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 the only one to see an increase in cases from 2011 to 2012, and public-health experts worry that the virus's recalcitrance here will prevent global eradication, and eventually lead to a wider resurgence of the disease.

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 total health damage on account of water pollution in up to is around 6.4 million daily (Disability Adjusted Life Year).

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 unwarranted impact on its natural environment. Today increasing scarcity of natural resources is serious in Tangkhul Naga society.

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.

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 proportion of products at the local market. In socio-cultural life of these forest communities, the surrounding forest has a great impact. Minor forest products or non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are used for medicine, worship, decoration, jewellery, food, fodder, firewood etc.

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 .

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 enhancement of eco-friendly living in India in the near future.

Original Source

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.

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 of the vaccine. This doubt was exacerbated in a few cases as families were uninformed of the use of monovalent mOPV1, while P3 cases continued to occur.

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 economical but help in managing the ecosystem and natural resources management, and in procuring good production.

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