Birth Rate is a crude measure of fertility of a population and is a crucial determinant of population growth. It gives the number of live births per thousand population in a given region and year. The Birth Rate at all India level has declined drastically over the last five decades …
that the non-confrontational Lepchas are on an indefinite hunger strike against dams in north Sikkim shows how much of a threat they perceive these projects to be. The surge of support from across the north east again brings to fore the vexed issue of big dams in this socio-politically complex …
How does a country of over a billion people take on the challenge of providing a better life to its citizens? The question would naturally elicit a million different responses having their roots in several social, economic and political measures. No one today, however, doubts the efficacy off as terand …
Among the five species of shortwing that exist in India, four are found in the Himalayas. Rustybellied Shortwing Brachypteryx hyperythra, a globally threatened species with IUCN status Vulnerable, is endemic to Eastern Himalayas.
From atop the 13,600-ft high windswept crest of a steep, serrated ridge, the Samudra Tapu glacier is a giant blanket of ice and snow, covering the bowl-shaped valley between jagged Himalayan peaks in the wilderness of Himachal Pradesh. Gleaming against an azure sky, the gigantic glacier-the second biggest in the …
the Sikkim government has come out with a notification delegating power to local communities for the protection of lakes in the state. But doubts have been raised about its legality. "The rising problem of solid waste management had made these guidelines necessary,' says M L Arrawatia, a senior forest officer. …
The Sikkim government has decided to recruit villagers as honorary mountain guardians or Himal Rakshaks. The decision has already been notified in the state gazette, which says that only villagers with high concern for wildlife conservation and "clean personal records residing in high altitude regions will be recruited for the …
jn-nurm gets a chair: The Union ministry of urban development has appointed Ramesh Ramanathan, founder of Janaagraha, a citizens' movement on participatory democracy, as the honorary national technical advisor and chairperson of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The mission aims to ensure citizens' participation in the integrated development of …
In the Himalayas, subsistence largely depends upon resources derived from natural forests due to the free and easy access to these and simplicity in their use. Sikkim has 43% of its total geographical area under forest cover, of which 34% is under dense forests. The burgeoning human population and family …
The Barsey Sanctuary is a part of the larger Khangchendzonga ecosystem, which is the third highest in the world, and is a part of the Eastern Himalayan Conservation landscape including the Khangchendzonga Conservation Area in Nepal, Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary and Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary in Sikkim and Singalila …
This research initiative in Arunachal Pradesh is a build-up on the first phase of studies in the north-east that led to the publication of an earlier UNESO-sponsored MAB book series, entitled "shifting agriculture and sustainable development: an interdisciplinary study from North-East India". Emphasising upon linking knowledge systems, this volume expands …
the resolve to rid agriculture of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, expressed by Sikkim an year ago, has been given a shot in the arm by Mizoram. The state made history by becoming the first in the country to legislate for turning its entire agricultural produce organic. It passed the Mizoram …
Land-use changes are transforming land-cover at an accelerating pace. These changes in terrestrial ecosystems also affect essential parts of our natural capital
Take some sand in a glass container; fill it with water. Shake the container. The water and sand become a single fluid mass. Now imagine a highly populated town standing on this material. You can't even imagine what will happen when an earthquake strikes . Once you know this, how …
In 1985, the Union ministry of non-conventional energy sources (mnes) introduced improved chulhas (fuelwood-based cooking stoves) to primarily conserve forests, reduce pressure on rural women who collect fuelwood and to protect their health against indoor air pollution. Called the National Programme on Improved Chulhas (npic), it formed a part of …
• India generates about five million tonnes of hazarduous waste. But systems to manage it are non-existent Boards fail to even list the guilty, leave alone penalise Hazarduous waste generating (HWG) units in some states State Estimated HWG units Licensed HWG units (in per cent) Sites for waste disposal Sites …
Seeking nirvana Rich, restless and willing to pay Babu Vargese was thrown out of college because he insisted on wearing his hair long. Vargese likes to do things differently. Like running TourIndia, a Kerala based travel agency he founded 20 years ago. His keen interest in nature and people, coupled …
USA: Domestic and international travellers made nearly 287 million visits to the 378 parks under the US National Park Service in 1998 compared to the 275 million visits in 1997. This travel generated US $14.2 billion and supported almost 300,000 tourist-related jobs during 1996. Nepal: The Annapurna area is the …
