Feature Article

The Shivalik range of Himalayas, represent the most fragile ecosystem in India, in order to restore the ecological environment in this area, a hilly watershed typical of the region of 21 ha area was brought under study in 1963. The watershed has been under complex protection and was treated by soil and water conservation measures during 1963-64.

A study has been undertaken to assess the number of six important tree species including teak, mango, babool, neem, kathal and shisham outside forests in rural areas of district Gorakhpur.

The impact of protection on the ecology and ecosystem services of a fragmented sacred grove of Karnataka in agricultural landscape was studied. Comparative assessment of two time scale data revealed positive influence of protection on vegetation in term of species richness, diversity, endemism and basal area. An increment in above ground biomass indicates groves potential for carbon sequestration. Species level study on carbon storage finds the contribution of young individuals in recent time period.

The field experiment was conducted during the year 2001 to 2006 on marginal degraded bouldery riverbed lands of Doon Valley in North-West India under rainfed conditions. The performance of grasses viz Panicum maximum (fodder grass) and Eulaliopsis binata (industrial grass for fiber and paper pulp) was evaluated alone and in association with Paulownia fortunei with regard to growth parameters and biomass yield.

Although the JFM concept is becoming popular more and more all over India, there is no well defined methodology to evaluate the functioning of JFM. As a result, it is not possible to evaluate JFM functioning and to find out the level of success of JFM. Therefore, an attempt has been made to bring out a concept paper on JFM that enables evaluation of JFM in a systematic manner.

A study was conducted to estimate soil organic pool (SOC) in three land uses viz. forests, horticulture and grasslands in Chamoli district.

THE 1993 World Development Report (WDR) was subtitled ‘Investing in Health’ and advanced the argument that better health outcomes facilitate economic development.1 Even if one contests the direction of causation, correlation between better health outcomes and higher levels of economic development is not in doubt.

Interview with Satyen Gangaram Pitroda on technology mission on immunization.

The success of smallpox eradication in the mid-1970s drew attention to the immunization programme in India. The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), developed for immunizing children during the first year of life was launched in 1978 mainly in the urban areas. Through the subsequent years, more vaccines were included in the programme, e.g. OPV in 1979 and the vaccine to immunize pregnant mothers with tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccine in 1983.

As both a doctor and a public health professional, I am transfixed by one compelling question: Why are public health issues and debates so often limited to just doctors and those with abbreviations like MBBS, MD, MS or MPH added to their names? Does the ambit of health not extend to other areas of specialization and expertise?