This report deals with the findings of the preliminary survey conducted by the author in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pesticides are responsible for hundreds of cases of poisoning in the developing world, where information and training on the potential negative health effects of these chemicals is often lacking. While the impact of the indiscriminate use of toxic

Fifty percent of the districts in the state of West Bengal in India are exposed to arsenic-contaminated water. A large number of people have been diagnosed with symptoms of arsenic poisoning even though much of the at-risk population has yet to be assessed

Human-elephant conflict poses a considerable threat to the population of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) that is already on the brink of extinction due to poaching for ivory, habitat loss and fragmentation. The extensive alteration of elephant habitat by human population is forcing the species to confine themselves into small pockets of land that are connected only by human settlements.

Extreme rainfall events today pose a serious threat to many populated and urbanized areas worldwide; an accurate estimate of frequency and distribution of these events can significantly aid policy planning and observation system design. We report here a first-ever high-resolution (10 KM) analysis of heavy rainfall episodes (defined as 24-hour rainfall exceeding 250 mm) over the Indian region.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is working in conjunction with the Government of India as part of the Methane to Markets Partnership (M2M), an international initiative to assist partner countries in reducing global methane emissions. M2M promotes the beneficial use of landfill methane, while also reducing landfill methane emissions to the atmosphere.

The Hon

A National Level Consultative Meet was organised to discuss issues pertaining to Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) in India on 20 March, 2007, at the Center for Science and Environment, New Delhi.

Water is replenishable but finite resource. The annual overall availability of surface water in Orissa is about 85.59 billion m. The population of Orissa is 4% of that of the country, according to 2001 census. The State has 11% of the water resources of the country. The per-capita availability of water in 2001 was 3359 m. By 2051, it is likely to reduce to 2218 m . With increasing population and the consequential increase in demand for food and water and with the growth in mining and industrial activities, the demand for water from various sectors is likely to increase to 55 billion m.

EPCA has been monitoring the implementation of the CNG programme in Delhi since its inception. During this period, it has made special efforts to upgrade the safety inspection system for CNG buses and has accordingly issued directives from time to time to the concerned agencies to undertake remedial measures.