People may avoid migrating if they cannot insure themselves against the risk of a bad outcome. Governments can reduce the consumption risk faced by migrants by allowing them to access social protection programs in the destination. This study randomly informed around 62,000 households across 18 Indian states about a new …
The Pollution Control Board Assam (PCBA) has issued guidelines for celebration of Durga Puja in an eco-friendly manner. As per the general guidelines, the idols of Goddess Durga should be made from natural materials as described in the holy scripts. Natural clay, bamboo, choir ropes, straw, etc., should be used …
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) seems to have paid hardly any attention to the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) guidelines on immersion of Ganesha idols. In order to check pollution of Kuakahi river, OSPCB had asked the civic body to see to it that idols are pulled out of …
A day after Ganesha visarjan, there was a pleasant surprise for environment activists as well as civic authorities. Unlike previous years, when the sight of hundreds of idols were scattered in Tapi pained the devotees and caused pollution, the riverbed this year was much cleaner. Authorities said a vast majority …
It has employed a laboratory from Chennai to test the water quality before and after the main immersion on Saturday With Vinayaga Chathurthi having been celebrated with pomp across the town, it is now time for the immersion of idols. Although many people have already completed the immersion of the …
The unanimous vote by 12 gram sabhas in Odisha's Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, rejecting Vedanta Aluminium and the Orissa Mining Corporation's plan to extract bauxite from the Niyamgiri hills, is a historic and significant precedent that could determine the course of similar developments in other tribal areas in India.
As people have struggled to come to terms with the scale of devastation and loss of lives in the flash floods last month, a number of faith-based explanations have taken root in this land fertile with legend and lore. The Garhwal Himalayas have a disproportionate share of spirituality and mysticism-it …
Do we not know the magnitude of the havoc rains wreak across India season after season? So why are we behaving like we were dealing with something alien and unpredictable? So now we have an infuriated Goddess Ganga as an alibi. That conveniently lets off all those scoundrels responsible for …
A 25-year, US$10-billion global effort has taken the number of polio cases from hundreds of thousands per year to just hundreds, but it is now struggling to stamp the virus out of its final strongholds in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, where transmission has never been interrupted. Of these, Nigeria was …
According to a World Bank Sponsored Study (State of Environment Report- U.P.) pollution levels in the Ganga are contributing 9-12% of total disease burden in Uttar Pradesh. The coliform bacteria levels are in excess of 2 lakh MPN as against the national water quality standard of 5000. The report estimated …
The Tangkhul Nagas are intricately bound to nature in their social, cultural, economic, ethical and religious values. The dynamics of Tangkhul’s livelihood activities in many ways reflect the complexities of the human and nature relationship. Interactions between human and nature have undergone significant changes during the last century which leaves …
Pollution levels rose alarmingly in the river Ganges in Allahabad on the first day of the Kumbh Mela festival, according to a study by the state pollution control board. Officials said eight million people had bathed at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers on 14 January. Hindus believe …
A number of forest communities have been living in forest fringe areas of the south-western part of the state of West Bengal, India for centuries. From this dry-deciduous Sal (Shorea robusta) forest area, forest villagers collect forest products for their daily household needs as well as they also sell a …
The present paper deals with monitoring of Noise Pollution at different places of Yavatmal City on the day of Ganesh immersion . During the present study the noise levels were measured with the help of sound level meter. The Noise Pollution is increasing considerably . By using sound level meter …
Cows are still considered holy to the people of the Hindu faith across the Indian subcontinent. In this paper, the authors discuss details of the religious, historical, economic, cultural and sociological significance of the sacred cow in Hinduism. The authors also suggest options to use the sacred cow for the …
Conservation of natural resources by traditional societies across the globe seems to have arisen out of the age-old practice of animistic religious belief systems. Such belief systems are fundamental aspects of people’s culture, which strongly conditions their use of natural resources. Arunachal Pradesh, a biodiversity hotspot region in the eastern …
Shifting polio eradication strategies may have generated fear and “resistance” to the eradication program in Aligarh, India during the summer of 2009. Participant observation and formal interviews with 107 people from May to August 2009 indicated that the intensified frequency of vaccination was correlated with patients' doubt in the efficacy …
This article deals with how Chuktia Bhunjia tribe of Orissa negotiates with their ecosystem to ensure that agricultural production and livelihood are sustainable. This study shows that the reasons behind continuation of traditional agriculture are the life experience with the traditional methods and cultural acceptance that not only make them …
The festival of ‘Holi’ is proving to be an environmental risk due to the toxic colors used during the celebrations. Unlimited and uncontrolled use of such dyes can lead to grave consequences in terms of human health and ecological balance. These colors are highly structured polymers and are very difficult …
This study examined the role of indigenous knowledge in climate change adaptation in Uganda with specific focus on the Teso sub-region. Specifically, the study identified indigenous knowledge practices used in climate change adaptation, documented indigenous knowledge in climate observation, and identified constraints to indigenous knowledge use for climate change adaptation.
Cultural diversity is closely linked to biodiversity. The study of these interrelationships need to be studied mainly for the simple reason that culture is not only the ethical imperative for development, it is also a condition of its sustainability; for there exists a symbiotic relationship between habitats and cultures, between …
