[Agro]: Economics of Animal Rearing

#1: Fowl Breeding & Tribal Development (MP)

 Indian farmers doing backyard poultry for many years.
 The birds grow by scavenging on kitchen and other waste. They help in
o egg sale=side income

o Cheap source of protein for farmer’s family.

Then what is the problem?

 Poultry sector is focusing more on commercial poultry rearing like broilers for meat and
eggs.
 As a result, many indigenous species about to become extinct.
 One such breed is the Kalamasi or Kadaknath fowl breed: found in Bhil and Bhila tribal
regions of Madhya Pradesh.

Kalamasi/Kadaknath Fowls
 black in color. Meat is softer than that of other desi birds, contains less fat and more
protein,
 Because of these qualities, Kalamasi fowls commend good prices. 1 year old bird sells for
>Rs.600 (while other desi varieties fetch barely Rs.100-150)
 But this breed is slowly becoming extinct.

Economics:

1. These fowls can be reared quite easily. Don’t need any special attention or round the
clock caretaking.
2. They’re good scavengers= feed cost gets considerably reduced. (in each bird sells for
more than Rs.600 after one year)
3. They can be housed in large bamboo baskets or inside store rooms. Don’t need elaborate
shelter like in professional broilers.
4. Their hens grow fast, start laying eggs from sixth month of age onwards. In a year a
single hen lays 80-120 eggs.

Benefits to Tribal of Madhya Pradesh

1. Government provides vaccination, training for feed-marketing.

 2. The tribal beneficiaries rearing this breed are today able to get an income of Rs.80,000-
90,000 a year.
3. Less rural-urban migration. Encourages people to stay in villages, continue farming
operations along with fowl rearing.

#2: Goats rearing, Small Marginal Farmers (Kerala)

From time immemorial Indian peasants have always been rearing animals for extra income. But
there are challenges:

1. Pasture lands shrinking=>  Less green fodder

2. Rich farmers with pumpsets and borewells so grow green fodder but it is not possible for
small and marginal farmers.
3. Lack of veterinary services in remote areas.

Case study: Goat rearing in Kozhikode District of Kerala

Government support: Krishi Vigyan Kendra of the Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR)

Aim: help small farmers and landless laborers to do goat rearing with minimum cost.

How?

1. Farmers given Breeding charts: to fully exploit the reproductive efficiency of female
goats.
2. In a large herd, synchronization of estrus cycle by administering PGF2 alpha injection.

 Careful rearing of baby goats for 120 days after birth. They’re given concentrated feed
prepared specifically by the institute’s experts. Farmers can also make them by mixing
rice, wheat, maize, horsegram etc.

3. + Baby goats are given liver tonics mixed with fish oil => increase appetite and aid good
healthy growth, goad quickly fattens for slaughtering.

Economics/benefits

DESI METHOD OF
NOW WITH SCIENTIFIC REARING
REARING
Animal will weigh 10 kg in 6 within 4 months the goat will weigh 25+ kg =provides big returns
months in quick time.
 Farmers with only few cents of land can also grow goats.
 They don’t need not spent much time grazing them out in the open.
expense of feeding one baby goat Rs.1200 per month x 4 months = 3600
Income from selling that goat after 4 months. close to Rs.7000
profit You calculate for the aptitude practice.

[Agro] Research: New Varieties

India’s first throneless rose plant variety.

Himalayan by a research institute in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh

Wonder Regions around Pune-Banglore= known for commercial rose cultivation.
They’re interested in this new throneless variety of rose.
 New garlic variety

 by National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation

(NHRDF) in Nasik,
Yamuna
 suitable for growing in Northen states such as Delhi, Uttar
Safed-5 Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Punjab, Rajasthan.

 These Garlic Bulbs are white and big in size, matures quickly
and and shelf life is also good.
 By National Horticultural Research and Development
Foundation, Nashik
 They’ve devised new technique for successful Kharif onion
nursery production, during heavy rains.
Onion Bulbets
 Jan-Feb: Onion bulbets raised in nursey beds
 July-Aug- they’re transplanted to the farm

 This method increases the yield of onion.

[Agro]:Fertilizer/Manure related
#1: Liquid Manure
 Present day farming require external inputs such as fertiliser and pesticides.
 but they’re expensive + harmful to soil and environment.
 Now a new technology developed to produce liquid manure from cow dung and cow
urine, by a farmer in TN.

How?
  The basic principles= Fermentation + Sedimentation.
 Cow dung + cow urine +10 parts of water=>mix in barrel, let it ferment for a day.
 Next day add one kg of jiggery, along with decomposed fruits, vegetables or practically
any vegetative matter available in the farm.
 Only indigenous cow dung and urine must be used because the microbial activity in
local cow waste is more than in other cross bred animals.
 After a week farmers can use this liquid solution as manure via drip irrigation. Hence it is
called “Liquid Manure”.

Benefits?

1. increases the water holding capacity of the soil

2. Improves the beneficial micro organisms present in the soil.
3. Only Rs.800 investment to buy a plastic barrel.Rest of the inputs can be easily sourced
from the farm itself.  Hence even small and marginal farmers can do it.
4. farmer can save Rs.4,000-20,000 per hectare in fertilizer

#2: Vermicompost
 Chemical fertilizers=decrease soil fertility after prolonged use.
 Vermicompost is an organic manure (bio-fertilizer) by earth worm
 Earthworm can be grown on animal dung, poultry droppings, vegetable and other kinds
of biodegradable wastes. They feed on such items, produce a compost.

Benefits of Vermicompost?

1. odorless, clean, organic material

2. contains adequate quantities of N, P, K (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) and several
micronutrients that are essential for plant growth.
3. Contains organic matter= makes the soil productive.
4. Eco-friendly, non-toxic, consumes low energy input for composting.

#3:Organic cultivation
 Case study: Enabavi, a small village in Warangal district, Andhra
 The farmers grow paddy, pulses, millets, cotton, chilli, tobacco and vegetables.

BEFORE AFTER
 In the 1970s, like many other Indian  The village started shifting to non-
 villages, they also went through the same chemical farming about a decade ago.
process of using more and more chemicals
to increase the productivity.  By 2006, entire area was converted to
organic farming.
 By 1995 problems started showing up.
Even though they increased Investments on  There is strong social regulation
seeds-fertilizers-pesticides, the returns were within the community towards organic
not good. cultivation.
 They started using tank silt, poultry
manure, vermicompost and farm yard
manure.
average spending on chemical fertilizers and
pesticides: ~Rs.3,500 per crop per acre  They set up their own compost
manufacturing units in their fields and
started following various ecological
practices
 depend on their own seed for many
Seeds: ~ Rs. 500 per acre for seeds
crops, except for cotton
The traders would dictate the price for the produce
The farmers do not spend a single rupee
in addition to charging interest for the inputs
anymore for buying all the inputs.
supplied
They process their paddy and sell directly to
consumers and also through a marketing
Sale of agro-produce through Middlemen @APMC
channel called Sahaja Aharam in
Hyderabad.

Lessons from this village:

1. Sustainable farming can be profitable.

2. social regulation, learning from each other.
3. the benefits of conviction born out of experience and most importantly, the way out of
agricultural distress by taking control over one’s own farming,

[Agro]: Misc.
#1: Fungus as Bio-control Agent
 Trichoderma viride (Tv), a soil fungus =bio control agent
 controls diseases in trees such as root rot, leaf blight etc.
 Good alternative for chemical based fungicides
 Farmers can make it by themselves using agricultural wastes to reduce cost
#2: Fruit Ripening
Fruits are classified into two groups

CLIMACTERIC NON- CLIMACTERIC

ripen even after harvest
Banana, apple, avocado, banana, fig, mango, papaya,
passionfruit, pear and tomato
ethylene gas is used in godowns to hasten the ripening
(e.g. for Banana). Similarly Calcium carbide is used to
ripen Mangoes.
do not ripen after harvest
Grapes, blueberry, cherry, citrus,
cucumber,  pineapple and strawberry.
not needed / wont work.

Q. It is impossible to peel the skin of a plantain fruit when it is raw but the same can be
done very easily when fully ripe. Why?

 Raw banana fruit is firm and not peelable since the cell cementing material is made of
non-soluble calcium pectin.
 But On ripening the non-soluble pectin will become soluble and hence the softness.

Enough of Agro related, now moving on to Environment and Biodiversity [EnB]

[EnB] Flora-Fauna
#1: Giant Clams
Clam = one type of mollusk. (Octopus, Squid-fish are other examples of mollusk)
  Giant Clam= an endangered species of clam (although IUCN red list puts it in
‘Vulnerable’ category but Thehindu says it’s an endangered species). Then who is right?
That we’ll know once CSAT-2013 official answer key comes out and we find whether
Swamp Deer was endangered or not! If UPSC answerkey says Swamp deer was
endangered that’d mean UPSC had setup question from IUCN list.
 Anyways back to topic: Giant Clams are found in the tropical coral reefs, including
Andaman Nicobar.
 All the species of Giant Clam are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection
Act.

But Why in News?

 UK based charity organization gave money to Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
 Money will be used create database of Giant clams in Andaman-Nicobar.

#2: House-Sparrow: official bird of Delhi

STATE OFFICIAL STATE BIRD

Jammu and Kashmir Black Necked Crane
Haryana Black Francolin
Gujarat Greater Flamingo
Maharashtra Yellow Footed Green Pigeon.
Delhi House-sparrow (declared State Bird in 2013)

March 20 = World House Sparrow Day

Why House-sparrow population declining?

1. Less tress=not place to setup nests +increase in air pollution

2. Buildings use glass facades= they show reflection of trees. Birds crash into the glass
panel mistaking it for a tress. They get injured, even die.
3. House sparrows and their chicks need protein, which means they need a lot of insects.
But urban junta uses chemical pesticides in their gardens=> No worms, insects or pests
left for the birds to feed. Thus, use of pesticides invariably affects house sparrow
population.
4. Cities have less number of open vegetable markets= lack of waste food for the birds.
5. Earlier Sparrows fed on open bags of rice and cereals in the markets. The traders too
didn’t try to avoid them as they consumed only a little and also preyed on small pests in
rice bags. But these bags have now been replaced with sealed plastic bags at many
places=no grain leakage=no food for birds.
 6. Even in places where grain-bags are kept open, the birds avoid them owing to the use of
pesticides. A house sparrow weighs just a few milligrams and feeding on cereals with
pesticides, even in micro levels, could kill them.
7. Even in Rural areas, reduced grain spillage and improved storage facilities + use of
pesticides & herbicides=sparrow population declined.

#3: Forest Corridors for Tiger breeding

 2010 data: 1,700 tigers in 39 tiger reserves.
 Nowadays, Tiger reserves are surrounded by farms, villages and towns.
 Such small and enclosed tiger reserves=> Habitat fragmentation=>inbreeding among
tigers.
 Inbreeding=> new generations will have genetic disorders. They’ll be more vulnerable
to environmental changes.
 If tiger reserves are connected through forest corridors, then tiger from one region can
move to different area=> decreases inbreeding and promotes gene flow between isolated
tiger populations.
 Thus forest corridors= imp. for genetic variation among tigers.
 Challenge: Tiger corridors in central India face threats from road widening, railway lines
construction and coal mining.

#4: Antarctic Conservation

 commission for conservation of Antarctic marine living resources (CCAMLR)
 Members: 24 countries and the European Union.

Recent proposals by
1. designate Ross Sea as marine protected area (MPA) in the
US+NZ
Antarctic
1. designate seven marine protected areas in East Antarctica covering
Australia+France+EU
more than 1 million square kilometres

But Russia voted against both proposals during meeting, hence no result.

[EnB] Clean Energy Related

#1: Bio-refinery: Bioplastics, BioHydrogen
  Bio-electric Chemical Treatment System=designed by a research organization in Hyderabad,
they’ve also filed for Patent.

input affluent/toxic water discharged from chemical factories and households.

output 1. futuristic green fuels
a. bio-hydrogen: This system uses anaerobic reactors to produce the environmentally
sustainable bio-hydrogen instead of methane.
b. bio-electricity: from anaerobic bacterial metabolism, by putting external electrodes in the
reactor

 bio-plastics: During above anaerobic processing, volatile fatty acids generated. These
fatty acids are used for making bio-plastics. These bio-plastics could replace to some
extent synthetic plastics in future.

Project funded by the Ministry of Non-Renewable Energy.

#2: Biofuel: Anti-Arguments

1. The amount of energy produced by biofuels is only a little more than the amount of
energy invested in growing and manufacturing them.
2. Biofuels are nothing but a byproduct of sunlight. A combination of solar cells, batteries
and electric cars, is 600 times more effective at harnessing sun’s energy than biofuels.
3. Their energy-efficiency is not so good. Even if all agricultural land in Germany was
directed to biofuels, we will get only enough to replace up to 20% of all fuel consumption
in Germany.
4. At present Germany uses only 20% of agricultural land for crops used for biomass
production. The money farmers earn for this is probably double compared to growing
wheat. As a result of that Germany, which was a big exporter of wheat, now imports it.
Because farmers decreased wheat cultivation.
5. Several studies had shown that global crop production needed to double by 2050, to meet
demands from
o Increasing human population

o Demand from meat-industry (recall geography location factor article: how corn is
used to fatten the cattle in USA. Similarly poultry rearing also need corn, soybean
as feed.)
o demand from dairy-industry

Therefore it is a bad idea to devote agricultural land for biofuels.

#3: Nuke Energy post Fukushima

2011 Fukushima nuclear plant accident in Japan
2022 Germany plans to shut down all of its Nuclear plants.

IAEA Chief (Yukiya Amano) said following:

 After Chernobyl disaster in 1986,  there was a “period of stagnation” in nuclear industry
 But, after the Fukushima accident construction of new nuclear plants continued in many
countries,
 In the next few years five countries — Bangladesh, Jordan, Nigeria, Turkey and Vietnam
— will join the nuclear energy club
 Nuke Energy is safe, reliable, low greenhouse gas emission, gives steady supply of
electricity @stable prices.

#4: Lumos: Solar Backpack

 Lumos=Solar backpack designed by an Indian couple

 It is water-, impact- and shock-proof
 allows you to charge your gadgets through solar energy.
  These backpacks have a sleek, flexible solar panel, unlike conventional panels (large,
rigid plates used for rooftop installation).

#5: Flow Batteries

Renewable energy problem

wind depends on speed of the wind, not continuous
solar doesn’t work on cloudy day
 Therefore, such “renewable” sources cannot be connected directly to the electric grid
(Because they don’t work on 24/7).
 Instead, you’ve to store this solar/wind electricity in a battery and use this ‘charged’ battery to
run electric appliances.

Problem: conventional batteries solution: flow batteries

 by MIT, USA.

 They’ve membrane-less
hydrogen-bromine fuel
 Conventional batteries include a porous membrane cell.
between the anode and the cathode to prevent short-
circuits while facilitating charge-carrying ions to move  Using liquid bromine and
between them. hydrogen gas.

 But this membrane increase battery’s weight, reduce its  It is rechargeable. doesn’t
efficiency, bring structural defects and life-cycle have membrane like
limitations. conventional batteries.

 Has more power density

than conventional
batteries.

#6: Electricity from cattle waste

 Project in an Agro-university in Ludhiana.
 cattle waste=> bio gas=>generator=>electricity.
 The electricity is being used for chaffing green fodder, machine milking, operating the
fans, coolers and foggers installed inside the animal sheds.
 waste slurry obtained from the bio gas plant is used as manure for crops.
 Their next plan is to separate methane and carbon dioxide from biogas, then bottle the
carbon dioxide for industrial use
 Ministry of renewable energy is giving them subsidy.
[EnB] Climate Change related
#1: Runaway Greenhouse effect
 In a life sustaining planet e.g. Earth, the Solar absorption and radiation levels are
balanced=> life can exist.
 But if the solar radiation absorbed by the planet exceeds the thermal radiation given out
by the planet then result=>

1. uncontrollable heating of planet’s surface

2. rapid water evaporation from oceans and rivers.

This is known as runaway greenhouse effect. Ultimate result: planet becomes inhospitable, life
cannot exist. It is believed that once Venus planet had ocean but all the water evaporated thanks
to runaway greenhouse effect.

#2: Ocean Acidification

 Oceans absorb more 25% carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
 this carbon dioxide dissolves in the water =>forms carbonic acid.
 This way, the oceans act as a carbon dioxide sink
 But when CO2 increase in atmosphere=>Carbonic acid also increases in sea-water=
Ocean acidification (OA).
 Problem? By 2100, the corals and starfishes might become extinct due to this Ocean
Acidification.
 Corals spend their entire life in one place. They secrete calcium carbonate =>form coral
reefs.
 These coral reefs provide support to variety of fishes and marine organisms.
 But Higher Ocean acidification and warmer climates = less new coral reefs formed +
even the existing coral reefs get damaged.
 When Coral reefs are reduced=>indirectly many species will be affected.

Thus Ocean acidification poses grave danger to all marine species.

#3: Dimethylsulphide
 It is a volatile organic compound.
 Released by certain species of phytoplankton and algae.
  When dimethylsulphide mixes with air, it reduces the amount of solar energy reaching
Earth’s surface
 Thus, dimethylsulphide  cools the atmosphere.
 But Ocean Acidification harms the population of phytoplankton + algae=> less
dimethylsulphie emitted =more global warming.

#4: Climate Change and Apple Taste

Factor determines Apple’s ____

Acid concentration sourness
soluble solids sweetness
 As per the Japanese study, when temperature rose during the fruit maturation period,
there was a change in the taste and texture of the fruit.
 Meaning, due to climate change in last decades, the taste-texture of apple must have
changed. Apples would have tasted differently 100 years ago.

[EnB] Disaster Management Related

Since the main-subject of this article is Sci-tech compilation, I’m only doing basic coverage of
Uttarakhand cloudburst, without going into all details. Otherwise article will become extremely
lengthy.

Himalayan Tsunami
What is cloudburst?

 Extreme amount of precipitation

 in a short span of time.
 creates flash-flood conditions.
 Often accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Why cloudburst?

 A cloudburst can occur anytime and at any place which is affected by convective weather
systems.
 India surrounded by oceans from three sides. Hence favorable location for convective
weather systems.

Convective weather system in: result

Bay of Bengal rainfall over the Indian subcontinent
Western Pacific Ocean Diverts rain-bearing winds away from the Indian subcontinent.
 During Cloudburst, massive coagulated clouds with heavy water content hover, over a
very small location.
 The dead weight of the cloud is so massive and unbearable that it simply collapses under
its own weight=>extreme precipitation within a short span of time=>flash flood.

Additional factors

MONTH WHAT HAPPENED?

March April
heavy snow in Himalayas
May 2013
Non-stop Intense rainfall. It helped the snow to melt fast from Chorabari Glarier. but How can
ice melt?
 Water has a higher heat capacity than air.
 The molecules in liquid water are more tightly packed than the molecules in air
14-16 June 2013  Therefore, when water molecules touch snow=> greater rate of heat transfer. (Compare
air touches the snow)

 This accelerates the process of snow melting. e.g heavy snow melting from Chorabari
water level increased in the river Mandakini and Chorabari Lake.
Cloudburst over Chorabari Lake.
16 June 2013
Lake exploded from water. => flash floods.
 These flash floods washed the mud, stones and slush (Partially melted snow) from
mountains into rivers.
 Bhagirathi, Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers were already flowing with lot of water (due
to snow-melting).

Now imagine two situations:

1. Police uses water cannon on the mob.

2. Police mixes stones, ball bearings and ice cubes into their water tank and then uses water
cannon on the mob. This time, you know the water will hurt a lot more.

Same way, the rivers filled with mud, snow, ice- rushes through the hills and cliffs- they will
cause more erosion, sweep away whatever comes in their way. Thus, all those shops, hotels,
apartments were constructed very close to the river banks got washed away.

Additionally landslides destroyed the road network in the mountains hence relief couldnot reach
on time.

Why is it called Man-Made Disaster?

Cloudbursts have happened in past also, but the amount of death and damage in Uttarakhand is
unprecedented. Why?

#1: Roads causing landslides

Himalayan Mountains will remain steady if not tampered with much. But

1. the huge expansion of roads and transport.

2. heavy machines plying the earth everyday.
3. Even dynamites are used to cut the mountains and make roads.

^All these activities had already rendered the mountains unstable. Then rainfall=>landslides.
roads blocked=rescue force can’t go in, victims can’t go out.

#2: Too much construction

1. In 2012, Ministry of Environment and Forests gives a notification under Environment

Protection Act. This notification declares the region Gaumukh and Uttarakashi, along the
Bhagirathi river, as an eco-sensitive zone. Meaning following activities had to be banned:
a. Hydro project in Bhagirathi = too many hydropower projects, changing river
courses, poor structural safety
b. Mining= use of dynamites, weakened the mountains
c. Construction activities, especially hotels and resorts, guest houses and travel
lodges on the river bed.  Everyone trying to make mint money from
pilgrims/tourists yet none of them were build with sound engineering or structural
safety.

#3: Fragile Polity of the State

 Uttarakhand has seen 6 different Chief Ministers within last 13 years. Meaning average
tenure of a CM is ~2 years.
 This has resulted in lack of continuity and failure in getting a firm grip on the issues
plaguing the state- including disaster management.
 Successive CAG reports have made scathing remarks on the lack of disaster management
preparations in the Uttarakhand state. Yet no action was taken.
 political fragility has resulted in ad-hoc and unplanned development.
 Successive governments have failed in creating any sort of medium term or long-term
plan or vision for the state.
 To put this in other words, when governments change too quick- the main goal of MLAs
and Ministers is how to extract maximum cash from builders, mining mafias and corrupt
 bureaucrats who want transfer-posting in plump position. Hence, Disaster management
doesn’t even come in their top-100 priority list of such politicians.

#4: Careless organizations

 IMD was unable to alert State-authorities in time. It didn’t have

Doppler radars in the Himalayan region to predict onset of cloudbursts.
1. IMD
 Only after this disaster happened, Dept. of sci.tech now talks about
setting up Doppler radars in the region.
 National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was formed after
Tsunami in 2003.
1. NDRF  but has grossly failed both in planning and implementation.

 It didn’t even have sufficient life-jackets in Rudraprayag.

Overall, there was no accountability and no coordination.

Can we Predict Cloudbursts?

 Nephology=study of clouds
 But unlike cyclones, forecasting a cloudburst= mission almost impossible.
 Cloudburst can occur even outside the monsoon seasons (e.g. March to May, if the
weather conditions are right).
 A cloudburst can occur @anytime @anyplace in a short span of time. (but it usually
favors mountainous regions)
 The specific location and time of cloud burst can be predicted in NOWCAST mode only,
i.e. a few hours in advance.
 To detect these sudden developments, you need a Doppler Weather Radar (DWR).

Doppler Weather Radar (DWR)

By and large, Meteorologists use there are three different types of weather radars:

RADAR UTILITY
gives information only about the rainfall
1. conventional
estimation
1. Doppler Measuring rainfall, winds and clouds.
1. polarisation radar (or multi-parameter measure , winds, rainfall (including shape and
radar) number of raindrops)
  One Doppler Weather Radar costs ~10 crore, can cover an area ~400 km.
 IMD wants to modernize its Radar system. BHEL is manufacturing S-Band Doppler
Radars for IMD. They’ll be setup a 12 locations across India, including Mumbai.
 And since the Uttarakhand Tragedy, now Department of Sci-Tech is setting up Doppler
Weather radars in Himalayas

Benefits of Doppler Weather Radar?

1. Radar uses the Doppler Effect in microwaves. When Microwaves are reflected from
objects at different times, this Radar detects their relative position. Thus Doppler Radar
can detect even tiny water particles in clouds and in which direction they’re moving.
2. Doppler radar has a detection range of ~400 kms. It can transmit information about a
cloud, its distance from land, its composition, which direction it is moving and even
minute details like the number and size of water droplets found in a cloud.
3. We can predict the amount of rainfall to an area, 2-3 hours in advance. Thus, if a flood-
like situation is likely to happen in Mumbai, BMC could be alerted to avert a 2005-like
disaster.
4. can predict thunderstorms as well.

Crisis Mapping
 Crisis mapping is the real-time data gathering and analysis during natural disaster or riots,
elections etc.
 During Uttarakhand tragedy, International Network of Crisis Mappers came to help.
 These crisis mappers monitor different channels of information on Uttarakhand. Example

 official sources,
 blogs, social media, facebook twitter
 NGOs
 news media

Using such data, the Crisis Mappers generate ‘situation reports’

They also update with vital information an online crisis map set up by the Google:
(http://google.org/crisismap/2013-uttrakhand-floods? gl=in)
  ^That google crisis map has information on rescued people, cleared areas, people
stranded, relief camps, medical centres, road networks and so on.
 Thus, crisis mapping helps bridge the gap between

1. information-seekers vs providers
2. government vs public
3. situation on the ground vs action that needs to be taken

 Ushahidi = open-source platform for crisis mapping during 2010 Haiti Earthquake. They
even had an international SMS number was created for people to input information
relating to the quake.

Google Person Finder

 Google Person Finder is a web application available in Hindi and English. (link:
http://google.org/personfinder/)
 Allows individuals to post and search for the status of relatives or friends affected by a
disaster.
 All data entered into Google Person Finder is available to the public and searchable by
anyone.
 Also lets Press agencies, non-governmental agencies etc. contribute to the database and
receive updates.
[EnB] Misc.

man-made forest in Kerala. On the banks of the Mangalapuzha river.

Harithavanam The man-made forest renders almost all the functions of a natural forest except
that there are no wild animals.
Scientists had been studying fossil primate skeleton from China, since 2003
miniscule
Conclusion: Early ancestors of human beings might be “miniscule monkeys”
monkeys
smaller than rats
Fire in Sumatra’s jungle=> haze=> air pollution in three nations: Singapore,
Sumatra Haze
Indonesia and Malaysia.

Dinosaurs
hardly relevant for UPSC but for the sake of timepass 

#1: Nasutoceratops: New “Vegetarian”

Dinosaur
 Translates to “big-nosed horned face.”
 New horned dinosaur species discovered in Utah desert of USA.
 Belongs to the group of plant-eating, rhinoceros-like dinos.
 Nasuceratops used their horns to deter rivals for sexual selection and Deflect predators
similar to modern-day elk or deer.

#2: T-rex was indeed the Villain Dinosaur

Paleontologist Scientist that studies fossil organisms.

Predator Hunts his prey by himself. E.g. Lion, Tiger
Any organism that feeds on dead animals hunted by others + and other decaying
Scavenger organic matter. Example: Vultures, Hyenas, Raccoons, certain bacteria and
insects.
T.Rex That Non-Vegetarian Villain-Dinosaur, you’ve seen in Hollywood movies.

What is the issue?

 Some paleontologists believe that T. rex was a scavenger, not a predator. Meaning all
Hollywood movies where T-Rex is villain= scientifically bogus. Because T.Rex didn’t
kill anyone during his time! He was merely a humble dinosaur who ate dead carcasses
left by Predator dinosaurs.
 But now Paleontologists found tooth marks of a T.Rex on a vegetarian (herbivore)
dinosaur’s tail. From scientific analysis, they found vegetarian dinosaur was alive when it
got bitten by T.Rex
 Meaning T.Rex was a predator who would hunt in live animals, and NOT a scavenger. It
means Hollywood scriptwriters are indeed correct: T-Rex was indeed the villain dinosaur.