Feature Article

Hunting is the prime suspect in the global extinction of many species and is posing a major threat to populations of hundreds of species worldwide even in the absence of other forms of habitat destruction.This study was designed to investigate impact of wild ungulate offtakes on their populations in the forests in and around Chamba district of the Western Indian Himalaya.

The environment is holding up growth and economic development in India. This is the common refrain in circles that matter. So when the Group of Ministers tasked to resolve the issue of coal mining in forests asked for a report on what needs to be done, it was told that the best would be dismantle green conditions, almost completely.

The chief ministers of India's mineral-rich states are keenly watching the progress of the new Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Bill that was recently approved by the Union cabinet. While many of them have been dragged into illegal mining controversies, Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh has welcomed any scrutiny of the state's mining industry.

The private sector has not fully utilised the allocation of coal blocks to them, said a senior official from the Ministry of Power. The official added, private sector would produce only 20 per cent of the estimated coal production from the blocks.

In the current scenario where coal shortage has severely impacted power generation, Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal has an onerous task: ensuring that coal production is on target. In an interview, the minister highlights the reasons for the demand-supply mismatch.

The CAG has advised the Oil Ministry to allow Reliance Industries (RIL) to recover expenditure on its eastern offshore KG-D6 field only after it has been audited.

Private investors in India's power generation sector are worried. Fuel shortage is staring at their plants. Consumers are reading with disbelief at the much hyped India growth story - load shedding is a regular phenomenon in most urban centres. Rural consumers have no such problem - forget electricity even the much flaunted growth story keep clear off them.

This study examined the gender role in Sawah system of rice production in Nigeria. This study was carried out in five states where Sawah is being practiced. The states are Niger, Kaduna, Ondo, Kwara and Ekiti. Data used in this study were collected in all the Sawah sites in Nigeria namely: Ejetti, Etzuzhegi and Nasarafu in Niger state, Nakala Pampaida millennium village in Kaduna state, Elerinjare in Ilorin Kwara state and Aule in Akure Ondo state. A well structured interview guide was used to elicit information from the farmers.

The study examines the impact of Taung irrigation scheme on the household welfare among farmers in the North West Province. Irrigation farming is one of the most important rural development investment strategies that can have both direct and indirect impact on poverty and food security. The sampling frame of the study consists of 137 farmers and a sample of sixty farmers was selected for the study. The relationship between the household welfare and the independent variables were estimated using an ordinary least square regression estimation procedure.

The problem of water shortage and competition is getting increased attention in the field of water management. Good quality ground and surface water may become too scarce to allow for sustainable use for various functions. With increasing human activities, it is important to understand interactions between hydrological regimes and associated land use, and land cover change in the catchment.