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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000533 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/ENV, OES/SAT, OES/EGC, AND SCA/INS 
STATE FOR STAS 
DOE FOR INTERNATIONAL 
INTERIOR FOR FWS RILEY 
STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV TBIO KGHG TRGY NASA TSPA TNGD IN
SUBJECT: NEW DELHI WEEKLY EST OFFICE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK OF 
MARCH 16 TO MARCH 20, 2009 
 
NEW DELHI 00000533  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) Below is a compilation of Environment, Science, and 
Technology highlights from Embassy New Delhi for the week of March 
16 - 20, 2009, including the following: 
 
-- Haryana State Forest Department Goes After High Profile 
Development and Mining Interests 
-- Forest Fires In National Parks Cause Concern for Endangered 
Species 
-- Global Warming Affects the Worlds Highest Battlefield 
-- State Forest Departments Excused From Election Duty 
-- New Swiss Consulate in Bangalore to Include Science Section 
-- Increasing India/Russia Science Collaboration 
-- Indian Space Research Organization Discovers New Bacteria 
-- IIT Kharagpur Develops Inexpensive Artificial Heart 
-- Hydrogen Vehicles Planned for Delhi 
 
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ENVIRONMENT 
------------ 
 
Haryana State Forest Department Goes After High Profile Development 
and Mining Interests 
 
¶2.  (U) The Haryana Department of Environment and Forests (DEF) has 
constituted flying squads to check on serious violations of the 
Forest Conservation Act by developers and the mining lobby in an 
eco-sensitive zone of the Aravalli mountain range near the Delhi 
National Capital Region.  Media reports indicate local politicians 
and government agencies such as the Haryana Urban Development Agency 
and the Haryana Tourism Department were complicit in illegal 
construction projects in the protected zone. Under current law, 
construction and mining are illegal in only a section of the 
Aravalli range although the Committee that advises the Courts on 
environmental issues has recommended the entire range, with certain 
limited exceptions, be treated as a protected area. 
 
Forest Fires In National Parks Cause Concern for Endangered Species 
 
 
¶3.  (U) Barely a month after a blaze devoured one-fifth of the 
Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur, forest fires have been 
reported in five more regions in Arunachal Pradesh.  In addition, 
forest fires have also been reported in the Tadoba and Melghat Tiger 
Reserves in Maharashtra.  Forest officials state the fires may have 
had a serious impact on endangered species however no deaths have 
been confirmed.  The causes of the fires have yet to be ascertained. 
 
 
Global Warming Affects the Worlds Highest Battlefield 
 
¶4. (U) Dr. Rajeev Upadhyay, from the Kamaun University in Nainital 
in Uttarakhand, published in Current Science last week his findings 
that the Siachen Glacier, situated at an elevation of 19,000 feet, 
was originally as long as 150 km at the beginning of the 
inter-glacier period.  The glacier is currently 74 km in length and 
the World Wildlife Fund estimates it, along with other Himalayan 
glaciers, are shrinking at the rate of 33 to 49 feet per year.  Dr. 
Upadhyay has studied the glacier since 1995, and believes the 
melting process will have an impact on the Indus river water flow 
which is fed by waters from the Nubra and Shyok rivers that 
originate from the Siachen glacier.  These rivers account for much 
of Pakistan's irrigation requirements.  The Siachen glacier is an 
active conflict zone among Indian and Pakistani armed forces.  Dr. 
Upadhyay dismissed the view that military activity in the region is 
the primary cause of glacier shrinkage attributing the ice loss to 
global warming.  However, Dr. Syed Iqbal Hasnain, a glaciologist and 
Senior Fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), told 
ESToffs the negative impact of human activity on the glacier cannot 
be discounted and has been a factor in the glacier's melting. 
 
State Forest Departments Excused From Election Duty 
 
¶5. (U) The Election Commission of India sent letters to the Chief 
 Secretaries and Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union 
Territories to exempt vehicles and staff of national parks and 
wildlife sanctuaries from election duties in the April - May 2009 
elections.  Any attempt to draft forest department vehicles or staff 
for election duty is to be reported to the Election Commission of 
India. 
 
NEW DELHI 00000533  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
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SCIENCE 
-------- 
 
New Swiss Consulate in Bangalore to Include Science Section 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The Swiss Science Counselor relayed to ESToff that 
Switzerland was awaiting final MEA approval to open a new consulate 
in Bangalore, though he did not specify an expected opening date. 
The officer slated to lead science and education issues has already 
arrived in Delhi and expects to move to Bangalore in July.  She 
indicated Bangalore was chosen by the Swiss Government in order to 
better connect with India's science community. 
 
Increasing India/Russia Science Collaboration 
 
¶7. (U) Press reports India and Russia expect to define an S&T 
collaboration roadmap during their September 2009 meeting, with a 
focus on areas such as renewable energy, health care, chemical 
research, nanotechnology, biomedical instrumentation, and hydrates 
for energy related applications.  They plan to set up a joint 
technology clearing house to bring together R&D labs and industries 
from both countries and accelerate the commercialization of the 
in-house developed technologies.  India and Russia recently 
concluded a conference on space research and, according to newspaper 
reports, plan to launch a radio telescope with a 10 meter antenna 
which will include Indian radiation receivers, launch an ultra 
violet telescope, and cooperate on the Chandrayaan II mission. 
Russia also plans to provide training to Indian personnel before 
India's 2020-2025 manned moon mission by launching a space mission 
with an all Indian crew in 2015. 
 
Indian Space Research Organization Discovers New Bacteria 
 
¶8.  (U) ISRO reported discovering three new species of ultraviolet 
radiation-resistant bacteria in the upper stratosphere.  The 
bacteria have been named Janibacter hoylei (PVAS-1), Bacillus 
isronensis (B3 W22), and Bacillus aryabhata (B8 W22).  Samples were 
verified by the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology in 
Hyderabad and the National Center for Cell Science, Pune.  The 
discovery was part of an ISRO-sponsored three year study carried out 
by a multi-institutional team.  In its next experiments, ISRO plans 
to examine how bacteria can exist at such altitudes and their 
possible origins. 
 
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TECHNOLOGY 
----------- 
 
IIT Kharagpur Develops Inexpensive Artificial Heart 
 
¶9.  (U) A research team lead by Prof Sujoy Guha of the School of 
Medical Science and Technology at the Indian Institute of Technology 
(IIT) Kharagpur successfully tested a 13 chamber artificial heart on 
small animals, and is currently testing it on goats.  The team has 
applied for human clinical trials and plans to work with doctors 
from Kolkata Medical College Hospital and the All Indian Institute 
of Medical Sciences in Delhi.  The heart, a first of its kind in 
India, is expected to cost about USD 200. 
 
Hydrogen Vehicles Planned for Delhi 
 
¶10.  The United Nations has funded a USD 1 million public private 
partnership project to develop hydrogen-fueled three wheel 
autorickshaws in India.  Prof. L. M. Das of IIT Delhi heads the 
project, which includes participation by the Mahindra Group which 
will build the vehicle and the Air Products Corporation which will 
provide fueling services.  As a demonstration, 15 autorickshaws will 
run between the Delhi Metro station located at Pragati Maidan and 
the Pragati Maidan exhibition complex starting in 2010.  In related 
news, the GOI plans to use hydrogen-fueled buses, developed by ISRO 
and the Tata Group, during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. 
 
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