Development Marketing and Documentation” at the Center for Eco-Tourism, Chunakhan and since then they have participated in several other workshops and training activities organized in the region. In 2005, three women self-help groups were formed with the support of WWF-India, Ramnagar and these women were trained in “Tie and Dye” as well as in processing of food prod-

ucts. 19 farmers of the village were trained on organic farming with again, the support of WWF and were later on registered as Organic Producers with Uttarakhand Organic Commodity Board.

stay in the village. Now there are 4 separate huts with 6 normal home stay rooms in the village.

Promotion & Marketing

update

update

Organizational Update

A brochure on Jim Corbett Heritage Trail and Museum was first published in 2003. Later, in 2004, a case study of Corbett’s village was published in WTO book on Indicators for Sustainable Tourism. In 2009, Corbett Gram Vikas Samiti participated in the Travel and Tourism Fair held in Bangalore for promotion and marketing of Community Based Tourism programmes. Since then CGVS has participated in several travel and tourism fairs across the nation. The release of Chhoti Haldwani Heritage Map in December 2010 by the Governor of Uttarakhand was another milestone in the CBT activities in Corbett’s village.

Several articles were published on these Products activities in various magazines like SanctuA trail had been developed in the year 2003 ary Asia, Outlook Traveller, Swagat, Discover with the support of the Department of ForIndia, Kadambini, The Week, Terrascape etc. est (Eco-Tourism wing) in Corbett’s village A dedicated website has been developed depicting works done by Jim Corbett for the and is maintained by Corbett Gram Vikas development of Chhoti Haldwani. This trail Samiti for marketing and promotion. Tie-ups was named “Jim Corbett Heritage Trail” and with travel agencies like Make My Trip and inaugurated by Eliot Morley, Minister of State My Great Stay are also part of the marketing for Environment and Climate change, Govt. strategy. of Uttrakhand in 2006. The Stone wall, SBML Gun, Chaupal, Moti House and Jim Corbett Visitors Museum became part of this heritage trail. A The Governor of Uttarakhand, Smt. Margret nature shop was set up as a part of CBT acAlva released Chhoti Haldwani Heritage tivities at Jim Corbett Museum in 2004 with Map and visited Jim Corbett Heritage Trail, the support of Corbett Tiger Reserve. This as well as the centralized dining area, menshop was handed over to the Corbett Gram tioned above, of Corbett Gram Vikas Samiti.

Vikas Samiti. Initially five families of the Mesmerized by the efforts of CGVS towards village were associated with this shop. Now, Community Based Tourism, she rewarded the more than 40 families are part of this initiaorganization suitably. Other than this, the tive. With the increasing demand of visiMinister of Tourism, Government of Uttarators, home-stay came up first in 2006. Later, khand, Sri Madan Kaushik and Shri Prakash Corbett Gram Vikas Samtii motivated villagPant also visited the village in 2010 and ers to construct low cost thatch roofed huts 2009 respectively. with a centralized dining area for visitors to On the occasion of Jim Corbett’s birth anniversary, members of Corbett Gram Vikas Samiti enacted a play “Kunwar Singh” based on Jim Corbett’s book ‘My India’ for the first time in 2004. On 19th April 2006, renowned actor Tom Alter read a book of Jim Corbett and paid homage to the legend. Subsequently, on 25th July 2006, local children enacted a play on Jim Corbett’s life titled “My India” with the support of Mr. Tom Alter and Ms. Sharmila Ganguly. Since then, they have re-enacted this play on various occasions, keeping Jim Corbett’s legacy alive.

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

51

S

ultanpur Bird Sanctuary is a popular weekend getaway from New Delhi, Gurgaon , Faridabad & Noida. It has been declared a National park by the Haryana Government. This Bird Sanctuary is ideal for birding and bird watchers and is best visited in winters when a large number of migratory birds come here.

The Haryana government has carried out a number of development works at Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary like construction of mounds, and widening of paths, four tube wells have also been dug. Efforts are being made to improve vegetation in area by planting more trees, which are popular with the birds like Acacia Nilotica, Acacia Tortilis, Beris and Neem etc. There are four watch towers (machans) to facilitate birdwatching.

Approximately 250 species of Birds are found at Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary. Some of them are resident, while others come from distant regions like Siberia, Europe and Afghanistan.

Some of the common resident birds are the Common Hoopoe, Paddyfield Pipit, Purple Sunbird, Little Cormorant, Eurasian Thickknee, Gray Francolin, Black Francolin, Indian Roller, White-throated Kingfisher, Spot billed Duck, Painted Stork, White Ibis, Black headed Ibis, Little Egret, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, India Crested Lark, Red vented Bulbul, Rose ringed Parakeet, Red wattled Lapwing, Shikra, Eurasian collared Dove, Red collared Dove, Laughing Dove, Spotted Owlet, Rock Pigeon, Magpie Robin, Greater Coucal, Weaver Bird, Bank Mynah, Common Mynah and Green Bee Eater.

Every year more than 100 migratory bird species arrive at Sultanpur in search of feeding grounds and to pass the winter. In winter, Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary provides a picturesque panorama of migratory birds such as Siberian Cranes, Greater Flamingo, Ruff, Black winged Stilt, Common Teal, Common Greenshank, Northern Pintail, Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Northern Shoveler, Rosy Pelican, Gadwall, Wood Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Eurasian Wigeon, Black tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank, Starling, Bluethroat and Long billed Pipit. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary has birds in summer too.

About 11 species of migratory birds such as Asian Koel, Black crowned Night Heron, Eur-

52

ExpressionS JULY 2011

Sunny Yadav is a wildlife enthusiast who works as a Graphic Designer in Baroda (Gujarat). He is a numismatist and pursues Arabic and Urdu calligraphy as serious hobbies.

asian Golden Oriole, Comb duck, Blue cheeked Bee Eater, Blue-tailed Bee-Eater and Cuckoos come here.

Facilities

The park is a popular picnic spot for the residents of New Delhi and the NCR (National Capital Region), especially during the winter migration months when thousands of birds visit here from across the globe. There are four watch towers (machans) located at different points, an education and interpretation center, a library, films, slides and binoculars for the benefit of bird lovers. A walk along the perim-

About my trip

It was my third visit to the Sanctuary and the bird sightings were great. I reached Sultanpur from Gurgaon around 7 AM, which was the perfect time to catch the birds going out in search of food. On entering, I was hit by a lot of noise - different kinds of birds were chirping all around. I was lucky that there was a lot of water this year and hence there were loads of birds. I saw many painted storks (which are stunning to look at), Common Hoopoe, Paddy field Pipit, Purple Sunbird, Little Cormorant, Eurasian Thick-knee, Gray Francolin, pelicans, huge quantities of ducks and coots.

I was also extremely lucky to get a sighting of Black winged Stilt, Common Teal, and Common Greenshank, which are very elegant and graceful birds. Overall, my trip was a birder’s delight!

feature

feature

sultanpurbird sanctuary

It takes 1.5 hrs to take a full round of Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary on foot. Tourists can get a glimpse of Neelgai (Blue Bull) and Black Bucks too.

eter of the park takes up to two hours. A room is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Salim Ali and has his photographs, write-ups, and some of his personal effects. There is public parking, bathrooms, drinking water facilities and a children’s park in the reserve. For those wishing to stay overnight, the park also has a guest house with basic amenities.

really silent and peaceful. In fact, the tranquility of the place made the overall experience mesmerising. I was really delighted to see a lot of birds from close range.

Birds were seen flapping around singly or in groups. Some dove down into the water and came up with fish. It was a lesson in diving. It was difficult to believe that there can be so many different kinds of birds in one place at a time. For a few hours, peace and tranquility took over and we forgot the world in spite of the chirping of the birds. At evening when the sun went down, the sky turned soft-red and all the birds were seen returning to their nests.

It was a great time to be there at sunset and wade in the beauty of nature.

Since we were going around on foot, without the assistance of a vehicle, the park remained

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

53

flying after birds HARSHIT SINGH “Arre Sir Fork tha uski tail mein! Voh bhi banded, no doubt Forktail thi voh” (There’s no doubt that it was a Forktail, It had a fork in its tail and the tail WAS banded!).

“Voh dekho jo spot bilkul white ho rakha hai udhar, vahan pe Griffon ka nest tha, dekho abhi binoculars se ki birds to nahi hain vahan?” (Look at that white spot, that’s where the Griffon’s nest was, just check with the binoculars if there are still any birds there !)

These are two of the many similar worded dialogues that I had come across in the Great Himalayan Bird Count in the winter of 2010. This is probably the farthest I have ever travelled from New Delhi for the sake of ‘birding’. Organized by ARCH (Action for Research and Conservation in the Himalayas), the Count is one of the most unique birding trips cum surveys organized in India, attended by people from the farthest corners of the country. Birding is certainly one of those activities that take over minds of people dedicated to it, like a virus. Bird-watching, the father of which is considered to be the legendary naturalist James Audubon, is an activity that takes people to extremes, and when it is done by people with a scientific aspect, it becomes a major movement in their circle of like-minded people. Considering people in general, the world has largely heard of individuals going for bird-watching or even doing extreme twitching. However, in the Great Himalayan Bird Count, the story turns out to be a bit different because this event is open to common people and on the other hand, the output that they have to produce is scientific! Bird Surveys do involve some technicalities but it isn’t so when it comes to creating a simple check-

54

ExpressionS JULY 2011

list of areas and creating an estimation of the abundant species in these areas. It in fact involves a very simple process of noting down the mane of the species sighted, their flock size and the time of sighting in the data sheet.

This is what makes bird-watching at The GHBC a memorable experience for every birder, when trails don’t just specify the area where the survey is to be done but also show the beauty of life when manifested in the form of these winged creatures. The Yamnotri Trek promises a sure sighting of the massive Lammergeir, while the Sarkunda Devi top promises viewings of the Himalayan and Eurasian Griffons which pass as close as 8 to 10 feet from on top of the viewer’s head.

This time when I came for the GHBC, while I was at the Manthan Conference House at FRI, Dehradun, I was told that I had to lead a birding group of 28 students and teachers of the Hopetown Girl’s School of Dehradun in bird-watching. I had been on the site just once before and didn’t know much about it. However, I must say Prateek Sir’s (Founder Trustee, ARCH) decision became quite a memorable experience for me.

On my first day in Dehradun, when I entered the main FRI Hall, I was met with an empty decorated room which soon got filled up with around 130 people out of which 120 were to go on the count trails. We were also to be grateful to Prateek Sir for inviting Mr. Raman Athreya, one of the top birding personalities in India (for being the first Indian in 64 years to discover a new bird species, namely Bugun Liocichla, in 2006). His presence at the session was a very important part of the event. There were senior Forest Officials that had come to address the session and also three cadets from the IMA to participate in the activity. Arvind Sir, Vipul Sir (two people who were to accompany us) and I went into the Organising Committee’s vehicle that was driven by Prateek Sir himself to the Nali forest, FRI (our base camp). Reaching the camp, we pitched about 6 tents for the team and ourselves in the dying light of the dusk with the help of headlamps and torches. After all this we were rather tired and retired to our quarters in the tents after a brief dinner with little talk. The next morning seemed to have the effect of the tiring night on everyone, and finally, the birding activity started at 7 in the morning. That morning, the team was introduced to binoculars and spotters (of which we had a single piece belonging to Arvind Sir of 15~45x from Nikon). Birding that day got us only 16 species on the list (including

Considering people in general, the world has largely heard of individuals going for bird-watching or even doing extreme twitching. However, in the Great Himalayan Bird Count, the story turns out to be a bit different because this event is open to common people and on the other hand, the output that they have to produce is scientific!

the sighting of the Blue Whistling Thrush and White throated Laughing Thrush – abundant in the area), a good number for the starters but not much for people like Arvind Sir, Vipul Sir, and I who are experienced in bird-watching. That day we also sighted a Spotted Forktail and a Small Niltava, which were uncommon species for the area at the time. Their presence meant that the winters were harsh at the higher altitudes that they had come from. The second day was much more eventful as the number of sightings increased to 33 species for the day, including many sightings of the Himalayan and Eurasian Griffons, a Lammergeir (by Arvind Sir – A wonderful person, needs to be told more about), and also a year old nest of the Griffons near Dhanaulti and Sarkunda Devi Areas.

expressions school

special feature

ExpressionSchool

The next morning was quite interesting as we started out at 7, trekking all the way from our camp to Sahstradhara in Dehradun and then back to Manthan for the debriefing session.

On the way, we even found a Banyan tree in the village Sarola, a very uncommon plant for the area but housing many birds within it. That evening, we could only talk of the wonderful experience that bird counting had become for us.

The next day, on the return train, I was thinking of how some people, including me depend on these tiny creations for their life’s happiness, as they break through barriers of bustling cities to listen to the music in their chirps, hoots and calls, and of how great the experience is, of ‘flying after them’.

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

55

I

t has been advertised, broadcasted, publicised, preached, discussed in summits, openly criticized, rallied against and simply shouted out loud that “Plastics are bad and should be banned.” Why, then, do you think that everything around you makes use of some form of plastic?

Everyone, once, talked about the environment friendly paper bag. But still, most of us chose to carry our stuff in plastic bags. The reasons are very evident – paper bags tear, plastic bags don’t. Paper bags get wet in the rain, plastic bags don’t. Everyone eventually resumed the use of plastic bags, and stopped to think about its harmful effects on the environment.

But did anyone ever wonder about the millions of trees which were being cut down to make paper bags – the so called solution to a very big environmental problem.

Everyone remembers watching a show on the discovery channel of huge mounds of plastics over-burdening the earth. No one remembers the show where acute deforestation was the result of the need for paper bags – our solution for plastics.

The fact that plastics make

56

ExpressionS JULY 2011

our lives easy and their apparent convenience prompted us to develop environment friendly plastics. We all try to or at least pretend to swear to live by recycled and biodegradable plastics.

Sometimes, before buying a plastic bottle, we turn it over and check for the “recyclable” sign. We even throw plastic bottles in their designated bins. This strong blind faith even surpasses that of the strict follower of religion in the staunch atheist’s eyes.

So strong it is that we never think of finding out how environment friendly recycled and biodegradable plastics really are. To put the facts straight – bioplastics (biodegradable plastics), besides solving the visually scarring image of the over burdening of earth by mounds of plastics, turn back the ugly heads of deforestation, depletion of fossil fuel, and of water and soil erosion. However, the

manufacture of bioplastics makes use of food crops. This adds to the already heavy load of the dependency on crops due to the never ending food crisis. To produce 200,000 tonnes of bioplastics, 350,000 tonnes of food crop is used up. This, in addition to them being over 2 to 10 times costlier than traditional plastics, makes their use not such a desirable option.

Recycling, a more popular tool for the good samaritan also has its disadvantages such as the complexity of sorting and processing, unfavourable economics, consumers’ confusion about which plastics can actually be recycled and depletion of fossil fuels. Very often the “Recyclable” sign on a plastic bottle prompts us to throw it away even if it can be used more. Moreover, what we don’t know is that a very

a former student of NIFT Bangalore and now a student of Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University, Kolkata. She is just someone who is interested in the well being of the planet and specially the preservation of its varied flora and fauna. She firmly believes that a little done by everyone for the planet can amount to a lot collectively.

feature

feature

sustainabledesign equals unsustainableplastics

Rini Tarafder

Spreading the message is not enough. We have been trying that for decades. Everyone knows that using plastics is extremely harmful to the environment. Yet they do not do anything about it or rather, they cannot do anything about it. I say “cannot” because we cannot ignore the convenience plastics are for us. small percentage of plastics are recyclable in the first place and everyone knows that. Whatever may be our interest in recycling plastics, everyone does squirm a bit when it comes to buying a product made up of recycled plastic.

The “Plastic Problem” is one which runs in circles – try to decrease one harmful effect and another one surfaces, unbalancing the entire environment. The only way to break this unending circle is to curb the input i.e. more plastics should not be produced in the first place. At present, when so many things around us are made of plastic and it is practically impossible to live without using plastics, such a measure seems unreasonable and frankly unattainable. At this

point of time, it even is. What is required is a magnanimous change in attitude.

Spreading the message is not enough. We have been trying that for decades. Everyone knows that using plastics is extremely harmful to the environment. Yet they do not do anything about it or rather, they cannot do anything about it. I say “cannot” because we cannot ignore the convenience plastics are for us. It would be foolish to assume that in the face of such convenience, the human race would be ready to give up plastics all together.

We need to gradually wean ourselves out of this bad habit.

A conscious effort would also not suffice as in its course we would realize that our daily lives become much more dif-

ficult devoid of plastics and not seeing an immediate result, we would abandon this conscious effort.

The only solution I can think of is to change the mass’s view about plastics. Plastics are viewed as a cheap commodity, to use and to throw. This “throwing” is the root of all our problems. If, by the use of plastics such commodities are designed and produced in such a way that they are not easy to purchase and even more difficult to discard, we could give plastics an entirely new personality. Such a change is not imaginable right now, but if we begin now, we can expect that in the future plastic will be what, for example, Sandalwood is today.

Sometimes, one wonders, maybe it would have been easier if plastics weren’t ever created in the first place. That, precisely, is the solution to this difficult problem - to gradually learn to live without plastics.

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

57

Organizational Update

Eco Audit India, September 2010

I

ndia’s vulnerability to climate change is not just a scientific theory anymore as we are slowly beginning to witness its impacts across the country, along with the rest of the world. Erratic weather, untimely floods, heat waves, etc. are just indicators of worse things to come. What makes India more vulnerable is its vast population of poor and the young. With a majority of the population below the age of 35, the years and decades ahead will present challenges that will require all human ingenuity to tackle.

IYCN encourages young people from different parts of the country and various backgrounds to join the network, meet more young people, form friendships and work together to spread awareness as well as implement solutions.

Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) is a network of young people as institutions, or individuals who are concerned about climate change and environmental issues.

Started in 2008, IYCN aimed to address the clear and present danger that climate change posed by preparing the youth of the country by making them aware about the situation and by presenting possible solutions to the problem. The network currently has members in 18 states of the country and is growing steadily. The IYCN influences thousands of young people in colleges, schools, corporations and institutions across India.

• Great Power Race (GPR): GPR is a clean energy competition between students of India, China andthe United States of America. GPR brought over 1000 campuses to execute clean energy projects ranging from solar heating and waste management to energy efficiency and organic farming.

Using the 3 platforms of public awareness campaigns, policy advocacy and result-oriented projects, IYCN currently has executed/ is working on the following projects and activities:

update

update

indianyouth climatenetwork

to show their products and services as a solution for the environment issues of that state. IYCN members also jointly with chambers of commerce and government representatives make recommendations for the environmental management of that state.

• Knowledge Partner: IYCN associates with schools, colleges and corporations as Knowledge Partner for the projects/ campaigns/ events organized by these organizaRural Climate Fellows, Bundelkhand tions.

• Youth Summits: residential 3-day summits for each region - North, South, East, West - on climate change & sustainable solutions • Eco Audit: students trained by a global environmental consulting company audit the offices of corporations to assess their impact on environment and make recommendations for sustainable businesses • Indian Youth Delegation to UNFCCC: every year a delegation of young people selected through a rigorous process is sent to attend the UN Conference on Climate Change • Solutions Fairs: fairs organized in different states for clean-tech companies

September 2010 – March 2011

The above are some of the key projects of IYCN and as the year proceeds, with the enthusiasm and expertise of its chapter members, IYCN continues to execute various creative campaigns and projects on climate change.

One of the main objectives of IYCN besides raising awareness is also to bring the voice of Indian youth on the global platform.

Through representation at national and international climate change forums, IYCN aims at understanding, communicating and creating a wider discussion on India’s stance on climate change and push the country for stronger measures for a safe future.

Jammu & Kashmir Solutions Fair, May 2010

58

ExpressionS JULY 2011

Indian Youth Delegation to UNFCCC JULY 2011

ExpressionS

59

Dolphin washed ashore The discovery of yet another dead dolphin at Pamban in the Gulf of Mannar on Thursday has raised fresh concerns among environmentalists about habitat disturbances.

This is the sixth endangered marine species washed ashore during the last two weeks along the coast of Mandapam and Pamban in the Gulf of Mannar.

A forest official inspecting the dolphin at

While a dugong dugon and an olive ridley turtle were Pamban on Thursday. Photo: L. Balachandar spotted on the shore at Mandapam on May 1, the carcass of whale was found on Shingle Island a few days later. A dolphin and a stillborn dolphin were found at Kuravar Thoppu a few days ago.

While deep wounds, including internal and external injuries, were seen in the bodies of the rest of the five marine mammals, fishermen and forest personnel noted aberration on the stomach of the dolphin, which was found washed ashore on Thursday. It weighed around 300 kg and was 10 feet long.

Environmentalists have noted that most of the recent deaths of endangered marine animals are being reported along the Pamban pass, a widely acknowledged path for bargers going to the Tuticorin port and the east coast as well as fishing boats. The nature of wounds has indicated that they could have been hit by propellers of vessels. The possibility of a hit by fishing vessels has been ruled out as mechanised boats are keeping off the sea during the 45-day fishing holiday, which is in force since April 15. This means that the animals could have been hit either by bargers or must have owing to external or natural reasons.

Sundarakumar, Wildlife Warden, Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park (GMMNP) told The Hindu that of late one dolphin death was being reported in the Gulf of Mannar each month . Initial findings had showed that propeller hit could be the reason for the death of some of the dolphins.

ExpressionS JULY 2011

Director of Health warns of action against hospitals

Despite specific instructions from the Health Department, the menace of dumping bio-medical waste in the open continues unabated in the region. On Tuesday, truckloads of such waste, mixed with normal garbage from the locality, were unloaded and burnt near the Gorimedu truck terminal here, posing serious health hazard to the residents living nearby.

The burning of garbage resulted in a thick layer of smoke that engulfed the area near the dumping site. Residents in the immediate locality, and workers at the factories in the adjoining areas, complained of irritation to the eyes and throat and said that the illegal dumping had been continuing for the past five days.

C. JAISHANKAR: 13 MAY 2011

60

THE HINDU: 17 MAY 2011

in the news

in the news

inthenews

Bio-medical waste still being dumped in open

A similar incident of dumping bio-medical waste in the open occurred recently near the Government General Hospital, when there was a confusion over which was the authorised agency to clear the waste and transport it to the incinerator Garbage illegally dumped and burnt near the Gorimedu truck termiin Gorimedu. After the incident, the nal in Puducherry on Tuesday. Photo: T. Singaravelou Health Department had warned the hospitals, as well as the municipality, against leaving medical waste in the open.

In the current incident, other regulations pertaining to segregation of medical waste had also been flouted. Bio-medical waste such as used syringes, blood-stained cotton bandages, and used IV tubes with the needles were seen packed in black bags, whereas the rules mandate that they be packed in yellow bags for differentiation from normal hospital waste and taken directly to the incinerator.

Taking serious note of the incident, Director of Health Dilipkumar Baliga said that action would be initiated against hospitals that do not segregate waste according to the guidelines prescribed in the specific Act. He said that the penalty could range from imposition of fine to cancellation of licence, if the violation was of serious nature.

Officials at the Puducherry Pollution Control Committee said that all hospitals have been asked to get into an agreement with the Common Bio-medical Facility at Thuthipet to dispose the waste.

They said that a fine of upto Rs 1 lakh would be imposed and action would be initiated under the Environment Protection Act against erring healthcare centres.

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

61

RADHAKRISHNAN KUTTOOR, THE HINDU: 20 MAY 2011 The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) decision not to permit the use of elephants beyond its sanctioned strength for various temple rituals was taken in the larger interests of ensuring the smooth conduct of various temple festivals, according to board president, M. Rajagopalan Nair.

Talking to The Hindu, the TDB president said there was no ambiguity or confusion in the board decision as it never said “no” to the use of domesticated elephants for temple festivals and other ritualistic ceremonies.

He said the board decision was to permit use of elephants only as per the custom and practice prescribed for each and every ritualistic ceremony at various temples. The decision was with a view to

avoid overcrowding of people that often found to have been leading to law and orders problems in many places.

Mr. Nair said the TDB was for strict compliance with the prevailing laws of the land like the Indian Forest Act, Elephant Preservation Act, etc. and to avoid mishaps when elephants turn violent during festivals.

“Use of elephants more than their prescribed strength has become common during the annual festivals at various temples. Using the maximum number of elephants, by way of sponsorship or hiring elephants from private parties, to add pomp and glory to the ceremonial processions as part of

temple festivals has become a negative trend in recent times. Overcrowding of people to witness such ceremonial events often found to have been leading to mishaps and loss of lives. The TDB decision to strictly enforce the rules and guidelines for use of elephants in various temple festivals and ceremonies should be viewed in this context,” he added.

TDB owns 34 elephants

Mr. Nair said the TDB owns a total of 34 elephants and the board’s total expenditure for elephant care alone in 2010-‘11 was Rs. 1.14 crore while the revenue earned by way of their hiring charges was a mere Rs. 7.5 lakh during the period. Mr. Nair said two TDB mahouts have been killed by violent pachyderms in the ongoing festival season.He said the board has decided not to permit hiring or sponsoring of elephants for temple ceremonies and to

discontinue with events like ‘Anayottom’ at Thiruvarpu temple and ‘Anavaal-piduthom’ at Umayanalloor Temple in the larger interests of ensuring the safety of the people as well as the pachyderms.

‘Jeevitha’

Similarly, instead of elephants, the board is also exploring the possibility of using ‘jeevitha’, a specially prepared palanquin-type carriage, for the annual ‘Parayeduppu’ ceremony that extends for a long duration at various temples, he adds.

in the news

in the news

TDB not for total ban on elephants at temple ceremonies

The board president said the TDB decision taken on May 17 might not be a palatable one for atleast a section of the elephant owners in the State. However, the board has taken the pachyderms’ wellbeing into consideration and would implement the decision taken on May 17 in letter and spirit, he said.

Bottlenecks removed for free flow of Cooum ALOYSIUS XAVIER LOPEZ, THE HINDU : CHENNAI MAY 18 2011 Remnants of old bridges at various points taken out The Chennai Corporation has started removing bottlenecks to ensure free flow of the Cooum river.

On Tuesday, it removed remnants of old bridges at various points of the river to drain polluted water that stagnated nearby.

The work is under way in Kilpauk zone. Work

As many as 30 caparisoned elephants were paraded in the ceremonial Arat procession held as part of the annual festival at Sree Rakthakandaswami Temple attached to Travancore Devaswom Board at Omalloor near Pathanamthitta held on Thursday afternoon. Photo: Leju Kamal

62

ExpressionS JULY 2011

An earthmover removing the obstacles to ensure free flow of water in the Cooum river in Anna Nagar on Tuesday. Photo: M. Karunakaran

in the other two zones would be taken up later.

The Cooum flows through the zones of Kilpauk, Nungambakkam and Triplicane over a total length of 16 km. Localities near the old bridges across the river would be the focus of the drive, according to officials of the Corporation. The civic body also made the river accessible for health workers by removing bushes along identified stretches. The drive has made way for spraying of pesticide to control mosquito larvae at some stretches, an official of the Health Department said.

The civic body has also been removing garbage along the banks. A chunk of the garbage along the river bank continues to be dumped near bridges.

The Corporation has also directed officials of the three zones to undertake massive cleaning operations every month. The civic body undertook a mass cleaning programme last year and removed 835 tonnes of solid waste dumped along the river.

It would also resume campaigns to create awareness among residents soon.

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

63

Their annual growth rate — 25 per cent year — has caused much alarm in official circles. The aviation industry has also been affected by the population, with reports of bird-hits.

IANS, WASHINGTON MAY 18 2011

An engineer here claims to have invented a device that can tap solar energy more efficiently than a solar panel.

The biggest failing of solar panels is that they can only collect about a fraction or just 20 percent of available light but Patrick Pinhero, a University of Missouri engineer, has developed a flexible solar sheet that captures more than 90 percent of available light.

“Our overall goal is to collect and utilize as much solar energy as is theoretically possible and bring it to the commercial market in an inexpensive package that is accessible to everyone,” said Pinhero, who plans to market prototypes within the next five years.

Energy generated using traditional photovoltaic methods of collection neglect much of the available solar electromagnetic (sunlight) spectrum, he said.

The device his team has developed — essentially a thin, mouldable sheet of small antennas called nantenna — can harvest the heat from industrial processes and convert it into usable electricity, the

Journal of Solar Energy Engineering reported.

The rose-ringed parrot is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, but from January 2010, it is legal to kill them under general licence if it is causing damage to crops or wild birds.

Their idea is to apply it to a direct solar facing nantenna device capable of collecting solar energy in the near infrared and optical regions of solar spectrum, according to a Missouri statement.

Areas in London that are affected adversely by flocks of parrots are Perivale, Wormwood Scrubs, Stanwell (close to Heathrow airport), Sutcliffe, Brockwell park, Hither Green, Redhill, Wast Ewell, Hersham, and Ramsgate in Kent.

Pinhero, working with his former team at the Idaho National Lab and Garrett Moddel, his counterpart at the University of Colorado, has now developed a way to extract power from the collected heat and sunlight using special high-speed electrical circuitry.

Experts believe that the bird has been established in Britain for over 40 years, with the first successful breeding attempt reported in 1971 in Surrey.

The source of these first birds in the wild is unknown but they are likely to have been pets that had escaped or been released.

“If successful, this product will put us orders of magnitudes ahead of the current solar energy technologies we have available to us today,” added Pinhero.

Within five years, the research team believes they will have a product that complements conventional PV solar panels. Because it is a flexible film, Pinhero believes it could be incorporated into roof shingle products, or be custom-made to power vehicles.

U.K. officials worried over growing population of parrots

in the news

in the news

A new device to tap more solar energy invented

Kept as pets in Indian homes and known for the ability to reproduce words used by human beings, flocks of parrots over London are increasingly seen as pests.

The birds have multiplied in such large numbers that they are threatening native birds such as robins and woodpeckers.

They have colonised parks and gardens, particularly in London, Surrey and Kent.

Figures show that 24,480 rose-ringed parrots were imported (net) between 1975 and 2005.

They highest numbers came from India, Senegal, and Pakistan. A ban on the import of wild birds was placed in January 2007.

Imperial College researchers plan to continue the simultaneous roost counts during 2011 and 2012, which will allow them to see how the population changes during the year and across years.

PTI, MAY 16 LONDON No one knows when and how parrots native to India and sub-Saharan Africa arrived in Britain, but their exponential growth in population in and around London has caused much concern among residents and officials.

Killing them is one of the measures agreed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs (DEFRA).

64

ExpressionS JULY 2011

Kept as pets in Indian homes and known for the ability to reproduce words used by human beings, flocks of parrots over London are increasingly seen as pests.

Imperial College London, which is carrying out the first scientific inquiry into the bird’s numbers and impact, has established that from an initial nesting in London in 1969, there are now nearly 32,000 birds, most of them crowded within the London area and the South-East.

Fluctuations in climate can have ‘devastating effects on marine populations’ ANI, WASHINGTON, June 18, 2011 A new study by UCLA scientists has indicated that fluctuations in climate can drastically affect the habitability of marine ecosystems.

The UCLA research team, which was led by assistant professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences Curtis Deutsch, used a specialized computer simuJULY 2011

ExpressionS

65

in the news

in the news

lation to demonstrate for the first time that the size of low-oxygen zones created by respiring bacteria is extremely sensitive to changes in depth caused by oscillations in climate. These oxygen-depleted regions, which expand or contract depending on their depth, pose a distinct threat to marine life.

“The growth of low-oxygen regions is cause for concern because of the detrimental effects on marine populations -- entire ecosystems can die off when marine life cannot escape the low-oxygen water,” said Deutsch.

“There are widespread areas of the ocean where marine life has had to flee or develop very peculiar adaptations to survive in low-oxygen conditions,” added Deutsch.

The study also showed that in addition to consuming oxygen, marine bacteria are causing the depletion of nitrogen, an essential nutrient necessary for the survival of most types of algae.

“We found there is a mechanism that connects climate and its effect on oxygen to the removal of

A new study by UCLA scientists has indicated that fluctuations in climate can drastically affect the habitability of marine ecosystems. File Photo

nitrogen from the ocean,” said Deutsch.

“Our climate acts to change the total amount of nutrients in the ocean over the timescale of decades,” added Deutsch.

Two Indian firms win green energy awards PTI, LONDON, June 17, 2011 Two Indian firms have won the prestigious Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy, considered as the “Green Oscar“.

A cash prize of 20,000 pounds each was also given to them at a ceremony held here last night.

Pankaj Patel, Chief of the Abellon Clean Energy, Gujarat, received the International Award and cash prize of 20,000 pounds on behalf of the company for producing biomass pellets from crop waste to fuel Gujarat’s industries and for giving farmers a market for their waste products.

Sarah Butler-Sloss, Founder director of the Ashden

66

ExpressionS JULY 2011

Power sharing: HPS founders (from left) Ratnesh Yadhav, Gyanesh Pandey, Charles Ransler and Manoj Sinha

bling its production and expanding operations into international markets.

Gyanesh Pandey received the award and cash prize on behalf of Husk Power Systems, Bihar, which has built 65 power plants across the state fired by gasified rice husks, embedded local grids and hired local people to help run the operations.

They now supply electricity to around 180,000 people.

Awards and chair of the judging panel said: “Abellon has devised a system that relies on a local clean source of energy to reduce Co2, by replacing dirty industrial fuels, drive economic growth, improve crops yields and support farmers.”

Pandey said that the company would expand its work in other villages in India and later go abroad.

“There is bound to be great demand for our project as our plant is the cheapest capital intensive plant,” he said.

“This is a showcase example of how the use of local, clean energy can provide effective and commercially viable solutions to local challenges. We hope others can learn from this exciting and successful initiative,” Butler-Sloss said.

Asked whether it was getting any other support, he said the Ministry of New and Renewable energy is subsidising to the extent of 40 per cent of capital

cost.

He said that “more villages are clamouring to be connected as the main grid only meets around 10 per cent of demand. The business is growing fast with 270 people trained and employed and HPS is aiming for over 2,000 plants by the end of 2014.”

Ghanian firm Toyola Energy Ltd won the top prize of 40,000 pounds Gold Award for its success in making stoves that burn less charcoal than traditional models and that are accessible to low-income families.

Pakistan’s Aga Khan Planning and Building Service was also awarded for helping families in mountain villages save energy and make their homes warmer through a range of locally-produced devices.

The Awards, started in 2001, aim to encourage the greater use of local clean energy and to address climate change and alleviate poverty.

Abellon currently produces over 65,000 tonnes of biomass pellets a year and aims to open two more pellet plants in Gujarat in the next five years, treJULY 2011

ExpressionS

67

in the news

Environment Ministry sticks to stand on power projects SUJAY MEHDUDIA, NEW DELHI, June 19, 2011 Virtually turning down the demand of the Power Ministry, the Environment and Forest Ministry has ruled out review of its recent directive directing all power projects to secure forest clearance before they being work.

“This is being done to avoid being presented fait accompli. Nobody should take environmental clearance for granted. This directive has been issued to avoid situations where damage is done even before the project formally takes off. This would help in proper execution of the project and help in its timely implementation by securing all clearances before hand,” Environment and Forest Minister, Jairam Ramesh said.

“I am in the know-how of the demand by the Power Ministry to forego this directive but in the interest of environmental protection I am unable to withdraw this directive,” Mr. Ramesh said.

The Power Ministry has argued that such a directive would prove a big obstacle in achieving the targeted power generation capacity addition programme.

It has expressed fears that such an order would adversely impact the development of hydro and thermal power projects which are the mainstay of the programme to achieve capacity addition targets.

The performance of the Power sector and the Power Ministry has such has already set off alarm bells in the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) as well as the Planning Commission. Such adverse is the situation that the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh has convened a meeting of infrastructure sector Ministries including Coal, Power, Environment, Transport and Steel on July 2 to sort out the contentious issues impacting infrastructure growth.

Environment and Forest Minister, Jairam Ramesh.

File Photo

brought this down to 62,000 MW, which experts feel that would also be difficult to achieve keeping in mind the poor performance of the Power Ministry till now.

Power ministry has said this directive would delay development of thermal and hydropower projects.

Before the environment ministry’s directive issued in March, companies could begin work on non-forest area of a site after obtaining environment clearance. Securing forest clearance was necessary only before staring work on forestland.

The Power Secretary, P. Uma Shankar has already written to the Power Ministry pleading that power project developers should be allowed to apply simultaneously for environment and preliminary forest clearances. As per the new procedure, companies have to obtain forest clearances prior to seeking environment clearances if any forest land diversion is required in future. Earlier, environment clearance The Power Ministry, which had set a target of 78,000 was an independent process. Infrastructure proMW of capacity addition during 11th Plan later jects, including mining and power, that have already revised it to 68,000 MW and during the mid-term secured environment clearances would now have to Plan review meeting, the Planning Commission obtain forest clearances within a year’s time.

68

ExpressionS JULY 2011

JULY 2011

ExpressionS

69

Muse gives a gourmet touch to one of the most cherished cuisines in the world. The butter chicken and chicken tikka masala have made their way from the streets of Amritsar and Patiala all the way to Times Square and Buckingham Palace. Come and cherish the great heritage of desi ghee and makhan.

Just a word of caution, don’t forget to exercise afterwards.

Festival Dates: 15th to 31st july.

HOTEL INDERLOK, ANEKANT PALACE, 29 RAJPUR ROAD, DEHRADUN FOR TABLE RESERVATIONS 99279 66344

70

ExpressionS JULY 2011

exclusive

asktheexpert

Gourmet goes to Punjab

We at icare-india, will facilitate our readers to ask opinions from our Law Experts regarding the social and legal issues of the country.

In our ‘Ask the Experts’ column we have Mr. Vaibhav Gangiwale, Associate, from Khaitan and Co., Mumbai and Mrs. Namrata Walia, Human Resource, Kocchar and Kocchar to offer insights and suggestions on various current issues.

Mr. Vaibhav graduated from Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad in 2011. He has been actively involved with various research projects at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun, National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, Indian Institute of Forest Management and M.P Human Rights Commission.

While, Mrs. Namrata Walia is a regular columnist for ‘expressions’. She has a passion and flair for writing on societal issues of the country. She is pursuing her PHD from Mumbai in Psychology and currently working in Kocchar and Kochhar, New Delhi.

Each month few questions will be selected and FREE legal advice will be provided. So feel free to ask questions regarding any legal or social problems and we would be happy to bring their views to you in regular column.

Mail your questions at

expressions@icareindia.co.in JULY 2011

ExpressionS

71

72

ExpressionS JULY 2011