Considering the complexity of the problem and in order to compare the estimates, we have adopted a similar methodology for the estimation of water utilization as that of the NCA

The research account by Garg and Hassan on water scarcity in India is based on the tables and figures of the Central Water Commission (CWC), Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and National Commission on Agriculture (NCA) which were published during 1976

Industrial mariculture in India with recourse to domestification, breeding and raising is on a low key. To meet the fisheries demand by 2010, India must increase annual production to 7

The current escalation of food prices in the country, caused by demand

Bamboo has a peculiar phenomenon of flowering. Flowering in bamboo draws attention, as it dies after flowering and is believed to cause famine. Gregarious flowering occurred in 1958, which was followed by the 1959 famine. John and Nadgauda showed that there is a connection between the incidence of bamboo flowering and famine, and that it may not be a myth, but a reality. (Correspondence)

The Gharials, once abundant in river systems of the Indian subcontinent with its range extending throughout the Gangetic Plains, Indus river in Pakistan, northern Nepal and Bhutan, East Burma and southern Orissa, are reportedly extinct in Burma and Pakistan. The Indian Gharial is now confined to India, Nepal and Bangladesh, in scattered and isolated populations. (Correspondence)

There is a general understanding that the potential and prospects of bioenergy in the world depend heavily on advances in cellulosic research. It is however expected that any significant progress on that front will be driven by major technological innovations. Advances in feedstock development and conversion processes will indeed propel the bioenergy industry into a well-secured and competitive future.

Nitrates enter human body through drinking water, food and air. Ingested nitrates converted to nitrite by microflora lead to methaemoglobinemia, increased free oxide radicals that predispose cells to irreversible damage and effects like cancer, increased infant mortality, abortions, birth defects, recurrent diarrhoea, recurrent stomatitis, histopathological changes in cardiac muscles, alveoli of lungs and adrenal glands, deterioration of immune system of the body.

During the past century through food and energy production, human activities have altered the world's nitrogen cycle by accelerating the rate of reactive nitrogen creation. India has made impressive strides in the agricultural front, in which N fertilizer plays a major role.

Anthropogenic activities are responsible for the enhanced emission of reactive nitrogenous species like nitrous oxide (N2O), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and ammonia (NH3) into the atmosphere from the biosphere. This article reviews the available estimates of emissions of these reactive nitrogenous species for India.

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