Tiger identification by pugmarks is not a science, but it is still the most cost-effective technique for tracking, provided the persons using it are well trained, said Ranjit Talwar, former in-charge of the conservation cell at WWF. Pugmarks of the same tiger can, however, vary with soil type, pace of the tiger, time lapse and human and livestock movement in the area. Camera traps
The large quantity of sewage that flows into Dal lake from Srinagar requires two additional sewage treatment plants (STPs). Current STPs are working at 50-60 per cent capacity, according to data. All households must be connected to sewage systems which will transport the sewage to the treatment plants. Decentralized technologies, like the STUs, can help treat sewage directly discharged
labour welfare ignored: The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre and state governments of Haryana and Delhi on a public interest petition seeking welfare measures for mine and construction workers. The petition filed by non-profit People
Ahmedabad companies found selling contaminated drinking water bottled water in Ahmedabad may not be safe. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has found faecal bacteria in samples of water from three bottling plants last month. No action has been taken against the erring firms yet. The corporation carried out tests on 23 water samples collected from these plants and found three were
New science predicts climate is changing faster than estimated SCIENTISTS from around the world who met in Copenhagen, Denmark, from March 10 to 12, suggested sea level increase due to global warming could be more than the earlier projections. There is worse news. Forests may not be effective carbon sinks that can save the planet from the negative impacts of temperature rise as they would not
Maldives to spend US $1,100 million THE Maldives has decided to de-carbonize itself by giving up fossil fuels and switching completely to renewable energy. President Mohamed Nasheed on March 16 said US $110 million would be spent every year for the next one decade to eliminate fossil fuel use. As per the plan, 155 large wind turbines, half-a-kilometre of solar roof panels and a biomass
Coastal erosion may reshape the Arctic coast completely THE rate of coastal erosion in the Arctic is one of the highest in the world. It has doubled over the past 52 years and is accelerating. This spells trouble for communities living by the shore such as the Shishmaref in Alaska and the Tuktoyaktuk in Canada. Researchers studied the Arctic coast and found that reduction of ice cover has
Action delayed: Even a 2oC rise above the pre-industrial levels would lead to 20-40 per cent of the Amazon dying within 100 years, said climate change experts from the UK. The study will appear in the journal Nature Geoscience. Declining corals: The number of fish in the Caribbean reefs has dropped since 1995 due to significant loss of corals, said a study published in the journal
