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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 000617 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/STC, 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 TSPL TBIO ECON IN
SUBJECT: NEW DELHI WEEKLY EST OFFICE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK OF 
MARCH 23 TO MARCH 27, 2009 
 
REF:  New Delhi 453 
 
¶1.  Below is a compilation of Environment, Science, and Technology 
highlights from Embassy New Delhi for the week of March 23-27, 2009, 
including the following: 
 
-- Indo-German Southern Ocean Iron Fertilization Experiment Fails 
-- Indian Meteorological Department Gearing Up To Monitor Air 
Pollution Prior To Commonwealth Games 
-- Wildlife Crime Bureau to Probe Tiger Deaths 
-- Madhav National Park: A Park Management Success Story 
-- IT Industry Launches Environmental Initiative 
-- DRDO Develops Environmentally Safe Bio-Larvicide For Control of 
Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya Causing Mosquitoes 
-- CSIR Plans to Put All Research Output Online 
-- IIT Delhi Develops Self Cleaning Cotton Fabric Technology 
-- Preparations for India's IREC 2010 Move Forward 
 
------------ 
ENVIRONMENT 
------------ 
 
Indo-German Southern Ocean Iron Fertilization Experiment Fails 
 
¶2.  The German Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine 
Research and the Indian National Institute of Oceanography conducted 
a joint geo-engineering iron fertilization experiment from 7 January 
- 17 March 2009 in the Southwest Atlantic sector of the Southern 
Ocean.  The expedition, called "LOHAFEX," LOHA meaning "iron" in 
Hindi and FEX standing for Fertilization Experiment, was carried out 
on board the German research vessel Polarstern.  Although the 
majority of the 48 scientists involved in the project were Indian 
(29) and German (10), Italy, Spain, UK, France, and Italy also 
contributed scientific personnel. The iron fertilization was 
expected to lead to rapid growth of phytoplankton that utilize 
atmospheric carbon dioxide in their growth and naturally sequester 
CO2 on the bottom of the ocean when they die.  Although the number 
of phytoplankton did increase dramatically after the sea was 
fertilized with four tons of dissolved iron, most of the 
phytoplankton were quickly eaten by crustacean zooplankton, 
resulting in the release of CO2 back into the atmosphere. 
 
Indian Meteorological Department Gearing Up To Monitor Air Pollution 
Prior To Commonwealth Games 
 
¶3.  On March 23, World Meteorological Day, Indian Meteorological 
Department (IMD) Director-General, Mr. Ajit Tyagi, announced a 
nationwide project to upgrade and modernize India's air quality 
monitoring equipment in order to obtain better data on India's 
severe air pollution problem.  The IMD is in talks with the Ministry 
of Environment and Forests to set up the first of the new air 
monitoring stations in the Delhi National Capital Region before the 
Commonwealth Games in October 2010. 
 
Wildlife Crime Bureau to Probe Tiger Deaths 
 
¶4.  Twenty nine tigers have died in various national parks in India 
since November 2008 and although park authorities have claimed some 
of the deaths are due to natural causes, EST Office contacts believe 
poaching is once again on the rise.  The two parks hardest hit are 
Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam which lost 10 tigers between 
November 2008 and January 2009 and Kanha National Park in Madhya 
Pradesh which has reported seven tiger deaths since November 2008. 
An alarmed Ministry of Environment and Forests has deployed teams 
from its Wildlife Crime Bureau to investigate the unusually high 
number of deaths, although no results have yet been reported. 
 
Madhav National Park: A Park Management Success Story 
 
 
NEW DELHI 00000617  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶5.  Concerted conservation and restoration efforts in Madhya 
Pradesh's Madhav National Park have paid off in the increased 
density of herbivore species and the presence of a male and female 
tiger.  Alok Kumar, the Park Director since October 2006, is 
credited for the turning around the steep decline in herbivore and 
big cat populations by combining alternative livelihoods and 
schooling for villagers with get-tough law enforcement practices 
that penalize those who illegally enter the park and degrade the 
forest.  The park is surrounded by 200 villages that had become 
dependent on the park for their livelihoods.  Kumar instituted 
various measures such as round the clock patrolling and better 
coordination between the police, judiciary, and park management, all 
of which has resulted in increased convictions and fines. 
Approximately 16,000 USD has been collected in fines in the last two 
years.  Better park management has also resulted in greater park 
revenue as the number of tourists visiting the park annually has 
increased from 14,000 to 20,000 since 2006. 
 
IT Industry Launches Environmental Initiative 
 
¶6.  The National Association of Software and Service Companies 
(NASSCOM) has launched a "Green IT Initiative" which lays out a 
three-point agenda to encourage the IT industry to adopt green 
technologies and practices; to assist other industries in using 
green IT equipment; and to transform IT sector employees into "green 
crusaders."  NASSCOM has formed three working groups with 
representation from industry, NGOs and consultants which will 
formulate a roadmap over the next 12-24 months to achieve the goals 
of the initiative.  NASSCOM Vice President Rajdeep Sahrawat said 
that the organization will also work with the government on green 
initiatives. 
 
-------- 
SCIENCE 
-------- 
 
CSIR Plans to Put All Research Output Online 
 
¶7.  India's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), a 
group of 38 national laboratories under the Ministry of Science and 
Technology, plans to provide open access to all of its publications 
and research reports in order to facilitate better dissemination of 
advanced scientific information in India.  Dr. Naresh Kumar, Head of 
the Research and Development Planning Division of CSIR told ESTFSN 
that CSIR instructed all of its laboratories to begin the process of 
putting all CSIR-generated knowledge online.  He noted that because 
over 90 percent of research in India was publicly funded, CSIR felt 
online access was necessary to provide research results to the 
largest possible audience.  Although completing the process will 
take time, Dr. Kumar stated CSIR had already put two of its 17 
journals, the Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the 
Indian Journal of Chemistry-Section A, online via the National 
Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources website 
(http://nopr.niscair.res.in/) with the remaining 15 to follow. 
NOTE:  The journals published by the Indian Academy of Science are 
available online at http://www.ias.ac.in/.  END NOTE. 
 
----------- 
TECHNOLOGY 
----------- 
 
DRDO Develops Environmentally Safe Bio-Larvicide For Control of 
Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya Causing Mosquitoes 
 
¶8.  The Defense Research Lab located in Tezpur, Assam, a part of 
India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has 
recently reported isolating Bacillus sphaericus G.C. sub group IV 
bacteria from soil which is reported to be highly effective against 
Culex and Anopheles mosquito larvae as well as somewhat effective 
 
NEW DELHI 00000617  003 OF 003 
 
 
against Aedes mosquitos. The bacteria acts on mosquito larvae by 
producing an endotoxin that disintegrates the digestive tract 
resulting in paralysis and death.  DRDO reports "amazing success" in 
extensive field trials which have resulted in the development of a 
bio-larvicide that is easy to handle, transport, store and apply in 
rural as well as urban areas and which is environmentally safe, even 
for application in drinking water. 
 
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi Develops Self Cleaning Cotton 
Fabric Technology. 
 
¶9.  IIT Delhi reported in the Indian Journal of Fibre and Textile 
Research that they have developed a cotton fabric coating that has 
both self-cleaning and anti-bacterial properties.  The technology is 
based on a nano-titanium dioxide coating with a particle size of 
less than 10 nanometers that does not require binders or 
cross-linkers.  IIT Delhi claims this coating has superior self 
cleaning properties than current commercially available titanium 
dioxide coatings utilizing 25 nanometer particles and an acrylic 
binder.  EST Office contacts at IIT Delhi stated the research was 
partly funded by Bangalore-based Resil Chemicals who plan on 
commercializing the new technology. 
 
Preparations For India's IREC 2010 Move Forward 
 
¶10.  ESTOffs met with Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) 
Joint Secretary Gauri Singh, on March 26 at her request to discuss 
the Indian International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) 
scheduled for February 2010.  J/S Singh opened the discussion by 
noting OES Acting Assistant Secretary Harnish's March 2-3 visit to 
New Delhi to discuss lessons learned from the 2008 WIREC (reftel) 
was extremely useful to the Government of India as it helped 
catalyze GOI thinking across all relevant ministries.  She noted 
India was now working to define the scientific and sectoral themes 
of the conference.  She said MNRE hopes to have the broad technical 
program structure ready in the next two months. She added that MNRE 
had engaged with Germany, Norway and Australia, who have agreed to 
sponsor thematic sessions at IREC 2010 and also facilitate 
participation, including provision of travel funds, to less 
developed countries with whom they have ongoing partnerships.  J/S 
Singh also mentioned she had been in close contact with the Indian 
Ministry of External Affairs who has agreed to help publicize IREC 
2010 internationally via diplomatic efforts at Indian embassies. 
She expects a letter to issue from the Indian Foreign Minister 
soliciting participation in IREC 2010 in early June, 2009.  J/S 
Singh concluded the meeting by calling for increased collaboration 
between India and the United States in the renewable energy sector, 
noting India was self-sufficient in terms of funding but needed 
technical expertise. 
 
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