Feature Article

The present investigation deals with the analysis of physico-chemical characteristics, concentration of heavy metals and textural analysis of sediments in Poovar estuary of Kerala during the period 2004-2005. Three sampling stations were selected and sediments were collected for the study.

In the hill areas, the traditional systems of dependence on forest products like fuel for their households and fodder for their livestock has an important bearing on the status of Himalayan watersheds. The population of livestock is therefore also significant. The fuel and fodder requirements of the hill people are important routine activities for which women/children spend long hours of their day-to-day life.

Aryavart Grameen Bank operates in six districts of Uttar Pradesh. AGP decided to install PV systems at five of its branches to provide back up power during mains power cuts. The PV modules generate DC electricity in sunlight, which is stored in rechargeable lead-acid batteries.

Tannin degrading microbes isolated from tannery effluents were tested for their ability to degrade vegetable tannins in tannery effluents, along with other polluting parameters in the effluents like Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS).

Tanzania has one of the lowest rates of electrifi cation in the world. Zara Solar and its sister company Mona-Mwanza Electrical & Electronics both based in Mwanza provide high-quality, aff ordable PV systems in Northern Tanzania. Zara Solar is a rapidly growing business that uses a network of self-employed technicians to reach out to the remote rural areas.

Water pollution is a serious problem as almost 70% of India

Many traditional conservation ethics of people directly or indirectly protect forest patches by dedicating them to local deities. Such forest pockets, referred to as sacred groves, are more or less small to large chunk of traditionally maintained near virgin forests protected on socio cultural grounds. Named differently in different states of India, these groves are mainly concentrated in tribal areas and are managed by local people for various purposes.

Mangroves are disappearing rapidly worldwide despite their well
documented biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide.

Winrock International, in partnership with the Ford Foundation, has been implementing the project on 'Increasing Access of Poor Nepali Communities to Biogas Technology to Strengthen Livelihoods and to Enhance Environment Management', since August 2007.

The use of heavy metals along with the associate risks of metal pollution has increased to a great extent over the recent times. Cadmium is one of the most harmful toxic metals. This metal is being increasingly consumed in the industries. Its pollution potential, has therefore given rise to the necessity of removal of cadmium from wastewater.