Was the wrong tiger killed in Kumaon?

LUCKNOW: A day after Uttarakhand forest officials shot a tiger claiming it had killed six people in and around Kumaon's Corbett Reserve, doubts are being raised if the big cat felled on Thursday was a man-eater.

The Corbett authorities who had earlier claimed that the man-eater was a tigress, on Friday said the feline shot by Ramnagar forest officials was a "rare specimen with female characterstics". With deformity in both its hind claws, the pug marks of the tiger made them look like that of a tigress. "Whatever doubts have arisen, could be because of this assumption of ours," said Corbett park warden U C Tiwari on Friday adding, "it was a tiger with female characteristics."

The contention was outrightly rejected by wildlife experts. "The pug mark impressions are very distinct and are impressions of paws and not claws," said former director of Dudhwa G C Mishra. He added that this leaves little chance of a goof up. "We are yet to come across a tiger with "female characteristics," he said.

"If they have killed a wrong tiger and a man-eater is still at large, killings (of men) will take place in some 15-20 days," he warned.

Former director, Project Tiger, R L Singh said: "I agree that pug marks are misleading evidence, but I have never ever come across a tiger with any of its claws like that of a female. Though the cubs can have their claws look like that of a female, the Corbett tiger was an old one."

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Needed: Rapid rescue teams for leopards

NEW DELHI: Wildlife experts want rapid response teams set up in sensitive areas across the country to deal with human-leopard conflicts. After three leopards were killed last week, experts said the environment ministry must frame an action plan to swiftly rescue the big cats when they stray into towns and villages. The killings took place within five days in separate regions. In each case, the cat had strayed into an inhabited areas and could not find a way out.

On the afternoon of January 9, a policeman shot dead a rampaging leopard to stop it from mauling a man who had stepped out of a bar in Maharashtra's Karad city. Three days later, a male leopard strayed into Kheri Gujran village near the Aravalis in Haryana's Faridabad district and attacked a woman. An angry mob broke tranquilizer guns brought by rescue teams and beat the animal to death. There was a rerun of the scene a day later on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, Orissa, when villagers killed a leopard.

Big cat specialists say these incidents indicate India's leopards are coming under increasing stress. "It is high time the Centre formulated guidelines to deal with these situations," said Qamar Qureshi of Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India. "We need trained people to reach stranded leopards before the mob does."

Qureshi said it is possible to set up rapid response teams in all problem areas without spending a lot of money. "All you need to do is train three to five local forest officials for the job, have a veterinary care unit, a vehicle and some basic equipment. This would save lives and protect the animals," the big cat expert said.

He said despite leopard encounters being by far the most commonly occurring human-carnivore conflict in India, it has not got the attention it deserves. "Sadly, the leopard is not an iconic animal like the tiger. Its numbers are relatively high and so its killings do not make big news."

Qureshi has a point. Leopard poaching has reached alarming levels. The Wildlife Protection Society of India recorded 3,552 killings since 1994. Other reports say one leopard is killed every day in the country.

"Poaching and forced translocation of leopards are probably among the main reasons for human-leopard conflicts," said Vidya Athreya, a wildlife biologist working specifically on the problem.

Citing her own research on leopard conflicts in Maharashtra, Athreya said removals through poaching and translocation lead to other leopards occupying the 'vacated' territories. "These leopards are new to the area and are more liable to come into contact with human beings or prey on livestock." Vidya said there was a sharp fall in leopard attacks in Borivili and Jhunnar – two conflict hotspots in Maharashtra – since translocation of trapped animals to other places was stopped. "Now, the trapped leopards are released in the same area and seldom cause trouble," she said.

Shrinking habitats is the most cited cause of conflict. "Leopards are great survivors," said co-founder of Wildlife SOS Kartick Satyanarayan, whose team members were almost beaten up trying to rescue the leopard at Kheri Gujran.

"They have traditionally lived at the edge of human habitations. Now, more and more unused land where leopards usually live unseen by humans is being developed."

Athreya said the government needs to study all aspects of this complex problem if the majestic feline is to co-exist peacefully with humans – as is still the case in many parts of the country
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Now, generate green power from your balcony!

WASHINGTON: Apart from that perfect view, your balcony can be used for something more valuable-a personal generator that converts wind and sun to power from a balcony.

Industrial designer Jonathan Globerson's Greenerator design could be a way to preserve the view while reducing reliance on coal, reports Discovery News.

Looking a little like a cross between a double helix and a barber shop pole, the Greenerator design calls for a wind turbine, a half-dome shaped compartment for the generator, a controller, ultracapacitor, inverter and a solar panel attached to a balcony edge with a rail clamp and floor screws.

Globerson's design calls for magnetic levitation to reduce the wind turbine friction, as well as flexible thin-film solar cells that would require less material than traditional solar panels.

According to his design specs, the Greenerator wouldn't be powering your whole apartment, but it could reduce the annual cost of electricity by 6 percent.

The Greenerator alone could power a refrigerator or a 32" flat panel TV, which strikes me as being fairly impressive for such a seemingly small generator.

So far, a 1:4 scale prototype of the Greenerator is up and running: According to Globerson's site, "the prototype turbine works, although from watching the video I think the design will need streamlining to reduce vibration and noise. Plus, I'd want anything metallic that's attached to my balcony to go through extensive safety testing-not just for humans, but also for wildlife."

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US water has large amounts of likely carcinogen: Study

WASHINGTON: A US environmental group has found that drinking water in 35 American cities contains hexavalent chromium, a probable carcinogen, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

The study by the Environmental Working Group -- the first nationwide analysis measuring the presence of the chemical in US water systems -- is to be made public on Monday, the daily reported.

The group found hexavalent chromium in the tap water of 31 out of 35 cities sampled. Of those, 25 had levels that exceeded the goal proposed in California, which has been trying aggressively to reduce the chemical in its water supply.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency is considering whether to set a limit for hexavalent chromium in tap water. The agency is reviewing the chemical after the National Institutes of Health, deemed it a "probable carcinogen" in 2008.

Hexavalent chromium has long been known to cause lung cancer when inhaled, and scientists recently found evidence that it causes cancer in laboratory animals when ingested. It has been linked in animals to liver and kidney damage as well as leukemia, stomach cancer and other cancers.

A widely used industrial chemical until the early 1990s, hexavalent chromium still used in some industries, such as in chrome plating and the manufacturing of plastics and dyes. The chemical can also leach into groundwater from natural ores.

The chemical compound was first made famous in the hit 2000 Hollywood movie " Erin Brockovich" about the eponymous environmental crusader who also commented on the EWG's alarming finding.

"This chemical has been so widely used by so many industries across the US that this doesn't surprise me," said Brockovich, known for her fight on behalf of the residents of Hinkley, California against Pacific Gas & Electric.

In that case, PG&E was accused of leaking hexavalent chromium into the town's groundwater for more than 30 years, and ultimately was made to pay 333 million dollars in damages to more than 600 inhabitants of the town, which it was required to clean up.

"Our municipal water supplies are in danger all over the US," Brockovich told The Post. "This is a chemical that should be regulated.
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Clean Ganga project underway to up dolphin population

MAMALLAPURAM: The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) is planning to get down to cleaning the Ganges river in order to revive the freshwater dolphin population, Union minister for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh said on Monday during a visit to the crocodile bank on the East Coast Road near Chennai.

"Currently, the breeding grounds and habitats of the dolphins have been affected by the pollutants in the river, leading to a decline in their numbers. With this cleansing, we plan to revive the population," he said.

The Ganges river dolphins, which now enjoy the status of the national aquatic animal is one of the four species of freshwater dolphins in the world. But poaching, excessive pollution and dam building has greatly reduced their numbers. As a consequence, the dolphin conservation plan was formulated this year.

According to Dr Sandeep Behera, member of the Dolphin Conservation Committee under the MoEF and senior coordinator in the World Wildlife Fund (WWF-India), the plan to clean the river which forms part of both the Dolphin Action Plan and the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) is already underway.

"The plan envisages drastically reducing the flow of pollutants into the river. The government proposes to direct all industries along the river and its tributaries to stop discharge of effluents by recycling waste water. Already, the Central Pollution Control Board has closed down 56 tanneries along the river," he said.

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Maharashtra chalks out action plan to tackle pollution

CHANDRAPUR: Maharashtra government is set to implement a time-bound 'action plan' for tackling the problem of pollution in industrial towns and cities.

The government has has set March 31, 2011 as deadline for implementation of the plan to bring the pollution level below 70% in all the industrial towns and cities, environment and culture minister Sanjay Deotale said.

Deotale, who is also the guardian minister of Chandrapur district, was talking to reporters here.

Chandrapur stands 4th in the country and tops the state in pollution levels, he said.

The action plan is comprehensive and will take care of pollution levels in air, rivers and lakes/tanks, he said.

Bodies like municipal corporation, municipal council and gram panchayat will be roped in for the anti-pollution drive, the minister said.

Deotale stated that the industries responsible for pollution shall also be dealt with sternly and directed to install equipment to keep the emission levels under control.

The government will also initiate steps for the conservation of rivers, lakes and village tanks, he said.

Deotale said the government was aware of the plight of farmers who suffered losses either due to drought or excess/ unseasonal rains in the state. Hence, a policy to help farmers has been framed.

According to the policy, the farmers shall get compensation ranging from Rs 7,500 per hectare to over Rs 10,000 per hectare depending on the type of loss and crops, he said.

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Republicans plan to fight Obama pollution plan

WASHINGTON: The incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is promising a fight over the Obama administration's new approach on limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

Congress failed last year to pass limits and let companies buy and sell pollution permits. That system was known as "cap and trade" - but to Republicans it was "cap and tax'' because they said it would raise energy prices.

The administration now says it will act on its own to clamp down on power plant and oil refinery greenhouse emissions by developing new standards over the next year.

But Michigan Rep. Fred Upton tells "Fox News Sunday" that the Republican-led House won't "let this administration regulate what they've been unable to legislate." He says Republicans want to tackle the problem "in a reasonable way.
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Crocodile sanctuary in the offing: Jairam Ramesh

CHENNAI: The central government will set up a crocodile sanctuary spread over 1,600 sq km near the Chambal river to protect the species, union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh said on Monday.

The Chambal river flows through Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

According to him, a gharial protection authority would also be set up in the three states at an outlay of Rs.8 crore.

Ramesh visited the Madras Crocodile Bank, around 40 km from here, and said there were around 200 breeding adult gharials in the country which were facing extinction.

The idea for a sanctuary for gharials was first mooted by the founder of Madras Crocodile Bank Romulus Whitaker.

He also said that dolphin would soon be declared as endangered marine species.

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Jackals endangering flight safety at Kolkata airport

KOLKATA: Last week a jackal strayed onto the runway of the N S C Bose International Airport here forcing the pilot of an aircraft to abort take off and delayed two incoming flights.

The jackals as well as birds are attracted to garbage dumped from markets in areas surrounding the airport which pose a danger to air safety.

Adding to the problems is the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)'s recent ban on using guns and firecrackers to scare away birds and animals from the airport premises.

The problem was discussed at a meeting of the Airfield Environment Committee headed by West Bengal home secretary G D Gautama with officials of the local civic bodies around the airport and the Airports Authority of India two weeks ago.

"Garbage attracts birds and animals, including jackals and wildcats causing trouble for airport operations," airport Director R Srinivasan said.

"Steps have been taken to keep the area adjacent to the airport clean and free from garbage," he said.

Cages have been set up by the forest department inside the airport to trap jackals.

"We are keeping in touch with forest department officials. Recently some jackals and wildcats have been caged," Srinivasan said.

The BCAS recently relaxed its directive on use of firecrackers to scare away birds and animals at the airport.

It, however, stipulated that firecrackers when used should be done in the presence of the Central Industrial Security Force, which is incharge of the security of the airport.

Airport sources said the relaxation has not helped matters much. The sources also said though a few jackals were trapped in cages, it was not proving to be effective.

"Since jackals are clever animals, they have understood the danger to them and avoid the cages," sources said
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Feeding birds impact male mating chances

LONDON: Feeding birds can delay their dawn chorus, says new research, which pointed out that the extra food could have a major impact on male mating chances.

Scientists have discovered that the growing trend of providing wild birds with food such as sunflower seeds and fat balls is changing their behaviour.

As well as causing songbirds to delay the dawn chorus by 20 minutes, or skip it altogether, the extra food could have a major impact on male mating chances, the journal Animal Behaviour reports.

"Dawn singing is used to show off to females and keep away competitors, so delaying or skipping song at dawn may have detrimental effects on male chances of paternity," says Valentin Amrhein, zoologist at the University of Basel, Switzerland, who led the study, according to the Telegraph.

"Our advice is to keep feeding birds in gardens during the winter when it can save lives, but stop feeding by the end of March to avoid the breeding season."

Around 48 percent of Britain households now provide food for wild birds, according to the researchers.

It began as a way of helping birds survive the winter, but the scientists say birds in urban areas are now often fed well into the breeding season or even all year-round.

The scientists investigated the effects of extra food on the great tit, one of the best-known visitors at garden feeders.

The springtime study compared the dawn song behaviour of birds with and without access to supplied food.

It found 36 percent of the birds with supplementary food skipped the dawn singing altogether - nearly four times the rate of the other birds.

Of those that did sing, the average chorus for fed birds was 20 minutes later than for those without extra food.

Scientists believe birds could become reliant on provided food, making it less necessary to forage early. An alternative theory is that the additional food may attract predators, or rival males, which distract the birds.

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Lightning strikes, rat bites, falling off toilet-how Brits got injured in 2010!

LONDON: Rat bites, lighting strikes, falling off toilets-are some of the top reason why Brits had to run to the hospital in 2010, reveals new data.

Yearly hospital admissions data has revealed a number of unusual reasons for trips to the emergency room.

According to the NHS figures, seventy-five people needed treatment for lightning strikes.

There were 460 admissions nationally for injuries from a powered lawn mower, 1,120 from wasp, bee or hornet incidents, 30 due to 'cataclysmic storms' and 24 for rat bites.

The figures come from the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) inpatient data for the financial year ending April 2010.

There were 3,680 injured riders or passengers on animal-drawn vehicles and 6,419 people who fell on or off a ladder.

As many as 1,419 patients fell out of trees and 310 injuries from contact with plant thorns, spines and sharp leaves.

And 2,079 admissions got injured while being carried or supported by other persons (including being dropped) and 46,463 were due to a fall on the same level (including falling from or off a toilet).

"The databases show the wide variety of different accidents people have had," the Daily Mail quoted a spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, as saying.

"Some of them sound fairly light-hearted but these are accidents that result in people having to be admitted to hospital.

"The good news is that most accidents are preventable. A bit of forward planning and thinking about any possible risks can help," said the spokesman.

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Wind, warmer water driving Antarctica ice loss

LOS ANGELES: West Antarctica has been losing ice and scientists now think they know why.

New satellite images and airborne data point to wind and water as the main culprits. Stronger winds lift warmer water onto the ice shelf, leading to the acceleration of ice loss.

Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, says the phenomenon has led to major ice thinning in the Antarctic Peninsula and the Pine Island Glacier, the biggest of the western glaciers.

Understanding what's driving the Antarctic ice loss will help scientists better predict future sea level rise.

The findings were presented Wednesday at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco
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Regulators OK major greenhouse gas rules

SACRAMENTO,Calif: Hoping other states will follow suit, California regulators overwhelmingly approved the nation's most extensive system giving owners of power plants, refineries and other major polluters financial incentives to emit fewer greenhouse gases.

The Air Resources Board voted 9-1 Thursday to pass the key piece of California's 2006 climate law - called AB32.

"We're inventing this," said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the state's air quality board. "There is still going to be quite a bit of action needed before it becomes operational."

Officials said they hope that other states will follow the lead of the world's eighth largest economy. State officials also are discussing plans to link the new system with similar ones under way or being planned in Canada, Europe and Asia.California is trying to "fill the vacuum created by the failure of Congress to pass any kind of climate or energy legislation for many years now," said Nichols.

A standing-room only board chambers featured testimony from more than 170 witnesses Thursday. Outside the chambers, a few climate change skeptics held signs reading "Global Warming: Science by Homer Simpson."

Some businesses that would fall under the new rules say the system could dampen California's already flagging economy, complicate lawmakers' efforts to close a $28.1 billion revenue shortfall and lead to an increase in the price of electricity.The rate increases, however, would still need approval from the state.

Governer Arnold Schwarzenegger told the board he is sensitive to the recession, but argued that many of the new jobs being created under the system are in the clean technology industry."The real jobs we're creating right now are green jobs. Since 2006 or so green jobs have been created 10 times faster than in any other sector, so it's also an economic plus," he said.But he said reducing greenhouse gas pollution is not just about climate change, but about human health and national security.

"I despise the fact that we send $1 billion a year to foreign places for our oil and to places that hate us. We send this money to people that hate us and that are organizing terrorists and trying to blow up our country," he said.

Supporters say the system will help spur economic recovery and innovation, pushing business to invest in clean technologies.They say the billions of dollars the state collects in the system could help fund clean air programs and help offset any increases in utility rates. Details of the uses of these new funds is still uncertain.

California has already enacted the strictest climate-related regulations in the country involving renewable energy mandates for utilities, tighter fuel-efficiency standards for automobiles and low-carbon fuel standards.The state's landmark climate law had a Jan. 1, 2011, deadline for devising and enacting the so-called cap-and-trade system.

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Global waterways fuelling growth of greenhouse gas nitrous oxide

WASHINGTON: A new study has revealed that a potent greenhouse gas called nitrous oxide has increased by more than 20 percent over the last century - and human activities are driving that growth.

The source could be traced to the growth of nitrogen fertilizers and the cultivation of crops that return nitrogen to the soil naturally. Some of the nitrogen entering streams is converted to nitrous oxide.

According to Stephen Hamilton, a Michigan State University professor, nitrous oxide exists at low levels in the atmosphere, but is responsible for 6 percent of climate warming and also contributes to stratospheric ozone destruction.

"And on a per molecule basis, its global warming potential is 300-fold greater than carbon dioxide," he said.

Jake Beaulieu of the Environmental Protection Agency and team members conducted experiments on 72 U.S. rivers and streams. They studied the production of nitrous oxide from the process of denitrification, in which bacteria convert nitrates to nitrogen gases.

"Even with more than 99 percent of denitrified nitrogen in streams and rivers being converted to the inert gas, dinitrogen, river networks still contribute to at least 10 percent of global anthropogenic nitrous oxide emissions," Hamilton said.

The study concluded that the growth of this greenhouse gas can be cut short by reducing the use of fertilizer and other sources of nitrogen.

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Dry weather affects apple farming in Kullu

KULLU, (Himachal Pradesh): The apple farming and other fruits in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district are deteriorating due to intense dry cold wave in the region.

The bad climatic change in Himalayan region due to global warming has resulted in less rain and snowfall.

The apple farmers and other fruit growers have suffered financial loss due to the dry weather.

Farmers fear if the weather remained dry for the next few days then it would severely affect the yield of apples and other fruits grown in the region.

S.S. Bhardwaj, associate director Regional Research Centre of Himachal Pradesh Horticulture University said the progressing dry season is having a severe effect on the production of fruit crops in the lower and higher regions of the province.

"Further the dry season which is progressing has created a disturbance in the sowing and growth of different crops and will also severely affect the fruit crops if this weather continues for another few days," said Bhardwaj.

The farmers have been praying for heavy snowfall, which would fulfill the chilling hours required for apple and other fruits grown in the region.

"This is a very dry season and all the fruit production has been severely affected. We pray to God that as the winter arrives there should be heavy snowfall and rainfall so that the chilling hours for the apples and other fruits and the moisture, needed in the fields, should be completed," said Dharambir Dhami, a farmer.

"This dry season is very hazardous for our crops and we pray that there should be snowfall and rainfall in our province at the earliest," he added.

The dry weather has also affected the production of other crops such as wheat as the growth of the crop is dependent on a good amount of rainfall.

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Plodding climate talks stepping up to higher level

CANCUN, Mexico: The slow-moving UN talks on combating global warming took a step forward Saturday with revised proposals for a $100 billion-a-year climate aid fund and other issues for debate by the world's environment ministers this week.

Despite that advance, the chairwoman of key closed-door negotiations warned the open conference that obstacles remain to what delegates hope will be a package of decisions next Friday on financial and other side matters under the UN climate treaty.

"Progress has been made in some areas," Zimbabwe's Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe said. But she said the talks were "going backwards" on important issues. "We need to redouble our efforts."

Environment ministers began flying in Saturday for the final days of the annual two-week climate conference, hoping to put new life in the UN talks.

Last week, under Mukahanana-Sangarwe's leadership, a working group from among the 193 treaty nations sought to whittle down the contested texts of proposed decisions.

In one sign of the work facing them, only 170 words had been undisputed among the 1,300 on two pages of a key text on the "shared vision" of what the treaty nations want to accomplish. The disputed language was options proposed by various parties and placed within brackets.

Some parties, for example, want the world to reduce emissions of global warming gases so that temperatures don't rise more than 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) above preindustrial levels, beyond which scientists say serious damage from climate change would set in. Others want to aim even lower, at 1.5 C (2.7 F) above preindustrial levels - a position favored by island states and others most threatened by warming's impacts, such as sea-level rise.

The Zimbabwean's revised text eliminated the 1.5-degree option, drawing an immediate protest from the Bolivian delegation at Saturday's open meeting, a sign of the contentiousness sure to mark the coming days.

Though a step forward, "this paper lacks sufficient ambition for the urgent protection of islands and the world," said Grenada's UN ambassador, Dessima Williams, speaking for small island nations.

In many important areas, Mukahanana-Sangarwe's text revisions retained multiple options - on the supervision of the proposed climate fund, for example - setting the stage for further sharp debate.

At last year's climate summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, richer nations promised $100 billion a year by 2020 to help poorer nations reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change by, for example, building coastline protection and shifting crops to cope with new precipitation patterns.

Firmly establishing a green fund at Cancun is a priority for developing-world delegations, who generally want a UN body overseeing disbursement of climate funds, rather than, for example, the World Bank, which is controlled by developed nations.

The issue of reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted by industry, vehicles and agriculture is the core dispute of the long-running climate talks, and will not be fully resolved at Cancun.

For 13 years, the US has refused to join the rest of the industrialized world in the Kyoto Protocol, a 1997 add-on to the climate treaty that mandates modest emissions reductions by richer nations. The US complained that it would hurt its economy and that Kyoto should have mandated actions as well by such emerging economies as China and India.

For their part those poorer but growing nations have rejected calls that they submit to Kyoto-style legally binding commitments - not to reduce emissions, but to cut back on emissions growth.

This impasse brought last year's Copenhagen climate summit to near-collapse. That conference ended with a nonbinding "Copenhagen Accord," under which the US, China and other nations inscribed voluntary pledges to scale back emissions. The agreement has been endorsed by 140 nations, not the treaty's full 193.

Two debates under way in Cancun stem from Copenhagen: how to "anchor" those voluntary pledges more officially under the treaty, and how to monitor and verify that pledges are being met.

Besides the green fund, negotiators hope for agreements on other secondary issues, including making it cheaper for developing nations to obtain climate-friendly proprietary technology from more advanced countries, and pinning down more elements of a complex plan to pay developing countries for protecting their tropical forests.

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India takes steps to protect wheat from global warming

NEW DELHI: Although no major impact has been observed on wheat production due to global warming in India in the recent past, the government has taken preventive steps to safeguard the principal crop from rising temperature.

Data show there has been increasing trend since 2007-8 in wheat production, which alone contributes over 71 per cent of total foodgrain production of the country.

Wheat production increased from 78.51 million tonnes in 2007-8 to 80.71 million tonnes in 2009-10 (as per 4th advance estimates,2010), Minister of State for Agriculture K V Thomas had said in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on Friday.

Studies have forecast adverse affect of global warming on wheat and other crops.

Research findings of ICAR ( Indian Council for Agricultural Research) on wheat crop has indicated that there is about 3 to 4 per cent decrease in grain yield with 1 degree celsius rise in temperature during grain filling stage.

Out of 28 million hectare area under wheat in India, about 9 million hectare in North Eastern plain zone, Central zone and penisular zone is prone to terminal heat stress.

Studies have revealed that the mean annual surface air temperature over India has risen by 0.56 degree celsius during 1901-2009, which is above normal since 1990 over a base period of 1961-1990.

Although no adverse affect of global warming has been noticed on wheat in India so far, the government has taken some timely precautionary steps.

Heat tolerant varieties like DBW 14, DBW 16, Raj 3765, Lok 1, GW 322 etc. have been popularised on larger scale under schemes like National Food Security Mission-wheat and Integrated Cereals Development Programme in Wheat.

This is based on cropping systems aimed at increasing production and productivity of wheat, Thomas had said.

In addition to this, crop advisories are issued to wheat growing farmers for adopting latest crop production/ protection technologies.

Advisories are also issued for timely sowing, resource conservation technology including zero seed drill and irrigation at critical stages to mitigate the sudden rise in temperature.

Besides, ICAR has also initiated networking projects for developing thermal and drought tolerant genotypes that are suitable for changing climatic scenario.

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Small nations bullied at Copenhagen: WikiLeaks

CANCUN: The Wikileaks cablegate hit the climate talks at Cancun as well with leaked documents showing how the US and EU had attempted to manipulate talks in favour of the Copenhagen Accord by offering monetary carrots to small countries that are the most vulnerable to climate change and cutting aid to those who dared to oppose them.

Several countries had talked of dirty tricks played by rich countries even at Copenhagen in December 2009 but the game seems to have got dirtier after the infamous Copenhagen Accord was signed at the Danish capital but could not fly with some countries ensuring that it never became a formal UN document.

US and even the UN secretary general pushed countries to associate with the accord which diluted the differentiation between rich and poor countries embedded in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

But emerging economies China, India, Brazil and South Africa took a stronger position post-Copenhagen. They associated themselves with the accord they had negotiated but did not allow it to become part of the official UN negotiating text.

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World's largest solar-power boat arrives amid climate talks

CANCUN: The world's largest solar-powered boat has made a port call at the Caribbean resort of Cancun as negotiators from around the world struggle to work out a package of measures to curb global warming.

The 31-meter-long Turanor PlanetSolar, whose deck is covered with solar panels, is driven by solar-generated electricity alone and can cruise at maximum speeds of between 8 and 9 knots, according to its 64-year-old German owner, Immo Stroeher.

The boat, which has been on a voyage around the world, left Monaco in autumn and arrived Tuesday in Cancun, where a UN climate change conference is being held. It plans to complete the journey in the spring of 2012, he said.

"The theme of this ship and its around-the-world voyage is to create consciousness about what you can do with solar energy," Stroeher said, adding he wants to take his boat to the Japanese city of Hiroshima some day.

PlanetSolar, with six crew members but not the owner himself, is set to leave the Mexican resort on today for Cartagena, Colombia.

Delegates from nearly 200 countries at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP16, have until tomorrow to reach decisions after making little progress during the first week.

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Pure Ganga in 10 years, Centre promises SC Read more: Pure Ganga in 10 years, Centre promises SC

NEW DELHI: The Ganga will be pure and free of pollutants by 2020, the Centre promised before the Supreme Court on Friday.

Without dwelling on the past when nearly 1,000 crore was spent under the failed Ganga Action Plan initiated in the late 1980s, attorney general G E Vahanvati assured a Bench comprising Chief Justice S H Kapadia and Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar that the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) headed by the prime minister would deal with river pollution in a comprehensive manner.

The work has been entrusted to a consortium of seven IITs -- Kanpur, Delhi, Madras, Bombay, Kharagpur, Guwahati and Roorkee. Vahanvati said discussions have been initiated with the World Bank for long-term support for NGRBA's work programme.

The National River Conservation Directorate under ministry of environment and forests in its affidavit said, "An assistance of $1 billion has been indicated in the first phase by the World Bank. A project preparation facility advance of $2.96 million has been sanctioned by WB."

But amicus curiae Krishan Mahajan, who was part of the public interest litigation filed by M C Mehta for cleaning of Ganga since 1985, was sceptical about the success and said unless the government was serious about punishing those responsible for polluting the river, no action plan would succeed in restoring Ganga's pristine glory. The Bench asked him to place his objection on record.

The directorate also talked of plans to save the gangetic dolphin, which was declared national aquatic animal on May 10. Terming the animal as critically endangered, it said it has set up a working group under the chairmanship of Dr R K Singh to submit an action plan.

"A list of other project proposals to be taken up under the World Bank assistance has been drawn up in consultation with the state governments. Investments totalling over Rs 1,200 crore have been identified by the states," it said.

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